The Pixel 9’s new weather app is like Dark Sky for Android — and you can try it out right now
The Google Pixel 9 series is launching next week and while we’ve already seen leaks about the design and specs, it appears the device will also get a new, improved weather app. It’s an app you can try out right now, if you’d like.
As reported by Android Authoritythe new and improved Weather app is now available to sideload from APK mirror. It should work on devices running Android 14 or later, but since this isn’t the finished version of the app, expect some bugs and crashes. And if it does launch properly, it may be exclusive to Pixel phones.
If you’re new to the idea of sideloading, it simply means installing apps from outside of the Google Play Store. You should always do this with caution and only use apps and sources that you trust – and you always do it at your own risk.
To install the app, open the APKMirror link In Chrome on your Android device, navigate to the download link (ignore the ads that say “download” on it), then tap through the security warnings to confirm that you want to sideload the app. You may also be prompted to change Chrome’s settings to allow installations from unknown sources.
Take the weather with you
So-called AI weather summary strings from the Google Weather app. These just appear to be instructions for whatever AI (twin?) they’re using. Experienced meteorologist. ☔Full text – https://t.co/YMzgLGopV5Thanks to @Nail_Sadykov for finding this. https://t.co/rHvkJBKHiS pic.twitter.com/2AXVVpYmdSAugust 8, 2024
As we’ve seen in previous screenshots, the new Weather app manages to cram a lot of information into a simple interface, designed according to Android’s Material You guidelines. You’ll get all the basics here, including temperatures and precipitation levels, plus details on wind speed, UV levels, sunset and sunrise times, and visibility.
It also looks like the Weather app will be able to send rain forecasts and alerts straight to your phone, ahead of time. That’s something that will appeal to those of us who miss the Dark Sky app after Apple acquired it.
What’s Coming, Seasoned Tipsters AssembleDebug And Dylan Roussel have hinted that AI-powered weather summaries and detailed weather maps are also on the way. We’d actually be surprised at this point if Google launched anything that didn’t include artificial intelligence features.
We should see this new Weather app and all four Pixel 9 models officially unveiled on Tuesday, August 13. There’s also a good chance a full Android 15 release will be announced, and it’s likely the Google Pixel Watch 3 will be revealed as well.