Track the sun’s whereabouts, to keep yourself safe and well – and to take better photos
The idea of an app solely for tracking daylight might seem strange. After all, you can explore sunrise and sunset times in Apple’s Weather. But there are benefits to a dedicated app.
In having faster access to granular daylight information, including for dates far into the future, that means you can more easily plan. Whether you need to be mindful of daylight times for wellbeing, safety or photography, these four apps are a boon.
Solstice (free)
Best for wellbeing – and for free
Select a location in Solstice and you’re met with a sleek, minimal page. A graph with a wiggly line tracks daylight progress. Beneath, you’ll find the day’s stats and monthly averages. It’s reminiscent of the expanded sunrise/sunset pane in Apple Weather.
However, Solstice provides good reasons to prefer it over Apple’s implementation. It’s immediate – you don’t have to hunt for information. And in the locations view, you can peruse daylight times across several places at once.
The app excels in the smaller details too. We like how the graph has a line of text that compares today and yesterday in terms of daylight. You can ‘time travel’ to different days. And there’s a setting to suppress notifications when daylight starts to decrease – something that will be welcomed by SAD sufferers.
Roll in smart widgets and Solstice being free and you’ve an ideal app for people whose main priority regarding daylight tracking is to know how much daylight there will be on any given day.
SolarWatch (free or $12.99/£12.99 per year)
Best for photographers
SolarWatch’s central disc evokes a digital sundial. Its combination of daylight hours and weather conditions provides a valuable tool, especially for photographers seeking optimal moments to capture stunning shots.
The interactive dial helps you quickly access upcoming daylight data with a simple turn. You can also save multiple locations as favorites and switch between them. Home Screen widgets provide easy access to data and discs.
That’s the free version. Optional annual IAP expands the app’s scope substantially. An augmented reality (AR) view overlays the sun’s path on to what your camera can see, and a top-down map illustrates the sun’s direction at any given time. Furthermore, it adds granular notifications with offsets, for example so you could set a repeating alert 30 minutes after sunrise, for your daily morning walk.
Whether you’re a photography enthusiast or not, SolarWatch’s thoughtful design makes it well worth exploring – regardless of if you stick with the free app or plump for the paid version’s extras.
Lumy ($6.99/£6.99)
Best for immediacy and visuals
Many apps offer elegance and usability. Lumy also brings the art. It’s the most visually arresting app of this collection, and it should therefore come as no surprise that it looks swish on every device, from an iPhone to an Apple TV.
But this app isn’t mere eye candy. The single-pane view of the current location is contextual and dynamic, displaying what’s coming up rather than what’s already been – ideal when you’re partway through a day.
All data points are color-coded for easy differentiation, and a tap nets you extra details. Data points can also be used to trigger live activities and one-off or recurring notifications. Customization extends further, with settings letting you tweak Lumy’s visual appearance and dig into Shortcuts.
The app’s unexpected depth, considering its refined and minimal design, adds significant value. If you prize immediacy and visual appeal in your apps and need a daylight tracker, Lumy is an excellent choice.
Sun Surveyor ($9.99/£9.99)
Best for plotting paths and using maps
This app takes path-tracking elements seen in apps like SolarWatch to another level. Consequently, it caters best for those who need to scout locations, such as filmmakers, gardeners, and prospective homeowners assessing the sun’s trajectory over a property.
You start with a 3D compass that shows the sun’s path throughout the day. Below, you can swipe between data points, including golden hour times, nighttime photo opportunities, and shadow lengths.
Elsewhere, map and live views build on what you get in SolarWatch, with added flexibility and features. And Street View overlays the sun’s progression on to any Google Street View scene.
This is the most specialized app in this round-up. It also has a few properly clunky interface elements. But when you need a deeper understanding of sunlight dynamics at any specific location, it’s a useful tool. If you’re unsure whether it’s for you, Sun Surveyor Lite handily offers limited demos of all the key features.