2025-07-07
Want pass through to see note on asterism’s and stars
It being totally immersive requires memory. Want to incorporate immersion or not
Updating
+7
#4 in Top Free Apps > Reference
-3
#25 in Top Grossing Apps > Reference
+3
#15 in Top Free iPad Apps > Reference
+2
#27 in Top Grossing iPad Apps > Reference
iPhone Screenshots
iPad Screenshots
Description
Bring the beauty of the stars down to Earth. Hold Sky Guide® overhead to automatically identify any star, constellation, planet or satellite! Easy to use and powerful, it’s epic stargazing for any experience level.
Is it a star or the planet Mars? Knowing what’s up in your night sky is easier than ever. Sky Guide’s AR mode superimposes figures onto your real sky so visualizing the heavens becomes effortless. Have you ever wished you could recognize constellations but didn’t want to fumble around with paper star charts? Now you can.
A speck of light crosses the night sky, growing brighter. What could it be? You don’t have to wonder anymore. Track a bright satellite and receive perfectly-timed notifications whenever the International Space Station is about to fly over your location. With Sky Guide, you’ll be saying ‘Goodbye, aliens’ and ‘Hellooooo, astronauts!’
Voyage to the past or future with cinematic time controls. Know where the Moon will be later in the evening so you can capture that perfect photo or be an eyewitness to history’s greatest comets.
Whether you’re searching for Sagittarius, Saturn, or the next big meteor shower, Sky Guide is jam-packed with information and rich graphics that will satisfy the most curious minds. Plus, stay current with location-filtered events like solar and lunar eclipses with Sky Guide’s personalized Calendar.
Camping in the backcountry? Sky Guide can function with or without Wi-Fi, cellular service or GPS, so everything is at your fingertips no matter where you go.
Join the millions who have discovered a more personal connection to the stars with Sky Guide. It might forever change the way you look up.
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
What's New in Version 11.0.4
Bug fixes and article updates
Seller
Name
Fifth Star Labs LLC
Information
Developer
Categories
Version
11.0.4
Size
332.3 MB
Game Center
No
VPP Device Licensing
Yes
Rating
Rated: 4+
Compatibility
iOS 16.0 or later
Devices
iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air (Cellular), iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini Retina, iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 (Cellular), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi), iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi + Cellular), iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th Generation), iPad (9th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th Generation), iPad mini (6th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi, iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16) Wi-Fi, iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (6th Generation), iPod touch (7th generation), Apple Watch Series 4
Languages
English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
App Store: Customer Ratings
Ratings & Reviews
4.8 of 5 (338,572 Ratings)
App Store: Customer Reviews
2025-07-07
Wonderful App
My daughter and i enjoy this app, and the music simple as it is, is very beautiful!! Every time I open the App it makes me stand in awe of creation at his beautiful design.
2025-07-06
👍🏻
👍🏻
2025-07-05
Love
I love this app cuz I love nature and want to get to know the stars better
2025-07-04
Love Sky Guide
Highly educational and entertaining. A true nightly learning experience. What an incredible app!
2025-07-03
Gazing
Stars help Open the Brain
2025-07-01
Stank Williams Opinion
More important than skin.
2025-06-30
10/5
If I could rate it a ten I would! This is the best app ever it’s helps me with my astronomy and helps me learn!
2025-06-30
No better
The only app I’ve ever been proud to spend money on.
2025-06-26
Unmatched experience
There is not another astronomy app like this anywhere. The 60fps smooth user experience, seemless zooming, tours, exceptional lighting and graphics and the absolutely beautiful mixture of music and sounds makes this app stand above and beyond anything else on the market.
2025-06-25
The e
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2025-06-25
Using for years - source of magic
Tbh- my stepdad showed me this app like 8 years ago maybe at this point! We never connected much but one night when him and my mom were visiting, he showed me sky guide and I downloaded it immediately. It’s been with me ever since and use it often. So many times I’ve been somewhere and someone says “oh, what is that in the sky?” And I pull out this app and show them, and often learn myself, what is in the sky. Brilliant, amazing app. The Wikipedia of the sky!
2025-06-21
Love it
This is a great app
2025-06-17
AWESOMENESS
Even though you can pay to get more, it’s not a lot for unessecities and it has everything I wanted from a constellation app.
2025-06-14
I LOVE THIS APPPPPPP
you definitely need this app because it tells all about constellations, space, planets, dwarf planets, nebulas, stars, galaxies and more! Night vision setting is awesome! You can also scale the sky irl and it’s so cool because it shows where all the things in space are like planets, constellations, stars and more! 10\10 app. really recommend it! 5 stars
2025-06-10
Sky Guide
Great app!
2025-06-08
Love this so much omg
I absolutely love this app, and it does always impress people around me when we're looking up at the stars and then we can just identify them so easily. Sometimes, it is a biiit hard to tell where your phone is aiming exactly, so if there are a few bright objects relatively nearby each other (I am from the city, so typically there are not that many, but) it can be harder to tell exactly which one you are looking at. Sometimes the only way I can tell is by looking at the tint of the star and hoping that I didnt just label Venus as a nearby star, just because it's hard to tell precisely where the camera is pointing. Also, it took me forever to figure out that the app kept turning off my music to play its own ambiance. I would just get frustrated, thinking it didn't allow media to play for like "immersion" or something. It wasn't until I was sitting alone one day, when I realized it was softly playing music the entire time and was finallly able to deactivate it in the setting lol. Anyway, amazing app. Definitely get it!
