EPA AIRNow

Yet another update: This app does NOT give real-time, there are articles online that explain why. It's not a bad app, but I guess it does the job of presenting epa's official aqi? SERIOUS UPDATE: TO ANYONE IN CALIFORNIA READING THIS, USING PURPLE AIR (browser) INSTEAD OF THIS APP. The visibility in my hometown has suddenly gotten a lot worse (in the past half hour, we have gone from 150 aqi to 500!!), but this app says we are still at 128 aqi!!) This app just does not update quickly enough!! DO NOT RELY ON THIS APP UNTIL THEY FIX IT. IMPORTANT UPDATE: The aqi on the app seems to be straight up wrong. It does accurately show the aqi listed on the official website, but I can't tell if the sensors are straight up wrong or if the data is slow-updating. For instance, last night in my area the aqi finally dropped to around 50's. Visibly the smoke had disappeared and the smell of wildfire smoke gone. Today (this morning) visibly the smoke is back and the smell is stronger than ever. This app (and its website) says that the current air quality is still only 50's aqi?! I cross-referenced with some Purple air sensors (aka community provided sensors), and the sensors near my house seem to be reporting a way-more accurate aqi of 150+. What is going on?! Can I trust this app?! Original: Great app that shows the aqi of any chosen city. I think it would be even better if it added the interactive map (that's already available on AirNow's website)!

I really like this app and in general it is easy to use. It took me awhile, though, to figure out how to delete a location from the “places” list. To delete a location, tap “Places” at the bottom right of the home screen. The next screen will be a list of places and an option to add a new place at the bottom of the list. Tapping the settings icon at the top of the “Places” screen will give you the option to delete places from the list.

This app is convenient because it’s there and easy to open. However, there are several faults that make it not the best way to obtain an AQI measurement. First of all, it’s data is not updated often enough. It lags way behind current readings - at least by several hours if not more. Secondly, AirNow doesn’t have a broad enough network of sensors. AQI often depends on land contours and detailed location within a community. This app just doesn’t have enough resolution to provide helpful health information for people in many locations. AND I just found that the latest version of the app crashes when attempting to query ‘Details’ about the reading at my home location. Interestingly, it doesn’t crash when clicking details at other locations.