I found an Android weather app that looks like Google made it

Users were understandably disheartened when Google decided to overhaul its weather app, bidding farewell to the beloved weather frog that had greeted them through rain and shine. With the launch of the Pixel 9 and its new Pixel Weather app, the frog found a new home within the old weather interface accessible via Google Search. While this relocation was somewhat fitting, the necessity of searching just to catch a glimpse of the froggy companion has become a chore for many, including myself. Fortunately, a third-party app has emerged to fill the void.

What weather app do you use?

In a recent poll, users shared their preferences:

  • 59% – Whatever is on my phone to begin with.
  • 38% – I use a third-party app (mention your choice in the comments).
  • 3% – I don’t use a weather app.

One such app that has captured my affection over the past few weeks is Weather Master, and not solely for its pro-frog stance. If I were to redesign Pixel Weather, it would likely resemble this app. Weather Master strikes a harmonious balance between clean aesthetics, playful elements, and practical information, crafting an enjoyable weather app experience. Unlike Pixel Weather, it optimizes space without compromising these essential qualities. The incorporation of Product Sans and Google’s design language throughout the app lends it an official Android feel, while it manages to correct several shortcomings present in Google’s official offering.

A better Pixel Weather app than Pixel Weather?

At the forefront of Weather Master is the animated frog, which provides a delightful representation of current weather conditions, accompanied by a prominent display of the current temperature along with high and low forecasts. Below this, a Quick Summary section offers a detailed outlook, including wind speed, gusts, and cloud cover. This feature is reminiscent of Pixel Weather’s AI summary but is presented in a more digestible format. For instance, today’s forecast for my area succinctly states:

In the morning, you’ll experience gentle drizzle, with a soft, light rain taking over as the day progresses.

This clarity allows users to plan their day effectively, from outfits to dinner arrangements, all in a glance. The information is concise enough to be absorbed in under a second, making a quick visit to the home screen all that’s needed to gauge the day ahead.

Further down the home screen, users will find a temperature trend for the week and, intriguingly, clothing and activity suggestions tailored for morning, evening, and night. While these recommendations tend to be similar day-to-day, they are a welcome addition rather than a hindrance.

As one scrolls down, more features inspired by Pixel Weather emerge, including a widget section that displays individual metrics like humidity, pressure, and visibility. While tapping certain widgets, such as wind, expands to show average speeds over a broader timeframe, there is room for improvement. For instance, gust strength could be a valuable addition, particularly for those in windy regions.

Weather Master also allows users to customize their experience in the Settings. For those who appreciate a touch of whimsy, enabling the Froggy summary adds a charming twist to the Quick Summary section. However, I personally prefer the straightforwardness of the standard summary. Users can even disable the entire summary section, allowing for a more streamlined presentation of vital information.

It’s good, but not quite great

Despite its many strengths, Weather Master is not without its flaws. It still lacks the depth of information found in some competing weather apps. For example, while tapping on the wind tile provides some details, it neglects to include information about gusts. Similarly, the pressure metric only displays the current value without indicating whether it is rising or falling, a crucial detail for anticipating changing conditions.

The app features a radar function, yet it falls short of expectations. It often fails to overlay relevant data in certain regions, and while it provides rain intensity details in 10-minute increments, the visual updates can be jarring, making it challenging to track a system’s gradual progression. Smoother transitions between data sets would greatly enhance the user experience.

Despite these shortcomings, Weather Master remains one of the most user-friendly weather apps I have encountered. As someone who typically gravitates towards data-rich graphs, I find myself returning to this app as my primary choice. Although it has its share of bugs and unresolved issues, none are significant enough to deter usage. With the Pixel 9’s arrival, I have begun to question whether Pixel Weather truly represents Google’s best effort. After exploring Weather Master, it appears that the tech giant has once again been outshined by a smaller contender.

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I found an Android weather app that looks like Google made it