2025-06-07
good
it’s a really good astronomy app and it helps me with my telescope it also informs me on events that i wouldn’t know of if i didn’t have this
2025-06-04
I love it !!
Greatest thing on my phone . This little gem has added finder is fantastic . I thought I had a fair knowledge of the night sky , but this little gem has added much ! It should be a must have . Thanks
2025-05-31
Must have
A must have for skywatchers
2025-05-30
Love!
This is hands down the BEST free star app in the iOS App Store. It has the most free features of any star app I have tried, and the nightvision function makes stargazing a breeze. Even the notifications are useful. 10/10
2025-05-29
Fun!
I love this app! It’s come in handy many times and it’s very informative.
2025-05-28
Bait switch and app no longer works
So I bought this app a many years (over 5) ago. It use to show me all the satellites and space junk in the night’s sky. Now it doesn’t and one has to purchase an annual subscription to see satellites and space junk. Plus the compass (directional view) feature no longer works. This app was cool.
2025-05-28
Great App but No One Time Purchase
I downloaded the app and love the setup and ease of use. I’m not a fan of subscriptions though, so I deleted it. Any chance of a “One Time Purchase”?
2025-05-28
Good
M
2025-05-27
Love it, subscription though?
Would’ve gotten plus if it was a one time purchase.
2025-05-27
You need to download
I’ve always love stargazing and if you love, stargazing too this is the app for you it even tells you when meteor showers are happening
2025-05-25
LOVE IT
THIS APP IS AWESOME SOMEHOW IT IS REALLY ENTERTAINING
2025-05-25
Good
Love it so good I can find ton 6-18 but give all users sky guide pro 4.9/5
2025-05-25
Great app
Great app
2025-05-24
Star so good
This is the best it is a good help both me and my parents use it
2025-05-24
Beautiful! And very informative
I’ve used this app for many years now, and it has become more beautiful over time. It can provide a tremendous amount of information, but the screen is beautiful. Seriously beautiful. Turn on sound to set the mood for awe, and explore.
2025-05-21
The best tool for stargazing
It just works perfectly. I went out with my brother to see the iss. It told when and has a night mode that doesn’t ruin your eyes.
2025-05-21
Support?
Compass off by more than 90°?!?
2025-05-21
Absolutely amazing app
Highly recommend for anyone interested in space
2025-05-19
Best App
I love this app
2025-05-18
Very Useful!
I originally got this from a card in a Starbucks. Back when they had app cards there. Best one, I have used this ever since. Easy to use and very useful.
2025-05-15
Great app
Amazing app would recommend!!!
2025-05-15
Wonderful App
Wonderful app
2025-05-15
Fun app / poor support
I’ve been an annual Pro subscriber for years. But I just recently had occasion to reach out for support and have gotten no response after three tries over several weeks.
2025-05-15
Awesome
I honestly am very impressed at how much things there is to see and read in this one app. The amount of information and coding must be insane lol. But regardless this app blows my mind and I highly recommend it for any other astronomy enthusiasts.
2025-05-15
Review
It’s great to see what’s in the sky
2025-05-11
I get the feeling of happiness by using this app
The app which have the best graphics of all celestial reality is sky guide very great app
2025-05-11
Amazing
I can’t even begin to describe how cool this app is. If you have any interest in anything out of this world, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
2025-05-10
Thank you.
I found something really important from this app. Thank you alot.
2025-05-07
Best View of the Cosmos
This is one, if not the best, guide to the stars app that you can get. I highly recommend it to anyone! I have been using this app for years and still love it!!
2025-05-07
Love this app
I've had this app for many years and love it because I can just use it, no pop-ups, etc.
2025-05-04
OMG
Best space/satellite ever!
2025-05-04
Really like the upgraded app
I started out with free version years ago and upgraded. This is so fun to use. Try it! You’ll like it!
2025-05-03
My view
Thank You!
2025-04-30
Disappointed after being an early supporter
I was an early adopter of Sky Guide and purchased their best offering when they first launched, which promised lifetime access to all features. At the time, I felt confident investing in what was marketed as a full experience.
However, with their latest update and transition to a subscription-based model, I’m disappointed to see that many features I once had—like advanced zoom and other premium tools—are now locked behind a monthly or yearly paywall. The developers claim I still have the same benefits from my original purchase, but that’s simply not true in practice. It feels like they quietly stripped away what I paid for and moved it into a new paid tier.
I understand the need for evolving business models, but early supporters like myself should be grandfathered into the features we originally purchased—especially when we were promised lifetime access. I hope the developers reconsider how they treat their earliest and most loyal users.
2025-01-12
I ABSOLUTELY FREAKING LOVE THIS APP!!!
I got this app wanting to get more into astronomy, and it definitely did! I also got my friend into this app and she loves it too! I love how it tells you great facts about all the constellations and upcoming solar events, and if they’ll be visible in your area. I also love how you can turn on the compass and hold your phone to the night sky and see what constellations there are, or you can turn the compass off, if you don’t want to look stupid waving your phone at the sky, and just scroll around, looking for cool things! So in conclusion, I just love this app and so does my friend, I would definitely recommend this app to anyone who would want to know more about the night sky!
