SolarWatch app screens over a sunset landscape

Sun, shade, light quality, and eclipses in one app

Plan your day around the Sun.

SolarWatch helps you predict light before it happens: golden hour, blue hour, AR sun paths, building and terrain shadows, smart alarms, widgets, and eclipse maps.

Explore features

600k+

downloads

4.7

App Store rating

Since 2017

on the App Store

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro

Every Apple platform

Core tools

Built for real sunlight decisions.

Plan the full arc of daylight: when the light happens, where it moves, how good it will be, and which rare solar events are coming.

Sun path, golden hour, and twilight

Track sunrise, sunset, blue hour, golden hour, solar elevation, and azimuth for your current location or saved cities.

SolarWatch city detail screen with solar wheel and sun event times

AR planning for real places

Preview where the Sun will rise, travel, and set before you commit to a shoot, hike, room layout, or solar panel placement.

SolarWatch AR mode showing the Sun path over a city skyline

Shadow calculator for buildings and terrain

Plan around realistic shadows from buildings and terrain, so dense streets, hills, valleys, and viewpoints are easier to judge before you arrive.

SolarWatch terrain shadows over a mountain landscape

Quality-based sunrise and sunset alarms

Use atmosphere-aware quality forecasts and smart alarms to wake up only when the light is worth it.

Use cases

One sun app, several serious workflows.

SolarWatch is for people who make decisions from daylight, shade, timing, and sky conditions instead of guessing from a weather icon.

Photographers

Plan golden hour, sunset direction, shadows, and AR sun paths before a shoot.

Homes and real estate

Check how sunlight reaches rooms, balconies, gardens, and streets through the year.

Trail and viewpoint planning

Compare daylight, twilight, and shade before choosing a route, overlook, or return time.

Eclipse watchers

Explore eclipse paths, local contact times, and Moon shadow playback from 2000 to 2200.

Apple ecosystem

Useful before you open the app.

Widgets, Vitamin D, and Apple Watch

Keep solar events, Sun position, Vitamin D, and eclipse countdowns visible at a glance.

Eclipse tracker and catalog

Browse every solar eclipse from 2000 to 2200 with path maps and local circumstances.

Favorites across cities

Compare sunrise, sunset, daylight, and solar time across the places you care about.

SolarWatch building shadows around the Eiffel Tower

Trusted for years.

SolarWatch has earned a loyal following since 2017 because it stays practical: quick data, clear planning, useful widgets, and responsive support. People use it for an almost absurd range of tasks, from golden hour photos and evening walks to drone flights, outdoor work, travel, and aviation.

“I love this app and use it daily. It is clean and functional.”

bearjmu

Daily use

“It informs you of when the blue and golden hours occur daily.”

dec4

Photography

“I love the feature where I can have the solar time on my lock screen next to the local time.”

INeverReview3

Solar time

“Plus knowing the optimal time for those sunset pics off the California coast. For me a must have.”

Schnauzer Logic

Sunset planning

“This app works smoothly and lets me change which solar events/times I see at a glance.”

61north

At a glance

“Essential tool for drone flight. Gives important information about flying at sunset and sunrise.”

ChanceVau

Drone flying

“I use this extensively for planning hikes around sunset, love it.”

Dslyecxi

Hiking

“Have this on my Apple Watch and iPad, and I no longer have to guess when to record night flying.”

Pitotdude

Aviation

“I work outdoors and reference the widget all the time for when sunset and last light are.”

Ssorpp

Outdoor work

“It is great for concisely showing me sunrise and sunset times for my location.”

Jnachod2015

Sunrise and sunset

“Beautifully designed and developers that are responsive and listen to feedback.”

helloworldnickname

Design

“Easier to visualize than other similar apps and widgets.”

a1n2d3y7

Widgets

“I use this app primarily for the sunrise/sunset notifications and it works exactly how I was hoping for.”

User_aeh_1212

Notifications

“This is my favorite app for checking sunset, sunrise and twilight times.”

Elmo's child

Twilight

“I especially like that I can look at it on my Apple Watch.”

Stensvaag

Apple Watch

“One of my favorite apps. Check out the pre built watch faces!”

halfthelaw

Watch faces

“Needed an app to track sunrise/sunset. Extremely user friendly interface.”

SP1SP

Ease of use

“I'm an early morning runner and love being able to see the stats in the morning.”

