# TV Towers USA — Map & Compass to Aim Antennas

> Map and compass for finding US digital TV broadcast towers and aiming antennas. (iPhone/iPad app by Generally Helpful Software.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-towers-usa/id396342822 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Generally Helpful Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/286015711)
- Category: Travel, Reference
- Price: $1.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 762 App Store ratings · 60 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 15 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2010-10-20
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-towers-usa/id396342822/reviews.md

## What is TV Towers USA?

TV Towers USA is a map of digital TV broadcasting towers in the United States and its territories plus a select number of Canadian stations. The database includes over 2000 stations and over 1000 repeaters. My users include avid RVers who roam from region to region and need to locate available TV networks, and homeowners setting up a new antenna system. 

Apple Watch (Series 5) users can make use of their compass with the optional in-app purchase of an embedded watch app. 
 
There is an alternate compass tab which shows the direction of stations within a 45 mile radius—given enough screen space—just look over your phone to see which way to point your antenna.

Pinch to zoom into your locality, or hit the circular location button to concentrate on local stations. If more than 80 stations are in the area being viewed, a random assortment of 80 stations will be displayed.

There is no "phoning home" with data, personal or not.  If a data connection is available, the FCC servers will be asked for contour plot data when a tower is selected. This will show up as a blue overlay showing the calculated area over which the signal will drop off by at most 35 dBu. Basically, this is the area where an antenna not too near the ground has a chance to receive the signal; your luck will vary. Once downloaded, the data is stored for the next time you select the tower.

Errors and omissions are to be expected especially for stations with low power licenses. Please e-mail the support address if you find a glaring omission or error; I'll need a call sign and a TV network.

## Key features

- Map of US and Canadian TV towers
- Compass for antenna aiming
- Signal strength contour plots
- Station direction finder
- Pinch-to-zoom map functionality
- Local station concentration

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $1.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Watch App | $0.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #54 in Top Paid · Travel (US App Store)

## What do users think of TV Towers USA?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Works great for antenna alignment
- 🚀 Helps find and point to TV towers efficiently
- 💡 Useful for RV owners and campers
- 🔍 Provides detailed station information
- 🤖 Responsive and helpful developer support

**Cons**

- 🐛 Compass functionality issues on some devices
- 🗺️ Limited coverage for certain areas
- 🤔 Confusing interface for some users

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Compass not always accurate
- Certain features not working as expected

**Most requested features**

- Ability to adjust compass radius
- Elevation profile information
- Support for custom location pins

## Recent user reviews (10 of 60)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-towers-usa/id396342822/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Seems to be working

*2026-01-08, version 1.15*

I plugged in my antenna and pointed it in the direction it said and I got like 40 channels. Worked great for my antenna direct

### 5/5 — Don’t waste money on fancy signal finders. This works!

*2024-08-20, version 1.12*

I was looking on Amazon and Walmart for a signal finder. Prices varied from $25 to $100+ with mixed reviews. I found this app again with some mixed reviews but for only $2 I thought I would give it a try. I used the compass to position my cheap indoor antenna. I went from having only 7 channels in the bedroom to almost 50. I did the same in the living room which seemed to be doing better and I went from 30ish channels to almost 50. This $2 has saved me a lot of money as I was even considering prior to this getting an outdoor antenna professionally installed. In addition to all the extra channels all the ones I already had are showing so much clearer and are not randomly scrambling.

### 5/5 — All of the tower apps are great and great reference tool.

*2023-12-22, version 1.12*

This is a great app for a helping hand on knowledgeable projects.
I would highly recommend getting this app today without any hesitation.

### 5/5 — Quit working on 2 iPhone

*2022-12-07, version 1.11.7*

IOS 16.1.2 turned off compass calibration but the compass still worked perfectly only the TV towers app quick working on 2 different iphones.  🤷🏻‍♂️.   Working again after turning it back on.

### 5/5 — A helpful resource

*2022-08-29, version 1.11.6*

So nice to have a view of tower locations to tweak one’s antenna.