2024-11-09
Great app
Gives you acurate position and representation of the night sky, although you have to pay to get some of the constellations. Very detailed sky and has art I a Les on many objects. Also can let you change the brightness of stars in the sky to match how your sky looks. Has lots of settings, although the realistic proportions setting that shows the effects of haze and other obscurances like light pollution does not work. But all In all, I would recommend for new people to introduce to the constellations as I was also a begged ner and new nothing about co stellations, but this helped learn them, and apart from that is also very fun to go around in and look at other wonders of the night sky. Definitely would recommend.
2024-10-15
Increasingly frustrating
I’ve been a Sky Guide user for well over a decade now and I find myself becoming more and more frustrated with the continued lack of basic features.
Apparently there was a comet visible to the naked eye a couple of days ago but I wouldn’t know because the sky gazing app that I annually pay for didn’t notify me of such a precious event! I also can’t set notifications for flybys or passovers of favorited objects and I can’t sync important astronomical events with my iOS calendar! I would love to know the next Starlink string flyover but this app won’t ever tell me.. These are features that you would think come at bare minimum, much less for a paid subscription.. I still find myself coming back because the design and layout of the app is top notch but the developers really need to revisit the notification and event system within the app.
2024-06-21
Compliments and a suggestion
I don’t usually write reviews because I’m just a very busy lady. This app, however, is outstanding for some very simple reasons. It is user-friendly, I am definitely not a tech person. It is pleasing to the eye with gentle colors and an even more gentle notification sound when something interesting is going on in the cosmos. Even my husband gets excited when he hears the notification because we know it’s some kind of pleasant message. We just received the solstice notification at the exact moment of the solstice, which was really cool. My suggestion is that perhaps you you could integrate a little bit of astrology as a side feature because I’ll bet if you took a survey out of all of your app users, you might find a decent portion are the also into astrology. And we have to use an entirely different app for that. Take care and keep up the outstanding work!!
2024-06-08
The Greatest App Ever
SkyGuide is an absolute gem of an app! From the moment I opened it, I was captivated by its stunning visuals and intuitive interface. The app makes stargazing an absolute delight, transforming my phone into a powerful tool for exploring the night sky. The real-time tracking and detailed information about celestial objects are simply phenomenal. I especially love the augmented reality feature, which overlays the constellations onto the sky as I point my phone upwards. It's like having a personal planetarium in my pocket! Whether you're an amateur astronomer or just someone who loves gazing at the stars, SkyGuide is a must-have. It's educational, user-friendly, and incredibly fun to use. Kudos to the developers for creating such an outstanding app!
2024-05-28
Great app and no monthly fees
This is one of the few apps left that you can actually purchase outright and not worry about additional fees or ads. I’ve used this app for over three years now and still think it is the best out there for sky viewing. There are others but all come with subscriptions or very annoying ads. You can upgrade this app to get additional features for a few bucks, but I found the basic version to be more than adequate for my purposes. Too bad there aren’t lot more apps around with this business model. Thank you, Sky Guide. Because of this, I have recommended to many people who have also purchased the app and all are equally thrilled.
2024-05-07
Star Guide App
I am thrilled with how simple Star Guide is to use the very first time you try it!! I just opened the Star Guide App, noticed some bright Stars or Planets, etc, and simply tapped on the brightest object in the sky- I head a pleasant “chime” sound immediately and the name of the object immediately appeared as Venus. Cool! Also- every single inconspicuous little object in space that I tapped on immediately chimed and was identified!
Star Guide App is much easier to use and understand than the Night Sky App which is an awesomely powerful and a beautiful App; but Star Guide is MUCH easier to use for first time users like children and adult’s who are just beginning their knowledge quest and simply want to know; “What is THAT up there in the sky?? That one… the one that’s kinda bluish, and seems to twinkle so brightly!!
After playing around some more with the Star Guide App, there is so MUCH MORE information available in the App if you just choose what you would like to ADD in the settings menu! Constellations? No problem. And much more to see if you select your preferences in the menu as you learn!
I love it and you will too!
JW- Des Moines, Iowa
2024-01-21
No comparison BEST star app
I’ve tried other apps that were difficult and confusing to navigate and locate certain objects and the horizon . As well as a kylines or planets , even galaxies ! Not with Star Guide not only does this app use your precise location but it gives u the BEST detailed information on your desired object and objects even in deep outer space and the images are stunning ! I haven’t upgraded to the 2 options either so I can only imagine what other breath taking images and extra information is provided with a upgraded subscription…..??? So weather u are a amateur gazer or a seasoned gazer this app is for you ! Thank you for reading .
Peace to all
Travis W.
2023-12-17
A SUPER MASSIVE App!
I Love looking at the sky, stars, clouds, etc. Found Sky Guide. Not only do I get to follow the stars, constellations, moon, sun, planets, comets, satellites, but I can go forward in time, backward in time, there is information about everything that is listed in the sky in the App and I keep finding more ways to use this app. I just LOVE Sky Guide. My friends and neighbors (most of who don't have computers nor internet connections, as I live in a village with mostly poor farmers) come over to look with me. They love knowing what is that bright star in the sky, what is the planet, etc... It is highly Educational and worth the money. And it works with the wifi off. Best. Best. Best! I fully suggest this App for a great hands on course in basic Astronomy. 5 Stars!!! And now with SUPERMASSIVE as an option, it just continues to blow my mind. Seeing the Galaxies , Nebulas, Planets up close is breathtaking. This app was definitely made by people who Love their subject. And I Love this app. It continues to be Amazing! Amazing!
