Owners of the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 have taken to our contact form as well as reddit to share that the Pixel Weather app is available to them through Google Play. And for those who haven’t gone looking, you should now find it as an update in there if you haven’t already.

What’s the deal with the Pixel Weather app and why does it seem to be such a big deal? The answer there is that most people are simply excited about it because it’s a true dedicated weather app from Google. Instead of the old weather experience that looked its age and was accessed as part of Google Search, this Pixel Weather app is modernized and should get better via app updates on Google Play. Sure, it supposedly has AI in it, but it’s more about the expanded set of info it brings to our Pixel phones.

In the image below, you’ll notice the improved animations and better font, improved forecasts (plus the 10-day forecast), little modules for things like UV and sunrise/sunset and pressure (that you can re-arrange), plus true radar. It’s a solid app, although it is by no means perfect. Opening it often takes you to an overview of all locations instead of your current and adding new locations is a process.

Anyways, go look for it on your non-Pixel 9 if you haven’t already by hitting that link below.

Google Play Link: Pixel Weather

Cheers Jimmy!

Read the original post: Google’s Pixel Weather Appears to be Widely Rolling Out to Older Pixel Devices

Before we get into what’s happening, let me just say that the weather in Google Search isn’t a bad experience, but it’s pretty dated as far as UI goes. On an Android phone, you get a weather UI that looks like it’s 7 years old and that’s probably because it is. We do believe that Google is working on a redesign of this within Google Search, but they may also be working on a standalone weather app for everyone.

Spotted within code of the newest update to Google Clock, a reference to “com.google.android.apps.weather” was made that sure looks it’s talking about an app. The new Clock update apparently has a lot of weather info on the backend (temperature, high and low temps, weather conditions, etc.) that simply needs that point of reference alive to power it. With the launch of a Google Weather app, that should all fire up.

A standalone Google Weather app is something we’d love to see. Accessing weather would be simpler or at least more obvious. Going into your app drawer to find the “Weather” app is a lot handier than searching weather within Google or hoping you were able to add that one random pop-up asking if you want a shortcut to it on your home screen.

Google could also update a weather app more often or without the need to update the Google app and its several other pieces alongside it. Like I said above, the current weather experience is at least 7 years old, so you would think that Google could keep a standalone app updated with the times. And look, everyone else has a weather app – it’s time for Google to make one.

To see what the new Google Weather app would look like, simply take a look at the top of this post. Google previewed the new look at I/O a few weeks back. When on a foldable (or tablet), you would see a two-column setup with location and an 8-day forecast on the left side. The right side would then dive deeper into a specific day, with hourly forecasts, wind, humidity, UV index, and sunrise/sunset times to start.

When can you download the new Google Weather app, you ask? Tough to say for sure, but Google has been teasing it on the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, so by the time those launch in the next couple of weeks, we’ll hopefully see it launch, maybe even as a part of the June Pixel update.

I’m weirdly excited about an official Google Weather app.

// 9to5Google

Read the original post: Standalone New Google Weather App Looks in the Works

The square 2×2 weather widget is now a 4×2 weather widget that will not only show current, high, and low temperatures, it also includes a 4-hour forecast and weather description. It’s a handy option for those wanting more info without having to tap on the weather widget for more.

Of course, these widgets can be adjusted, so if you liked the 2×2 square, you can still have that. Simply long-press on the 4×2, then grab the adjusters to shrink it down to 2×2 as I’ve done below.

This update is likely through the beta version of the Google app first. To grab it or join the beta program, hit that link below.

Google Play Link: Google App

Read the original post: Google’s Weather Widget Grows to 4×2 to Show Hourly Forecasts

• Best Dark Sky alternatives on Android

On the Dark Sky blog, an update was issued this week that says the following:

Update: Support for the Dark Sky API service for existing customers will continue until the end of 2022. The iOS app and Dark Sky website will also be available until the end of 2022.

Translating that, it says that if your current weather app uses the Dark Sky API to get weather information, it’ll still be available to that weather app until the end of next year (2022). You absolutely love to hear that.

Unfortunately for iOS users, the Dark Sky app is apparently going away at the end of next year as well. The iOS Dark Sky app costs $4, so if you just bought it, that’s pretty crappy news. Of course, Apple is likely building all of Dark Sky’s smarts into iOS (and iOS 15), so they don’t necessarily need to keep Dark Sky around. Instead, they’ll use everything good about it and give it to customers for free as a part of the system weather app.

So for Android users, you can still get a bit of Dark Sky for an extra year.

Read the original post: Dark Sky API Gets 1 More Year of Use on Android

The end of Dark Sky has already sparked so many of you to ask for alternatives that could replace the incredible app that was Dark Sky. While I’m not sure there will ever be an equal, we do have a number of options to turn to.

