In Summary
- Weather apps have gotten a lot better recently. They add the ability to add custom widgets on the home screen and glance at the weather easily.
- Staying updated with the latest weather updates can help in deciding that next trip easily.
- We are going to have a look at the best weather apps available out there.
Checking the weather before heading out for work can play a very important role in many people’s lives. Not just that, it also helps people make certain important decisions. Suppose you have scheduled a meeting outdoors with your colleagues, but you get an alert from your weather app that it will rain in the evening. In such a scenario, you can easily reschedule the meeting.
Why should I install a third-party app if there is already one pre-installed on my smartphone? Well, Android is all about customization.
That said, there is a prodigious variety of weather apps available on the play store. While the pre-installed weather app on our Android smartphone does the job, the ones available on the play store take it a step ahead. With third-party weather apps, you can add custom widgets, customize the theme of the weather app, and much more. Let us have a look at the best weather apps available on the play store below.
Table of Contents
Top Weather Apps for Android
Dark Sky was probably the best Android weather app. And then Apple did something they are known for. They acquired Dark Sky and took it off completely from the Android app stores. That was sort of a water-shedding moment in the history of Android weather apps.
Well, Dark Sky might not be around. But we have curated some of the best Dark Sky alternatives, that are more than capable of winning the coveted ‘Best Android weather app.’
1. AccuWeather
AccuWeather is one of the most famous weather apps on the list. Recently, the app received a major design overhaul along with some newly added features. The app is known for providing accurate weather forecasts at all times. Moreover, the app offers a detailed weather report consisting of wind speed, humidity levels, and UV indexes. AccuWeather also offers hourly weather forecasts and weather maps, which adds to the overall experience. It has one of the best WearOS apps as well. The unique MinuteCast feature predicts rain on a minute-by-minute basis, so you can plan your day a little better. It also provides four weather widget options for your Android phone. Users can also upgrade to AccuWeather Pro for Rs.800/year (USD 9/year) and get an ad-free experience.
2. Windy
Want something more out of your weather app? Windy (formerly known as Windyty) has got you covered. The app, just like other apps, shows the weather, but it takes it one step further. Windy shows the wind variations in the oceans. If a cyclone approaches your city, the app tries to show its current location and alerts its users. Additionally, users can also switch between radar and satellite view according to their preferences. It’s one of the best apps when it comes to severe weather alerts. A wide range of people uses Windy, from pilots and paragliders down to kiters, surfers, boaters, fishermen, hurricane chasers, and even government officials and rescue teams. Moreover, the app has over 35,000 reviews on the play store with 4.4-star reviews. Windy is also the top-grossing weather app on the play store.
3. Overdrop- Weather Widget & Weather Radar
The next app on the list is Overdrop. The one unique thing about this app is that it has support for themes. Users can go through the numerous themes on the app and choose the one that suits their preferences. Remember we talked about weather widgets earlier? Overdrop lets you add different types and sizes of widgets to your home screen. Moreover, the app displays graphs for a better understanding of the weather cycle. Other basic stuff like real-time weather data, a 24-hour forecast, a seven-day forecast, and severe weather alerts is covered. The only major downside about the app is that it has ads in the UI if you use the app’s free version. That being said, you can get an ad-free experience by paying a one-time fee of Rs. 950 (USD 8.99).
Related Read: 10 Best Free iPhone Weather Apps
4. The Weather Channel
As the name suggests, the weather channel displays the weather in a simple and traditional TV channel way. As a matter of fact, the app also displays actual news related to storms, earthquakes, and so on. Now, how cool is that! In addition to the usual hourly forecast, daily forecast, and weekly forecast, users can also add a live widget to their home screen to stay updated with weather details at all times. Furthermore. one can also check the weather in radar view using the app. The Doppler radar data can be displayed on interactive maps to display rainfall, weather events, and severe weather alerts. While the free version is good enough for most use cases, there is also a premium subscription for Rs. 2650/year which is Ad-free, offers 24-hour future radar, and more.
5. Geometric Weather
If you want a weather app that is simple, easy to use, and devoid of ads, Geometric Weather has you covered. Once you open the app, you are greeted with the weather report followed by a week-long summary of the weather. The app also shows the allergen details and Air Quality in your city. Scroll down further, and you will find a detailed report regarding the current weather conditions. It uses Accuweather as its weather data source, sends notifications for incoming weather, and supports dark mode. It does not have flashy themes and stuff but is simple yet functional. Geometric Weather has over 100,000 downloads and a 4.6-star rating on the play store. Although it lacks radar, its completely free and open-source status is a major plus. If you don’t want to spend money on a weather app, this is the best app you can use.