2023-11-08
Sky Guide
This may be my first time eating an application and that being so, I am happy to share my review of Sky Guide. I enjoy the outdoors enormously, in fact I am lucky to live two blocks from the beach from where I get to use SkyGuide each time I ride to the beach right after sunset. That is when I get to use the application and pinpoint it at the brightest to to the the hardly visible stars or contemplations observable with my naked eye. Thereafter it is all about reading and learning their names, their history and every other detailed shared by the app and my chosen star or constellation. I am glad that someone thought of combining ideas, knowledge and technology to the delight of all of us, star gazers.
2023-10-09
Beautiful and easy to use
On an iPad Pro this app is an absolute delight! Breathtaking beauty. I felt an almost referent sense of awe the first time I used it. Again, the cornerstone of this app is raw, passionate beauty. A modest zoom function brings out details if I want to go deeper. Also, the moon, stars and planets are moving in real time so I can watch an occultation if I want from the comfort of my bed. A lot of satellites and space junk is tracked and labeled, which can be a lot of fun. It will even alert me if the International Space Station is about to go overhead. (If I’ve chosen to use the alert functions) I’ve had so much fun with the basic version the past two years that I have not bothered to upgrade yet to full featured mega version. Best money I ever spent on an app.
2023-07-31
Was good until it wasn’t
I’ve had this app for a couple years and it worked fine, until it didn’t. Recently, within the past year, the app’s AR is not calibrating. Whether I set location manually or auto and turn the compass off manually or not, the app’s UI is stuck at the tail of Ursa Major which honestly, is the same result I’m seeing for another app Sky View.
Gone are the days when I could wave my phone in the sky and was directed to the star or planet I was aiming at. So now, the app is kinda worthless. I’ve checked to make sure it was updated and even deleted and redownloaded it and still stuck at the tail. I can move the sky around with my finger so I know it’s not a technical issue with my device. It seems like the app is non-responsive to the AR, which is rather unfortunate because I really loved this app and loved telling people about it. Not it’s a formerly downloaded relic.
2023-07-09
Fantastic!
I can’t see them lighting up, but I give this app five stars. I started following the stars with this app about a year ago. Before that, I would watch the stars with boyfriends and occasionally when just sitting in the yard.
Since I got Sky Guide, I love following the stars and learning more about them, especially the I SS.
I was out in the front yard when it was dark one night and was commenting on how beautiful Venus was. He tried to tell me that that was the ISS. I laughed a little, and said
“No, the ISS is much faster than that, faster than I ever thought it would be “, and showed him a video that I had gotten just a few nights before. He was pretty astounded. I would recommend this to anyone.
2023-06-27
Fantastic for amateur astronomers
This app is the best thing ever. It’s so powerful and customizable. I can choose exactly what I want to see. I can spend hours at a time reading the articles about the celestial objects. I normally don’t like spending money on things I don’t need, but this is something I have no doubts about subscribing to. The free app alone is incredible, and probably everything that a simple curious person looking at the stars would need. And, for hobbyists like myself, the plus and pro subscriptions are absolutely worth every penny. I can actually calculate exactly what my imaging quality will be based off of my specific telescope, eyepiece, camera, and location. There’s so many more features, but that’s just one that is rather thrilling to me. I have learned so much from here and I have only scratched the surface of what this app has to offer. I will definitely be using this app for a long time to come.
2023-06-08
Do not go to the poles while the dark sky finder is enabled!
When I open the location settings pane with the dark sky finder enabled and get near the polar areas it causes the app to freeze and even after closing the app and reopening it I cannot change my location since even just tapping on “Location” causes the app to freeze. The only way to leave the poles is to delete and reinstall the app, not even a reboot or keeping iOS updated solves it. I’m autistic and sometimes use this deal with anxiety and this is extremely frustrating that this longstanding bug at the poles has not been fixed and has been made even worse in newer versions. Unless this is fixed I cannot give this app five stars, it’s really a shame since this is the best star map app out of all the ones I have tried and it’s marred by a glaring bug like this and this is coming from someone who has used this app for YEARS! I cannot convey how disappointed I am as an amateur astronomer and I’m even considering canceling my pro subscription unless I see a real fix soon, this really breaks my heart since no other app of this kind comes close to this.
2023-05-05
Best App you can find period.
The only way i could rate this 5 stars without any doubt was if I designed and created it myself…only then would I rate it less due to my own criticism! Even if you have zero interest in looking at stars and planets, there is so much more to see and do! Don't second guess yourself, just pay the $2.99 and brag to all about how smart you were to get such a great app at such a great price! I did try upgrading to pro, and it wasn't what i needed, so i unsubscribed before the free trial ended, and had no problems with my account going back to the original subscription, and no charges the following month…which was Sept. and why i waited to post review. Attention App creators! This app offered an upgrade to pro, they didnt however, hassle me to, or post ninja ads in my screen to annoy me, and they were transparent about the details and then followed thru with their promises, without excuses or mistakes! You can learn from this app and its protocols.
This app combined with the 13pro max night mode camera feature has allowed me to capture stars that are not visible to my eyes, and some satellites that include ISS when it was justa mere +1.3!!! (Normally it has to be -2.0 or lower to get a clear shot) including starlinks and the Pleiades.
2023-02-08
Best sky app available
If you’re willing to pay a few dollars a month, this is, by far the best app available. It has everything. I’ve been using the Sky Guide app to help plan my astrophotography for a few years now. When they added the field of view I was pretty excited. The field of view lets you visualize what a view through your telescope would look like as well as a photo through your telescope. Just input what camera or scope you have and voila! But now, they’ve added mosaic planner! Input your scope, camera, and how many tiles, and you’re good to go. With lots of options to export the coords. I’ll use the ASIair option! Such an amazing app that is continually updated and has been improved on with every update for several years. Great job team!!
