The Best Tanning Apps for iPhone in 2026, Compared

The best tanning app for most iPhone users depends on one question: do you want a timer built around when your skin is likely to burn, or a routine built around a tan goal? As of October 2026, Shade is the pick if you want a burn-time countdown with Apple Watch and Live Activity support, SunSafe and Beam have the largest user bases and are built around tanning routines, Tan AI and Glowy add selfie skin scans, and Apple Weather covers the basics if all you need is the UV index.

Every app below was checked against its current US App Store page in October 2026. Ratings counts and features change often, so treat them as a snapshot.

Quick comparison

App	Best for	UV data	Session timer	Skin scan from photo	Apple Watch
Shade	Burn-time countdown while you tan	Apple Weather	Yes	No (you pick your skin type)	Yes
SunSafe	Tanning routines and a long UV forecast	Live UV, 10-day forecast	Exposure tracking with Live Activity	No	Not listed
Beam Tanning	Goal-based tanning routines	Apple Weather	Routine-based	Yes, on device	Listed as supported
SPF – Tan Timer & UV Tracker	A simple structured routine	Apple Weather	Quick Tan timer	Yes, on device	Not listed
Tan AI	AI skin scan and chat assistant	Live UV, 16-day forecast	Yes, with flip and SPF reminders	Yes	Not listed
Glowy Tanning App	Photo progress tracking	Live UV	Quick Tan Timer	Yes	Not listed
Apple Weather	Checking the UV index for free	Apple Weather	No	No	Yes

1. Shade — best for timing a session around your burn time

Shade is the app we make, so read this entry with that in mind. It reads the live and hourly UV index for your location from Apple Weather, asks for your Fitzpatrick skin type (I–VI) and whether you’re wearing sunscreen or covered up, and shows an estimated burn time: how long until your skin is likely to start burning. Estimates follow WHO UV Index guidance and standard minimal erythemal dose values, with a margin below the threshold, and sunscreen is counted conservatively because most people under-apply it.

Start a session when you lie down and Shade counts down using the hourly UV forecast, with turn-over cues, a reapply reminder every two hours when you’re wearing sunscreen, and a heads-up before your estimated burn time. You can follow it on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, or on your wrist with the Apple Watch app. There’s no account to create.

Where others are stronger: Shade has no photo skin analysis and no tan-goal routines. It’s iPhone and Apple Watch only, needs iOS 26, and the app itself is in English. The free tier covers the live UV index, burn-time estimate, widgets and your first full session; Shade Plus unlocks unlimited sessions and the rest.

2. SunSafe — best for tanning routines with a long forecast

SunSafe: UV Index & Tanning, from Brilliant Apps Sweden, had nearly 11,000 US ratings averaging 4.8 as of October 2026. Its listing describes a 10-day UV forecast, maximum-UV alerts, sunburn risk based on your skin type, sunscreen reminders, personalized tanning routines, exposure tracking with a Live Activity, vitamin D tracking, and Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets. You can track several locations, which helps when you’re traveling. Exposure tracking and tanning guidance need a SunSafe Pro subscription.

Pick it if you want a guided routine and a forecast that looks further ahead than today. See how it lines up feature by feature in Shade vs SunSafe.

3. Beam Tanning — best for goal-based routines

Beam Tanning, from Titano Digital, had the most US ratings of any app here as of October 2026 (more than 16,000, averaging 4.7). The UV index for your current location is free. With a subscription you set the tone you’re aiming for and follow a custom routine. Beam processes face photos on your device to estimate skin attributes, and its listing says UV data comes from Apple Weather. The App Store lists Apple Watch among its supported devices.

Pick it if you like working towards a target with a step-by-step plan. More detail in Shade vs Beam.

4. SPF – Tan Timer & UV Tracker — best for a simple routine

SPF, from BluPalms, had about 5,000 US ratings averaging 4.6 in October 2026. It offers the real-time UV index, a tanning routine based on your skin type, a Quick Tan timer and a session log. Skin type can be estimated from on-device photo analysis, and UV data comes from Apple Weather. Unlike most apps here, SPF needs an active subscription for its app features after a free trial, so there’s no lasting free tier.

Pick it if you want a short, structured plan and don’t mind subscribing from the start. Compare it in Shade vs SPF.

5. Tan AI — best for AI skin scans and questions

Tan AI had about 3,900 US ratings averaging 4.9 as of October 2026. You take a selfie, it estimates your skin tone and undertone, and it builds a routine with flip reminders, SPF reminders and UV alerts. It also shows a 16-day UV forecast, tracks progress with photo comparisons, and includes an AI chat assistant. It’s free with ads, and a subscription removes them and unlocks the full feature set. It’s one of the few apps here localized into Italian and dozens of other languages.

Pick it if you want photo-based tracking and to ask questions in the app. See Shade vs Tan AI.

6. Glowy Tanning App — best for before-and-after photos

Glowy had about 3,900 US ratings averaging 4.6 in October 2026. It shows the live UV index with a recommended SPF, scans your skin tone, logs sessions with a Quick Tan Timer and lets you compare before-and-after photos. Skin analysis, progress and session tracking are paid features after a three-day trial.

Pick it if seeing your progress in photos matters more to you than a countdown.

7. Apple Weather — best if you only need the UV index

The Weather app already on your iPhone shows the UV index in each location’s details, and on Apple Watch you can cycle through an hourly UV view. It’s free and needs no setup. It doesn’t know your skin type, doesn’t time a session and won’t remind you to reapply. Several apps on this list, Shade included, use Apple Weather’s UV data and build on top of it. More in Shade vs Apple Weather.

How to choose

• You want to know when to stop: pick an app that shows a burn-time estimate and counts it down. That’s what Shade is built for.
• You want a plan towards a goal: SunSafe, Beam and SPF are built around routines.
• You want photos and AI: Tan AI and Glowy scan your skin and track progress visually.
• You want a quick number: Apple Weather, or a dedicated UV app from our best UV index apps for iPhone list.

Whatever you use, the UV index is the number underneath all of it. Our guide to the UV index explained covers what each level means, or try the burn-time calculator to see how skin type and UV change the estimate.