(Image credit: Background: Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images.Insets (left to right): © 2026 Big Kid Science via the Apple Store, © Rise Up Games via the Apple Store, © Fifteen Jugglers Software UG 2017-2026 via the Apple Store, © The Eclipse Company of Earth via the Apple Store)
The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse is less than a week away! We know that eclipse planning can be daunting, so we’ve put together a list of great eclipse apps to help make things that little bit easier.
Over 15 million people across Spain, Greenland and Iceland will witness totality on Aug. 12, while almost a billion will bear witness to a partial eclipse, as the moon blocks a portion of the sun’s light without hiding its surface entirely, according to Time and Date.com. However, each person’s experience will be subtly different, whether it be the exact timing of totality, the terrain, cloud cover, or a myriad of other reasons.
From location-specific totality alerts to weather forecasts, there are plenty of ways that these apps can help enhance your eclipse viewing experience.
Eclipse smartphone apps 2026
SolarWatch
The popular iOS stargazing app SolarWatch has had a major update to introduce a slew of helpful eclipse-planning features. According to solo developer Engin Kurutepe, the app offers interactive eclipse path maps that allow you to simulate precise timings for each phase of an upcoming eclipse, while also providing data on local cloud obscuration.
SolarWatch also gives real-time and time-lapse simulations of the moon’s shadow racing across a 3D representation of Earth, along with educational content on eclipse phenomena such as Baily’s Beads. It also tracks each eclipse phase with countdowns and even gives details on the speed of the moon’s shadow at your specific location!
The Eclipse App
As its name suggests, The Eclipse App is available on iOS to cater to all your eclipse needs. The app has been rebuilt for the Aug. 12 eclipse, featuring exact timings for each stage of the event running from first contact through totality and beyond.
See simulations of the eclipse from your specific vantage point, receive alerts and discover exactly how much of the sun is covered during any given moment of the eclipse, the length of totality and more. Inbuilt features also allow you to record your experience in real time and return to relive it after the event.
Totality by Big Kid Science
Like other apps on this list, Totality by Big Kid Science on IOS and the Play Store offers users a wealth of eclipse information, including detailed timings based on your phone’s GPS data, safety tips, eclipse science and more. It also provides handy navigation tools to help eclipse chasers find a way into the path of totality.
Solar Snap
Want to capture the eclipse but don’t have access to an expensive camera? Then Solar Snap on iOS or the Google Play Store might be for you.
The app provides a range of useful controls and features to help you capture the Aug. 12 eclipse with your smartphone, along with an interactive global eclipse map and information on the timings of phases, position of the sun and more.
It’s designed to work in conjunction with a solar smartphone filter, which can be purchased as part of the Solar Snap filter kit. Alternatively, there are in-app tutorials that show how to make your own smartphone filter using a pair of eclipse glasses!
Be sure to check out our live blog for all of the latest news on the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse, along with on-the-ground reporting of the eclipse from skywatching editor Daisy Dobrijevic, who is currently aboard HX Expeditions‘ MS Spitsbergen off the coast of Greenland and skywatching writer Anthony Wood who will be heading to Spain. We’ll also be publishing information on how to watch the eclipse live online for free closer to the time.
While you’re at it why not download the Space.com app, available on IOS and Android, to stay up to date on all the latest launches, space science, skywatching news and eclipses?
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your eclipse astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
