# Mini Radar — Live aircraft around you

> Live aircraft tracking on a radar scope and AR view. (iPhone/iPad app by John Grey80227563111.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-radar/id6776850004 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [John Grey80227563111](https://appshunter.io/developer/6776850006)
- Category: Travel, Reference
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-06-09
- Data updated: 2026-08-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-radar/id6776850004/reviews.md

## What is Mini Radar?

Mini Radar shows the aircraft flying around you, live, on a clean radar scope.

It's built on adsb.fi — a free, community-run ADS-B network. Volunteers around the world run small receivers and share what they pick up, and that shared feed is what you see. No account, no subscription, no ads.

WHAT YOU GET
• A live radar centered on you — or anywhere you search
• Tap any aircraft for details: type, registration, altitude, speed, heading, squawk, and route (origin to destination) when available
• Switch between a classic radar scope and a satellite map backdrop
• Pinch, double-tap, or drag to zoom — from a few miles out to 250 NM
• Color aircraft by type (commercial, private, helicopter, glider, military…) or by altitude, or switch on distinct per-type icons
• North-up or heading-up — one tap on the compass button rotates the scope (radar or satellite) so the direction you're facing is up
• A live contacts list and class filters, right on the scope
• Sweep or pulse animation — your choice
• A nearest-aircraft compass that always points to the closest plane

POINT AT THE SKY
• AR Sky View — hold up your phone and see the aircraft overhead, labeled in real space; pinch to zoom in

ON YOUR WRIST
• A standalone Apple Watch radar — zoom with the Digital Crown, tap a plane for details

ALWAYS-ON GLANCE
• Dynamic Island and Lock Screen tracking for what's overhead — your favorites, or any aircraft nearby, with a live bearing arrow

FAVORITES & ALERTS
• Star aircraft by tail number, callsign, or hex — they're highlighted whenever they appear nearby
• Optional alert when a favorite comes within 10 NM of you (opt-in; uses background location only while it's turned on)

SAVED PLACES
• Save and name locations to jump between them
• Choose what the radar opens to: your live location, the nearest airport, or a saved spot

MADE TO READ EASILY
• Colorblind-friendly palette
• Light, dark, or automatic theme

A NOTE ON COVERAGE
Because the data comes from volunteer receivers, coverage is best where people are feeding and can have gaps elsewhere. Not every aircraft broadcasts ADS-B, and route lookups aren't available for every flight. Mini Radar is for curiosity and learning — not for navigation or any operational use.

Want better coverage where you live? Anyone can become a feeder with a Raspberry Pi, an RTL-SDR dongle, and an antenna. There's a short how-to inside the app.

Data by adsb.fi. Route information by adsbdb.

## Key features

- Live radar scope
- AR Sky View
- Aircraft details
- Customizable views
- Favorites and alerts
- Apple Watch support
- Dynamic Island integration

## Recent user reviews (3 of 3)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-radar/id6776850004/reviews.md

### 5/5 — What’s Overhead?

*2026-06-14*

Ever since I was a wee lad (aka, a child), I’ve had a fascination with planes overhead. This is a great app that tells me everything I want to know. A wonderful capability brought right to my iPhone and iPad!

### 5/5 — The best app

*2026-06-12*

Literally the best app I’ve ever used in my life and the developer is very open to feedback and making improvements quickly

### 5/5 — Great app!

*2026-06-12*

The app is extremely user friendly and provides great data at the tap of a finger! 10/10 for aviation enthusiasts!

## Frequently asked questions about Mini Radar

### What is Mini Radar?

Mini Radar displays live aircraft around you on a radar scope and in an augmented reality view. It provides details like aircraft type, altitude, speed, and route information when available.

### Does Mini Radar have ads?

No, Mini Radar is completely ad-free. The app is built on adsb.fi, a community-run network, and is provided without advertisements.

### What devices does Mini Radar support?

Mini Radar is available on Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. It also features Dynamic Island and Lock Screen tracking for convenient glances at overhead aircraft.

### How does Mini Radar get its data?

The app uses data from adsb.fi, a free, community-run ADS-B network. Volunteers worldwide operate receivers that share flight information, which Mini Radar then displays.

### Can I set alerts in Mini Radar?

Yes, you can star aircraft by tail number, callsign, or hex code. Mini Radar will highlight them when they appear nearby and can optionally alert you when a favorite comes within 10 NM.

### Is Mini Radar suitable for navigation?

No, Mini Radar is intended for curiosity and learning, not for navigation or operational use. Coverage may have gaps as it relies on volunteer receivers and not all aircraft broadcast ADS-B.

### How often is Mini Radar updated?

The latest version of Mini Radar is 2.2, which was last updated on June 11, 2026. Updates typically include improvements to features and data integration.

### What is the age rating for Mini Radar?

Mini Radar has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children and general audiences, with no mature content.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 2.2 — 2026-06-11

Mini Radar 2.2 is a big tune-up plus two much-requested features:

iPad app - same look and feel as the iOS app, just... bigger!

Apple Watch app - a standalone radar on your wrist. Turn the Digital Crown to zoom, tap a plane for its details, with a live compass arrow to the nearest aircraft.

AR Sky View - point your phone at the sky and see the aircraft around you, labeled in real space. Pinch to zoom in on a contact.

Dynamic Island & Lock Screen - keep a live eye on what's overhead. Track just your favorites, or any aircraft nearby, with a bearing arrow pointing the way.

Aircraft icons - an optional, accessibility-friendly mode swaps the colored triangles for distinct shapes per type - airliners, private planes, military, helicopters and more - on the radar, in AR, and on the watch, kept in sync across your devices.

Nearest-aircraft compass that points toward the closest plane, throughout the app.

Overhead alerts - get a notification when a favorite aircraft comes within a range you choose.

Plus performance and battery improvements throughout. Still free - no account, no ads.
Heading-up mode - not great with compass directions? Tap the new compass button on the radar and the whole scope rotates smoothly so whatever direction you're facing is up. It works over the radar and the satellite view, the needle always shows you where north is, and the watch follows the same setting automatically. North-up stays the default for the classic scope feel.

A proper helicopter icon - the icon mode now draws helicopters with rotor blades, cabin and tail, so they're recognizable at a glance on the radar, in AR, and on the watch.

Performance and battery, tuned end to end:
- The radar render engine now caches everything it can between data updates - smoother on busy airspace, lighter on the battery.
- The AR sky view uses far less power (smarter frame pacing and camera settings).
- The watch app polls and redraws more efficiently and pauses when your wrist is down.
- Background overhead alerts use coarser GPS fixes - same alerts, less battery.
- Slow network days are handled gracefully instead of showing errors.

Plus route info for planes you tap or favorite now loads immediately, and accessibility labels were added throughout.

### 1.0 — 2026-06-09

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-09.*
