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See the moon phase on iPhone with the built-in apps
Yes: since iOS 17, the Weather app has a Moon section with the current phase, moonrise and moonset, and a calendar of the month. Open Weather, scroll to the bottom of a location, and tap the card with the Moon.
Facts checked October 2026
Saturday, October 3
Last Quarter
53.42% illuminated
The Moon in the Weather app
- Open Weather on the location you want, usually My Location.
- Scroll to the bottom: the Moon card is titled with the current phase. It shows the illuminated fraction, the next moonrise or moonset, and the days until the full moon.
- Tap it for the detail: a timeline through the day, the distance to the Moon, the days until the full moon, and a calendar of the month's phases.
Checked against Apple's documentation for iOS 27, on 2 October 2026.
Weather app or a moon app
The table compares Apple's Weather app with Plenilune, the lunar almanac app I make, on what people usually ask of a moon app.
Weather app | Plenilune | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase and illuminated fraction | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Moonrise and moonset | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes, for your location |
| Month calendar | ✓ Yes, in the detail view | ✓ Yes, a phase on each day |
| Full moon name | ✗ No | ✓ The twelve traditional names |
| Home screen widget with the Moon | ✗ No | ✓ Small and medium |
| Lock screen widget | ✓ Moon widget | ✓ Phase, and moonrise and moonset |
| Full moon notification | ✗ No | ✓ Yes, free |
| Works without network | ✗ No, it needs a connection | ✓ Yes, computed on the iPhone |
If Weather gives you what you need, keep it. A moon app adds the widget on the home screen, the name of each full moon and a notification when it comes. For the phases in the calendar you already use, a subscribed calendar is free.
Other places Apple shows the Moon
- Weather on Mac and iPad: the same Moon section.
- Lock screen: Weather's Moon widget, or the Astronomy wallpaper, whose Moon view follows the current phase. Touch and hold the lock screen, tap +, then Astronomy. If Astronomy is missing, scroll down and tap Get.
- Apple Watch: the Moon complication, which shows the next moonrise or moonset in a corner, and the Astronomy and Lunar faces. The Weather app on the watch has no Moon view.
Questions
- Does the Weather app have a moon widget?
- On the lock screen, yes: Weather has a Moon widget. On the home screen, no: its widgets show the forecast, so the phase there needs a moon app's widget.
- Why doesn't my iPhone show the moon phase on the lock screen?
- Nothing shows it by default. Add Weather's Moon widget to the lock screen widget row, pick the Astronomy wallpaper with its Moon view, or use a moon app's widget, which can add the name of the full moon.
- Is the Weather app's moon data accurate?
- Yes, for everyday use. Phase times come from the same celestial mechanics in every serious app and agree to the minute. Rise and set times can differ by a few minutes, because each app uses its own horizon model and exact location.