# Speed Vario — Speed · Altitude · Vario

> Speed · Altitude · Vario (iPhone/iPad app by Thierry Maeder.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-vario/id6766510876 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Thierry Maeder](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896297738)
- Category: Sports, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 60 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish
- Released: 2026-05-05
- Data updated: 2026-08-18
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-vario/id6766510876/reviews.md

## What is Speed Vario?

Speed Vario is a precise, real-time GPS speed and altitude logger for iPhone and Apple Watch — built for cyclists, hikers, paragliders, skydivers, sailors, skiers, glider pilots and light aviation enthusiasts who want accurate motion data without subscriptions or accounts.

LIVE DASHBOARD
• Real-time speed in km/h, mph or knots (kt)
• Altitude with GPS + barometric complementary filter
• Vertical speed (variometer) — climb / descent rate in m/s, ft/min or kt
• Live glide ratio in flight
• Heading with 8-point compass rose
• GPS quality indicator (No Fix / Weak / Fair / Good / Excellent)
• Automatic unit switching by activity

SESSION RECORDING
• One-tap start / pause / resume / stop
• Tracks distance, duration, max speed, average speed (and moving average)
• Records D+ elevation gain and D− elevation loss
• Keeps running in the background with the screen locked
• Crash recovery — interrupted sessions are restored on next launch

SKIING (Sport mode)
• Automatically splits your day into descents (runs) and lift rides
• Day dashboard: number of runs, lifts, ski distance, D−, top speed
• Piste names (with difficulty colour) and lift names from OpenStreetMap, cached offline
• Off-piste flagged; speed measured along the slope (3-D)

AVIATION
• Barometric + GPS altitude fusion, QNH and pressure altitude (flight level)
• Airborne time detected automatically, optional pressurised-cabin mode
• Flight detail: route departure → arrival (ICAO codes via OpenStreetMap) and landing count
• IGC import / export (gliders) — compatible with XCSoar, SeeYou, WeGlide

APPLE WATCH
• Live display (speed, altitude, Vz, distance, D+/D−, heading, heart rate, calories)
• Standalone recording: if the iPhone is out of range, the watch records on its own, then syncs
• Haptic variometer for paragliding: taps your wrist at a rate that follows the climb
• Tuned for long days (skiing): sensors optimised for battery life

HISTORY & ANALYSIS
• Full session list with key stats and flags of the countries crossed
• Interactive map with speed-coloured route
• 3D terrain view with real elevation data — no account or token required
• Scrubber to replay any moment; altitude, speed, Vz and heart-rate charts
• Track editing: trim start/end and altitude correction, revert to original anytime

APPLE HEALTH & EXPORT
• Saves workouts to Apple Health with the GPS route (no duplicate when the watch recorded)
• Video export: 3-D fly-through replaying your track over real terrain
• Export GPX, CSV, KMZ (Google Earth) and IGC; import GPX, CSV, IGC
• Full archive: back up / restore your entire history as a single .zip file

SETTINGS
• Metric, Imperial, Aviation or Nautical units
• Configurable auto-stop and history retention
• Optional Face ID / Touch ID app lock
• Languages: English, Français, Español, 中文 (简体), العربية

PRIVACY
• No account required — works offline
• All data stored locally on your device
• No analytics, no ads, no trackers
• GPS history excluded from unencrypted iTunes / Finder backups
• Automatic deletion of sessions older than your chosen retention period


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3 — 2026-08-12

Speed Vario is a precise, real-time GPS speed and altitude logger for iPhone and Apple Watch — built for cyclists, hikers, paragliders, skydivers, sailors, skiers, glider pilots and light aviation enthusiasts who want accurate motion data without subscriptions or accounts.

LIVE DASHBOARD
• Real-time speed in km/h, mph or knots (kt)
• Altitude with GPS + barometric complementary filter
• Vertical speed (variometer) — climb / descent rate in m/s, ft/min or kt
• Live glide ratio in flight
• Heading with 8-point compass rose
• GPS quality indicator (No Fix / Weak / Fair / Good / Excellent)
• Automatic unit switching by activity

SESSION RECORDING
• One-tap start / pause / resume / stop
• Tracks distance, duration, max speed, average speed (and moving average)
• Records D+ elevation gain and D− elevation loss
• Keeps running in the background with the screen locked
• Crash recovery — interrupted sessions are restored on next launch

