Google rolls out new Weather app on the Play Store

Google has been on a roll lately. It just released an all-new GPT-4 AI competitor Gemini, and the tech giant has pushed the December Feature Drop for its Pixel phones. The new update brings several updates and capabilities to Pixel phones, including an all-new Weather app on the Play Store. The Weather app is designed to work with Google’s Clock app, making it currently exclusive to Pixel phones. While it may soon be available as a standalone app with its icon, it only functions as a built-in feature on supported Pixel devices.

Google rolls out an updated Weather app

Google’s new Weather app is now available on the Play Store. This one differs from Google’s weather forecasts in the Google app and the At a Glance widget. Those forecasts are part of the Google app itself. The new Weather app powers the forecasts within the Google Clock app.

After downloading it (or getting it through automatic updates), the Clock app will ask if you want to add local weather. If you say yes and grant permissions, you’ll see the current weather for your location and any other cities you’ve added to the Clock app for different time zones.

What’s new with the Weather app?

Google’s new Weather app adds a handy weather forecast to your alarm routine. When you dismiss your alarm, you’ll see a screen displaying the current conditions and the day’s forecast, helping you get prepared for the day ahead. Simply tap “OK thanks” to dismiss it.

However, there are some limitations. Neither the Clock app nor the widget offers detailed weather information. Tapping the current conditions won’t lead you to a comprehensive forecast or hourly details. Additionally, there’s currently no straightforward way to disable the weather feature once enabled.

Android expert Mishaal Rahman first spotted Google’s new Weather app in the beta version of the December Feature Drop (QPR1 Beta). This feature was previously exclusive to the Pixel 8 series. However, it’s now available with the Feature Drop update for all Pixel phones from the Pixel 5a onwards.