6. Weather Underground
Weather Underground is yet another popular weather app known for accurate forecasts. If you like graphics in your apps, I am sure you will like this one. There is a lot of information provided by Weather Underground, including current conditions, weather radar, future forecast, etc. This makes deciding that outing plan over the weekend ever so easy. The app also provides hourly forecasts like AccuWeather and also displays the Air Quality Index of your area, sunrise and sunset times, hurricane tracking, and weather news. A useful feature of this app is the “smart forecast” for running, hiking, or any other outdoor activity. The free version does come with ads, but you can subscribe for a premium subscription for Rs.1700/year (USD 19.99) which is rather steep compared to the competition.
7. Carrot Weather
Carrot Weather used to get the weather data from Data Sky (and will continue to do so till the end of 2021), but what makes Carrot Weather special is its design and attitude. When Apple acquired Dark Sky, Carrot Weather declared, “Apple was too scared to acquire me!” It fits well with the rest of the lingo you find on the app. While installing, it will call you “meat bag” and tell you about the weather, giving you the day’s and the week ahead’s information about the temperature, precipitation, wind, visibility pressure, humidity, dew point, and all. And it does have a very nice uncluttered, and clean interface – you just swipe across different days or tap at a particular time to get more information about it. It’s free to download but comes with ads that can be gotten rid of with an in-app purchase.
![7 best android weather apps you must try in 2023 [free & paid] - carrot 1](jpg/carrot-1.jpg "carrot 1")
Honorable Mentions
While the above mentions in our list are what we consider the best weather apps for Android, there are a few others that deserve mention outside of the list in this article.
- Appy Weather: provides custom notification settings.
- 1Weather: highest rated on Play Store with crisp design.
- Google feed: great for quick checks via Google assistant.
- MyRadar Weather Radar: Hurricane tracker and accurate radar maps.
- NOAA weather: sources data from NOAA and National Weather Service in the US.
- Today Weather: well-designed minimalist weather app.
- WeatherBug: one of the oldest weather apps on Android.
- What The Forecast?: funny quips to describe the weather outside.
- Yahoo Weather: shows gorgeous images from Flickr.
- Flowx: shows predicted weather patterns.
FAQs about Android apps for weather
1. Which is the best weather app for Android 2022?
There is no one app that would satisfy all sorts of users. Some would have great design, while some take pride in extra features. But if we have to choose one as the best Android weather app, we will go with AccuWeather for its greater accuracy and good design.
2. What is the best free weather app for Android 2022?
While every app we have mentioned above has a free version, most of them are, in fact, ‘freemium,’ which means they provide additional features or get rid of ads for an additional fee. But the best free weather app for Android is Geometric Weather which is completely free and open-source.
3. What is the best, most accurate weather app?
The most accurate Android weather app has to be Accuweather. In fact, Accuweather API is used by many weather apps as the primary source of data. And their data is accurate even for countries other than the US. Dark Sky API is still very accurate when it comes to the United States.
4. Does Google have a weather app?
Yes, Google has its own weather app, which is rather basic but good enough to check current conditions and hourly/weekly forecasts quickly. But they source data from other weather apps like AccuWeather, depending upon your location.
5. What is the simplest weather app?
Google’s default weather app is probably the simplest weather app on Android. Other than that, our favorite simple weather app for Android is Geometric Weather, with its straightforward user interface.
6. Which is the best Android weather widget?
1Weather possibly has the best Android weather widget options right now. You can choose from circle to square widgets available in different sizes and even customize the color, transparency, and opacity of the widget.
7. What are the Best Weather Apps Free?
Most of the weather apps we have listed above have both free and paid versions. Of course, something like the Google Weather widget and OEM’s own weather widget (like OnePlus Weather, Samsung Weather, etc.) are easy to recommend. But we recommend apps like Geometric Weather and Overdrop as the best Android weather apps for free.
Weather apps can actually be fun, right? We hope you enjoyed our list of the top Android weather apps. If you have any other questions or feedback about our list, please leave a comment below.