SKIING (Sport mode)
• Automatically splits your day into descents (runs) and lift rides
• Day dashboard: number of runs, lifts, ski distance, D−, top speed
• Piste names (with difficulty colour) and lift names from OpenStreetMap, cached offline
• Off-piste flagged; speed measured along the slope (3-D)

AVIATION
• Barometric + GPS altitude fusion, QNH and pressure altitude (flight level)
• Airborne time detected automatically, optional pressurised-cabin mode
• Flight detail: route departure → arrival (ICAO codes via OpenStreetMap) and landing count
• IGC import / export (gliders) — compatible with XCSoar, SeeYou, WeGlide

APPLE WATCH
• Live display (speed, altitude, Vz, distance, D+/D−, heading, heart rate, calories)
• Standalone recording: if the iPhone is out of range, the watch records on its own, then syncs
• Haptic variometer for paragliding: taps your wrist at a rate that follows the climb
• Tuned for long days (skiing): sensors optimised for battery life
• Nautical mode on Apple Watch Ultra: water temperature and depth

OFFLINE MAP
• Coasts, lakes, rivers, glaciers, cities, roads and 893 airports built in
• Appears by itself when there is no signal — no download, no account
• Made for flying, where coverage is rare

WAY BACK
• An arrow points you back along the path you actually walked
• Distance still to go measured along that path, and a warning if you leave it
• On foot, by bike, on skis and on the water

HISTORY & ANALYSIS
• Full session list with key stats and flags of the countries crossed
• Interactive map with speed-coloured route
• 3D terrain view with real elevation data — no account or token required
• Scrubber to replay any moment; altitude, speed, Vz and heart-rate charts
• Track editing: trim start/end and altitude correction, revert to original anytime
• Compare two sessions on one map and one set of charts, aligned on elapsed time
• Recognises a route you have done before and compares it with your best
• Effort kilometres on walks — distance adjusted for climb

APPLE HEALTH & EXPORT
• Saves workouts to Apple Health with the GPS route (no duplicate when the watch recorded)
• Video export: 3-D fly-through replaying your track over real terrain
• Export GPX, CSV, KMZ (Google Earth), FIT and IGC; import GPX, CSV, IGC
• FIT files import into Garmin Connect, Komoot, TrainingPeaks and Strava
• Full archive: back up / restore your entire history as a single .zip file

SETTINGS
• Metric, Imperial, Aviation or Nautical units
• Configurable auto-stop and history retention
• Languages: English, Français, Español, 中文 (简体)

PRIVACY
• No account required — works offline
• All data stored locally on your device
• No analytics, no ads, no trackers
• GPS history excluded from unencrypted iTunes / Finder backups
• Automatic deletion of sessions older than your chosen retention period

### 2.0 — 2026-06-28

What's new in 2.0:

• Skiing: automatic run & lift detection, with a day dashboard
• Gliders: IGC import & export (XCSoar, SeeYou, WeGlide)
• 3D fly-through video of your track over real terrain
• Back up & restore your whole history as a single file
• Apple Watch: standalone recording when your iPhone is out of range
• Flags of every country your track crosses, with a per-country breakdown
• Workouts saved to Apple Health with their GPS route
• More accurate variometer and altitude

### 1.7 — 2026-06-13

VIATION MODE, REWORKED
- Fixed GPS altitude freezing in flight - it now updates continuously.
- New Pressurized Cabin toggle:
   - On (airliner): vertical speed and altitude from GPS, plus a cabin-altitude readout.
   - Off (light aircraft): smoother barometric vertical speed, with QNH shown.
- Switch pressurization in one tap from the main screen.
- QNH altimeter setting is back for non-pressurized flights - iPhone and Apple Watch.

EDIT YOUR TRACKS (new)
- Trim a recording: drag two handles on the speed graph to set a new start and end, with a live map preview.
- Adjust start and end altitude (±300 m / ±1000 ft); the correction is spread evenly along the track.
- Every stat is recomputed, and you can restore the original at any time.

HISTORY
- Select several sessions at once to delete, pin or export them.
- Export multiple tracks as GPX or CSV in a single share.
- Search your sessions by name.

