Related Articles
It’s been fun, Dark Sky. After being acquired by Apple in May, the Android weather app officially stopped working on Saturday, Aug. 1. It’s terribly sad news for those of us who came to rely on the app’s push notifications for impending rain or snow. Dark Sky had over 1 million installs, according to its Play Store listing that’s since been taken down as part of the transition away from Android.
If you have an active Dark Sky subscription on Aug. 1, you should receive a refund. Whether it’s prorated or not remains to be seen.
The time has come, fellow Dark Sky users, to pick a different weather app. And, thankfully, there are several worthy options that fill the void quite nicely. Below are three apps you can replace Dark Sky with and surely there’ll be more releases leading up to the app’s sunset. Some suggestions below even use Dark Sky’s data, which Apple has promised will continue working through the end of 2021. So while the Dark Sky app itself will be shut down, you can still take advantage of the same information, just in another form.
Appy Weather has a minimal look that is soothing.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Appy Weather
Appy Weather has received several updates since Dark Sky announced it was shuttering its Android app. Updates have brought new features, a redesigned radar, custom notifications and a Dark Sky-like widget. Appy is powered by Dark Sky’s API, but presents it in a totally different, cleaner, format. It’s akin to your Twitter feed, but instead of random memes, the feed includes periodic weather updates and sunrise/sunset time in expandable cards that provide more information in the main timeline view. You can also view the forecast in hourly or daily increments.
Appy has also added two more weather providers, so it’ll be ready to make the transition when the Dark Sky API is shut down.
I like the minimal feel of Appy and scrolling through the forecast has a natural feel to it. Appy is free to use its basic features, or $3.99 a year to unlock all features, including widgets, notifications and radar and remove ads.
Download Appy Weather
Weather Underground has a lot of data points.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Weather Underground
Weather Underground takes a hyperlocal approach to weather forecasting, leveraging data from personal weather stations. With access to over 250,000 stations, Weather Underground is able to create its own forecasts and provide weather information that you may find more accurate to your specific location, instead of other apps that apply an overall forecast to a city. In fact, I have my own weather station feeding into Weather Underground’s data set right now.
You can use Weather Underground for free, or pay $19.99 a year or $3.99 a month to unlock premium features like smart forecasts, extended hourly forecasts and remove ads.
Download Weather Underground
AccuWeather recently saw a big update.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
AccuWeather
AccuWeather recently saw a complete redesign, adding a Dark Sky-inspired precipitation and temperature chart to the top of the app. You can scroll sideways to view exactly when to expect the rain. The interface is easy enough to get around, but you’ll have to put up with ads mixed into your forecast. You can remove ads through an in-app purchase for $3.99.
Download AccuWeather
Maybe don’t let your kids check the forecast with this one.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Fu*** Weather (Funny Weather)
If you’re looking for a weather app with a bit of personality, Fu*** Weather is it. Instead of just presenting numbers and percentages, Fu*** Weather uses an entertaining mix of weather jargon and curse words to motivate you to get outside or warn you of horrible weather in the forecast. Fu*** Weather uses a combination of Dark Sky and AerisWeather for its data.
The app is free to download and use, with in-app purchases removing ads and unlocking more features like updating the forecast more often.
Download Fu*** Weather
After finding a new weather app, make sure to check out our best Android apps list of 2020. We even have a list of the best password managers — which you should totally be using. Or if you’re looking forward to Android 11, we highlighted some of our favorite features.
