SunkatThe best tanning apps in 2026
Most tanning apps do the same core job: read the UV index where you are and turn it into minutes for your skin type. The differences are in Android support, what is free, and how honest the numbers are.
Short answer: For a tanning timer that works on both iPhone and Android, Sunkat (our app). For the most complete iPhone UV app with widgets, SunSafe. For something free with no subscription, UVLens or your phone's weather app plus our free burn time calculator.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunkat | A timer per side on iPhone and Android | iPhone (iOS 17+) and Android (7.0+) | Free download, first sessions free, then subscription |
| SunSafe: UV Index & Tanning | Most features on iPhone | iPhone only | Free with in-app purchases ($39.99/year listed) |
| Beam Tanning | Guided tanning routines | iPhone only | Free live UV; routines are paid (weekly or yearly) |
| Tan AI | Skin-tone scan from a selfie | iPhone (iOS 18.6+) and Android | Free with in-app purchases (weekly, monthly or yearly) |
| UVLens | Free, no subscription | iPhone and Android | Free |
| Sun Tracker: UV Index & Tan | Simple free option on Android | iPhone and Android | Free with ads and in-app purchases |
| Your phone's weather app | Just the UV number | Built in | Free |
We looked for apps that show live UV for your location and help you limit time in the sun by skin type, then checked platforms, pricing and ratings on the App Store and Google Play. Several apps that used to rank for this, including TanPilot and QSun, are no longer in either store.
1. Sunkat
Sunkat reads the live UV index and cloud cover for your location, combines it with your skin type and sunscreen (none, SPF 15, 30 or 50), and gives you minutes for each side with a timer that tells you when to turn over and when to stop. The limits are deliberately conservative and stop well before your skin starts to redden.
It is one of the few tanning timers on Android as well as iPhone. It does not have an Apple Watch app, home-screen widget or vitamin D tracking.
- iPhone and Android
- Cloud-adjusted UV
- Times each side
- Subscription after the free sessions
- No widget or Watch app
2. SunSafe: UV Index & Tanning
SunSafe is the most complete iPhone UV app in this list: real-time UV, a 10-day forecast, burn risk by skin type, sunscreen reminders, vitamin D, a Live Activity and home and lock screen widgets. Its store listing describes a subscription with a 7-day trial.
- Widgets and Live Activity
- Sunscreen reminders
- No Android version found
- Subscription
3. Beam Tanning
Beam is the most-rated tanning app on the App Store. The live UV for your location is free, and the custom tan routines and timer are behind a weekly or yearly subscription.
- Popular, well reviewed
- Free UV view
- iPhone only
- Routines need a subscription
4. Tan AI
Tan AI estimates your skin tone from a selfie, then combines it with real-time UV and a 16-day forecast. It has a timer with flip reminders, SPF alerts and vitamin D. It needs a recent iOS version.
- iPhone and Android
- Flip reminders
- Needs iOS 18.6 or later
- Subscription
5. UVLens
UVLens, from New Zealand, gives a daily UV forecast, a burn time from a short skin-type quiz, a sunscreen reminder and a widget, with no in-app purchases listed. It is not a tanning timer, but it answers the main question for free.
- Free
- iPhone and Android
- No session timer
- Lower App Store rating
6. Sun Tracker: UV Index & Tan
A simple UV and tan timer with a large Android user base. The free version shows ads.
- Popular on Android
- Free to start
- Ads
- Basic
7. Your phone's weather app
Apple Weather and most Android weather apps show an hourly UV index. Pair it with our burn time calculator or the UV index pages and you have the minutes without installing anything.
What to look for in a tanning app
Live UV, not just the forecast. UV changes hour by hour with the sun's height and cloud. An app that uses your location and updates through the day beats a single daily number.
Your skin type. The same UV can redden very fair skin in a third of the time it takes olive skin.
Honest sunscreen maths. Be wary of apps that multiply your time by the SPF number. The label assumes far more sunscreen than people apply. See SPF 50: how long in the sun.
Frequently asked
Is there a free tanning app?
UVLens is free with no in-app purchases listed, and Beam shows live UV for free. Most tanning timers charge a subscription for the timer itself.
Which tanning apps work on Android?
Of the apps above, Sunkat, Tan AI, UVLens and Sun Tracker are on Google Play. SunSafe and Beam appear to be iPhone only.
Do tanning apps prevent sunburn?
They help you limit time in the sun, but they are estimates. Sunscreen, shade at midday and checking your skin still matter, and no app makes tanning risk-free.
Try Sunkat on iPhone or Android
Free to download on iPhone and Android, with your first sessions included.
Sunkat is our app, so we have put it in the list and said what it does and does not do. The others are described from their App Store and Google Play listings. Ratings and prices were checked on 27 October 2026 and change often.