The Best UV Index Apps for iPhone in 2026
There are dozens of UV index apps in the App Store, and most of them just repackage the same UV number you already get from Apple Weather. The ones worth installing do something extra — like personalizing the forecast to your skin type, surfacing the data on your Apple Watch, or planning around peak UV hours. Below is an honest side-by-side comparison of the twelve apps that come up most often for iPhone UV — Apple Weather, Sunwise, UV Index Widget — Worldwide (the App Store market leader), UV Index Widget & Burn Time, UV Index & Tanning — SunSafe, EPA's SunWise UV Index, SunSmart Global UV, Sunbeam, UVLens, UVmeter, UVI Mate, and Sola — and how Sunwise fits in against each of them. A note on how this list has changed: skin-type personalization used to be the thing that separated Sunwise from the field, and as of 2026 it no longer is. Two apps here now calculate some form of personal burn time, so the comparison below focuses on what actually differs between them — where the UV number comes from, and which Apple surfaces the answer reaches.
Quick comparison
| App | Personalized | Forecast | Apple Watch | Widgets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunwise | Yes — Fitzpatrick skin type drives a per-user burn time | Hourly UV index + 7-day outlook | Yes — native complications | Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets |
| Apple Weather (built-in) | No — same number for every user | Hourly UV index for the day | Limited — basic complication | Yes (Weather widget) |
| UV Index Widget — Worldwide | No — same number for every user | Current UV index + 7-day UV outlook | No native complications | Yes — Home Screen widget focused |
| UV Index & Tanning — SunSafe | Limited — tanning-time suggestions rather than a per-skin-type burn time | 10-day UV forecast + real-time UV levels | No | Yes |
| EPA's SunWise UV Index | No — generic UV reading and sun-safety tips | Daily and hourly UV forecast | No | No |
| SunSmart Global UV | Limited — adjusts protection times by skin type | 5-day UV forecast | No | No |
| Sunbeam: UV Index | No | Hourly UV index | Yes | Yes |
| UVLens | Limited — burn time estimates use a simplified fair/medium/dark skin selector rather than the full Fitzpatrick scale | Current UV index + multi-day outlook worldwide | Yes | Yes |
| UVmeter — Check the UV Index | No — same UV number for every user | Hourly UV forecast at the current location | Yes | Yes |
| Sola: UV Index & Sun Exposure | Yes — some skin-type tuning on burn time and vitamin D | Real-time UV index + sun exposure and vitamin D dose tracking | Yes | Yes |
| UV Index Widget & Burn Time | Yes — burn time calculated from your skin type | Current UV index and burn time, calculated locally | No | Yes — widget-first design |
| UV Index Now — UVI Mate | Limited — SPF and protection suggestions rather than a per-Fitzpatrick burn time | 6-hour UV forecast plus current conditions worldwide | Yes | Yes |
In-depth review of each app
Sunwise
Personalized UV forecast app for iPhone
- Best for
- Anyone who wants a UV forecast tailored to their skin tone with native Apple Watch support.
- Forecast
- Hourly UV index + 7-day outlook
- Skin type personalization
- Yes — Fitzpatrick skin type drives a per-user burn time
- Apple Watch
- Yes — native complications
- Widgets
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
- Price
- Free
Built specifically around the Fitzpatrick scale — the same scale dermatologists use — so the UV reading translates directly into a personal burn time in minutes rather than a generic 'High' or 'Very High' label.
Apple Weather (built-in)
Apple's default Weather app
- Best for
- Casual users who just want a quick UV index reading with no extra download.
- Forecast
- Hourly UV index for the day
- Skin type personalization
- No — same number for every user
- Apple Watch
- Limited — basic complication
- Widgets
- Yes (Weather widget)
- Price
- Free
Pre-installed and convenient, but the UV card only shows a number and a label. There's no concept of skin type, so it can't tell you how long you personally can stay in the sun.
UV Index Widget — Worldwide
Widget-first UV index app — the highest-ranking App Store result for iPhone UV
- Best for
- Users whose main need is a Home Screen widget with the current UV number.
- Forecast
- Current UV index + 7-day UV outlook
- Skin type personalization
- No — same number for every user
- Apple Watch
- No native complications
- Widgets
- Yes — Home Screen widget focused
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
The market leader for the search 'UV index widget iPhone' — the App Store listing has been running since 2016 and consistently ranks in the top App Store results. Its strength is a polished Home Screen widget and worldwide coverage. It doesn't personalize the UV number to your skin type and doesn't ship native Lock Screen, StandBy, or Apple Watch surfaces, so the reading you see is the same one every user sees.
UV Index & Tanning — SunSafe
Tanning-focused UV index app for iPhone with a 10-day forecast
- Best for
- Users planning tanning sessions who want a longer-range UV outlook.
- Forecast
- 10-day UV forecast + real-time UV levels
- Skin type personalization
- Limited — tanning-time suggestions rather than a per-skin-type burn time
- Apple Watch
- No
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
SunSafe leans into tanning as the primary use case, with a 10-day UV forecast and daily peak-UV summaries. It's a solid pick if planning tanning sessions is your main reason for opening the app, but it doesn't calculate a per-user Fitzpatrick burn time — so the safe-exposure window is generic rather than tailored.