### 5/5 — Delightfully surprised!

*2022-08-27, version 1.11.6*

Oh my! It works SO well! I’ve been struggling with lining up my antenna for the last 2 years. Then I came across this app! At first I was a bit confused on how to use it but then found a YouTube video explaining how to use it…. So simple!  Went out and tried it and with one twist of the pole I had all the channels from the closest tower! No rescanning, no running back and forth between the TV a and the outdoor antenna, pure bliss!

### 1/5 — Cr@p of an app. Customer service is worthless.

*2021-11-01, version 1.11.4*

Don’t waste your money. I contacted CS and of course they blame my phone.  I have never had a problem with an app before now I do and it’s my phone’s fault. Garbage app with garbage support.

### 4/5 — A Really Good App

*2021-07-17, version 1.11.4*

I have used other apps in the past and this is now probably my favorite.  I was impressed with how Glenn responds (quickly) to questions and suggestions.
Another example of Glenn’s explanation was his discussion on the difference between True and Magnetic North (and how to switch the iPhone Compass app from magnetic to true North. Because this app uses True North.
After those discussions, there is one enhancement that I think would be a good addition.  In map, you can see stations any distance from you (by varying the zoom). But in the Compass tab, the app is limited to 60 mile radius.  I would like to see the ability to vary the radius (from 60 miles) to other distances. I ran into this instance in Dubuque, IA where I was receiving stations outside the (fixed) 60 mile radius and had to use the other tabs/detail section to get a compass bearing.
That is why I didn’t give it 5 stars (even though I feel it does deserves more than 4 stars 🙂).

### 3/5 — It’s ok

*2021-03-08, version 1.11.3*

The contours button doesn’t work. The compass won’t show stations further away than about 40 miles.

### 5/5 — Perfect!  Worked as advertised!

*2021-01-12, version 1.11.2*

I had an antenna to mount in my attic space and in an area that was very difficult to get to.  Bagged up everything needed along with the antennae and proceeded to climb, crawl, and balance.  Mounted the antennae and aligned it with the App to hopefully never return.  Perfect alignment and strong signal on almost 70 channels!!  App worked perfectly!!

## Frequently asked questions about TV Towers USA

### What does TV Towers USA do?

TV Towers USA provides a map of digital TV broadcasting towers in the United States and its territories, along with some Canadian stations. It includes over 2000 stations and 1000 repeaters, helping users locate available TV networks and aim their antennas.

### How does the compass feature work?

The app offers an alternate compass tab that shows the direction of stations within a 45-mile radius. By looking over your phone, you can see which way to point your antenna for better reception. An optional in-app purchase enables a dedicated Apple Watch app for compass use.

### Is TV Towers USA free to use?

The core functionality of TV Towers USA is free. However, there is an optional in-app purchase available for an embedded Apple Watch app that enhances the compass feature.

### What information is available for each tower?

When a tower is selected and a data connection is available, the app can fetch FCC server data for contour plots. This displays a blue overlay showing the calculated area where signal reception is likely, though actual luck may vary.

### Who would benefit from using this app?

This app is particularly useful for avid RVers who travel frequently and need to find local TV networks in different regions. Homeowners setting up new antenna systems will also find it valuable for precise antenna aiming.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.15 — 2024-12-04

• User reported that some Low Power Translators were not showing up on map. This build includes more low power stations that are registered translators of other stations.

### 1.14 — 2024-12-02

• Tab buttons had become invisible 
• Updated database to most recent FCC data

### 1.13 — 2024-09-29

• Completely re-wrote the towers database to be more accurate
• optional tinted icon

### 1.12 — 2023-08-24

• Added separate display of NextGenTV (ATSC 3) stations including annotation of DRM limited stations.
• Large number of changes to database to take into account the spreading of "lighthouse" NextGenTV stations with multiple major networks on one digital channel.
• NextGenTV stations are marked with a darker map pin color

### 1.11.7 — 2022-10-09

• Updated Database

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## More apps by Generally Helpful Software

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All apps by Generally Helpful Software: https://appshunter.io/developer/286015711

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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 2026-08-29.*