Carol Cahill

Running

“It helps me plan my imaging sessions.”

violamitch

Astrophotography

“The home-screen widget is great. No notes!”

NMZia

Home Screen

“What a pleasure to find these, as well as the crepuscular hours, at a glance.”

Swienke

Golden hour

“This app works perfectly on my Apple watch.”

swamiomkara

Apple Watch

“This app is great for identifying twilight as well as sunrise and sunset at my location.”

Get Outside Girl

Outdoor plans

“Want to take the perfect picture, specifically to the terrain that you are in?”

gloveu2

Terrain planning

“Solar watch is always on my Home Screen so I can easily check the best time to start my exercise.”

michalet

Evening runs

“This app is perfect for any event you need to know about times for sunlight.”

haff713

Light planning

“I love this app and use it daily. It is clean and functional.”

bearjmu

Daily use

“It informs you of when the blue and golden hours occur daily.”

dec4

Photography

“I love the feature where I can have the solar time on my lock screen next to the local time.”

INeverReview3

Solar time

“Plus knowing the optimal time for those sunset pics off the California coast. For me a must have.”

Schnauzer Logic

Sunset planning

“This app works smoothly and lets me change which solar events/times I see at a glance.”

61north

At a glance

“Essential tool for drone flight. Gives important information about flying at sunset and sunrise.”

ChanceVau

Drone flying

“I use this extensively for planning hikes around sunset, love it.”

Dslyecxi

Hiking

“Have this on my Apple Watch and iPad, and I no longer have to guess when to record night flying.”

Pitotdude

Aviation

“I work outdoors and reference the widget all the time for when sunset and last light are.”

Ssorpp

Outdoor work

“It is great for concisely showing me sunrise and sunset times for my location.”

Jnachod2015

Sunrise and sunset

“Beautifully designed and developers that are responsive and listen to feedback.”

helloworldnickname

Design

“Easier to visualize than other similar apps and widgets.”

a1n2d3y7

Widgets

“I use this app primarily for the sunrise/sunset notifications and it works exactly how I was hoping for.”

User_aeh_1212

Notifications

“This is my favorite app for checking sunset, sunrise and twilight times.”

Elmo's child

Twilight

“I especially like that I can look at it on my Apple Watch.”

Stensvaag

Apple Watch

“One of my favorite apps. Check out the pre built watch faces!”

halfthelaw

Watch faces

“Needed an app to track sunrise/sunset. Extremely user friendly interface.”

SP1SP

Ease of use

“I'm an early morning runner and love being able to see the stats in the morning.”

Carol Cahill

Running

“It helps me plan my imaging sessions.”

violamitch

Astrophotography

“The home-screen widget is great. No notes!”

NMZia

Home Screen

“What a pleasure to find these, as well as the crepuscular hours, at a glance.”

Swienke

Golden hour

“This app works perfectly on my Apple watch.”

swamiomkara

Apple Watch

“This app is great for identifying twilight as well as sunrise and sunset at my location.”

Get Outside Girl

Outdoor plans

“Want to take the perfect picture, specifically to the terrain that you are in?”

gloveu2

Terrain planning

“Solar watch is always on my Home Screen so I can easily check the best time to start my exercise.”

michalet

Evening runs

“This app is perfect for any event you need to know about times for sunlight.”

haff713

Light planning

FAQ

SolarWatch basics.

Is SolarWatch free?

SolarWatch is free to download. Optional upgrades unlock advanced planning tools, widgets, alarms, and deeper solar features.

Which devices does SolarWatch support?

SolarWatch supports iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.

What can I use SolarWatch for?

People use SolarWatch for golden hour photography, sunrise and sunset planning, trail and viewpoint planning, drone flights, aviation, outdoor work, widgets, and eclipse tracking.

Does SolarWatch show building and terrain shadows?

Yes. SolarWatch helps visualize sun paths with building and terrain shadows so you can plan around shade in cities, hills, valleys, and viewpoints.

Does SolarWatch include solar eclipse planning?

Yes. SolarWatch includes eclipse maps, local circumstances, contact times, countdown widgets, and a catalog of solar eclipses from 2000 to 2200.

Where the Sun goes, your plan follows.

Download SolarWatch for free and plan with sun paths, building and terrain shadows, light quality, widgets, and eclipse tools.