# Pocket Penguins — Streaming live, 24/7 > Live 24/7 streaming of African penguins from the California Academy of Sciences. (iPhone/iPad app by California Academy of Sciences.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-penguins/id444756994 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [California Academy of Sciences](https://appshunter.io/developer/401315708) - Category: Education, Entertainment - Price: Free - Rating: 4.60/5 from 157 App Store ratings · 189 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 98 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2011-07-05 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-penguins/id444756994/reviews.md ## What is Pocket Penguins? Warning: Cute alert! Pocket Penguins, streaming in real-time from the California Academy of Sciences, provides an intimate view into our live African penguin exhibit. Watch the birds swim, dive, flirt, nest and relax from any one of three live webcams. Listen in as Academy biologists answer questions from visitors during meal time, daily at 10:30am and 3:00pm PST. The Academy's penguins are part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Program, aimed at conserving this species in the wild. African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) live off the coast of South Africa and Namibia. In 2010, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the species as endangered, or at very high risk of extinction in the wild. Disclaimer: Please note that this app depends largely on your wireless network’s quality of service and data rates may apply. A Wi-Fi connection is recommended. ## Key features - Live 24/7 penguin streaming - Multiple live webcams - Observe swimming and diving - Watch feeding times - Biologist Q&A sessions ## What do users think of Pocket Penguins? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ❤️ Adorable penguins - 👍 Entertaining and calming - 💡 Unique and innovative concept - 🐧 Great way to watch penguins live **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs - 📽️ Mediocre video quality - 🕰️ Slow loading times - 📍 Limited camera angles and views **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes on launch for some users - Underwater camera is blurry - Connectivity issues and black screens **Most requested features** - Add more camera angles and views - Improve video quality - Provide more information about the penguins - Add sound and audio features - Implement push notifications for feeding times ## Recent user reviews (10 of 189) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-penguins/id444756994/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Camera *2026-08-09* The Camera is a little foggy and I don’t know if that is because you need to clean it or something ### 5/5 — My favorite app *2026-07-16* This has been my favorite app since I was a little kid I had it on my kindle and now I watch it it from my phone at work please never stop supporting this app! ### 5/5 — Penguin *2026-03-30, version 3.10* Penguins are gods That is a opinion ### 2/5 — Not great quality *2025-08-10* The camera quality isn’t that great, not at all like the advertised picture in the App Store. And unfortunately the underwater view is in black and white, it looks like the exhibit is small.. and the underwater view shows penguins pacing up and down the glass like they are trying to go through, looks like they need more space. These penguins look very bored and unhappy. Boston Aquarium is completely different, bright and spacious, high energy, you can tell they are pretty happy. This app makes me sad. ### 5/5 — Please never stop supporting this app! *2025-07-08* I first discovered this app 10 years ago. And since then the penguins have provided me with 10 years of cuteness. ### 5/5 — GREAT APP *2025-06-15* I put five stars because that’s the highest I could put it. This app is incredible and I love watching the penguins while I eat and love the q and as on the app. Plus penguins are my favorite animal. **Developer response:** All our live streams are back up and running. Apologies for the technical difficulties. We appreciate the feedback! 🐧 ### 5/5 — Love it! *2025-03-13, version 3.10* I love it I love how they wiggle around and you should make an app for Claud I went and saw the penguin get fed and a Claud live cam would be cool also! ### 5/5 — Cannot open app *2024-10-29* I had app for years to watch the penguins every so often. I haven’t checked it in years and when I went to go check on my old apps I saw and pressed on it. Whenever I try to load in I instantly crash! **Developer response:** All our live streams are back up and running. Apologies for the technical difficulties. We appreciate the feedback! 🐧 ### 5/5 — Please help *2024-10-28, version 3.10* I gave 5* because this app has helped me for the past few years I love loading in and looking at the penguins they are amazing but now the app isn’t loading at all it doesn’t even open and I really miss this and hope someone can help ### 4/5 — Does it work? *2024-10-15* Well I tried to open the app but it just closes out of it and doesn’t open. Don't get me wrong, it’s a great app and does work sometimes **Developer response:** All our live streams are back up and running. Apologies for the technical difficulties. We appreciate the feedback! 🐧 ## Frequently asked questions about Pocket Penguins ### What does Pocket Penguins do? Pocket Penguins provides live, 24/7 streaming of African penguins from the California Academy of Sciences. You can watch the penguins swim, dive, flirt, nest, and relax through multiple live webcams. It also features live Q&A sessions with biologists during feeding times. ### What are the key features of Pocket Penguins? Key features include continuous live streaming of the penguin exhibit, access to three different live webcams for varied viewing angles, and scheduled Q&A sessions with Academy biologists. You can observe the penguins' natural behaviors and learn about their species. ### Is Pocket Penguins free to use? Yes, the app is free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description. ### What is the best way to watch Pocket Penguins? A Wi-Fi connection is recommended for the best viewing experience, as the app's quality depends heavily on your wireless network's service. Data rates may apply if you are using a cellular connection. ### Why are African penguins endangered? African penguins are classified as endangered due to various threats in the wild, primarily habitat loss and overfishing impacting their food sources. The California Academy of Sciences participates in the Species Survival Program to help conserve this species. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0 — 2026-08-26 Complete rebuild and performance improvements ### 3.10 — 2018-09-19 Optimizations for new iPhones ### 3.01 — 2017-12-11 • Now also available for Apple TV • iPhone X optimizations ### 3.0 — 2017-12-10 Complete rebuild and performance enhancements ### 2.1 — 2017-06-15 bug fix ## Apps similar to Pocket Penguins | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [BirdWeather](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdweather/id6446207088) | 4.4 (23) | Free | Education | | [Sharktivity by AWSC](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharktivity-by-awsc/id1097933510) | 4.8 (10,701) | Free | Education | | [Aquarium of the Pacific](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-of-the-pacific/id383183128) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Education | | [Project FeederWatch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-feederwatch/id1439222765) | 3.0 (68) | Free | Education | | [OCEARCH Shark Tracker™](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocearch-shark-tracker/id570772231) | 4.8 (8,774) | Free | Education | | [NestWatch by the Cornell Lab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nestwatch-by-the-cornell-lab/id1207563841) | 4.0 (18) | Free | Education | ## More apps by California Academy of Sciences - [Stingrays Live](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stingrays-live/id1051807230) All apps by California Academy of Sciences: https://appshunter.io/developer/401315708 ## Related topics [pudgy penguins](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pudgy-penguins) · [wbs penguins](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wbs-penguins) · [pudgy penguins animated](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pudgy-penguins-animated) · [penguins radio](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/penguins-radio) · [finding penguins](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/finding-penguins) · [knockout penguins](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/knockout-penguins) · [animal science](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/animal-science) --- *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 2026-08-29.*