Andy Walker / Android Authority
Weather apps are an under-appreciated part of our daily technology toolkit. Seeing if the sky is falling or the sun is shining is as essential to my morning routine as strong coffee. Some weather apps cover certain regions better, while others excel at providing easy-to-understand information. These factors make choosing the best weather app a very personal decision. With its new Pixel Weather app, Google is hoping you'll choose it (by buying a Pixel 9). But no matter how nifty the app is, you're left with too many options when it comes to choosing a Pixel Weather app replacement.
As we detailed in our hands-on, Google's new Weather app is a surprisingly comprehensive solution. It offers a smart overview, shows detailed daily metrics, and boasts precipitation maps for major cities. If you've got an Android 14 device or an older Pixel, you can install the APK and give it a try. But with so many comprehensive alternatives out there, we had a hard time deciding which one was right for us.
After reviewing some of my favorite weather apps and highlighting some new examples, Weawow stands out as a strong competitor to Pixel Weather.
Weawow is the best alternative to the Pixel Weather app
Andy Walker / Android Authority
It's hard to recommend an alternative to the Pixel Weather app, as there are no comparable alternatives, especially if you have a Pixel phone. The highlight of the app is that it uses Gemini to provide short forecast snippets, simplifying the cloud watching experience. But beyond this novelty, Weawow has a lot more to offer for users who prefer a more customizable and informative experience.
The design philosophies of the two apps couldn't be more different. Frog's untimely death aside, I've loved the design of Pixel Weather ever since I started using it. I may not get the Pixel's fancy features, but it's a thoroughly modern Google app, with clean lines and soft textures. Weawow has sharper angles and slimmer fonts that some people will love and others will hate. It's not the prettiest weather app, but I'll take functionality over aesthetics any day.
Weawow displays the current weather and hourly forecast at the top of the homepage, with real-world images below that reflect the current weather, submitted by users. Some people might like this feature, but I don't. Thankfully, it can be disabled.
The hourly forecast shows graphs of temperature, precipitation, and wind predictions for the next 24 hours. Tapping on this section opens a stack of graphs (or a table, if you prefer) showing hourly information on key metrics for up to three days ahead. The layout is surprisingly dense and may be overloaded for some, but this arrangement gives you a broader graphical view of near-term conditions. It also makes it easier to identify major turning points in conditions, which is important for planning your outfits and activities.
The weather provider breakdown is Weawow's best feature so far, allowing you to quickly compare popular weather forecast sources.
This focus on information density is also reflected in the breakdown of weather forecast providers, which is my favorite feature of Weawow. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and Weather forecast providerand the app overlays local and global weather sources. All the major providers are here, including NHS, Dark Sky/Apple, OpenWeatherMap, and MET Norway. You can also donate to the developer to unlock AccuWeather and Foreca. I like that you can toggle between metrics like temperature, precipitation, snowfall, and wind, which Pixel Weather doesn't show. The option to view this weather data by overview, daily, or hourly is also very nice.
It's important to note that every provider offers a slightly different forecast. This screen makes it much easier to choose the best option for your specific area, and also makes it easy to view alternative forecasts if you're not sure about your choice. The only provider for Pixel Weather is weather.com, so you can't choose an alternative.
The weather map may be Pixel Weather's best feature, but Weawow's implementation is simply smarter.
The weather map may be Pixel Weather's best feature, but Weawow's implementation is simply smart. Whereas Pixel Weather limits the map to specific cities (and even continents) and only offers precipitation visualization, Weawow offers a global view and multiple metrics. I usually turn to Windy, Ventusky, or Zoom Weather for high-resolution radar and visualization, but Weawow's map is more polished, faster to load, and easier to use. I also like the larger two-week time scale.
As mentioned before, one of Weawow's main strengths is its customization options. You can adjust the app layout to your liking, moving forecasts, indicators, and segments up or down on the home page. You can also choose text size, themes, and other display options. You can even force the home page to show Celsius and Fahrenheit side by side.
Weawow is easier to use than most weather apps, without being too feature-thin for enthusiasts.
Weawow's wide range of tweaks is also reflected in its widgets and persistent notifications functionality. There are 14 widgets in total, more than enough for even the most discerning users, and each widget can be customized in-app as well. There are options to display a specific weather indicator, change the font or base color, adjust the widget size, and more. The persistent notifications are similarly customizable, and users can also display graphs in the notifications section. Awesome!
Despite its strengths, Weawow is not perfect. Other apps offer better verbal summaries and more modern UIs and layouts, but Weawow strikes an important balance: it's easier to use than most weather apps, without being too flimsy for enthusiasts. As a result, Weawow is a great alternative to the Pixel Weather app for almost anyone, Pixel 9 user or not. Not only is it free, it's packed with customization options, data from different providers, and great widgets. The weather charts are very helpful, and include a wide range of time scales and a variety of indicators, making it perfect for tracking your system ahead of time.
What is your favorite weather app?
14 votes
Are there any other good alternatives to the Pixel Weather app?
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Besides well-known alternatives like Weather Underground, Windy, AccuWeather, and other great weather apps, here are some other Pixel Weather app alternatives worth considering:
- Weather Today: My go-to weather app for quick tidbits of info, Weather Today has a clean UI that focuses on current weather alerts and hourly forecasts. It cleverly uses icons and small indicators to alert users to gusts of wind or heavy rain, and also displays weather maps. Unfortunately, for me, this has always been the least reliable part of the app. However, its forecast feature, which includes a “next 7 days” overview section that highlights major weather events for the week, makes up for this small quirk.
- Breezy Weather: This open-source weather app has a beautiful, clean Material You-inspired layout and a detailed breakdown of metrics for up to 16 days ahead. The app lacks a live weather map, and selecting an alternative weather source is unnecessarily complicated. That said, it's a solid secondary weather app.
- Rain: If you miss the frogs that were in the previous Google Weather app, Rain might be for you. While you won't see any amphibians in this app, you'll see cute weather characters in the current weather section. If it's sunny, you'll see a bright and cheerful sun or a pleasant moon. If it's raining, you'll see weeping clouds. Apart from these cute touches, Rain also displays information that Pixel Weather doesn't have, such as hourly shortwave radiation and a split of precipitation types.
- Bura: Another weather app I almost love is Bura. It boasts the cleanest layout of any app on this list, with an hourly breakdown at the top and a weekly forecast below. Tapping on a particular day opens a graphical display of the temperature, chance of precipitation, and totals. Bura doesn't allow you to change providers or provide AQI or dew point information. That said, it's completely ad-free, making it perfect for those who value simplicity above all else.
- Meteogram Weather Widget: Finally, Meteogram is the perfect weather app for those who just can't resist tinkering. It has a steep learning curve and may be hard to read for beginners, but it offers so much information that it would be rude to ignore it. Unlike the apps mentioned above, it only displays weather information in graph form. Users can adjust the date range of the graph, choose from a multitude of metrics to display, choose from a dizzying number of providers, and customize the style of the graph. Best of all, the developer is responsive and the premium subscription is clearly affordable given the features offered.
Do you agree with my picks for the best alternatives to the Pixel Weather app? Let me know your thoughts about your favorite weather app and about Pixel Weather itself. Make sure to vote in the poll above and leave your comments below.