Abstract
Aurora mobile applications (apps) have become a common way for aurora chasers and other members of the public to access space weather data. For many users, an aurora app is the first encounter with geomagnetic indices, solar wind conditions, and auroral probability maps. These interfaces often support time-sensitive decisions about whether to go outside, where to drive, and how to interpret changing conditions. This supports public engagement and informal science learning but presents communication challenges when complex geophysical products are translated into simplified aurora viewing maps. We examine how current aurora apps present auroral visibility. We draw on a community poll identifying commonly used apps, followed by an exploratory review of app interfaces, focusing on displayed data streams, communication methods, and the explanatory content available to users. We also assessed the readability of in-app explanatory text using the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level formula. Geomagnetic indices such as Kp and empirical auroral oval models such as OVATION were the most common ways apps conveyed visibility expectations. However, apps often omitted whether displayed products were based on measurements or model output, and when they were last updated. Readability varied widely, with explanatory text ranging from secondary school to college level in the subset of apps with sufficient text for assessment. These findings suggest that modest changes in labeling, time framing, provenance metadata, and plain-language explanation could support more consistent interpretation. Aurora apps offer a lens into how space weather products reach the public, and how communication design may shape trust, comprehension, and decision-making.