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Just your iPhone and a location to scout. iOS 17 or later is required. No account is needed — ShootBrief works immediately after download.

An internet connection is required to generate a brief, as weather data and AI processing happen online.

Weather comes from Open-Meteo, a free and open-source meteorological API. For today and future dates, it uses forecast model data. For past dates, it uses archived historical observations. Accuracy is comparable to standard weather apps.

Open-Meteo provides temperature, precipitation probability, cloud cover, wind, visibility, UV index, and precise sunrise/sunset times for your exact location and date.

For supported U.S. coastal locations, ShootBrief uses NOAA CO-OPS tide prediction data from nearby tide stations. If official station data is unavailable, the brief clearly falls back to an estimate based on the location, date, season, and typical tidal patterns.

For precision tidal planning — particularly for safety-critical shoots — always verify with official sources such as tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov (USA) or your local hydrographic authority.

Moon phase and illumination are calculated mathematically using the synodic cycle from a known reference new moon. This is the same method used in astronomy software and is accurate to within a few percent.

Yes. ShootBrief works for any location you can name — cities, national parks, coastlines, mountain ranges, or specific landmarks. Just type the name as you would in a mapping app.

Weather data from Open-Meteo covers the entire globe. Tide data uses NOAA where available, nearby parking and emergency context use Apple MapKit, and Claude adapts the final brief to local terrain, season, access, safety, and photographic opportunities.

Yes. In Settings, choose Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze. After a brief finishes generating, recognized street addresses in sections such as Parking and Emergency can be opened in your selected maps app.

Map links stay inactive while the brief is still generating so switching apps does not interrupt the streaming brief.

Every section of the brief is tailored to your chosen date. Weather and sunrise/sunset times are fetched for that exact day. Tides, road conditions, gear recommendations, and safety checklists all account for the season. Drone restrictions and parking notes reflect any seasonal closures.

Today uses live forecast data. Future dates use forecast models or seasonal estimates. Past dates use historical weather archives and typical seasonal conditions.

Tap the bookmark icon in the top-right corner of any brief. The brief is saved to your Saved tab and stored locally on your device. Saved briefs are available offline.

Open the Saved tab, tap on any brief card, and tap the trash icon in the top-right. You can also tap the trash icon directly on the card from the Saved tab list.

All saved data is stored only on your device and is permanently deleted when you delete the app.

This is usually a temporary network issue. Check your internet connection and try again. If the problem persists, try a different location spelling — very remote or unusual location names occasionally confuse the geocoder.

If you see "Server error (HTTP 401)" please contact support using the form below.

Generating a new brief requires an internet connection. However, any brief you have previously saved to your Saved library is available offline at any time.