How SunUp Works

Download SunUp from the App Store in under a minute. The onboarding process takes 2-3 minutes and sets up your personal UV protection profile.

• Enter your age range — affects UV sensitivity calculations
• Select your Fitzpatrick skin type (I-VI) — the core of your personalization
• Set your location — enables real-time UV data for your area
• Choose your primary outdoor activities (hiking, running, beach, etc.)
• Enable notifications for UV alerts and reapplication reminders (optional)

The SunUp dashboard gives you an instant UV safety picture for your location right now. Everything you need at a glance.

• Large UV Index display — the current WHO-scale reading (0-11+)
• Color-coded risk level: Green (Low), Yellow (Moderate), Orange (High), Red (Very High), Purple (Extreme)
• Your personalized safe exposure time — calculated for your skin type
• Today's UV curve — hourly forecast showing when UV will peak
• Current air quality (AQI) reading and status
• Today's recommended SPF based on current conditions
• Quick access to Activity Planner and Smart Tips

The Activity Planner is where SunUp earns its reputation. Tell it what you're doing and how long — get back a complete personalized protection plan.

• Tap "Plan Activity" from the dashboard
• Select your activity type (hiking, swimming, cycling, beach, etc.)
• Set your planned duration (30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc.)
• Confirm your location or enter a different one
• Choose a start time (SunUp shows UV at that exact hour)
• Review your personalized results: safe time, SPF needed, gear checklist
• Save the plan or share it with family members

After entering your activity, SunUp delivers a personalized protection report. Here is how to read it.

• Safe exposure time — minutes before UV damage risk begins
• Recommended SPF — minimum protection factor for current conditions
• Reapplication interval — how often to reapply sunscreen during the activity
• Risk factors highlighted — altitude, reflective surfaces, peak UV times
• Gear recommendations — specific GearTOP products suited to the activity
• Smart tips — 3-5 contextual safety tips for your exact situation
• Warning flags — any elevated risk factors you should know about

Family Mode lets you manage sun protection for everyone — children, elderly parents, or friends with different skin types.

• Go to Settings → Family → Add Member
• Enter their name, age range, and skin type
• Set their primary activities (kids' sports, grandparent's garden walks, etc.)
• Save the profile — it appears in the dashboard switcher
• Tap any family member's name to see their personalized UV data
• Use "Group Planning" to plan for multiple people in one session
• Remote monitoring: enter any location to check UV for loved ones elsewhere

SunUp's 230+ smart tips are contextual — they change based on your current UV level, activity, and skin type. Not generic advice — specific guidance for right now.

• Tips appear automatically on the dashboard based on current conditions
• Tap any tip to expand it into full detail
• Browse all tips by category: UV Protection, Clothing, Sunscreen, Activities, Health
• Bookmark your most relevant tips for offline reference
• Tips update when UV levels change significantly
• Activity-specific tips appear when you are in the Activity Planner
• Seasonal tips rotate based on time of year

UV exposure is cumulative over a lifetime. SunUp tracks your exposure history so you can see patterns and make better long-term decisions.

• Access History from the main menu or dashboard
• View daily, weekly, and monthly UV exposure summaries
• See each outdoor session logged with UV conditions and duration
• Review your cumulative estimated UV dose over time
• Compare seasons — understand your year-round UV profile
• Export your history as a PDF for dermatologist visits
• Apple Health sync sends UV exposure data to your health records