Breathable Air Quality Widget User Reviews

Top reviews

Well designed, works well

This is such a cool app for monitoring AQI. I wish it had a menubar option as well for quickly glancing!

Is this app dead?

Not getting any data

Great! But Watch complication won’t update

Great and free app, very nicely designed! Thank you! The only downside for me is that the Watch complication never automatically updates for me - maybe I’m doing something wrong, or maybe it doesn’t support background refresh? It’d be cool if updates on the iPhone were pushed to the Watch complication, since the iPhone widget updates perfectly. Hard to complain when it’s free :) It’d just be so nice, as Apple Weather doesn’t have air quality data for my country.
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AirNow [Q&A]

I thought recommended meant I could use only the AirNow API with this app. I admit it is my mistake. However, the documentation could be improved. It seems like a useful app. Spreading awareness is great. Thanks regardless. What I am asking is: why is an AirNow key insufficient by itself and what exactly does that US organization provide that the global API does not? [Edit: thanks for the answers. Second edit: as of 2025 August 3 it seems AirNow is down. IQAir remains. Breathable works for me!]
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Response from developer

Great questions, and sorry for the confusion! The issue with the AirNow API is that it’s often giving a single AQI for an entire region, whereas IQAir provides more accurate readings from individual sensors closer to a/your location. Additionally, AirNow is less “real-time” in that it does some averaging that makes the data feel a little less relevant to a quick check of the current AQI outside your window. IQAir is also a world-wide service, so it’s a good baseline requirement, while AirNow is US-only, but people may not understand that and be confused by the lack of AQI data. That said, if you want to add both, you can do so then switch your source preference to prefer AirNow and it will only use IQAir as a fallback if AirNow doesn’t return info. I’ll add this info the FAQ as well. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback!

Great app

Really good app. Super easy to set up. Don’t know what that other review is complaining about, getting API key was really obvious

Almost perfect

Almost perfect! Beautiful widgets, easy setup, using good quality air quality services. Would love it if the location gets automatically updated.

John McEnroe: "You can't be serious?!"

My initial rating of one star was an error. I meant to average the one-star on onboarding with the five-star function. I don't know how I made that mistake. The onboarding (obtaining the API) is the worst user experience I've encountered in my 40 years of using a computer. I managed it but I don't have the heart to recommend it to anyone but my software-developer son. It's obvious that the onboarding was designed without adequate attention to the iPhone, though that's the obvious device where it will be used. The iPhone screen (I'm using the largest iPhone made) can't display the information on the initial screem without a correct guess to how to manipulate it. You input the API and nothing happens when you hit return. Ah,, there's a tiny "validate" button in the corner. Btw, I initially used iCloud "hide my email," I got nothing and had to input my regular email. The second API from the gov site was a similar terrible experience. One star for the onboarding and five for the app function. Thanks for doing this but please have someone go through this with a smart phone to reference.
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Response from developer

Thank you for your feedback, and sorry you found the set up process unpleasant. Obviously, we don’t own AirNow or IQAir and therefore cannot optimize their mobile experiences, we can only control Breathable itself. I understand that the process of getting an API key is not as straightforward as most people would like, but it is the only way an app like this can exist and remain free for all users. I’d kindly suggest that rating the app one star for other companies’ websites is a bit odd when you write in your review that the app you left one star on is actually a five star app. Just worth considering that reviews like this have impact. Thank you for using the app!

Consistently great for years

I bought this when it was a paid app. It’s been extremely helpful for years. What a kindness the developer has done making it free for everyone!

John McEnroe: "You can't be serious?!"

The onboarding (obtaining the API) is the worst user experience I've encountered in my 40 years of using a computer. I managed it but I don't have the heart to recommend it to anyone but my software-developer son. It's obvious that the onboarding was designed without adequate attention to the iPhone, though that's the obvious device where it will be used. The iPhone screen (I'm using the largest iPhone made) can't display the information on the initial screem without a correct guess to how to manipulate it. You input the API and nothing happens when you hit return. Ah,, there's a tiny "validate" button in the corner. Btw, I initially used iCloud "hide my email," I got nothing and had to input my regular email. The second API from the gov site was a similar terrible experience. One star for the onboarding and five for the app function. Thanks for doing this but please have someone go through this with a smart phone to reference.
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Response from developer

Thank you for your feedback, and sorry you found the set up process unpleasant. Obviously, we don’t own AirNow or IQAir and therefore cannot optimize their mobile experiences, we can only control Breathable itself. I understand that the process of getting an API key is not as straightforward as most people would like, but it is the only way an app like this can exist and remain free for all users. I’d kindly suggest that rating the app one star for other companies’ websites is a bit odd when you write in your review that the app you left one star on is actually a five star app. Just worth considering that reviews like this have impact. Thank you for using the app!

