Something not working, or a question the answers below don’t cover? Email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you within a couple of working days. Telling us your iOS version and what you were doing at the time makes it much faster to fix.
How the burn countdown works
Start a sun session and Shade counts down to your estimated burn time. The estimate combines the forecast UV index for your location with the skin type you selected, applies a safety margin, and adds up your exposure as the UV rises and falls through the day. Your daily allowance resets at midnight.
Your protection setting changes the answer a lot. Telling Shade you are wearing sunscreen or are covered up multiplies your estimated burn time — by a large factor. The app has no way to check, so if the setting doesn’t match what you’re really doing, the countdown will be far too generous. Keep it honest, and update it when you take a layer off.
It is an estimate, not a promise. Read the health disclaimer — and use sunscreen, clothing, and your own judgement regardless of what the countdown says.
Why does the UV index differ from another app?
Shade uses forecast UV data from Apple Weather. Other apps use other providers and other forecast models, and each updates on its own schedule, so numbers commonly differ a little. Nothing is measuring UV at your exact position — including Shade.
Managing your subscription
Subscriptions are handled entirely by Apple. To view, change, or cancel yours, open iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions, then pick Shade. Cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends to avoid the next charge. Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.
Paid but Plus isn’t showing? Make sure you’re signed in with the Apple ID you bought it with, then use Restore Purchases on the paywall screen.
Refunds are Apple’s to give, not ours — request one at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Deleting your data
Everything Shade knows about you is on your phone — we hold none of it, so there is nothing for us to delete on our side. Saved locations can be removed in the app by swiping. To erase everything else — your sessions, settings, and cached forecasts — delete the app from your device; that removes its storage entirely. See the privacy policy.
Notifications aren’t arriving
- Check Settings → Notifications → Shade and confirm notifications are allowed
- Check whether a Focus mode or Do Not Disturb is silencing them
- Session alerts — “5 minutes left”, “time to cover up”, and the sunscreen reapply reminder — only fire while a session is running
- The morning high-UV warning needs Background App Refresh enabled (Settings → General → Background App Refresh). iOS decides when to run it, so it is not guaranteed at an exact time. Low Power Mode can delay it.
- The daily sun check reminder fires at the time you set and does not need Background App Refresh
- The daily UV warning and the sun check reminder are part of Shade Plus
The free version
Shade is free to download. The live UV index, your burn-time estimate and the widgets are free, and your first sun session is included in full, with the countdown and every in-app cue and alert. Shade Plus adds unlimited sessions, the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island Live Activity, session controls on Apple Watch, your session history with the exposure and vitamin D cards, and the daily alerts. Prices are shown in the app and on the App Store. See the terms of use for how subscriptions work.
Contact
Vibrantvibes OÜ, Estonia — [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
Why does my burn time change during a session?
During a session Shade follows the hourly UV forecast, so the countdown speeds up as UV rises towards midday and slows as it falls. Time you already spent in the sun today also counts.
The Apple Watch app shows no data.
Open Shade on your iPhone once so it can fetch UV for your location, and check that location access is allowed for Shade in the Watch app's privacy settings.