EPA's SunWise UV Index
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency app — note: this is a different app to Sunwise
- Best for
- U.S. users who want a UV forecast tied directly to EPA data.
- Forecast
- Daily and hourly UV forecast
- Skin type personalization
- No — generic UV reading and sun-safety tips
- Apple Watch
- No
- Widgets
- No
- Price
- Free
A government-published reference app focused on U.S. ZIP-code forecasts and general sun-safety education. Despite the similar name, it has no relationship to Sunwise — it doesn't personalize forecasts to your skin type and doesn't ship Apple Watch or widget support.
SunSmart Global UV
WHO / Cancer Council app
- Best for
- International users who want a public-health-grade global UV forecast.
- Forecast
- 5-day UV forecast
- Skin type personalization
- Limited — adjusts protection times by skin type
- Apple Watch
- No
- Widgets
- No
- Price
- Free
Backed by the World Health Organization and Cancer Council Victoria. Strong public-health framing with sun protection times, but no native Apple Watch app and limited iOS-platform integration like widgets or App Intents.
Sunbeam: UV Index
Independent UV index app for iPhone
- Best for
- Users who want a polished UV index reading without skin-type personalization.
- Forecast
- Hourly UV index
- Skin type personalization
- No
- Apple Watch
- Yes
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
A clean, well-designed UV index app focused on glanceable readings. Doesn't account for skin type, so the burn-time estimate is generic rather than tailored.
UVLens
Long-running cross-platform UV app with its own uvlens.com website
- Best for
- Users who want a global UV forecast with a well-established brand and sunscreen-reminder framing.
- Forecast
- Current UV index + multi-day outlook worldwide
- Skin type personalization
- Limited — burn time estimates use a simplified fair/medium/dark skin selector rather than the full Fitzpatrick scale
- Apple Watch
- Yes
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
UVLens is one of the older UV apps still actively promoted (its website uvlens.com currently ranks in the top 10 for 'personalized UV forecast app'). It focuses on avoiding sunburn and reminding you when to apply sunscreen, with worldwide UV coverage. The main gap versus Sunwise is granularity: UVLens's skin selector is a broad three-way choice, whereas Sunwise runs the full Fitzpatrick I–VI scale that dermatologists use — so the burn time is more tailored to your specific phototype.
UVmeter — Check the UV Index
Hourly UV index app for iPhone with a long App Store history
- Best for
- Users who want a simple, no-frills hourly UV reading for their current location.
- Forecast
- Hourly UV forecast at the current location
- Skin type personalization
- No — same UV number for every user
- Apple Watch
- Yes
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
UVmeter has been on the App Store for over a decade and consistently ranks in the top App Store results for 'sun UV tracker iPhone' and related queries. Its strength is simplicity — a clean hourly UV forecast for wherever you are. It doesn't personalize the number by skin type, so the reading is the same for everyone in your area; Sunwise pairs that same class of forecast data with a Fitzpatrick-personalized burn time so the number becomes actionable.
Sola: UV Index & Sun Exposure
UV index + vitamin D + sun exposure tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch
- Best for
- Users who want to track sun exposure and vitamin D dose alongside the UV index.
- Forecast
- Real-time UV index + sun exposure and vitamin D dose tracking
- Skin type personalization
- Yes — some skin-type tuning on burn time and vitamin D
- Apple Watch
- Yes
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
Sola positions itself around vitamin D and sun-time tracking rather than sunburn avoidance. It's the closest philosophical match to Sunwise for anyone who wants to actively use the sun rather than only protect against it. Sunwise covers the same vitamin D use case (see the vitamin D and UV index guide) and adds the deeper Fitzpatrick-personalized burn time on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
UV Index Widget & Burn Time
Newer skin-type-aware widget app — computes UV from solar science rather than a weather API
- Best for
- Users who want a personal burn time in a widget and don't need Apple Watch or a long-range forecast.
- Forecast
- Current UV index and burn time, calculated locally
- Skin type personalization
- Yes — burn time calculated from your skin type
- Apple Watch
- No
- Widgets
- Yes — widget-first design
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
The closest functional match to Sunwise on the App Store, and currently the top App Store result for 'skin type UV app'. Its distinguishing choice is computing UV from solar-position modelling rather than calling a weather service, which means it works without a network round-trip but doesn't incorporate live cloud cover — and cloud is the single largest short-term swing in real-world UV, so a modelled clear-sky number can read high on an overcast day. Sunwise takes the opposite approach: Apple WeatherKit supplies a cloud- and altitude-adjusted UV index, which Sunwise then converts into a Fitzpatrick burn time and surfaces on Apple Watch complications and Lock Screen and StandBy widgets as well as the Home Screen.
UV Index Now — UVI Mate
Global UV index app with Apple Watch support and SPF guidance
- Best for
- Apple Watch users who want UV alarms and sunscreen SPF suggestions alongside the index.