Dark Sky Alternatives on Android

The biggest thing to look for in a weather replacements for Dark Sky on Android is whether or not they have access to the Dark Sky API, which isn’t dying yet. That’s right, unlike the Android app that dies on July 1, the Dark Sky API isn’t going anywhere until the end of 2021. So if you find an app that’s powered by Dark Sky, they’ll get that hyperlocal weather access until the end of next year.

Below, we’ve put together a short list of Dark Sky alternatives that have access to that API, look great, and may even have better widgets than the official Dark Sky app.

Overdrop Weather & Alerts

This is the app I’m going to give a decent amount of run to for the foreseeable future. Not only does it provide Dark Sky weather, you can switch it between Accuweather and Weatherbit if you want, should you love it and want to continue using it come the end of 2021.

It has a really nice looking UI with real-time weather data, 24-hour and 7-hour forecasts, severe condition alerts, 6 different themes, and one hell of a list of widgets. Seriously, you may want to pay the subscription just for the long list of widgets.

Overdrop is both free and paid, with 3 different paid tiers depending on your budget.

Google Play Link: Overdrop

Today Weather

Today is a popular weather app already, but it too supports Dark Sky. You can also choose from Accuweather, Foreca, National Weather Service, and more.

You’ll find 24/7 weather forecasts, air quality info and a pollen count, severe weather alerts, radar, and several widgets. It also features a really clean and minimal UI that is a pleasure to look at with dark and light themes.

Google Play Link: Today

Appy Weather

Appy Weather is a fun weather app with a playful design that actually won a Google Design award. The minute you open it, you’ll know why, with it’s easy-to-digest info at a glance that is both minimal and bubbly.

Appy also offers widgets and notifications, temperature in the status bar, lockscreen weather reports, and radar, but you’ll have to subscribe for those. You’ll get a light-on-info experience without subscribing. A subscription runs $3.99 per year. That’s pretty reasonable.

Google Play Link: Appy Weather

Shadow Weather

Shadow probably reminds me the most of Dark Sky from a UI standpoint. It’s darker, though there is a theme switcher, but the fonts and style just look familiar.

You’ll get detailed forecasts, access to that Dark Sky API, notifications, and more. If you want background updates, radar, and calendar integration, you’ll have to subscribe for $4.99 per year.

Google Play Link: Shadow Weather

Other suggestions? Drop them below!

Read the original post: Dark Sky Alternatives on Android: Overdrop, Today, and Appy Weather

Google posted a support page for the change last night, detailing the supported devices involved, in case you really need to see a weather visualization rather than just hear it spoken.

Along with a Google Home unit, the support page says that you’ll need Chromecast (2nd gen) or a Chromecast Ultra running cast version 1.28+. If you have neither, a TV with Chromecast built-in may also work, again as long as it’s running cast version 1.28+. Chromecast (1st gen) and Android TV boxes are not currently supported, so that means all of us who own SHIELD TVs are out of luck.

To get setup, assuming you have the supported goods mentioned above, you’ll head into your Google Home app, tap the Devices button in the top right corner, find the Chromecast you want to see weather on, go into its settings, and set it as the preferred TV. The full instructions can be found at the link below.

// Google Home Help

Read the original post: You Can Tell Google Home to Show You Weather on Select Chromecasts

The weather app, like the popular iOS version, includes down-to-the-minute “hyperlocal” rain forecasts, the advanced notifications, and “accurate” 24-hour and 7-day forecasts. It has the beautiful maps too. It’s very much built to be like the iOS version, only now for Android too, which the team behind it says has always been the number one request. Oh, there are widgets as well, because this is Android, dammit, and we love widgets.

So what’s up with the pricing that is irritating our Android brethren? On iOS, you can buy Dark Sky with a one-time payment of $3.99. That payment gets you full access to the app, with those timely notifications and the other benefits that make Dark Sky such a good app. On Android, Dark Sky has decided to conduct an “experiment.” Mmmm, experiments almost always mean something you won’t like, right?

The experiment is to offer a free version of Dark Sky that acts like a standard weather app you could download in 100 different places from 100 different developers. To unlock the good features (like the notifications, alerts, minute-by-minute forecasts, and widgets), you’ll need to pay a yearly $2.99 subscription. See the problem here for Android users?

According to the early reviews of Dark Sky, people aren’t exactly happy about having to keep paying $2.99 per year for access to the same app and services that iOS users get to pay a one-time $3.99 fee for. Seriously, go take a look at the reviews. As of right now, 1-star reviews are dominating the listing and almost all reference the pricing model or “experiment.”