Breathable

An air quality index widget for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS.

Frequently Asked Questions

API Keys Coordinates Widgets Other
 
How do I get API keys?

We've provided detailed instructions for generating the free API key(s) Breathable requires. It's quick and simple.

Which API keys are required?

Breathable can use Air quality Index (AQI) data from two services: IQAir.com and (optionally) AirNow.gov. Both of these services offer free accounts and API access for personal use. Breathable requires an IQAir.com API key.

My API keys show as invalid!

Both IQAir.com and AirNow.gov require you validate your email address before API keys become active. For more information on API key setup, see our detailed instructions.

Users have also reported a minor delay between creating an API key and it actually being valid. This is especially true for IQAir.com keys, where the site might tell you the key is ready, but with a very small warning that it might take up to 5 minutes to activate. If you create a new key and it immediately shows as invalid in Breathable, wait a few minutes and try again.

Additionally, If you've been using Breathable for a while, you've likely realized that after around 11 months, IQAir data may stop appearing in the app.

Depending on your widget configuration, this may lead to no data being shown on the widget. This is because free IQAir AQI keys expire after ~1 year.

Good news! You can just delete the old key, create a new one, and enter it into Breathable. After validation, you'll be back in business.

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AQI data isn't loading! (blank or •••)

If you've been using Breathable for a while, you've likely realized that after around 11 months, IQAir data may stop appearing in the app.

Depending on your widget configuration, this may lead to no data being shown on the widget. This is because free IQAir AQI keys expire after ~1 year.

Good news! You can just delete the old key, create a new one, and enter it into Breathable. After validation, you'll be back in business.

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How do I share my API keys between devices?

If you are signed into an iCloud account on your devices, API keys will automatically be synced across various instances of Breathable. This means you can set your API keys up once and have them automatically configured across iOS, iPadOS and macOS.

Can I prevent API keys sharing between devices?

If you do not wish to share API keys with each device, disable iCloud sharing in Breathable. On iOS and iPadOS, open Settings.app, tap your account at the top, tap iCloud, then scroll to Breathable and turn off the switch. On macOS, open System Preferences, tap Apple ID in the top row, then iCloud.

 
Does Breathable work outside the US?

It should! Depends on how much data there is around you on IQAir.com. Check there first, and if you see data, you should be good.

How do I choose coordinates?

Air Quality Index is based on latitude and longitude coordinates. Breathable makes it simple to find coordinates for any location:

Is my location shared with Karbon?

Coordinates are only used to request AQI data. This data is not tied in any way to your device, account, or even to your API keys. Location data is also not stored or sent to any external service. Coordinates are sent as part of the API request to IQAir and AirNow to fetch AQI data for those coordinates, but are not tied to you in any way. Additionally, there is no requirement to use your actual location at any time to get relevant data for your area—simply choose a zip code or region generally near the location you're interested in data from.

How do I change the location for my widget?

Location for your widget can be changed at any time by tapping the widget (or manually launching the Breathable app) and changing the coordinates. The widget will immediately update its AQI data to the new location. This is particularly handy if you want to change your widget to a different location you might be visiting.

Can I have widgets for multiple locations?

Not at this time. Breathable is meant to be an at-a-glance look at the AQI where it matters—near you. Being able to arbitrarily look at the AQI of many locations at once is better served by visiting IQAir.com or AirNow.gov directly in a browser. Breathable is meant to be a monitor for the air around you. You can change the coordinates for your widget to any location you desire, but you can only have one location active at a time.

 
Can I create more than one widget?

You can create as many widgets as you want, but Breathable only supports a single location at this time so all widgets will have the same AQI index. See Can I have widgets for multiple locations? for details.

How do I add a widget to my device?

The instructions differ depending on your device:

I don't see the widget in the available widgets list!

The available widget lists on iOS and macOS can be a little... finicky. If you don't see Breathable in the list, try this:

  1. Restart your device
  2. Run the Breathable app once, visit the Widget UI tab and change one or two settings
  3. Check the system list of available widgets again

If this doesn't work, please contact support@karbon.agency.

We're working on a brute-force fix for this in the app, but this appears to be an iOS-wide problem at the moment that can happen with any app.

 
Help me with something else...

If you have additional questions when using Breathable, please send an email to support@karbon.agency.