Helios UV vs UV Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Helios UV
Track the UV index with live forecasts and personalized burn-time predictions based on your skin type. Receive alerts for dangerous UV levels and customize your experience with various color palettes and widgets across all your Apple devices.
- Live UV index forecasts
- Personalized burn-time predictions
- Threshold alerts for UV levels
- Multi-device widgets
- Customizable color palettes
- Powered by Apple WeatherKit
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Helios UV is a beautiful, no-nonsense UV-index tracker for every Apple device you own. Live forecasts, burn-time predictions tailored to your skin type, threshold alerts, and widgets that follow the sun across your day. WHAT HELIOS DOES • Live UV index — updated hourly from Apple WeatherKit, with 30-second interpolation between samples so the displayed value tracks reality, not the last forecast tick. • Time to burn — personalized to your Fitzpatrick skin type (I–VI), the same six-type scale widely used in dermatology and public-health sun-safety guidance. Helios maps your skin type to a documented minimum erythemal dose and recomputes minutes-to-burn every 30 seconds against the current UV. • Trend you can read — a 24-hour forecast rendered as a Catmull-Rom-spline sparkline, segments colored by UV intensity. See the peak coming, and the safe-time crossings flagged. • Threshold alerts — pick the UV level that matters to you and Helios fires a local notification when the forecast crosses it (Pro). Dangerous-UV safety alerts are free for everyone. • Widgets — Home Screen, Lock Screen, watch face, Smart Stack, macOS desktop, Apple TV dashboard. Pro unlocks every surface. • 12 Pro color palettes — Mono, Mono Teal, Vegas Neon, Pastel, Response, and more. Standard and a colorblind-friendly High Contrast palette are included free. EVERYWHERE YOU WEAR, CARRY, OR SIT One purchase. Five platforms. Each surface drawn for the device it lives on: • iPhone & iPad — full dashboard, two widget sizes, threshold-crossing notifications • Mac — menu bar status item, dashboard window, four widget sizes • Apple Watch — four complications and a Smart Stack tile • Apple TV — a leanback living-room dashboard POWERED BY APPLE WEATHERKIT Every UV reading in Helios comes from Apple's own forecasting pipeline — the same data that powers Apple's built-in Weather app. No scraped feeds, no third-party API in front of someone else's API. PRIVACY Helios has no analytics SDKs, no advertising, no third-party crash reporters, and no Kludge-operated server. Location goes to Apple WeatherKit; subscriptions go to Apple StoreKit; settings stay on your device. Full privacy policy: https://heliosuv.kludgeltd.com/privacy PRICING Helios is free to use with the full UV index forecast and dangerous-UV safety alerts on every Apple device. Helios UV Pro unlocks every color palette, every widget, watch complications, the macOS menu bar item, custom threshold alerts, and the target-UV picker. • Monthly: $0.99/month • Yearly: $9.99/year (best value per month) • Family Yearly: $14.99/year, shareable with up to 6 family members via Apple Family Sharing All Pro tiers include a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. The minutes-to-burn estimate is a guide, not medical advice. Wear sunscreen, reapply, and consult a dermatologist about your personal sun safety. LEGAL Privacy policy: https://heliosuv.kludgeltd.com/privacy Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
UV Timer
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UV Timer: Your Smart Sun Protection Companion UV Timer is now fully redesigned for iOS, faster, smoother, and built from the ground up to keep you sun-safe wherever you go. Real-time UV monitoring, intelligent sunscreen reminders, and comprehensive guidance, all in a beautiful native app. Accurate • Real-time UV index • Evidence-based SPF recommendations tailored to your skin type • Altitude-adjusted calculations for mountain and outdoor activities • Visible cloud cover and weather condition analysis Intelligent Timer System • Personalized sunscreen reapplication reminders • Smart timer adapts to UV intensity, skin sensitivity, and altitude • Background timer continues even when the app is closed • Haptic feedback and notification alerts Multi-Location Tracking • GPS-based UV monitoring for your exact location • Save your favorite cities and swipe between them on the home screen • Free tier includes 3 saved locations, add more anytime with in-app location packs • Real-time temperature, wind, humidity, and precipitation • Sunrise and sunset times for every saved location Severe Weather Alerts • Get notified the moment severe weather warnings are issued by official agencies • Tap the bell on the home screen to see active alerts in detail Personalized Protection • Skin type classifications for precise recommendations • Dynamic SPF suggestions based on current conditions • Practical sun safety tips and product guidance • Educational content Comprehensive Data • 24-hour UV forecast with hourly predictions • Interactive UV charts with current-hour indicators • Sunshine duration and visible cloud coverage • Temperature and weather condition monitoring • Sun path chart: Follow the sun's elevation at any hour of the day • Rain chart: Hourly precipitation 10 Languages • Available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Japanese, and Korean • Switch language instantly inside the app • Localized weather, location names, and time formats Privacy Focused • No accounts, no sign-in, no tracking • No analytics, no ads • Location used only to fetch weather, never linked to your identity • Preferences stored locally on your device Perfect For • Beach and outdoor activities • Mountain hiking and skiing • Daily sun protection routine • Travel planning across multiple cities • Professional outdoor work • Family sun safety Your skin health matters. Let UV Timer be your trusted companion for sun safety.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: UV Timer at every 3 days against Helios UV's monthly. Helios UV's advantage is device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Helios UV sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and UV Timer sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Helios UV ships an update monthly, UV Timer every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Helios UV | UV Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kludge Ltd | Shyam Steenhaut |
In-app purchases
Helios UV
- Helios UV Pro Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$0.991 Month
- Helios UV Pro Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Year
- Helios UV Pro Family Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$14.991 Year
UV Timer
- 1 Location Pack$0.99
- 5 Locations Pack$3.99
- 10 Locations Pack$4.99








