The air that we breathe in plays a huge role in our health and your chances of a health risk might be high if you live in a region with highly polluted air. In order to avoid such health risks, you need to constantly monitor the quality of air around you so you can ignore places with a large percentage of pollutants and plan your outdoor activities accordingly.

In the following post, we’ve listed the best apps that you could use on your iPhone and iPad to check for air quality around you and also discussed some options that can be accessed on a Mac. Let’s get started.

AirVisual Air Quality Forecast

Developed by IQAir AG, AirVisual is the #7 app in the App Store for Weather with over 4.8 stars and around 16K ratings. At its name implies, the app offers real-time air pollution data with details about the key pollutants as well as a historical statistics and forecasts for the air quality in the future.

AirVisual currently offers pollution data across 10,000+ locations in 100+ countries and you will also be able to pull out 48-hour and month-long historical air quality information. The app’s 7-Day Weather Forecast feature can help you plan your outdoor activities with additional information on wind direction and speed.

The app offers 2D & 3D pollution maps for getting information on pollution indexes around the globe and it also brings with it health recommendations so that you minimize your exposure to pollutants and thus lower your health risk. Other additional features include Indoor Air Quality Monitoring, Extended Historical Data Graphs, Air Pollution Community News, and forecasts for sensitive groups.

Plume Labs: Air Quality App

Another popular app on the App Store for getting air quality information is Plume Labs which has been rated at 4.6 stars by over 5.6K users. The app gives live street-by-street pollution maps for major cities around the globe with detailed information about the air quality for the next 72 hours like you would when going through a weather forecast.

The highlight feature of the app is that it shows satellite imagery, atmospheric simulations, traffic, and emissions datasets of air quality info. You can get city-by-city data and filter through the various pollutants – NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 and also check the location’s historical data as old as 6 months.

Additionally, Plume Labs gives you tips and tricks on how to find clean air for different activities and it will also notify you with up-to-date forecasts once in the morning and then one in the evening.

Air Matters

Air Matters offers to show air quality information for cities across 180 countries. The app delivers pollution and pollen alerts with realtime air quality index shown on the app’s desktop icon. Users in the US and Europe can take advantage of pollen data and forecast while other regions only get regular air quality information available for their city.

Similar to other apps in this list, Air Matters shows the pollution rating of cities around you and across the globe with details regarding the intensity of different pollutants available in the air. You can check the AQI history for the region you’re in and also view the air quality rankings from best to worst.

Air Quality App – BreezoMeter

BreezoMeter uses machine learning and AI techniques to provide you with real-time air quality data with street-level depth information and a 6-hourly air quality forecast. You can add the Air Quality Widget to your home screen for quick access to regular info while the app also provides fire alerts on your phone to reduce exposure to toxic smoke.

You can get the daily pollen count for various trees, and grass and also get personalized health recommendations if you’re planning a trip or an outdoor activity. You will be notified when the air quality around you changes significantly and view the current weather info in addition to the air quality around you.

Sh**t! I Smoke

Yes. You read that right. You might not be someone who smokes but this app will show you how harmful living in your city might be in terms of the number of cigarettes smoked. Open the app and you can find how much ‘smoking’ you’re doing by just breathing in the air around you.

The smoking value is calculated by comparing smoke from a regular cigarette to the among of PM2.5 pollutants you consumed in μg. Besides that, you can keep track of the intensities of different pollutants like NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in your region or in any place across the globe.

Can you check the air quality from your Weather app on iOS?

If you don’t wish to install an additional app on your phone, then you can get basic air quality information from within the default Weather app on your iPhone or iPad. To get the air quality information on your place, open the Weather app from the home screen, select the place you reside in, and scroll down to the bottom of the screen.

Here, you will be able to get information regarding air quality status and index value. Don’t expect detailed information beyond this from within the Weather app but if you do, make sure you check out any of the apps listed above.

Want to check air quality on a Mac? Try this

If a Mac is what you primarily use in your daily routine, you might want to get your air quality alerts directly on macOS without needing to reach for your phone. Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. You can check out the Inhale Air Quality Monitor app from the Mac App Store that regularly shows the quality of the air you’re breathing.

Inhale displays the current AQI and shows advice based on the values available on the screen. The app shows a circle inside a map which indicates the intensity and the proximity of the Air Quality data and you can also see AQI for places other than your current location.

You can also check out the CARROT Weather from the Mac App Store that’s a popular choice for showing viewing weather info but it also shows air quality information that you might be interested in.

Which one of these apps do you use to check for the air quality around you? Let us know if we missed out on your favorite app.