Zoom Earth is a free interactive weather map for iPhone that shows near real-time satellite images, rain radar, forecast maps and tracks for hurricanes and wildfires around the world. It has 4.8 stars from 39,743 App Store ratings, and many of its reviewers use it to follow hurricanes.
Quick verdict
If you want to watch storms move across a map rather than read a forecast, Zoom Earth is made for that. Many reviewers used it to follow hurricanes and typhoons, including Helene, Milton and Melissa, and several say it helped them prepare, evacuate or warn family. Several praise the graphics, the satellite imagery and how easy it is. The complaints: several reviewers say the map gets blurry when you zoom in close, several say updates come slower than they expected, and several found it inaccurate at times. The listing names no widgets and no day-by-day forecast.
Zoom Earth at a glance
| Developer | Neave Interactive Limited |
|---|---|
| Store listing | Zoom Earth on the App Store |
| Price | Free; Zoom Earth Pro is an auto-renewing subscription (prices not in our data) |
| Ads | Not stated in the listing; reviewers say the free version shows ads and one says Pro removes them |
| App Store rating | 4.8 stars from 39,743 ratings |
| Downloads | Not in our data |
| Version / last updated | 6.3.3 / October 21, 2026 |
| Requires | iOS 15.5 or later |
| First released | June 27, 2023 |
| Data checked | October 26, 2026 |
What is Zoom Earth?
Zoom Earth is “an interactive weather map of the world and a real-time hurricane tracker,” the listing says. Instead of a forecast screen with icons, you get a world map you can pan and zoom, with layers for satellite images, radar, rain, wind, temperature, pressure and more, and an animation that plays the forecast forward. It also tracks tropical storms and shows active fires detected by satellite.
Key features
- Live satellite images: from NOAA GOES, JMA Himawari and EUMETSAT Meteosat, updated every 10 minutes, plus HD images from NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites twice a day.
- Rain radar and nowcast: rain and snow from ground-based Doppler radar in real time, with a short-term radar forecast.
- Forecast maps: precipitation and cloud cover, wind speed, wind gusts, temperature, “feels like” temperature, relative humidity, dew point, wet-bulb temperature and sea-level pressure, from the DWD ICON and NOAA GFS models.
- Hurricane tracking: storms from formation to category 5, using data from NHC, JTWC, NRL and IBTrACS.
- Wildfire tracking: active fires and heat spots from NASA FIRMS, updated daily, alongside GeoColor imagery that shows smoke.
- Settings: temperature and wind units, time zone, animation styles and more.
- Zoom Earth Pro: more features through an auto-renewing subscription.
Where the data comes from
The listing names where each layer comes from.
| Layer | Source (from the listing) | Update rate (from the listing) |
|---|---|---|
| Live satellite | NOAA GOES, JMA Himawari, EUMETSAT Meteosat | Every 10 minutes |
| HD satellite | NASA Aqua and Terra | Twice a day |
| Forecast maps | DWD ICON, NOAA/NCEP/NWS GFS | Continually, with the latest model data |
| Hurricanes | NHC, JTWC, NRL, IBTrACS | Not stated |
| Wildfires | NASA FIRMS | Daily |
A few reviewers found the hurricane wind speeds or forecast track off during Helene and Milton, and one wanted more models than the two shown. Don’t rely on a single app for severe weather warnings; follow official alerts too.
Zoom Earth vs. what a weather app should have
“Listed” means the App Store listing names the feature, “Partial” means it covers part of it, and “Reviews only” means reviewers describe it but the listing doesn’t. “Not listed” means neither the listing nor the reviews in our sample show it.
Must have
| Feature | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Current conditions and feels-like | Listed | Satellite, radar and a “feels like” temperature map |
| Hourly forecast | Partial | Forecast maps you animate; one reviewer wants to see the day at a glance without playing the animation |
| Daily forecast of 7+ days | Not listed | One reviewer asks for a 10 to 14 day forecast per location |
| Chance of precipitation | Partial | Precipitation forecast map and radar nowcast |
| Wind, humidity, UV | Partial | Wind, gusts and humidity; UV not listed |
| Severe weather alerts | Partial | Tracks hurricanes, storms and severe weather; alerts aren’t listed |
| Radar map | Listed | Two reviewers in September 2025 say an update dropped the radar |
| Home Screen widgets | Not listed | A few reviewers ask for widgets |
| Current location and search | Partial | Forecasts for your location; one reviewer taps any spot on the map for its weather |
| Unit options | Listed | Temperature and wind units |
Should have
| Feature | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notification or Lock Screen weather | Not listed | |
| Air quality | Partial | Wildfire smoke on satellite imagery; no air quality index listed |
| Multiple saved locations | Not listed | |
| Choice of data source | Partial | Two forecast models are named |
| Layout customization | Partial | Settings for units, time zone and animation styles |
| Light and dark themes | Not listed | |
| Sunrise, sunset, moon phase | Not listed | |
| Multiple languages | Not listed |
Nice to have
| Feature | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Animated wind or global map | Listed | |
| Lightning information | Not listed | One reviewer asks for a lightning tracker |
| Rain-incoming forecast | Listed | Radar nowcast |
| Wildfire tracking | Listed | One reviewer couldn’t get the fire map to show |
| Weather history | Reviews only | Two reviewers say you can view imagery and storms back to 2000 |
Common problems reviewers report
The data we collected doesn’t include developer replies, so this table shows each problem and when it was reported, not an official fix. Older reports may describe earlier versions, and version 6.3.3 may behave differently.