- Forecast
- 6-hour UV forecast plus current conditions worldwide
- Skin type personalization
- Limited — SPF and protection suggestions rather than a per-Fitzpatrick burn time
- Apple Watch
- Yes
- Widgets
- Yes
- Price
- Free with in-app purchases
UVI Mate is one of the few competitors that treats Apple Watch as a first-class surface, and it ranks well for 'UV app Apple Watch'. It also publishes useful educational material on Fitzpatrick phototypes. Where it stops short is turning that phototype knowledge into a live number: the app suggests an SPF and warns at UV thresholds rather than counting down the minutes you personally have left, which is the calculation Sunwise runs continuously against the current UV index.
How to choose a UV index app
The right app depends on what you want to get out of it. If you just need a quick reading, Apple's built-in Weather app is fine. If you want sun safety guidance from a public-health source, SunSmart Global UV or EPA's SunWise are both reputable. But if you actually want to know how long you can stay in the sun — not a generic "High" label — you need an app that factors in your skin type.
That's where personalization matters. A UV index of 7 means roughly 15 minutes of safe exposure for someone with very fair (Type I) skin and over 45 minutes for someone with darker (Type V) skin. A UV index app that ignores skin type can't tell you that. For more on the scale itself, see our UV index guide, take the Fitzpatrick skin type quiz to find your type, read our walkthrough on how to check the UV index on iPhone, or — if you're planning a tan rather than avoiding the sun — see the UV index for tanning guide. Wondering why two UV apps in the same place can show different numbers? Our UV index accuracy guide breaks down the major data sources and what to trust. If a Home Screen or Lock Screen UV widget is what you're really after, see the dedicated UV index widget for iPhone guide.
Sunwise vs UV Index Widget & Burn Time
This is the closest comparison on the list, because both apps set out to do the same thing: turn the UV index into a personal burn time based on your skin type rather than a generic "High" label. If that's the feature you're shopping for, either app will give it to you. The meaningful difference is where the UV number comes from.
UV Index Widget & Burn Time computes UV from solar-position modelling rather than calling a weather service — its App Store listing describes this as “no weather API, just solar science”. That has a genuine upside: the calculation is instant, works offline, and can't be wrong because a forecast was stale. The trade-off is cloud cover. A clear-sky solar model can't know that it's overcast where you're standing, and cloud is the largest short-term swing in real-world UV — thick overcast cuts UV by roughly 50–70%. On a grey day a modelled number reads high; the practical result is a burn time that's conservative rather than dangerous, but it is less precise.
Sunwise sources its UV index from Apple WeatherKit, which incorporates forecast cloud cover, ozone, and your device's GPS altitude — the same data behind Apple's own Weather app — and then runs the Fitzpatrick I–VI burn-time calculation on top of it. Sunwise also covers more Apple surfaces: native Apple Watch complications, Lock Screen widgets in all three iOS shapes, and a StandBy widget, alongside the Home Screen. For the detail on how the underlying data sources differ, see the UV index accuracy guide.
Sunwise vs EPA's SunWise — they're different apps
These two apps share a similar name but they're unrelated. EPA's SunWise is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference app for ZIP-code UV forecasts and general sun-safety education. It doesn't personalize readings to your skin type and doesn't support Apple Watch or widgets.
Sunwise (this app) is an independent personalized UV forecast app for iPhone and iPad built around the Fitzpatrick skin type scale. It calculates a specific burn time in minutes for your skin and surfaces it on your Apple Watch, Home Screen, and Lock Screen.
Sunwise vs UVLens
UVLens is one of the older UV apps still actively promoted, with its own website at uvlens.com and a strong focus on avoiding sunburn and reminding you when to apply sunscreen. Its UV forecast covers the world and it offers a burn time based on a three-way fair / medium / dark skin selector.
Sunwise runs the full Fitzpatrick I–VI scale that dermatologists use, so the personal burn time is finer-grained than UVLens's three-bucket selector — and Sunwise adds native Apple Watch complications, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets, App Intents, and dedicated per-person profiles for family use (see the UV index for kids and babies guide). Both apps hit the same core intent — a UV forecast focused on sun safety — Sunwise trades UVLens's longer brand history for a more personalized burn-time model on modern iOS.
Sunwise vs Sola
Sola is the closest philosophical match to Sunwise for anyone who wants to actively use the sun rather than only protect against it — its lead framing is UV index plus vitamin D and sun exposure tracking, and it ships an Apple Watch companion.
Sunwise covers the same vitamin D use case in the vitamin D and the UV index guide and adds a deeper Fitzpatrick-personalized burn time as the primary reading, so the same UV forecast produces a more specific number for your skin. If your priority is a vitamin D tracker specifically, Sola's dose-based approach is worth a look; if it's a personalized safe-sun window, Sunwise is the closer fit.
Try Sunwise — free on the App Store
Sunwise is free on the App Store. You get hourly and 7-day UV forecasts, a personalized burn time based on your Fitzpatrick skin type, native Apple Watch complications, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, and Siri integration via App Intents.
