Learn how to check the Air Quality Index on your iPhone or Apple Watch if you live in a region with poor air quality or just want to know more about the air you breathe.
If you’re living in an area that’s known to have poor air quality, then it’s best to keep track of the AQI or Air Quality Index on a regular basis. Bad air consists of pollutants, allergens, and pollens that can cause long-term health problems.
The Air Quality Index reports daily air quality and ranges from 0 to 500. When it comes to AQI, lower is always better.
Check air quality on iPhone
There are plenty of ways to track AQI, and you can do so right from your iPhone or Apple Watch using the Weather app or third-party solutions like the Air Quality app and Google Maps.
1. Using the Weather app
- Launch the Apple Weather app on your iPhone.
- Select your region and scroll down.
- You should be able to see the Air Quality Index of your area.
The AQI bar is displayed at the top of the page when a region is experiencing bad air quality.
Some regions may not show the AQI bar if there’s no official reading in your region. If you want to view the AQI at all times on your Home Screen, then you should consider installing a third-party app.
2. Using the Air Quality Reader app
The Air Quality Reader app is a free download from the App Store, which offers a widget that shows the Air Quality map on your Home Screen and inside the app. Simply download the app, open it, and tap the colored dot on the map to see the air quality. You can also use the search option in the app to see the air quality of another city.
If the above app does not work for you, I recommend checking out the excellent IQAir AirVisual app. In my tests, I found that this app shows air quality even for places where Apple Weather fails.
3. In Google Maps
Google Maps also lets you see the air quality. To do that, open Google Maps and tap the map button from the top right. Next, tap Air Quality, and it should show you the “Air quality in this area.”
See Air Quality Index on Apple Watch
Moving on to the Apple Watch, you can use a simple Watch complication to view the AQI at all times.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Select a Watch face to add the AQI complication.
- Tap a Complication you want to change.
- Scroll down to Weather options, and select Air Quality or AQI.
The watch face will now show the AQI index for your selected location, and will also update it regularly. This way, you’ll have a real-time idea of the air quality by glancing at your Apple Watch. You can also add complications directly from your Apple Watch by pressing the watch face and choosing Edit.
If you do not want to add a complication, you can simply go inside the Weather app on your Apple Watch to see the air quality.
- Open the Weather app on your watch and tap the icon in the top right corner. If you want to see it for another city, tap the bullet icon from the top left and select one of your added cities.
- Scroll down and select Air Quality.
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