The unnecessarily high-tech way to level a pinball machine.
Place your phone on the playfield. See exactly how much to raise or lower each leg. Get it level in minutes, not guesswork.
Download on the App StorePick up your phone and the setup screen appears. Lay it on the playfield and measurements start automatically.
A top-down cabinet view shows every leg with color-coded indicators. Green means level. Red means keep turning. Each leg shows the exact adjustment in distance and turns.
Crawling under the cabinet to reach a leg? Connect your Apple Watch or a second iPhone via Bluetooth. See live data on your wrist and feel a haptic tap the moment everything is level.
Built-in presets for Stern, Jersey Jack Pinball, and Gottlieb machines. Create custom presets for every machine in your collection with your own dimensions, thread pitch, and target angle.
Camera bumps and cases create tiny offsets. One-tap calibration on a flat surface zeroes everything out. Do it once and forget about it until you change your case.
Choose decimal inches, fractional inches, or millimeters. Set your own tolerance for what counts as "level." See adjustments as both distance and turns of the leg leveler.
Select a built-in preset or create a custom one with your machine's leg dimensions and leveler thread pitch.
Set your iPhone face-up in the middle of the playfield. The app detects when the phone is laid flat and starts measuring instantly.
Follow the color-coded indicators. Each leg shows exactly how much to raise in distance and turns. Green on all four corners means you're done.
The companion Apple Watch app connects via Bluetooth and shows a simplified four-corner display. Each corner is color-coded with the adjustment amount. When all four legs hit tolerance, you get a haptic tap on your wrist.
| Sensor refresh rate | 10 readings per second |
|---|---|
| Distance units | Decimal inches, fractional inches, millimeters |
| Turn calculation | Based on configurable thread pitch per machine |
| Built-in presets | Stern (Modern), Jersey Jack Pinball, Gottlieb / Classic |
| Custom presets | Unlimited, fully editable |
| Remote display | Bluetooth LE to second iPhone or Apple Watch |
| Calibration | One-tap offset correction for phone case / camera bump |
| Target pitch | Adjustable per preset (default 6.5°) |
| Tolerance | User-configurable (0.1° to 2.0°) |
| Theme | Dark arcade-inspired interface |
| Price | Free. No ads. No subscriptions. |
| Privacy | No data collection. No accounts. No tracking. |
| Requires | iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Apple Watch with watchOS 10 or later (optional). |
When you open Level my Pinball for the first time, you'll see two options: "Level a Machine" for placing your phone on the playfield, and "Remote Display" for using a second device to view data from another phone.
Before your first measurement, calibrate your phone. Tap "Level a Machine" and you'll see the setup screen with a prominent calibration prompt. Tap it and place your iPhone face-up on a known flat surface (a granite countertop or floor tile) and tap "Calibrate." This compensates for your phone's camera bump and case. You only need to do this once unless you change your case.
On the setup screen, tap the machine preset card to open settings. Choose a factory preset (Stern, JJP, or Gottlieb) or create your own. If you select a factory preset, tap "Create a Copy" to make an editable version you can name and customize.
Set your iPhone face-up in the middle of the playfield. The app automatically switches from the setup screen to the measurement view when it detects the phone is lying flat. Pick it up again and the setup screen returns.
The top-down cabinet view shows four colored circles at the leg positions:
The reference leg (showing zero adjustment) is the lowest point and you'll be raising the other three to match. Turn each leg leveler the indicated number of turns and watch the colors change in real time.
Open Level my Pinball on your Apple Watch and tap "Start Leveling." The Watch connects to the sensor phone and shows a simplified four-corner view. When all four legs reach tolerance, you'll feel a haptic tap on your wrist. The Watch automatically returns to the home screen if it loses connection.
On the second iPhone, open Level my Pinball and choose "Remote Display." It will scan for the sensor phone. Once connected, it shows the same leveling data.
Stern (Modern), Jersey Jack Pinball, and Gottlieb are built in with approximate leg dimensions and thread pitch. These are read-only starting points.
Open settings and select a factory preset, then tap "Create a Copy." This creates an editable preset you can rename (for example, "My Godzilla" or "Tournament LOTR"). Edit the leg width, leg depth, thread pitch, and target pitch to match your specific machine.
When viewing one of your custom presets, tap "Duplicate" to create a copy. Useful when you have similar machines that need slightly different settings.
Swipe left on any custom preset in the list to delete it. Factory presets cannot be deleted.
How close to the target angle a leg needs to be before it's considered level. Default is 0.5°. Competition organizers might use 0.3°. Casual setup might use 1.0°.
Choose between decimal inches (0.19"), fractional inches (3/16"), or millimeters (4.8mm). Applies to all displays including the Watch.
The front-to-back slope of the playfield. Most pinball machines play best around 6.5°. Adjustable per preset from 5.0° to 8.0°.
The distance the leg leveler moves per full turn. Standard pinball legs use 1/2"-13 UNC threading (0.077" per turn). If your machine has non-standard levelers, measure and update this value.
Do I need an Apple Watch?
No. The iPhone works perfectly on its own. The Watch is optional for hands-free convenience when adjusting legs under the cabinet.
How accurate is it?
Modern iPhone accelerometers are accurate to about 0.1°. With calibration, Level my Pinball provides reliable measurements for practical leveling. It's not a laboratory instrument, but it's more consistent than a traditional bubble level.
Does it work with any pinball machine?
Yes. The built-in presets cover the most common manufacturers, and you can create custom presets with any dimensions. It works with any four-legged pinball machine with adjustable leg levelers.
Do I need to remove the glass?
Yes, it is better to measure on the playfield.
Where exactly should I place the phone?
In the middle of the playfield, face-up. Avoid inserts and raised plastics if possible. The flat area in the center gives the most representative reading of the overall playfield angle.
Do I need an internet connection?
No. Everything works offline. Bluetooth is only used for local device-to-device communication. Nothing is sent to the internet.
Is my data private?
Completely. Level my Pinball collects no data, has no accounts, no analytics, and no tracking. Your presets and calibration are stored only on your device.
Why is one leg always showing zero adjustment?
The app normalizes to the lowest leg: that leg becomes the reference point. The other three legs are adjusted relative to it. This means you're always raising legs, never lowering, which is the most practical approach.
Can I use it for other things besides pinball?
Level my Pinball is designed specifically for pinball machines. But if you own a trailer or motorhome, check out the other app Level my RV — the same concept built for leveling your rig at the campsite.
If you manage pinball machines on location, check out PinballRoute.com — a free route management tool for arcade operators. Level my Pinball and PinballRoute are companion tools for operators who want to run a tight route.