CoastCast

Why does CoastCast need my location?

CoastCast uses your location to sort beaches by how far away they are, show you beaches nearby on the map, and rank suggestions based on driving distance. Without it, the app can still show all 54 beaches, but distance-based features won't work.

How do I enable location access?

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap CoastCast.
3. Tap Location.
4. Select While Using the App or Always. Always is recommended if you use the home screen widget, so it can update when you're not in the app.

Is my location stored or shared?

No. Your location is used on-device to calculate distances and is never stored on our servers or shared with any third party. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

What kinds of notifications does CoastCast send?

CoastCast has three notification types:

• Daily best beach — a morning alert with the top-ranked beach for the day, scored at delivery time so it reflects current conditions.
• Score threshold alerts — sent when a beach you favorited scores 70 or higher, so you only hear about it when conditions are actually good.
• Severe weather warnings — active National Weather Service alerts for any beach in Michigan.

How do I turn notifications on or off?

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap CoastCast.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Toggle notifications on or off, or customize which types you receive.

I enabled notifications but I'm not receiving them.

Notifications refresh hourly in the background. Make sure Background App Refresh is enabled for CoastCast: Settings → CoastCast → Background App Refresh. If you're on Low Power Mode, background refresh is paused by iOS automatically.

How do I join the TestFlight beta?

1. Install the TestFlight app from the App Store if you haven't already.
2. Open this link on your iPhone: TestFlight invite.
3. Tap Accept and then Install.

How do I report a bug or send feedback?

The fastest way is through TestFlight itself — take a screenshot inside the app and TestFlight will offer to send it as feedback. You can also reach us directly through the contact page.

The widget stopped updating.

Widgets refresh every 30 minutes but iOS controls the actual schedule based on battery and usage patterns. If the widget looks stale, long-press it and tap Edit Widget to re-select your beach, which forces a refresh. If the problem persists, remove and re-add the widget.

Water temperature or buoy data is missing for a beach.

Not all 54 beaches have an active NOAA buoy nearby. When buoy data is unavailable, CoastCast falls back to a seasonal estimate based on historical data for that lake. The app will indicate which value you're seeing.

Still need help?

Reach us through the CH Studios contact page and mention CoastCast in your message. We typically respond within a few business days.