2023-01-17
Beautiful, educational and mesmerizing… with one flaw
I absolutely love this app. But understand it’s not just an app. It’s a tool to guide you literally through the known parts of our universe in the palm of your hand. This tool has thousands of explanations, navigational guides, historical studies, celestial events and not to mention a very satisfying and calming musical aura.
The only problem is that it doesn’t always track your movements through the sky when you’re gazing into the expanse with the camera. Many times you will have to find reference points in the sky and scroll the screen yourself to see what you’re looking at. It used to track fairly well, but now it doesn’t. I don’t know why. Regardless, it doesn’t stop me from loving this tool. I still use it very often.
2022-12-22
Sky Guide (upgraded pro version)
The Sky Guide (free version) is a great guide to the universe. You can easily find objects that you can see with the naked eye.
However, after upgrading to the “Pro Version” which advises additional features, I began experiencing problems with the app. Often, when selecting the app, the icon would appear and then immediately disappear. I would try the usual, Bluetooth on/off, phone shutdown/restart troubleshooting but it wouldn’t help. Sometimes I would go outside for an observation but it was hit or miss with app functionality.
I primarily use the app to observe the SkyLab passes. It’s nice to have a 15 minute heads up for passage. Sometimes, I get a notification of pass but no observation is seen and no tracking on my phone is seen.
This app is great when it works but frustrating when not working.
2022-11-04
Beautiful, Just Beautiful
Hands down the best stargazing app on the market. If the compass is confused, the app allows you to manually adjust the offset so that it shows the correct perspective. The app actually depicts the relative brightness of stars correctly, so stars like Sirius and Betelgeuse are significantly more prominent than others. What you see in the app actually matches reality. The ability to tap on stars and nebulae and get stories and facts about them is awesome. The actual graphics themselves are just beautiful too on their own. High level of customizability. Makes me want to buy the Pro version even though I don’t want it just to support the developers because this app exudes passion.
2022-08-01
Upgrade was poor decision.
I’ve had this app on my iPhone & iPad for years and enjoyed it immensely. Recently I got an alert to upgrade and decided, for my photography business, it was worth it. Now, however, I cannot get the app to load on my iPhone nor my iPad. On both devices it promptly crashes. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the app multiple times, powered both devices on & off multiple times, made certain my IOS was updated. Occasionally it loads & works then the next time I launch, it immediately crashes. I now consider this an unreliable app and will look for alternatives to recommend to my astrophotography students.
2022-02-03
Guide for Astrophotographers and stargazers
Nice app, good content and navigates friendly. I only suggest one feature. As I favorites most objects through out the year and get familiar with them every season. I wish there is a way to turn on or show your “favorites” list on the map, preference. Instead of going through the list and knowing where they are for the night. I could just point to the sky and see all my favorites where they are now and how long I can stargaze or image and object. To see this list in AR mode and check time and date, would really plan out the night or future nights for imaging. Especially if your have obstacles in the way, trees and two story neighbors. Pro subscriber here.
2021-11-22
Change of mind
When the app started working finally I got to see what was a subscription and what wasn’t. It’s not too bad for the first upgrade, but it’s easy to say that depending how many things someone is subscribed to. These days everything takes a subscription it seems, and they add up fast. Overall I feel like it’s worth it if you use the app frequently and actually enjoy and use all of the extra features.
For what I use it for the version I originally paid for is just fine, and no sub needed.
The app is very very beautiful, and the music adds so much to it. It’s very relaxing and it really puts you in the star gazing mood.
Here I was thinking it was ridiculous to charge for a sub and figured I wouldn’t get to even use the app barely unless I paid, but for me that’s not the case.
Luckily if you want you can sub for a month and easily drop it when it’s not affordable or maybe not using the app as much. All in all it’s a great app with a lot of detail and effort. Glad I have it working now and can actually go back to enjoying the part that makes it enjoyable to me!
2021-11-07
Better is worse
I’m disappointed. I’ve had this app and used it often since it was released many years ago. Always impressed by its simplicity and absence of “in app purchases”. I didn’t mind the subscription option as it did not affect the plain app functions. No more. Very disappointed that there are now fees that prevent free functions. That’s sad. At least it was fully functional for as long as it was. I’m grateful for that. One question- Why does the sky view no longer function since the update? Now the app is entirely useless. I’ve tried redownloading and restarting. No effect. Bummer
***correction- i deleted and reloaded and view mode works again! All other criticism still stands (but 3 stars are better than one)
2021-10-18
Always there
I've had this app for a few years and it's always there with the info i need, when i need it. When i wanna know what I'm looking at in the sky i hold up my phone with the satellite on and it shows me what's around there. When i thought i legit saw a SPACECRAFT in the sky, i was able to look through the helpful updates and astronomy articles about space stuff to learn about what meteor shower i just witnessed. (Im not saying spacecrafts aren't real). This app helped me learn how to identify jupiter and saturn in the night sky on my own, and what a meteorite looks like shooting across the sky (got to see some aquariids 🥰). I cant remember if you have to pay for this app, that's how often i use it (but im also constantly talking about stars).
2021-09-30
Great for kids!
