If you’ve ever noticed different AQI values on the same location when using the IQAir AirVisual app on two different phones, you’re not alone. This can happen for several reasons related to how the data is being processed and displayed.
One of the main reasons for this discrepancy is that the phones may not be synced to the same data refresh cycle. The AirVisual app provides real-time air quality data, which means it’s constantly updating. One phone may have received a more recent data update than the other, leading to slight differences in AQI values displayed. This happens most often when there’s a delay in one phone’s refresh rate compared to the other.
Additionally, users on one phone might have selected to view U.S. AQI⁺, while the other phone might be displaying CN AQI⁺. IQAir allows users to switch between AQI systems in the app, and these systems use different pollutant concentration thresholds and averaging periods. U.S. AQI⁺ enhances the traditional U.S. AQI by using hourly concentration averages, providing more up-to-date air quality information compared to the 24-hour averages that are traditionally used. The CN AQI⁺ system, based on China’s national standards, follows a different set of pollutant thresholds, which can result in differences in AQI values even for the same location.
Finally, make sure that both phones are pulling data from the same source. IQAir aggregates data from various sources, including governmental reference stations, low-cost air quality monitors, and its own IQAir AirVisual monitors. If one phone is displaying data from a local reference station and the other from a private sensor, this can also lead to variations in the reported AQI.
By ensuring that both phones are synced to the same refresh cycle, displaying the same AQI system, and pulling data from the same source, you can minimize these differences and enjoy more consistent air quality readings.