Nearly two years have passed since Google first hinted at the arrival of weather applications for Android Auto and Android Automotive, yet one of the most anticipated contenders, The Weather Channel, remains conspicuously absent from the lineup.
Since the beginning of 2023, the rollout of weather apps on Android Auto has been closely monitored. The journey commenced in February 2023 with the launch of “Weather & Radar,” which subsequently received a significant update on its first anniversary. Following this, “MyRadar” made its debut as the second major weather app for Android Auto in February 2024.
These releases were part of an “early access” initiative that Google unveiled in May 2023. This program aimed to introduce a dedicated “Weather” category to both Android Auto and Android Automotive, alongside new support for conferencing applications like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as IoT applications across both platforms.
In September 2023, Google showcased The Weather Channel app designed for Android Automotive, a native experience integrated into vehicles. However, the reception has been lukewarm, as reflected in the reviews on the Play Store.
Despite the initial excitement, the landscape has remained largely unchanged since those announcements. The absence of additional noteworthy weather applications on Android Auto raises questions about the future of The Weather Channel’s release. Google’s original communication in May 2023 indicated that the weather app category was still in an “early access” phase, leaving the status of The Weather Channel uncertain. With the passage of time and the ongoing lack of availability on Android Auto, it increasingly appears that its launch may have been intended solely for the Automotive platform.
The IoT category is available for all developers, while weather is in an early access program. In the weather category, The Weather Channel app will join other weather apps like Weather & Radar later this year.
The slow pace of expanding weather app support on Android Auto is disappointing, as it seems to hinder the platform’s potential. A recent update on Google’s website, dated December 10, reiterated that developers are unable to publish weather apps for Android Auto or Android Automotive unless they participate in the early access program. As it stands, there have been no significant changes since this announcement in mid-2023, and the lack of new app releases suggests that progress is sluggish behind the scenes.
As users await further developments, the question lingers: which weather app would you like to see on Android Auto?
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