Apple shuts down the Dark Sky weather app for iOS permanently
Apple has shut down its popular weather app, Dark Sky for iOS, permanently. The app, which was originally delisted from the App Store in September 2022, will no longer provide weather data for existing installations.
Apple shuts down Dark Sky for iOS permanently
The default weather app in iOS relied on Yahoo! Weather as the source for weather related data until iOS 8 was released in 2014, when it switched providers to The Weather Channel. Apple acquired Dark Sky in March 2020, and discontinued the Android and Wear OS apps in August 2020. This also lead to the end of the weather forecasts and maps that were available on Dark Sky's website. The only good news from this was that the weather provider's API continued to be supported, which meant that other apps could use it. That's changing soon, though.
An announcement on the app's website says that the Dark Sky iOS app is no longer available (from December 31st, 2022). The Dark Sky API will reach end of support on March 31, 2023, so any app that relies on it will have to switch to a different weather data provider.
Weather app image courtesy: Apple
So why did Apple shut down Dark Sky for iOS? The Cupertino company wanted to integrate the app's functionalities in its own app, with the WeatherKit API. It is implemented in the Apple Weather app for iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura.
Apple's Weather app isn't half bad, I use the widget everyday on my MacBook, and occasionally on my iPad. The app's animations are nice, and the temperature readings are fairly accurate. However, the forecast information that it shows can be a bit of a wild hit-and-miss. This really depends on your location. I have seen days when the app predicted a good chance of precipitation, while in reality it would actually be quite sunny, or vice-versa. Of course, you can't blame the app for inaccurate forecasts since it pulls the data from a dedicated weather provider, which is usually a third-party service. You can read about it on Apple's website. That's the problem with Apple Weather, you can't change the provider to a different source. The only option is to ditch the app completely, and use something else.
The reason why Dark Sky was so popular was because of its accuracy, especially in the U.S. It was well known for its down-to-the-minute precipitation forecasts and alerts, so you would get a notification a few minutes before it started to rain. It's easy to see why users could be upset that Dark Sky has been sunsetted.
If you want an app that is similar to Dark Sky, take a look at Carrot Weather. It has a free ad-supported version for Android and iOS, and also supports Apple Watch complications. Some features are locked behind the premium subscription. Oh, and watch out for the ad banners, they can be weird and funny. It is worth noting that the Android version of Carrot Weather has not been updated in 2 years, but it works fine.
For users who prefer a web app, a developer (via Hacker News) has created a website called Merry Sky, it resembles Dark Sky. It's quite good, and uses the Pirate Weather API as its source.
Did you use Dark Sky? Which app are you switching to?
Isn’t weather.com what Google uses on Android?
Whatever Is on Android sucks. It’s wrong far too often and so is undependable.
There is control over the colors used. The light powder blue on dark blue is difficult to read quickly and easily. On the 10 days display, they change to the light powder blue color on white, which is even more difficult to read!
But even getting to the weather display can be a chore. On Android, Google chooses to put the a small weather summary under the calendar date. But hitting the weather is difficult for me (big fingers!). Often it takes 3-4 tries until I get the weather display to open instead of the calendar.
Google needs to go back to the drawing board with the weather provider and display also.
If you don’t like Android’s default weather thingy you can always install an app of your choice or visit a website of your choice.
I rarely care about weather on my phone, I usually look outside the window or go on the balcony to see the temperature.
You don’t have to submit your life so a bunch of ones and zeroes can tell you how to live your life.
“I usually look outside the window or go on the balcony to see the temperature.”
You do understand that this is/was a weather *forecasting* app? The “forecasting” bit ?
If it was that bad, then there would be enough complaints about it and something would have been done to be improved. I believe more than 80% of smartphone users around the planet use Android and if it was so bad, they would have made it known.
It’s obvious that this here is an edge case scenario.
80-90% of the people dissatisfied with something are too lazy or too busy with other things in their life to search out how to complain. Most recognize that nothing is likely to change anyway, especially when it comes to how a huge company like Google operates.
You’re under 3 yo, yes?
Android users loved the Dark Sky app and hated that Apple shut it down after buying the app. Now they are killing the app altogether.
Don’t you hate it when Apple and Google buy apps and then kill them? Some apps were from developed by small companies that get put out of business
Merry weather. on desktop.