Difficult to Set Up

The widget is difficult to set up. Requires you to create multiple log ins and manage APIs. Not ideal for someone who is often traveling.

Response from developer

Thanks for your feedback, and sorry the setup was difficult. Only one account setup is required, and only once, which should not impact traveling. Thank you for giving the app a shot!

AirNow [Q&A]

I thought recommended meant I could use only the AirNow API with this app. I admit it is my mistake. However, the documentation could be improved. It seems like a useful app. Spreading awareness is great. Thanks regardless. What I am asking is: why is an AirNow key insufficient by itself and what exactly does that US organization provide that the global API does not? [Edit: thanks for the answers. Breathable works for me!]
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Response from developer

Great questions, and sorry for the confusion! The issue with the AirNow API is that it’s often giving a single AQI for an entire region, whereas IQAir provides more accurate readings from individual sensors closer to a/your location. Additionally, AirNow is less “real-time” in that it does some averaging that makes the data feel a little less relevant to a quick check of the current AQI outside your window. IQAir is also a world-wide service, so it’s a good baseline requirement, while AirNow is US-only, but people may not understand that and be confused by the lack of AQI data. That said, if you want to add both, you can do so then switch your source preference to prefer AirNow and it will only use IQAir as a fallback if AirNow doesn’t return info. I’ll add this info the FAQ as well. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback!

Best App of the Year

For an asthma sufferer like me, this is fantastic, to have an AQI index right on my Lock Screen. I no longer have to look up the stat DEQ app to find out whether or not I should stay indoors.

AirNow not enough?

I thought recommended meant I could use only the AirNow API with this app. I admit it is my mistake. However, the documentation could be improved. It seems like a useful app. Spreading awareness is great. Thanks regardless. What I am asking is: why is an AirNow key insufficient by itself and what exactly does that US organization provide that the global API does not?
Show more

Response from developer

Great questions, and sorry for the confusion! The issue with the AirNow API is that it’s often giving a single AQI for an entire region, whereas IQAir provides more accurate readings from individual sensors closer to a/your location. Additionally, AirNow is less “real-time” in that it does some averaging that makes the data feel a little less relevant to a quick check of the current AQI outside your window. IQAir is also a world-wide service, so it’s a good baseline requirement, while AirNow is US-only, but people may not understand that and be confused by the lack of AQI data. That said, if you want to add both, you can do so then switch your source preference to prefer AirNow and it will only use IQAir as a fallback if AirNow doesn’t return info. I’ll add this info the FAQ as well. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback!

Works great, very cute

I find this widget very helpful. One needs to renew the keys on once a year.

Perfect for local air quality

Does exactly what I want - shows local air quality in my widgets. Working perfectly for over a year.

No longer works on iPhone or watch

I’m made sure it has a location and the api is current. I’ve reloaded and restarted. It’s always blank now.

What happened? If the app is broken say so in the App Store at least.

The app does not update frequently enough

I was looking forward to using a modern iOS widget for air quality, but this app does not update frequently enough. I am still running the old-style AirVisual widget near the Breathable widget and that widget is always up to date with the latest air quality number. I have to force-quit Breathable to make it update. Please fix this.
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Response from developer

Sorry you’re experiencing issues. Breathable updates roughly every 10 minutes, though iOS and macOS can ultimately decide to delay that update if the system needs the resources. In version 3.0 which was just released, fetching data should be significantly more stable and reliable. We hope you’ll give it another shot. Thanks for your feedback!

Works great

Does exactly what I want. That you can customize the appearance is a nice bonus.

Not working

This app was amazing but no longer works.

Broken on Ventura

Was nice while it worked but it hasn't been updated in over a year and does not work at all on Ventura on my M2 Air.

Response from developer

Apologies for the delay in response, and thank you for leaving a review! IQAir API keys expire after ~1 year, but you can create a new free key and update it in Breathable. We've updated our FAQs to be clearer on this. Please reach out to support if you need more help, but a new free key will get you back to business!