I recommend these 5 weather apps, but I have a favorite

It’s safe to say that more or less every Android user has a weather app installed on their phone. I certainly do, and I use it daily to check the weather, not only for today but for the rest of the week as well — it’s part of my morning routine.

In my search for the perfect weather app, I tried countless options and can tell you there are significant differences between them. Some were loaded with ads and pop-ups, while others were poorly designed. Then there were the ones that weren’t very accurate for my location, and some even managed to bundle all these issues into one. Eventually, I found a few weather apps I genuinely liked and can now recommend to others. Here are my top five.

This is my favorite by far, but it’s Pixel-exclusive, so it’s not something everyone can download and use. I haven’t seen any ads pop up in the app — at least for now — and the design is beautiful. I get all the information I need on one page, including an hourly report and a 10-day forecast.

I can also see how much rain (if any) to expect during the day, wind speed and direction, the UV index, air quality, and a lot more. Most of this data is useful to me, and I can customize its arrangement on the screen, placing less interesting information at the bottom.

Then there’s the weather map. It gets the job done, but it’s probably my least favorite aspect of this app. It’s not as accurate or good to use as some of the others I’ve tried, so I don’t tend to use it as much as I’d like. Whenever I need to check the weather map, I switch to the next app on this list.

This app is far from perfect. While it provides most of the data I need, the user interface could use a bit of polish. There are also too many ads scattered throughout the app, and it includes a news section that shows weather news for locations far away from me.

However, I still use it for one crucial reason: the weather map. After trying a multitude of apps, this one works best for my location. I can see exactly when rain will hit, and more importantly, if hail is coming. We tend to get a lot of hail during the summer months, and I always need to stay alert to ensure I park my car in the garage on time, as hail can cause serious damage.

It’s also great for snow, as I can check the estimated time and amount of snowfall, or when heavy snow that’s preventing me from going outside will stop.

I used this app before switching to Pixel Weather and was genuinely fond of it. It’s gorgeous — simple and clean, with subtle animations and a pop of color to give it life.

I particularly like the image at the top, which displays what the sky looks like in a specific location. This is followed by all the weather details I need, some of which are nicely presented in grey squares, including information like humidity, visibility, and UV index.

There’s an hourly and weekly forecast, air quality information, a decent weather radar, and all the other details you’d expect from an app like this. It does have an ad section, but the ads are well-integrated into the design, so they’re not as obtrusive as with some competitors. Besides, outside of something like Pixel Weather and a few others, it’s hard to find a free app that doesn’t have ads.

Not quite as simple as Today Weather, but still straightforward enough with a great design. I used it for a bit and liked seeing all the main data I needed on one screen, although I did need an extra tap to get to specific info like the UV index.

I really appreciate the animation for the temperature, and the weather radar is decent. I also like that features like news and videos require an extra tap to view, so they don’t clutter the main screen like with some other apps.

There are also important notifications that appear at the top of the app, warning users of excessive heat, heavy rainfall, and similar conditions in the area. The app is free, and I haven’t encountered any ads during my time with it, but there’s a premium version available that offers more detailed weather data.

This app is a bit different because it places the weather map front and center. You can quickly switch it from showing temperatures to rainfall or other data with just a tap or two. There’s a quick weather forecast at the bottom of the screen that also shows how the weather on the radar will change when you switch between days or hours. It’s pretty neat.

Of course, the app also has all the standard features like a full weather report for the upcoming week, possible rainfall, wind speed, and more. However, you generally get more data with rival apps, so this one is really meant for those who enjoy looking at detailed weather maps.

The app is free, but a premium version is available. However, it doesn’t offer a lot more than the free version, so I’d recommend sticking with the free option.

These are the top five weather apps I’ve used and enjoyed, although there are plenty of others out there that I haven’t tested yet. Let me know which ones you use and why in the comments.