Last updated June 2023
How does Local Haze work?
Local Haze is an iPhone app that delivers outdoor Air Quality Sensor Confidence to your iPhone for free.
Local Haze validates the outdoor air quality data for your location by crowdsourcing publicly available air quality data and applies a rating to the validation data. Local Haze displays this rating in an easy to understand user experience delivered to your iPhone, so that you can determine your confidence in the data you are seeing. Health risks resulting from poor air quality and the presence of PM (particulate matter) are well known. It is important to have confidence in the outdoor sensor data being reported by local air quality measuring devices.
Local Haze is the first local Air Quality Sensor Confidence meter – delivered for free to your iPhone. It allows you to be confident in the air quality readings that you are seeing for sensors outside your home. It aggregates quality-controlled crowdsourced air quality data and public air quality data and delivers an easy to understand “at a glance” confidence value. In a few seconds, a sensor’s reading and the level of confidence in that reading can be easily read and understood. Local Haze reports data from several types of sensors including PurpleAir, Sensor.Community, uRADMonitor, AirNow and the U.S. Department of State.
Local Haze is available currently for iPhone devices only. Download and install the latest version of Local Haze from the Apple app store, then launch the app. If you are connected to a network within seconds the app displays confidence data about the air quality sensors in your geographic area. With Local Haze, you can breathe easy and be confident about the quality of your outdoor air sensor data readings.
Why does air sensor confidence matter?
Air quality is affected by pollutants and particulate matter (PM). The EPA and the WHO have established guidelines for safe air quality. There are many outdoor air sensors near your location that are monitoring the quality of the surrounding air. Using Local Haze delivers a confidence reading on the sensor measurements for your location. The Local Haze app displays quality-controlled crowdsourced air quality data in an easy-to-understand format.
What information does Local Haze display?
Local Haze displays information about the outdoor air quality sensors in your geographic area and a confidence rating for each of those sensors, presented in an easy-to-understand format. The data sources used in the app include air quality sensor data from PurpleAir, Luftdaten, uRADMonitor, Sensor.Community, AirNow and the U.S. Department of State. Indoor air quality sensors are not reported by Local Haze.
What does “Confidence” represent?
The site confidence rating for Local Haze depends on many factors. The major factors are sensor maintenance and the recency of the sensor data.
With what handsets is Local Haze compatible?
Local Haze is available for iPhone devices only.
How much does Local Haze cost?
Local Haze is free, fast and easy to use on your iPhone – launch it and within seconds if you are connected to a network the app displays confidence data about the air quality sensors in your geographic area.
With the version 2.0 release of Local Haze, users can subscribe to notifications for specific sensors through a monthly or yearly subscription. See Local Haze on the App Store for more details.
Does Local Haze predict anything about my upcoming air quality data?
No, Local Haze displays only the current air quality confidence data.
What information does Local Haze gather about my handset?
Local Haze does not gather any personal information from your handset or mobile device. For more information see our Privacy Policy for the Local Haze application.
After I run Local Haze to check local air quality, I see the message “ERROR: There is no location data available. To manually enter your location enter your zip code below and tap Add”. What does this mean?
This error notification means that you have launched the Local Haze app but the app does not have access to your location information. On the error screen you can manually enter the location information and tap Add to input your location. Alternatively you can exit the Local Haze app, go to the Settings application, then tap on Privacy and find Location Services. On the Location Services screen find the Local Haze app in the list where you can enable the Local Haze app to access your location.
After I run Local Haze to check my local air quality, I see the message “ERROR: There is no network connection. Check your WiFi and Settings for network connectivity to confirm you are on the network, then relaunch the app”. What does this mean?
This error notification means that you have launched Local Haze app but your device is not currently on a network (such as WiFi or cellular). To fix this, check that your WiFi is working correctly and that your device is not in Airplane mode (in Settings). After you have confirmed your WiFi is working, try relaunching the Local Haze app and you should no longer see the error.
Why are there sometimes small variations in AQI readings for sensors in the same location?
Each of the distinct AQI measurements utilizes its own unique correction algorithms for calculating PM counts in micrograms per cubic meters. Additionally, each of the AQI correction algorithms uses unique timeframes which can cause the discrepancy in the sensor readings displayed in Local Haze.
Why did you decide to release the Local Haze app?
The team behind Local Haze wants consumers to be confident about their local outdoor air quality sensor data. We also felt that consumers needed an easy and free means to help them understand the confidence levels of their local air quality sensors. We think of Local Haze as delivering free quality controlled crowdsourced air quality data – straight to your device with no hassles or delays. In effect, Local Haze delivers what we think of as “ground truth” (in the meteorological sense) for your outdoor air quality.
What’s important about the Local Haze app?
How would you know if the air sensors outside your location are inaccurate or reporting incorrect data? Health risks resulting from poor air quality and the presence of PM (particulate matter) are well known. It is important to have confidence in the sensor data being reported by local outdoor air quality measuring devices and we felt this was important enough of a reason to develop the Local Haze app.
Where can I download the Local Haze app?
To download Local Haze visit the Apple App Store at this link https://apps.apple.com/us/app/local-haze/id1278998405
Where can I read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for the Local Haze app?
You can read the Local Haze Privacy Policy here. Please note that the Privacy Policy is subject to change without notice.
The Local Haze Terms of Use can be found here. Please note that the Terms of Use is subject to change without notice.
Is there a press page or media kit for the Local Haze app?
Yes, please visit the Local Haze press page here.
Who do I contact if I have more questions about the Local Haze app?
For more information visit our web site or email us at localhaze [at] humanlogic [dot] com. We would love to hear from you!