I am no stranger to pool care. I have cleaned, maintained, and yes, even painted swimming pools on and off since I was a kid. Now, decades later, I am living the dream in Southwest Florida. But still managing my own pool.

It’s not that I can’t afford a pool service, it’s just that by now cleaning pools has become so second nature that I could do it in my sleep. And asleep is apparently what I’ve been since I had absolutely no idea that there now exists numerous apps to help you monitor and maintain your pool’s appearance and cleanliness.

Naturally, I wanted to know more. So, I dove headfirst into Google to investigate whether any of these apps might be useful in managing my pool. I was skeptical, to say the least, but I always approach anything I see on the internet with a healthy dose of skepticism.

And yet there they were. App after app—bearing names like Pooli, Pool Pal, Pool Smart, Pool Time, Pool Calculator, Pool Math , Pool Doctor, and Pooldash—with each vowing to keep your pool clean, clear and chemically balanced. Not only was I amazed at how many such apps there are but also a little miffed (at myself) for not discovering them sooner.

Faced with this many choices, the hard part is figuring out which app—if any—makes the most sense for your situation. Some are targeted to professionals who maintain pools for a living and presume a certain level of proficiency. But any novice who can read and follow instructions shouldn’t have a problem. Pool science is not rocket science but can be extremely vexing if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Most pool maintenance apps are set up to work in tandem with whichever water testing kit you use. The app analyzes your test—or test strip—then calculates the precise balance of chemicals that will keep your pool clean and clear. Gone is the guesswork and the all-too-frequent trips to the pool store. (How many of you have made repeated visits to your pool store to correct an issue with your pool’s chemistry?

A few of the more intriguing apps include Pool Doctor, Pooli, and Pooldash :
Pool Doctor
Pool Doctor is an app used by many pool service professionals to calculate the exact chemical balance of a swimming pool. After testing the water, you can enter any of your pool’s chemical readings into Pool Doctor and it will tell you exactly what chemicals are needed, how much, and why.
According to its description in the Apple app store, Pool Doctor “can adjust the chlorine, bromine, salt, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and even the cyanuric acid levels in all of your pools. You can even configure the ideal ranges and chemicals used to treat each pool. The app also stores basic readings, treatment courses, and records over time.”

Pool Doctor costs $19.99, through the Apple app store, and requires iOS 11.0 or later. Apparently, it is not Android compatible at this time.

Pooli
Pooli, which bills itself as the world’s most advanced mobile app for pool maintenance, uses your phone’s camera to scan your pool test strip, then calculates exactly what chemicals your pool needs. As a bonus, it price-shops for these chemicals then links to the lowest-price chemicals that can be shipped within two days. When the chemicals arrive, Pooli provides step-by-step instructions on how much to add and in what order.
Pooli is free and has no ads or extra purchases. Plus, it is very highly rated on both the Apple’s App Store and Google Play sites.

Pooldash
From the same designer as Pool Doctor, Pooldash bills itself as an app for perfectionists and professionals but can be used by beginners as well. Moreover, the app supports chlorine, salt-water, bromine, copper, and all other types of swimming pools. You can save your history and email it, export it, or even ignore it if you want.

Like Pool Doctor, Pooldash costs $19.99, through the Apple’s App Store, and requires iOS 11.0 or later.

There are several more pool maintenance apps with similar features and functions that can be downloaded for free. Additionally, once you have mastered the job of maintaining your pool, there are apps designed to help you kick back and enjoy it.

For example, if you swim for fitness, MySwimPro offers personalized training plans based on your goals and level of swimming ability. There are individualized coaching and support, personalized workouts, and video drills to help improve your swimming technique.
On the other hand, the Just Swim app is designed to help you burn off a few calories without resorting to more rigorous training programs or formalized regimens.

Both of these apps are available through the Apple’s App Store and Google Play. MySwimPro subscriptions start at $14.99 a month ($179.99 per year). Just Swim is free.

Now if I could just find an app that can swim laps for me while I nap on my favorite pool float. You can bet I’ll be on the lookout! Apps for laps and naps anyone?