Apple Weather Is Broken, but These Alternatives Aren’t

If you tried to check the weather on your iPhone this morning, you might have failed. That, of course, isn’t your fault: As Mashable reports, the app is currently down for many users, including Mashable staff in the UK and Croatia, and the features that are working are slow to load. Apple might have gobbled up Dark Sky and implemented some (but not all) of its features to the iPhone’s Weather app, but it’s clear the app’s reliability has taken a dip. If you want an app with hyper-localized weather tracking, accurate forecasts, user-friendly interfaces, and, you know, the ability to actually check the weather, there are some worthy alternatives to try.

Carrot Weather (Android, iOS)

Image: Carrot Weather

Carrot Weather sources its weather data from the same data that Dark Sky used, so its local forecasts are often accurate and reliable. It even includes options to make the app look and behave similarly to Dark Sky. But rather than dry weather readouts, Carrot Weather’s updates and commentary are often humorous and sarcastic, and the app features stylized art and animations that stand out against the often plain and utilitarian designs of other third-party weather apps.

Carrot Weather is free to download, but it uses your location and data for advertising. You can remove the ads for $1 per month or $4 per year, and unlock features like widget support and historical weather data.

AccuWeather (Android, iOS)

Screenshot: AccuWeather

This was my go-to weather app on Android and it’s just as good on iOS. The free, ad-supported version includes local forecasts, severe weather alerts, radar maps, minute-to-minute precipitation estimates, air quality readouts, and more. You can also watch and read AccuWeather’s weather news in the app. The paid AccuWeather Premium app removes ads for $9 a year or $1 per month, while the Premium+ version adds additional weather alerts, home and lock screen widgets, better local forecast accuracy, and more for $20 per year or $2 per month.

Flowx (Android)

Image: Flowx

Flowx is an Android weather app known for high local forecast accuracy, even in the free version. The app lets you view a wealth of meteorological data, and over 20 different forecast models for up to seven-day weather outlooks. The paid Flowx Pro adds even more features like customizable weather maps, home and lock screen widgets, and up to 16-day forecasts.

Flowx is Android-only for now, but an iOS version is in development and should be an excellent option if it matches the Android version’s features and performance.

The Weather Channel (Android, iOS)

Screenshot: The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel app is one of the most popular third-party weather apps on Android and iOS for a reason. It includes simple hourly, daily, or weekly forecasts as well as real-time precipitation and temperature tracking in the app or home screen widget. Along with the weather info, you can also watch Weather Channel videos and live coverage, view pollen/dust levels, check current flu or COVID-19 infection rates for your neighborhood, and much more.

The free version is ad-supported, but you can customize how the app uses your information, and you can delete your stored data or disable location tracking at any time (though this will reduce your forecast accuracy). The paid version removes the in-app ads for just $1 per month or $10 per year.

MyRadar Weather Radar (Android, iOS)

Image: MyRadar

MyRadar displays animated weather radar and forecasts on your Android device, iPhone, or Apple Watch. The smartwatch widget is simple to use and great for checking the current weather, while the full app includes video content and views for niche data like seismic activity, wind speed, jet stream levels, wildfires, and even flight paths. The app also sends national weather center alerts for storms, tornados, and other severe weather, and you can customize notifications for warnings about incoming precipitation. The premium version adds even more real-time storm tracking.

RadarScope (Android, iOS)

Image: RadarScope

RadarScope is a great choice for hardcore weather geeks. It’s a paid app, but that means more features than many free apps, and it doesn’t sell information to advertisers. The standard $10 app displays NEXRAD Doppler radar data (the same weather data used by the National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and U.S. Air Force), plus warnings for storms, extreme weather, and other hazards.

You can pay to upgrade the app’s features, starting with the Pro Tier 1 subscription that adds more real-time meteorological data and better radar imaging for $10 a year. Pro Tier 2 lets you view archived radar data, predictive storm tracking tools, and National Weather Service storm reports for $15 a month or $100 a year.

Apple Weather (iOS)

Screenshot: Apple

The default iOS weather app markedly improved after Apple purchased Dark Sky (when it’s working, of course). The app is entirely free and comes pre-installed on all Apple devices. Apple Weather isn’t as feature-rich as the now-defunct Dark Sky and some users note the forecast accuracy is not as good as Dark Sky’s, which is a shame. Hopefully, Apple Weather will one day be as reliable and detailed as Dark Sky (perhaps not anytime soon), but as it stands, you still get localized forecasts; alerts for storms, tornados, and floods; widgets for your home and lock screen or Apple Watch face, and more, with zero ads and no subscription fees.

This article was originally published on Jan. 5, 2023; it was updated on April 4 to report on a global outage with the Apple Weather app.