Quick start
- Choose a photo from your library. The image stays on your device during a lookup.
- Check its capture time. The app shows the UTC time it will send. If the image has no reliable time-zone offset, review and confirm the camera offset.
- Enter your flight number as it appeared on your itinerary, such as a carrier code followed by digits. A remembered flight may be suggested.
- Find the flight position. The route and airplane marker appear when observed track data covers that moment.
Trying the interface? Choose “Explore a sample lookup” on the sign-in screen. The sample uses illustrative data and does not spend a credit. Live sign-in and flight lookups require an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple's App Attest.
Get the time and flight right
Flight tracking uses UTC. A photo can contain an EXIF capture time and UTC offset, a Photos library capture date, or a GPS UTC time. When none is reliable, the camera's recorded wall time needs a UTC offset. The app asks you to confirm that offset before spending a credit.
If you crossed time zones, use the location and time zone where the camera took the photo, not where you are now. A one-hour offset error can move the airplane hundreds of miles on the map.
Example: A photo stamped 10:42 with camera offset UTC−07:00 corresponds to 17:42 UTC. This is a time conversion example, not a real flight lookup.
Which flight number?
Use the flight number for the leg you were on at the photo time. If you had a connection, check the boarding pass for that leg. The app uses the photo time to match the flight instance; it cannot infer your flight from the image alone.
FlightAware historical data can support photos from January 2011 onward, though some flights or track positions may be unavailable. Earlier photo times are rejected before the service contacts FlightAware or spends a credit.
Read the result
The blue line follows recorded flight positions. The airplane marker is observed when the photo time matches a track point; otherwise it is estimated between nearby observations. The result shows the time gap between observations when applicable. A gap over 30 minutes does not produce a position.
Switch between map and satellite imagery to investigate the terrain. “Find nearby landmarks” uses Apple Maps to suggest places near the aircraft point. These are candidates to inspect, not objects confirmed in your photo.
The optional Theoretical horizon circle estimates the sea-level ground horizon from the reported altitude. Seat side, camera direction, clouds, terrain, and distant tall features change what you could actually see.
Compare and save photo GPS
If the chosen photo already has GPS coordinates, the result shows the distance between that location and the estimated flight-track position. The two may differ because of capture-time errors, flight-track uncertainty, or edited photo metadata.
Save copy with estimated GPS creates a new image in Photos with GPS EXIF metadata and a Photos location. Your original is not modified. Saving is optional and depends on the image format and Photos add permission.
Credits and history
Each new account receives one free successful lookup. The account is tied to a verified Sign in with Apple identity, so reinstalling with the same Apple identity does not grant another free lookup. A failed flight match or an unusable track does not spend a credit. To control data-source costs, the service limits unsuccessful provider searches for an account. If you reach that limit, contact support.
Repeating the same flight and exact photo time returns the stored result without a new debit while its position is available. History keeps the flight and time after positional data expires. Refreshing an expired position makes a historical lookup and uses one credit if a usable result is found; a failed refresh does not spend a credit. History loads 20 entries at a time with Load more.
Additional credit purchases are not enabled in the current build. No price or purchase offer is available yet.
Common questions
Why can't my flight be found?
Check the flight number, leg, and photo time first. Historical searches cover dates from January 2011 onward, but some flights or moments lack usable observed positions. No credit is spent when the server cannot produce a usable position.
Does the app know exactly what I photographed?
No. It estimates where the aircraft was. The camera's direction and visibility are not established by a flight track, so the map and nearby places are evidence to explore.
Will it change my original photo?
No. The GPS action saves a new copy. The original photo remains as it was.
Why did the route disappear from an older lookup?
FlightAware-derived positional data stops being served after at most 27 days in the current design. The flight and photo time stay in your history. You can request a fresh historical lookup; it uses one credit only if a usable position is found.
Can Airplane Window sync TripIt?
TripIt's public API is closed to new integrations, so TripIt sync is not included. You can enter a flight manually or reuse a remembered flight.
Still need help?
Email airplanewindow@samaristudios.com. Please do not send a photo or flight details unless you want them included in your support request.