Alternative to DarkSky on Android?

GeX · 23 Jun 2020 at 18:08

I've used DarkSky on Android for my weather app for years. I'm still annoyed that Apple bought them and they're killing the API and Android version.. anyway..

Has anyone found a suitable replacement? I basically want exactly what DarkSky currently does.
Simple, uncluttered widget showing up coming rain.
Radar view of rain overlayed on map in app.
2 hour breakdown of weather conditions throughout the day
Notifications that can be set for rain starting, high UV index and low temperature over periods of time

DataVampire · 2 Jul 2020 at 18:37

GeX said:
I've used DarkSky on Android for my weather app for years. I'm still annoyed that Apple bought them and they're killing the API and Android version.. anyway..

Has anyone found a suitable replacement? I basically want exactly what DarkSky currently does.
Simple, uncluttered widget showing up coming rain.
Radar view of rain overlayed on map in app.
2 hour breakdown of weather conditions throughout the day
Notifications that can be set for rain starting, high UV index and low temperature over periods of time

i currently use 1weather premium.

biron_w · 3 Jul 2020 at 09:25

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devexpert.weatheradfree

I've been using that for years now. It's very good. It has a load of good widgets as well. There is a free version of it.

Fens · 3 Jul 2020 at 09:57

DataVampire said:
i currently use 1weather premium.

Reviews for this on the playstore are terrible

DataVampire · 3 Jul 2020 at 19:25

Fens said:
Reviews for this on the playstore are terrible

you are looking at the incorrect app with a similar name lol.

Is the bad one you are referring to
1Weather Forecast
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weather1.forecast.widget&hl=en_GB

The one i was referring to and use
1Weather : Forecasts, Widgets, Snow Alerts & Radar

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handmark.expressweather&hl=en_GB

2 totally diff apps lol

smokedog · 3 Aug 2020 at 20:51

Just as Dark Sky is pulled, AccuWeather ups their game and refreshes their app. It has a look ahead feature (used to be called minutecast) which give a 2 hours forecast.

benparker · 4 Aug 2020 at 09:57

What's so good about it? How long will you be looking at the app? I'm stick to BBC weather.

GeX · 4 Aug 2020 at 10:41

benparker said:
What's so good about it? How long will you be looking at the app? I'm stick to BBC weather.

I won't spend long looking at it, that's the point. No stupid animations of drawings of clouds / sun. Dark Sky lets users opt into use their device's barometer to crowdsource air pressure data, and combine with their radar data it was a very accurate rain forecast. I had a widget on my home screen showing the next hour, and it meant I could glance at my phone and know if it was going to rain much / for how long.

Conversely the BBC Weather app is just 2 hour blocks with a picture of differing angry looking clouds and a % risk iirc.

I'm currently using https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noaimgames.shadowweather&hl=en_GB

UTmaniac · 4 Aug 2020 at 11:46

Met Office (who used to do BBC weather before the Meteo Group came along with their wildly inaccurate forecasts for near me) and Weather Underground, former for longer term and latter for realtime.

smokedog · 4 Aug 2020 at 13:29

benparker said:
What's so good about it? How long will you be looking at the app? I'm stick to BBC weather.

Dark Sky is a hyper localised forecast over a short period. I don't look at the app much, all useful information is pushed to me.

One example recently, I was out walking, Dark Sky give me a notification that rain was about to start in x mins in my location. So I planned accordingly and when the rain started, I got another notification that rain will stop in x mins, so I took shelter and waited it out.

GeX · 4 Aug 2020 at 16:57

^^^ this is exactly what I want back :'(

Scam · 4 Aug 2020 at 19:24

I keep getting ads for Climacell on Instagram. Selling themselves as a direct replacement for Dark Sky but I haven't tried it...

GeX · 4 Aug 2020 at 20:32

The thing is, the Dark Sky API that powers a lot of these apps is still running till Apple close that next year, but there was more to it than just poking the API.

They'll all expire when the API dies too

Rimsy · 5 Aug 2020 at 13:00

I didn't use dark sky on Android but now the BBC weather app has proven itself to be next to useless for where I live I'm reminded of an old app I used to have.
The main useful bit was that it would tell me if it was going to rain within the next 180 mins a d how long it would last... But can't for the live of me remember which one it was and why I removed it. Possibly AccuWeather?

uvarvu · 5 Aug 2020 at 14:00

I’ve got two solutions in mind as I rely on this app that much:
1) Buy the cheapest, tattiest iPhone I can find, purchase an apple watch cellular and install the app on that
2) Switch over fully to iOS

I’m leaning towards option 2 as the Pixel 5 doesn’t look that promising this year.

smokedog · 5 Aug 2020 at 15:32

Rimsy said:
I didn't use dark sky on Android but now the BBC weather app has proven itself to be next to useless for where I live I'm reminded of an old app I used to have.
The main useful bit was that it would tell me if it was going to rain within the next 180 mins a d how long it would last... But can't for the live of me remember which one it was and why I removed it. Possibly AccuWeather?

It was AccuWeather and called MinuteCast, its still there in the app but renamed to 'Looking ahead'

uvarvu said:
I’ve got two solutions in mind as I rely on this app that much:
1) Buy the cheapest, tattiest iPhone I can find, purchase an apple watch cellular and install the app on that
2) Switch over fully to iOS

I’m leaning towards option 2 as the Pixel 5 doesn’t look that promising this year.

I'm also thinking of switching to iPhone due to Dark Sky but want to see what the next iPhone brings first. But paying that much for a phone is really holding me back.

GeX · 5 Aug 2020 at 20:15

The SE is looking tempting, but I need to know more about the camera I think. I had a Pixel 2 (now have an XL) so think I can see past the chin/forehead of the older design

Mobius 1 · 5 Aug 2020 at 20:42

GeX said:
The SE is looking tempting, but I need to know more about the camera I think. I had a Pixel 2 (now have an XL) so think I can see past the chin/forehead of the older design

I have the SE (amazing phone for the price) and thanks to this thread I’ve just downloaded darksky. Love that it tells you exactly when it’s going to rain (by the hour from what I can see) so I can time my lunch around the weather

smokedog · 5 Aug 2020 at 21:56

Mobius 1 said:
Love that it tells you exactly when it’s going to rain (by the hour from what I can see) so I can time my lunch around the weather

GeX · 5 Aug 2020 at 22:18

Mobius 1 said:
I have the SE (amazing phone for the price) and thanks to this thread I’ve just downloaded darksky. Love that it tells you exactly when it’s going to rain (by the hour from what I can see) so I can time my lunch around the weather

Yeeeeap, you're on the list now *gets out little book*