Article not about desktop, stupid.
Try https://todayweather.co
Today Weather provides lots of data sources, that help you view accurate weather forecasting wherever you want.
Data sources: National Weather Service (weather.gov), Weather.gc.ca, Accuweather.com, Here.com, Dark Sky, Foreca.com, Weatherbit.io, Open Weather Map, Yr.no,
Thanks for this, out of the ones I’ve tried so far that have been recommended (Windy, Carrot) this is by far the closest of them all, and has access to Dark Sky as you say, with premium…or with a modified apk (which passed virustotal 0/60). Has hourly weather and radar and all of the other things I’ve come to rely on, thank you! Was using Darker Sky for android until now.
Check out Weather & Widget – Weawow. It looks a lot like Today Weather and I suspect has much of the same functionality. But in comparison Weawow does not have any ads and Dark Sky is included as a weather provider without the need for a modified APK.
Another loser. Does look quite abit like the weathertoday app. But too much focus on pretty graphics.
Again, it has been raining ‘cats & dogs” here for hours and winds are gusting to 60mph. We have had inches of rain today! (thankfully)
Yet the app reports precipitation as just .002in with cloud cover 56% and wind at 19mph. Humidity is 93% on this one.
Then I noticed that the weather provider was in Norway (I am in California USA). So I changed to provider Dark Sky.
Looks to be more accurate but I don’t understand how humidity can be 84% when it is torrential rain outside and preciptation shows only 0.06in.
Will try a few other sources.
I tried Today Weather, and it has a big ad in the middle. No thanks. I used to use Weather Underground until IBM destroyed everything. Website and app are now useless for accurate weather. Then I switched to AccuWeather, but a few months later they completely ruined the app’s appearance, with a new design, making it completely unusable. I’m still hunting for a Weather Underground alternative.
Just tried it. Not impressed.
It’s a paid app for one. Two, it is storming where I live with winds up to 60mph and torrential rain.
In the top opening section, this app shows a picture of a serene sunset, claims 81% humidity when it is surely 100%, claims visibility is 3 miles, when it is likely a lot closer to 30 feet.
Down below in the hourly section it shows that it is currently raining and that winds are 31mph.
It’s not an easy to rad app display, even were the info correct.
I’ve been using Weather & Widget – Weawow for a couple years now. It’s available on the Apple store and Google Play for Android. It has a ton of features and customization options and includes numerous weather providers. It’s free and does not have any ads. Instead the developer operates on the principle of making the best app possible and if you like it you can donate to support the app. A couple of the weather providers (ex. Accuweather, Foreca) do require a one time donation to unlock their use as the developer has to pay the provider to use their weather data.
I don’t care about slick design, and often go to the National Weather Service for my forecast.
For a mobile version of the NWS, I’ve been using this app for years: “NOAA Weather Unofficial”.
What about Android users? Any business should be prohibited from acquiring a rival business and then refusing to offer the same service across all platforms. Every day that Apple acts in this way, they should be severely penalized.
Dark Sky Gone.. Switched to ‘Hello Waether’ in iPAD and iPHONE.
It’s currently using the Dark-Sky API (until 31 March). Then I’ll have to switch to one of these choices for the FORECAST DATA API, within the apps settings/options:
apple WX
AccuWX
AerisWX
Foreca
OpenWeather
The WX channel
or
Tomorrow.io
Hello Weather is a subscription model $1.99 monthly or 12.99 YEARLY.
I can live with that!
So far works great. As close to Dark SKY as I can get without punching up to may sub windows, and boxes as in apple’s default app. :-)
I used to use Darksky API with a Gnome weather extension (probably OpenWeather) because DarkSky still produced best result in my south-Asian country. Another free public service is dead for the general public and made exclusive for the rich.
Sad that https://www.meteoblue.com has not been mentioned above yet.
Go to the site and learn how to use it. There are also apps available for those that are looking for that. I have been using the site since 2012, time goes quickly! The site is fully packed with weather data and maps of all kinds, scroll away and click in on all the different menus to see what it has to offer. The site and the team behind it has developed slow and stable through the years, no rush, new features might be introduced every once in a while, while current features are constantly polished and looked after to maintain the high quality that the users of MB have become used to.