Updated November 2026 AirVisual is now IQAir AirVisual, and we have added Tehran Air, a long-running local app, as an alternative for checking pollution in the city.
The best app for checking air quality in Tehran is still IQAir AirVisual, the app we first tested in 2018. It is free, easy to read, gives you an hourly reading for your part of the city and a forecast for the days ahead, and can send you an alert when pollution passes a level you choose. If you want a simpler, Tehran-only option, Tehran Air (Hava-ye Tehran) is a good second app to keep on your phone.
Why you need an air quality app in Tehran
Air pollution is part of life in Tehran, especially in late autumn and winter. On cold, still days a temperature inversion forms over the city: a layer of warmer air sits above the cold air in the basin between the mountains and traps vehicle and industrial emissions close to the ground. The result is the familiar brown haze over the skyline, and days when the air is classed as unhealthy for everyone, not just sensitive groups.
Children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with asthma or heart and lung conditions are most at risk. On the worst days the authorities can close schools and restrict activity in the city, and many residents wear masks outdoors. A quick check each morning helps you decide whether to walk or take a taxi, whether to exercise outside, and whether to keep the windows shut.
IQAir AirVisual
AirVisual began as an independent crowdfunded project and is now run by IQAir, the Swiss air purifier company. The app combines readings from official monitoring stations with its own data and models, and it covers more than 70 countries, so you can compare Tehran with other cities in the region or at home.
What it does well:
- Local readings: it uses your phone’s location to show the air quality index (AQI) nearest to you, with separate figures for pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, ozone and nitrogen dioxide.
- Forecasts: a seven-day air quality forecast, which is useful for planning trips out of the city or outdoor activities.
- Alerts: notifications when outdoor air crosses a threshold you set.
- Health advice: simple guidance on masks, exercise and ventilation linked to the current reading.
- Map and widget: a live pollution map and a home-screen widget so you can see the reading at a glance.
The app does not have a Persian-language version, which matters little to most foreign residents. It is available on the App Store and Google Play. IQAir also sells indoor air quality monitors and purifiers that link to the app, but these are not easy to buy in Iran.
Tehran Air (Hava-ye Tehran)
Tehran Air is a free, Tehran-focused app that has been around for more than a decade and is still updated. It shows the current AQI for the city, readings for individual pollutants, weekly and monthly charts and health warnings tied to the conditions, with text in both Persian and English. It is lighter than AirVisual and handy if you only care about Tehran. You can find it on the App Store.
Tips for using the apps
- Install your apps before you arrive. Access to international app stores from Iran can be unreliable, and many locals use the Iranian Android stores instead, where foreign apps are not always listed.
- Readings can differ between apps and between neighbourhoods, because they draw on different stations and models. Northern districts near the mountains are often a little cleaner than the centre and south.
- Treat an AQI above 100 as a signal for sensitive groups to limit time outdoors, and above 150 as a reason for everyone to cut back on outdoor exercise.
- If you rely on a mask, choose a properly fitted particulate respirator; thin cloth or surgical masks do little against fine particles.
For other tools that make daily life easier, see our round-up of the best apps for foreigners in Iran.
