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iOS 8 Roundup: The best weather widgets for Notification Center

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iOS 8 Roundup: The best weather widgets for Notification Center

When Apple introduced iOS 7 with an overhauled design for the iPhone and iPad software, it replaced the weather widget showing current temperature and weekly forecast introduced with iOS 5 with a text summary of the day’s weather conditions. This weather summary includes an icon for the current weather condition as well as a text description […]

iPhone 6 weather widgets

When Apple launched iOS 7 with an overhauled design for the iPhone and iPad software program, it changed the weather widget displaying present temperature and weekly forecast launched with iOS 5 with a textual content abstract of the day’s weather conditions. This weather abstract consists of an icon for the present weather situation in addition to a textual content description like ‘principally cloudy’, nevertheless it tends to provide the excessive and low temperatures of the day and never the present temperature like Apple’s former weather widget.

Luckily, iOS 8 permits builders to create third-get together widgets together with – you guessed it – weather widgets with present temperature and forecast. Since iOS 8 was launched final week, I’ve been making an attempt quite a lot of apps with included weather widgets, and under I’ll share with you what I’ve found up to now.

Out of the field, iOS 7 and iOS 8 embrace the default widget (seen under) in Notification Center‘s Today view with a abstract of the day’s weather circumstances, however as I talked about earlier than, that sometimes doesn't current the present temperature and positively doesn’t current the 5-day forecast many anticipate to see from Apple’s earlier weather widget.

Since iOS 7, Apple has reserved that info for the default Weather app, nevertheless it’s not almost as handy as flattening Notification Center to look on the present temperature (and the iPad doesn’t have a default Weather app just like the one discovered on the iPhone and iPod contact).

Apple Weather widget

Each app under is obtainable for at the least iPhone, and iPad customers can set up these apps and reap the benefits of the identical widgets for Notification Center if iPad variations aren’t obtainable.

Forecast+ ($0.99) (Included in $4.99 bundle of productiveness apps)

First up is Forecast+, an app that’s actually solely a widget, which was a extremely popular suggestion when I surveyed Twitter for an iOS 8 weather widget alternative. The different apps listed below are full-fledged weather apps with obtainable widgets whereas Forecast+ is extra of a weather utility.

Forecast+ does have an app, nevertheless it’s used to toggle how and what the the widget shows. For instance, you'll be able to set your present location or one other location for weather monitoring and toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit relying in your choice. Forecast+ additionally presents up 4 alternative ways of viewing the widget as you'll be able to toggle between compact and expanded in addition to selecting to all the time present the 5-day forecast or not.

Forecast+ expanded with forecast Forecast+ with forecast Forecast+ expanded Forecast+

The Weather Channel (Free)

Next is The Weather Channel for iPhone. It’s widget shows the present temperature and a textual content abstract of the weather circumstances. It’s extra just like Apple’s personal strategy (though you do get present temperature), nevertheless it additionally included hyperlinks to movies you possibly can watch inside TWC’s app, which I didn’t discover excellent personally.

The Weather Channel

Yahoo Weather (Free)

Yahoo Weather is one other well-liked third-get together weather app for many individuals, and its Today view widget intently resembles the design of its iPhone app with sparse textual content and simplistic icons.

With it you get present temperature, the day’s excessive and low temperature, and a quick forecast forward, however you additionally get photographs from Flickr thrown in. These pictures are often from round your location if any can be found and may be very good pictures, however for a Notification Center widget, I discovered they add an excessive amount of weight to one thing meant to be fast if that makes any sense.

Yahoo Weather

NOAA Radar Pro ($0.99) (Included in $2.99 bundle of weather apps)

The NOAA Radar Pro app (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is straight to the purpose and presents up a look on the weather for the subsequent few hours as properly. With it you get the present temperature and weather situation in addition to the excessive and low of the day. Another advantage of NOAA Radar Pro is the app permits you to management the situation utilized by the widget. This means for those who’re touring out of time however need to control your weather again house, NOAA Radar Pro has you coated.

NOAA Radar Pro

My Alarm Clock ($0.99) (Included in similar $2.99 bundle of weather apps)

This subsequent one isn’t primarily a weather app, nevertheless it included a fast weather widget as if it have been one. My Alarm Clock is an alternative choice to the default Clock app with help for interactive notifications and quite a lot of different clock options.

Its widget, although, included the present temperature and weather situation in addition to the present wind velocity. It’s a bit strong with the alarm clock function for those who’re solely wanting for a weather widget, however it’s an choice.

My Alarm Clock

WeatherPro ($2.99) (Included in $6.99 bundle of weather apps)

WeatherPro is one other weather widget that lets you set the situation you favor to trace. In addition to presenting the present temperature, WeatherPro’s widget provides you the present time of day, wind velocity and path, precipitation knowledge like inches of rain per hour, and barometric strain. You additionally get an icon and outline for the present weather situation.

This weather widget is fairly straight ahead is provides some further particulars you could be excited about, however it’s worth is usually in its companion full-fledged weather app.

WeatherPro

Raincast ($1.99)

Raincast is a special sort of weather widget. It doesn’t present you to present temperature (though its badge can) and also you don’t precisely get the 5-day forecast. Instead, Raincast exhibits you simply that, the precipitation forecast over a 6-day interval utilizing a visually engaging bar graph and percentages.

You do get glyphs for how the weather circumstances of every day as properly, however they’re not extremely detailed as the prospect of rain every day is that this widget’s focus. I found it whereas researching weather widget replacements on the App Store, however I assume I’ll maintain it round for now.

Raincast

Weather Station by Netatmo (Free)

This widget gained’t do something for you until you will have a Netatmo Weather Station, however Weather Station customers can use the widget with the corresponding app for viewing localized weather knowledge captured by the system. For most individuals it gained’t be the perfect weather widget alternative because it requires proudly owning the product, nevertheless it’s particularly value contemplating for anybody obsessive about monitoring weather knowledge.

Weather Station by Netatmo

For now, I’m holding Forecast+, WeatherPro, and Raincast added to my Today view in Notification Center for shortly accessing related weather knowledge at a look, however every weather widget above is value testing to see which you favor. Let us know under when you've got a favourite weather widget for your iPhone or iPad on iOS 8 that you'd advocate, and take a look at our further  roundups together with the best third-party keyboards, app extensions, and other widgets for making probably the most out of iOS 8!


Filed underneath: Apps Tagged: Apple, Forecast+, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Notification Center, Raincast, Today, Weather Channel, Yahoo Weather

Check out 9to5Mac for extra breaking protection of Apple, iPhone, and Apps.

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