APPLE WATCH
- Workout-style screens with big, easy-to-read numbers; live heart rate and calories.
- Live data between sessions: speed, altitude, vario and GPS now show even when you're not recording.
- Record on the watch alone when the iPhone is out of range - the track syncs back automatically.
- A badge shows tracks still waiting to transfer, with an "acquiring GPS" hint while it gets a fix.
- Heading shows a compass arrow and cardinal direction (N, NE, SE...).

MORE ACCURATE TRACKING
- Altitude is continuously corrected by GPS, so barometric drift no longer builds up over a session.
- Watch elevation gain/loss now matches the iPhone, and watch tracks no longer start with a time gap.
- Live distance matches the saved total - no more under-counting on slow walks and hikes.

A FRESHER LOOK
- Redesigned home and settings screens - cleaner, more modern and easier to read.
- New large Start button; while recording, Live View and Stop sit side by side.
- Stopping a session now confirms right on the button - just tap twice, no pop-up.

OTHER
- Recordings shorter than 6 seconds are now discarded automatically, with no pop-up.

### 1.6 — 2026-05-31

3D TRACK REPLAY
Relive every track with the all-new Track Chase view - a cinematic chase camera that flies along your route over real 3D satellite terrain. Play back from 1x to 120x, orbit freely with a pinch, and watch your speed paint the trail.

A BETTER APPLE WATCH APP
- Tap vertical speed to switch between live and 1-minute average
- Swipe to change activity right from your wrist
- Live REC / PAUSE badge on every screen - tap to pause anywhere
- Stop now asks for a confirming tap, so no more accidental endings
- Always-On dimming, richer haptics, and instant iPhone-Watch sync

SMARTER SPEED ON THE TRAIL
For hiking, cycling and skiing, speed now follows the slope (true 3D along-path speed), so steep, winding climbs finally read right.

SHARPER 3D TERRAIN, ZERO SETUP
High-resolution elevation now works straight out of the box, no account or token needed. Terrain detail adapts automatically to your device.

IMPORT GPX TRACKS
Bring tracks in from other apps and devices straight into your History.

EXPORT YOUR TRACK AS A VIDEO (NEW)
Turn any session into a cinematic flythrough video over 3D terrain, with your speed, altitude and stats overlaid. Add a soundtrack - a built-in royalty-free track or your own audio - and share it anywhere.

REFRESHED HISTORY
Color activity badges, a clean card layout, and safer swipe-to-delete so you never lose a recording by accident.

MORE ACCURATE STATS
Climb and descent peaks now ignore isolated GPS glitches for numbers you can trust.

Plus a smoother live speed graph, easier map controls, and refinements throughout. Thanks for tracking with us!

### 1.5 — 2026-05-19

APPLE WATCH COMPANION APP
SpeedTracker now includes a full Apple Watch app. Three pages accessible with the Digital Crown:
• Page 1: Speed, distance, altitude and vertical speed (Vz color-coded green/red)
• Page 2: Elevation gain/loss, duration, heading and GPS quality
• Page 3: Activity mode, GPS coordinates, pressure, QNH (aviation) or MSLP (nautical), and session controls
Start, pause, resume and stop sessions directly from your wrist.
Available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.

GPS FILTERING
Each activity profile now uses its own optimised signal processing parameters. Vertical speed 
response tuned per activity: more reactive for paragliding, smoother for aviation, 
revised for ski. Nautical mode uses a less aggressive noise gate on calm water.

BACKGROUND GPS
During an active session, GPS runs uninterrupted. Outside a session, GPS stops 
automatically after 10 minutes in background. The manual Auto-Stop setting has been removed.

LIVE SCREEN
The activity profile selector is now integrated into the session card. Charts redesigned: 
three stacked charts replaced by a single swipeable chart (Speed / Altitude / Vz).

SESSION HISTORY
New cumulative D+ chart mode. Stats row visible below the chart in all view modes.

LIVE MAP
Zoom level adapts automatically to the activity (walking ~200 m, aviation ~15 km). 
Playback speed selector (1× / 5× / 15×) always visible. End-of-track marker shown 
while scrubbing.

BUG FIXES
• 3D Terrain: relief was displayed mirrored north-south when using a Mapbox token. Fixed.
• Live D+/D−: elevation gain was underestimated on gentle slopes. Fixed.

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## More apps by Thierry Maeder

- [ChessLab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesslab/id6793097336)

All apps by Thierry Maeder: https://appshunter.io/developer/1896297738

## Related topics

[vario](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/vario)

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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 2026-08-18.*