From 2015 to 2022, the WGMS operated a Glacier App for mobile devices, which made it possible to search for glaciers and gain a quick overview of the available glacier data. The wgms Glacier App was jointly developed by the WGMS and Ubique within the Capacity Building and Twinning for Climate Observing Systems, a project by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and coordinated by the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss. The Glacier App was jointly launched by the WGMS and UNESCO in the forefront of the Paris Climate Conference COP21 in December 2015. In August 2017, version 2.0 of the Glacier App was launched at the Glacier Science Week at EXPO 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. This information system aimed at bringing scientifically sound facts and figures on worldwide glacier changes to decision makers at governmental and intergovernmental levels as well as reaching out to the interested public. End of 2022, the maintenance and further development of the wgms Glacier App had to be ceased due to the lack of resources.

The wgms Glacier App provides a map interface based on satellite images that display all the observed glaciers in the user’s proximity. Basic information is provided for each glacier, including photographs and general information on size and elevation. Graphs with observation data illustrate the glacier’s development, along with information on latest principal investigators and their sponsoring agencies as well as detailed explanations of the measurement types. A text search allows the user to filter the glacier by name, country, region, measurement type and the current “health” status, i.e. if the glacier has gained or lost ice over the past decade. A compass shows the closest observed glaciers in all directions from the user’s current position. Version 2.0 of the Glacier App includes new data on glacier special events such as floods, avalanches, surge or calving dynamics. It allows the user to submit own glacier photographs, and it gives improved visibility of principal investigators and latest publications related to glacier observations. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other filter options allow to search for fascinating glaciers. Finally, the card game allows the user to compete against the computer on the best monitored glaciers in the world. Test your glacier knowledge and win the game!