My children and I noticed a couple really bright looking stars tonight. I was guessing that, with their size and color, they were planets, but wanted to know which ones and also what some of the other bright “stars” were in the sky. So I looked through the stars/planet apps and found this one. My kids got to bed about an hour late because we were so fascinated with everything we could see with this app!! I’m totally in love it and wish I’d downloaded it earlier!! I also usually never spend money to get upgrades for the apps, but I’m totally doing it with this one!! All I can say is get it!! You won’t be disappointed!
2021-09-24
This app means everything to me!
This app is one of my favorite apps of all time. I got interested in astronomy and always wanted an app like this, so I found the right app. It’s honestly better than "Night Sky" because it can tell you what’s going to happen to the sky in the future. This app is the best! Another reason why you should get this app instead is because you don’t have to pay for anything. You can just look at whatever you find. "Night Sky," however, you have to get this thing called "Night Sky Premium" in order to do everything on it. I use this more than any other app. I’m just so addicted to this app! Thank you, Fifth Star Labs LLC for making this app. Like I said, it’s the best. You should really get this app!
2021-06-14
I Use It More Than Any Other App
I use this app more than any other app I have. Not just more than other’s like it. It’s beautiful, it’s easy to learn, it’s AR is accurate, the sky blending is near seamless on clear days, the sounds and music are breathtaking, the menus are sleek and simple, the tutorial is thoughtfully guided, and I cannot sing enough praise for the affordable pricing. Other apps don’t even come close to giving you as much pleasure for price. Bravo.
I have no complaints. I have a few offhanded suggestions as far as being able to backtrack navigating the sky, though. I think having a brief history (maybe 10 astronomical objects worth?) to show others what you had looked at would make it easier to frequently enjoy the app with your friends and family. 10/10 I recommend this for anyone and everyone. It’s the price of a coffee and what you experience is absolutely priceless. The happiness that this app gives me is staggeringly invaluable to my day to day, and I never expected to love an app as much as I have come to love StarGuide. Thank you. Salut
2021-01-31
Incredible. Worth paying for
I wanted a map of the night sky, especially when I can’t go outside due to COVID. I looked at quite a few options in the app store, most of which had a monthly subscription fee of $5, which was too much for me! I saw the preview for sky guide and how rich the information seemed to be, and saw it was only $3 to buy it. So I did and it’s absolutely incredible!! I can see anywhere in the night sky, even places that would normally be obscured by the horizon. There’s information about the magnitude of stars, and lots of greek mythology. The only thing I would say is I would love to be able to zoom out more and have a greater view of the sky from my phone, but I figured that if I was actually lying under the stars, the view on my phone would be proportional to what I would see in the sky (if that makes sense!)
2020-10-30
Not good at all
WORST APP EVER TOTALLY NOT RECOMMENDED
ever looked at a really small star and decide to click on it, except this garbage app won’t tell you about its history and mark the star that’s sky guide aka a app that’s just way overpriced the supermassive upgrade is lame because Sky view shows you planets in huge sizes and keeps it simple and nice and I played sky guide and 3 weeks later I don’t even use it so a waste of money on this lame app. If you buy this app just know that your wasting your money because SkyView shows stuff that skyguide can’t whether it’s free or not because sky view shows I.S.S and Hubble space telescope but not sky guide, night sky is better to because it shows so many stars and shows meteors and andromeda like sky guide but andromeda is bigger on night sky and just way overpriced for not a really good app it just doesn’t show a lot of things and I just figured this out, they use the really distant stars that you can’t even click for design making you think it’s real
2020-10-08
Top apps ever
This is one of the very, very few apps I have consistently and continue to routinely use since getting my first iPhone back in 2010, iPhone 4. It’s that good. I love the beautiful simplicity of it while being the most accurate of any other “star guide” app on the market. I love the explanations of each star, satellites, monthly news on what to look for in the coming weeks/months!
I also REALLY appreciate the developers for not over-complicating the app with stupid subscription plans, ads and all the other grubby behavior so many once great apps have sadly adopted (and therefore ruined). Please keep it up and thank you for making such a fab app!
My only wish is to see when certain lower atmosphere radio/satellites are spinning around over oceanic coastlines where lots of fishing occurs but I understand that is not exactly this apps “astronomical” intention. :D
2020-10-04
Superb, but some suggestions.
I wish that I could have rated your product a 4.8 instead of integer 5, as there are two things I’d love to see.
First, once I have searched for an object, please don’t unlock the search when I touch the screen again. Or give me the option to remain locked once I find something. It is very annoying to turn off the compass, type in something, find it, and then “lose” it when I tap the compass again. Another example is if I want to advance the clock a couple of hours to see where an object might be later.
Second, I’ve been using your product as an aid in astrophotography. When aiming a 400mm lens, it’s been a lifesaver. That said, placing my iPhone flat on the back of a DSLR to aim it is OK, but it can be very awkward when something is high above the horizon (such as Andromeda as I write this). A “90 degree” viewing option would be extremely helpful so I can put my phone flat on the hot shoe of the camera or edge on to the back of it. Even a “mirror image” view, where I can put the phone across the filter ring of my lens and effectively look over my shoulder would be very helpful.
All in all, a great piece of software.
