What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital information onto your live camera view. In the MarineTraffic app, this means vessel names, flags, and real-time distances are displayed directly on top of the real-world scene your camera captures—anchored precisely to the physical position of each ship.
Imagine standing on a ferry deck or at a port with a vessel right in sight — and still having to open a map, zoom in, and search to find it. The Augmented Reality (AR) feature closes that gap. By pointing your device's camera at the water, every vessel in sight appears instantly, putting full profiles just one tap away. Your camera essentially becomes your search bar.
Whether you are a seasoned spotter turning a sighting into a discovery, a maritime professional who needs immediate vessel data without manual lookups, or someone completely new to MarineTraffic, AR is designed to make tracking intuitive and accessible.
How to Open AR View
Open the MarineTraffic app on your mobile device.
Tap the AR icon located in the app toolbar. It is a binoculars icon. You need to allow the app to have access to your location.
Your device's camera will activate and automatically begin detecting vessels within your configured search radius.
Navigating the On-Screen Interface
Once AR mode is active, you will see several helpful indicators on your screen:
Vessel Chips: Floating digital labels anchored to each vessel's physical position. These display the vessel’s name, flag, and current distance in nautical miles (nm).
Search Radius Indicator: Displayed at the top of the screen (e.g., Search radius: 1.0 km), showing the distance boundaries the app is scanning for vessels.
"+N vessels" Button: If there are more vessels nearby than your screen can cleanly display, this button will appear in the center (e.g., +7 vessels). Tap it to cycle through all the detected ships in that cluster.
"<+N" Arrow Buttons: These appear on the left or right edges of your screen when vessels are detected outside your current field of view. Tap them to see which way to pan your camera.
Radar Compass: Located at the bottom of the screen, this mini radar displays nearby vessel positions as colored dots relative to your current location and heading. Use it to orient yourself and find vessels that aren't yet in your direct frame.
Vessels Nearby Count: Displays the exact number of ships detected within your active search radius at the bottom of the screen (e.g., 25 vessels nearby).
Tapping a Vessel Chip
Tapping any floating vessel chip pulls up its details page. The depth of information you receive depends entirely on your MarineTraffic plan type:
Mobile Pro Plan Subscribers: Access full vessel details, including comprehensive voyage information, recent port calls, ownership data, dimensions, and technical specifications.
Free Users: Access basic vessel identification information.
Adjusting the Search Radius
If you find that your screen is empty or you want to expand your scanning range, you can easily adjust your parameters:
Tap the Settings icon (⚙️) at the bottom of the AR screen.
Use the slider to increase or decrease your preferred search distance.
Note: The maximum search radius is 50 km. If no vessels appear even at maximum range, there may be no AIS-transmitting vessels operating in your immediate vicinity at that time.
Plan Access & Usage Limits
Free Plan Users:
AR Feature Access: Up to 10 uses total. Once this limit is reached, you will be prompted with options to upgrade.
Vessel Detail on Tap: Basic identification information only.
Maximum Search Radius: Up to 50 km.
Mobile Pro Plan Subscribers:
AR Feature Access: Unlimited usage.
Vessel Detail on Tap: Full access to details, voyage data, dimensions, and technical specifications.
Maximum Search Radius: Up to 50 km.
Pro-Tips for the Best Experience
Aim for the Horizon: Point your camera directly toward the water for the best results. The feature aligns live vessel AIS positions with your camera's field of view, so keeping the water in frame helps with precision.
Use the Mini-Radar: If your screen doesn't immediately show vessel chips, look at the radar compass at the bottom to determine which way you need to turn your body.
Expand Your Range: If the water looks busy but nothing is showing up on screen, your radius might be too narrow. Bump up your search slider from the default 1 km setting.
Check Permissions: The AR view requires a stable internet connection and active location (GPS) permissions enabled on your device settings to work properly.