The Best Weather Apps for Android in 2020

With your smartphone, you’re no longer limited to getting your forecast from the local weather station. Now, you can simply tap on any of the best weather apps for Android to get real-time updates.

There are a huge number of apps and weather services available for Android devices, all of which can provide highly accurate forecasts, massive amounts of weather data and smart features that will help you know when to plan for a rainy day.

These are the best weather apps that you can download for your Android phone right now.

1. AccuWeather

AccuWeather is easily one of the most popular weather apps available for Android. 

While its user interface and animated radar features are excellent, what really sets the app apart is the accuracy and specificity of its forecasts. 

In studies on forecast accuracy, AccuWeather regularly comes in first or second place. (You can use a tool like ForecastAdvisor to get app-by-app forecast accuracies for your area.)

The exact numbers vary depending on location and date, but AccuWeather’s forecasts are typically around 80 to 90% accurate. By comparison, the National Weather Service’s digital forecasts are accurate about 70 to 80% of the time.

If you like, you can break down forecasts to the minute-by-minute level, seeing how the weather may look in the next few minutes.

The app also offers an extended 15-day forecast, great for people who want a guess at how the weather will look more than just 7 to 10 days out.

Somewhat uniquely, the app team also provides a weather news service you can access in-app. The team puts together videos on weather-related topics, as well as regular summaries of weather news and major weather events. If you want to keep track of weather news — like developing storms, hurricanes and tornadoes — this app is a great way to stay updated.

2. The Weather Channel

Like Accuweather, the Weather Channel is known for being one of the most accurate forecasting services out there, with accuracy ratings hovering around 80 to 90%, depending on location.

With the Weather Channel app, you’ll also have access to Weather Channel content in-app. If you want the latest analysis on a developing storm or your area’s weather, you can check it out without having to navigate away or install an extra app.

However, the app is not lightweight. Some user reviews complain about sluggishness, pages regularly taking a while to load and some issues with stability.

If you’re fine with trading app functionality for forecast accuracy, however, the Weather Channel app is probably one of the best choices available. 

Like most weather apps, the Weather Channel app is free, although ad-supported. It also features two weather widgets, one 4×1 and one 4×2, for your home page.

3. NOAA Weather Unofficial

Many weather apps, in one way or another, draw from National Weather Service data for their forecasts. 

If you want, you can cut out the middleman and go straight to the NWS data.

NOAA, the parent agency of the NWS, doesn’t maintain its own app. You can rely on the Weather Service’s website, or you can use an app like NOAA Weather Unofficial, one of the most popular weather apps that draws on that NOAA data and puts it in a user-friendly format.

The app features a simple-to-use interface, animated radar and weather alerts.

For users that want a simple, pared-down weather app, NOAA Weather Unofficial is probably one of the best available.

4. Weather Underground (Wunderground)

The Wunderground app is best known for its hyperlocal weather forecasts, with data that can be extremely specific to where you live. 

The Wunderground app has a sleek interface design, animated radar and, of course, weather info on forecasts for your local area. 

Of the apps on this list, the app also probably provides the most weather data and customization options. If you want a lot of control over what kind of information your weather app tells you, the Wunderground app is one of the best choices available.

The base app is free, but for $20 a year, you can upgrade to the premium version of the app. Wunderground’s premium features include smart forecasts, which can help you know when the weather is likely to be perfect for an outdoor event.

Get the Best Forecasts With These Weather Apps for Android

These weather apps provide some of the best features and most accurate forecasts you can get. With the Weather Channel, Wunderground and AccuWeather apps, you’ll also have access to the latest weather news and some in-depth weather analysis. 

If you want to keep track of the weather, you need to have at least one of these apps on your Android.