2020-09-02
Great and simple to use
I also use sky safari plus which has additional features that I find useful, but for a super quick easy to use app , this is just wonderful. I use this when I’m volunteering on an observation deck where we have a 20 inch refractor and a 36 inch reflecting telescope that are open to the public on a regular basis. Sky guide ends up selling itself. When I show it to people they see how useful and simple it is and they’ve purchased it on the spot. I also like the feature for the international space station and other satellites. There are some things I’d like to see changed but overall I really like the product and I use it frequently. Note that the magnetic case on the iPad seems to throw the overhead view off by some degrees
2020-07-13
Amazing! Unbelievable! Thank you!
I recommend this app wholeheartedly without reservation. This app is not only beautiful to look at as well as fun and easy to use, but also full of up to date information. It has always been an app of the highest quality and well worth the price. I can’t overstate how much I appreciate the fact that although I bought this app a few years ago, it still works as it did when I bought it. I appreciate that, unlike other apps I have bought, this app has not effectively stolen my money by insisting I buy a subscription in order to continue using it, not only that but it includes up to date information! To the developers of this app: Thank you so much for your integrity in honoring my original purchase and more!
2020-02-21
Snow Moon
My world kind of flipped on its head this past new year. Generally like to look out at the city at night but I started staring at the stars a little more leading up to the snow moon. It was cloudy on the 8th but I still took a midnight hike in a few hills behind my city. The moon made a few winks but the clouds kind of disappointed my hope & blacked out the stars. Half-gave up until I laid down flat on my back and tested this app real quick. I’ve tinkered with a few AR star gazing apps a few years ago but those apps never really reached beyond the screen. Tech didn’t quite do the stars justice in the past. Tech could probably still do more for educationally brilliant apps like these but, at the very least, it does well with the stars. I appreciate the beauty.
I haven’t the taken the time to appreciate it and its near infinite astrophysical wonders as much as I should — experience that night made my new appreciation starkly apparent. For what it’s worth, thanks. Reminders in moments like those bring genuine feelings of awesome peace.
*** Physics, yo. Carry’s love. ***
2019-10-07
Worth it.
It’s amazing, buy it for sure. I love almost everything but here’s a few things for the developers to note. I know you’ve worked very hard on this and I don’t doubt that at all, but just consider the following please?😁:
1. When we click on a planet, then the info tab, then swipe up to get the rotational planet on our screens, it would be cool to tap on it and see a surface view for planets we have pictures of, and if the rotation was more realistic rather than 30ish second day/ night cycles.
2. When we view the planet from behind, I’d love to see its atmosphere as we can see when we photograph a planet when the sun is opposite the planet from our view.
3. I can’t seem to find any moons of other planets? Maybe I’m not looking hard enough but I spent a lot of time looking for 4 of the most prominent moons in our solar system, those being the moons of Jupiter. I couldn’t see any but I was most disappointed to see I couldn’t zoom in on IO and look at the immensely complicated surface features...
4. I would consider maybe just raising the base price of the app instead of having us pay initially and then being slapped in the face with other payments to see “exclusive features”...
Anyway, I love the app. I love the work the developers have put into it. I look forward to improvements and new features. THANK YOU!
2019-07-01
A dream come alive
I’ve had this app for more than 2 years. And I’ve loved every single bit of it. When I was younger, I wanted to become an astrophysicist or an astronaut. I still do, but my path has now changed into a different direction. My dreams are now so far away, but this app made it closer than ever. The music, the feel. I cry because I love watching the stars and how the world always seems to stop whenever I stare up into the sky. It has become a place of peace for me, a sanctuary from this life. I forget everything, and just imagine myself staring up at a sky that isn’t blue but black. I wish I could ascend above the clouds and see that. And I might just do that. But for now, this app is perfect for a dreamer like me who looks up at the stars and wishes. 💜
2019-05-01
Best Application Ever !
First of All Thanks to the Developer for giving us such a great Application Ever! But The Only Problem in lastest version is “Realtime Moving objects” like i was remember the version 6.01 in that version when we zoom the Moon so the moon will moving in realtime so reallly miss that feature in new versions i request the developer please bring that feature in upcoming version as soon as possible! Please Dear Developer Bring that feature again in option/Button type if someone want sidereal motion they can “TURN ON” and if someone don’t want they can “TURN OFF” sidereal motion. Dear Developer i am also your user i have rights to feedback , The sidereal motion was useful to us because when someone ask us how you can say that this app is a realtime app so that we can show them sidereal motion in zooming the moon like before we did in 6.0.1 version and say to them that look this is the realtime app so i request that please bring it in upcoming version as soon as possible.
2019-01-20
Weather, Dark Sky Finder, New AR Features, WOW
I opened the Sky Guide app today after the first time in awhile. Today is January 20th, 2019 and a lunar eclipse will be visible in my area in just a couple hours. I have loved Sky Guide since the day I downloaded the app years ago. I have continued to be impressed with attention to detail the developers have added to this app and continue to use every aspect of the iPhone’s functionality to provide the best UI/UX possible for astronomy lovers everywhere. I have never really posted a thorough review of an app before on the App Store, but this app deserves way more than five stars. I am genuinely impressed time and time again every time I open the app on my iPhone XS. Thank you to the Sky Guide team for creating such a tool!
2018-11-27
Explore, teach, connect, and enjoy!
If you know the night sky, this app immediately puts details at your fingertips. If you are somewhat familiar, it will dial you in instantly. You’ll be sharing it with those around you and hear sentences starting with “I never knew...” whispered in astonishment. Set up the alerts and learn the magnificence of the ISS as it wheels across the sky. Track the planets through the summer skies. Touch the info circle next to an object and learn about Messier objects or the original Greek myths they saw reflected in their heavens. Become a citizen of the universe. This simple app has become an important part of my life that has helped bind my family together.
