🔠Science, nature and the world
SkyView
By Terminal Eleven LLC. Visit SkyView
Warning: read this before you buy or sign up. Checked 2026-10-24.
A stargazing app that uses the phone's camera and motion sensors. A child points the phone at the sky and sees stars, constellations, planets and satellites like the International Space Station labeled over the live view, day or night. They can tap objects for facts, follow an object's path across the sky, or jump to other dates. It works without Wi-Fi. The paid version keeps location on the phone, but the free Lite version shares precise location with a data broker.
Our take: Pay the few dollars for the full version, which keeps location on the phone; skip the free Lite version for children.
| Ages it suits | about 6 and up |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No age rule found; we found no terms of use. Both privacy policies say they comply with COPPA and do not collect personal data from anyone, including children. App Store rating 4+. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. SkyView Lite free with $0.99 add-ons; full SkyView $2.99 on iOS and $4.99 on Android (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | Not stated |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Makes the night sky easy to read
- Works offline
- Paid version collects no personal data
- One-time price, no subscription
Watch for
- Free Lite version shares precise location with a data broker
- Outlogic was barred by the FTC in 2024 from selling sensitive location data
- Location can be used while the app is closed
- Add-on purchases in Lite
Data and privacy
The free version's policy says it shares precise location (even in the background), nearby Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, and ad IDs with location-data company Outlogic and its partners for ads and research; opt-out is in settings. The paid version says location stays on the device and nothing is shared. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only (40 million+ downloads, App Store awards); we found no study.
In the Big Index
- On the list 13 AI science and nature apps for curious kids
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.terminaleleven.com/skyview/iphone/
- https://terminaleleven.github.io/free/
- https://terminaleleven.github.io/paid/
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skyview-lite/id413936865
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skyview/id404990064
- https://play.google.com/store/search?q=skyview%20terminal%20eleven&c=apps
- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-finalizes-order-x-mode-successor-outlogic-prohibiting-it-sharing-or-selling-sensitive-location
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.