| Problem | What reviewers report | When |
|---|---|---|
| Blurry when zoomed in | Several reviewers can’t zoom close enough to see streets, a home or a lake shore; one suspects the sharp view is kept for Pro | September 2024 to July 2026 |
| Slower updates than expected | Several reviewers; one Pro user says live radar refreshed every 18 to 28 minutes | October 2024 to April 2025 |
| Hurricane winds or track off | A few reviewers, all about Helene or Milton | September 2024 to August 2026 |
| Radar removed | Two reviewers say an update dropped the radar; the current listing describes rain radar | September 2025 |
Pros (from user reviews)
- Storm tracking: many reviewers use Zoom Earth to follow hurricanes and typhoons, in places such as Florida, Louisiana, the Philippines, Baja California and southeast China. One says, “I would not live in Florida without this app!”
- Help in real emergencies: several reviewers say it helped them decide when to evacuate, prepare for a storm or warn family. One credits it with helping them prepare for Hurricane Lee.
- Graphics: several reviewers praise the visuals, and one says their emergency operations center uses the map.
- Accurate: several reviewers call it accurate. One engineer compares it with a weather station and Doppler setup their team once spent nearly $250K on.
- Easy to use: it’s easy or user friendly, several reviewers say, though a few found it confusing at first or wanted a legend.
- Satellite views: several reviewers like the live and HD satellite images, and two like looking back at imagery and storms from as far as 2000.
- Worldwide: several reviewers use it outside the US, including in French Polynesia and Southeast Asia.
- Free or Pro: a few reviewers praise the free version, one says it still feels complete, and several say Pro is worth paying for.
Cons (from user reviews)
- Resolution: several reviewers say the map gets blurry before you reach street level. One calls the free view “a blurry mess” and suspects it’s meant to push you to Pro.
- Update speed: several reviewers say updates lag. One Pro user says live radar refreshed every 18 to 28 minutes, and one wanted the Milton path updated faster.
- Accuracy disputes: several reviewers found it wrong, including a few who say its hurricane winds or forecast track didn’t match other sources or what happened, during Helene and Milton. One says it showed rain where it was dry.
- Radar removal: two reviewers in September 2025 say an update removed the radar, and one says nothing has been accurate since.
- No widgets: a few reviewers ask for Home Screen widgets, and one for an Apple Watch app.
- Not a full forecast app: a few reviewers want more local detail, such as a 10 to 14 day forecast or precipitation type.
- Ads and paywall: one reviewer in June 2026 says a wide banner ad now takes up part of the screen, and a few worry about the paywall.
Most reviews in our sample are 5 stars. The data we collected doesn’t include a star breakdown of all 39,743 ratings, so we can’t say how common these complaints are across all of them.
Pricing
Zoom Earth is free to download. The listing says “More features are available through auto-renewable subscriptions” under Zoom Earth Pro, without naming the features or prices; our data has no prices. Reviewers say the free version shows ads, one says Pro removes them, and several call Pro worth the money. One reviewer suspects the sharp view at close zoom is kept for Pro.
Privacy and permissions
We couldn’t read the App Store privacy label for Zoom Earth, so we make no claim about what data it collects. The listing links to terms of service and a privacy policy on zoom.earth. One reviewer says they had to log in just to try the app’s buttons, and another says the developer’s email reply used their real name even though they had signed up with Hide My Email.
Who it’s for
Zoom Earth suits you if you want to see the weather for yourself: satellite loops, radar and forecast maps you can scrub through, especially in hurricane, typhoon or wildfire season. It’s a weaker fit if you want a simple daily forecast, a Home Screen widget, or street-level detail. Use it alongside official forecasts and alerts, not instead of them.
FAQ
Is Zoom Earth free?
Yes, Zoom Earth is free to download, and Zoom Earth Pro adds more features through an auto-renewing subscription. Our data doesn’t include Pro prices. Reviewers say the free version shows ads, and one says Pro removes them.
Where does Zoom Earth get its hurricane data?
The listing says its hurricane maps use data from NHC, JTWC, NRL and IBTrACS, and its forecast maps use the DWD ICON and NOAA GFS models. A few reviewers found its hurricane winds or track off during Helene and Milton, so check the National Hurricane Center or your local authorities too.
How often do Zoom Earth’s satellite images update?
The listing says live satellite images update every 10 minutes and HD images twice a day. Several reviewers say updates feel slower, and one Pro user saw radar refresh every 18 to 28 minutes.
Does Zoom Earth have widgets?
The listing doesn’t mention widgets, and a few reviewers ask for them.
How this review was put together
We haven’t tested Zoom Earth. This review is based on public information from official sources: the app’s Google Play or App Store listing and rating breakdown, the developer’s website when there is one, and recent user reviews on the store with the developer’s replies. Features and claims are the developer’s own descriptions; what users like and dislike comes from the store reviews. Everything was checked on October 26, 2026. Apps change with every update, so check the store listing before you install.