2018-09-18
Want to see a shooting star?
My 3 year old son and I hear an alert on my phone: 6 minutes to an Iridium Flare. He calls them shooting stars. We drop everything and run outside, rushing to the darkest spot in the neighborhood we can find. It’s not that dark, but it doesn’t have to be. We point my phone to the sky and see the path the Iridium satellite will take and watch. A bright shining light grows suddenly in the night sky right where the app points us and his smile and sense of wonder grows with it. It’s over in a few seconds but we talk about it for the rest of the night. Thank you all for this little feature in an already amazing app. Thank you for these moments, and for introducing my son to the world beyond our world. If I could give you 6 stars for this review I would.
2018-08-12
Makes me forget to breathe!
The sky is my first love, and a near-obsession.. so many thanks to the developers for creating this wonder; it is, in a word, perfection. The ambient music, the ease of use, the incredible amount of information, instructions all wonderful, even details of space below our horizon. I somehow relish the thought of sleeping beneath the Draco & Ursula Minor constellations, and I have to say, the visuals should be enjoyed on as large a mobile screen as possible, although it can be dizzying if you move it too quickly. It’s easy to romanticise the stars and to be in awe of space, of which we know so little...I love it, and the mysteries it holds, as it’s sometimes the only thing that makes me feel that the silly little irksome things, and nasty people don’t matter...just look up and wonder. This makes me miss Carl Sagan: “the sky calls to us, if we do not destroy ourselves we will one day venture to the stars” We miss you, Dr. Sagan, but feel a bit closer to you with simple and beautiful tools such as this one. Just remember to breathe.
2018-07-19
Far and away the best app of its kind
I’ve had this app pretty much since it was released. It is far and away the best stargazing/sky reference app available. It’s full of features and detailed information on everything- be it planets, stars, satellites, rockets, space debris, galaxies, constellations, etc. I recommend it to people all the time. Most importantly, when people start pulling their phones out to check out the sky at night, they always end up saying “wow which app is that?” and delete the one they had and download this one instead. That’s really all you need to know.
Also something I like is that it doesn’t have the cartoonish feel of many similar apps. Really just can’t stress enough how much this app is better than the rest.
2018-04-25
Soo much better than SkyView
When I bought this app, I was expecting it to look a little bit better than the star-gazing app that I was using at the time: SkyView. When compared to Skyview, Sky Guide is clearly the more advanced application, as it has better quality. Its planet animations look stunning, along with a subtle, beautiful design to the overall app itself. It can be seen that the app was designed with the consumer in mind due to the many features included: pinch to zoom (which displays a richer, starlit sky closer up), a filter mode (allowing the user to see the universe through different light filters such as gamma, thermal, etc.), and finally the inclusion of AR capabilities that can map celestial bodies precisely with their counterparts within the app, gaining an immense amount of accuracy when star-tracking. All in all, I love this app and I definitely recommend it to all of those who are interested in the night sky.
2018-04-24
Really Neat!!
This app is amazing if you love star viewing! It’s really fun to pull up the app at night and to see which stars you’re looking at. It’s amazing for viewing the slow rotation of the earth too, great for getting a better understanding of that. The graphics are beautiful, but what really makes this app is all the handy features on it. Bedsides showing you which stars are where, you can also select rockets, satellites, and the space station and it shows you LIVE where it is so you can potentially see it (if it’s currently visible in your hemisphere). You can also look up upcoming meteor showers and it will tell you which way to look! You can even see different electromagnetic waves through this lens filter type thing. There’s more than that, definitely worth the $2.99, and I neeeever get anything but free apps!
2018-04-02
Best Stargazing App By Far!
This is very worth the money! I use this app everyday, and I love it. My favorite part is that just by pressing the compass at the top, you can move your phone around like you are actually looking at the night sky! You can identify any star in the sky with this app. Not just that, you can see any galaxy, nebula, satellite, planet, star, etc. with this app. It is perfect for skywatching out on a clear and dark night. There is nothing to dislike about this app! I’m not just saying this just because I want to, I’m actually serious. It is super informational and notifies you of passing satellites and so much more! Please buy this app if you’re looking for an amazing stargazing app. It has EVERYTHING.
2017-12-21
am I using the same app? - EDITED
*** please see my update below ***
With all the great reviews, I must have downloaded a different app. I use several astronomy apps , but this is the only one that thinks east is west and north is south. I emailed the developer and was told to try the figure 8 trick, but I'd already attempted that several times. Upped my rating from 1 star to 3 since I did receive a response, but being off 180 degrees makes it unusable except for indoor couch sessions.
*** Okay, I just reinstalled after 2 years of using other astronomy apps and it's sensing directions properly now. Whatever was causing the compass to be off has been corrected, so I'm giving it 5 stars since the other astronomy apps are wanting to milk me for money every opportunity they can and this app still continues to operate without further expenditure. ***
2017-11-07
For amusement and education
I recommend this app for anyone who wants to be amazed by our landscape above. It's entertaining, amusing, and educational! Lots of great features like you can hold your phone up to a specific light in the sky and find out by clicking on the screen what it is, or search for your favorite constellation or planet and have Skyguide point out where it is. You can also "fast forward" or reverse in time to see sunsets and paths of other objects in future or history. Great music track that feels like a live movie soundtrack while you use it. The creators of this app have really given us a treat! (Thank you guys!) My favorite app to use!