If you’re someone that’s been using Google products and services for quite some time, you’ll know that the brand has a tendency to release, change, shut down, reinvent, and even revive its products and services. While Google does offer some excellent experiences, if there’s one thing that any die-hard user has learned over the years is that you shouldn’t get too attached.
The Google Weather app has been a fan-favorite for some time now, especially when Froggy would add a touch of flair to the experience. And despite the app’s ups and downs, it’s one that you would never really think would be going away.
But it looks like that’s exactly the case, with 9to5Google sharing the news that Google is finally ready to shut things down.
Not exactly what we like to see
Now, if you’ve been following Android news over the past few months, you’ll know that this isn’t something new. 9to5Google first reported on this back in November, shedding light that Google could be moving in a new direction. While this change has been rolling out to more devices in the past few months, the news outlet reports that it’s now picking up more steam.
So, if this is something you have yet to see on any of your devices, you’ve been warned. While the Google Weather app on Android will no longer direct you to the weather forecast that you’re used to, it will redirect you to the Search with weather results. For the most part, this should show you exactly what you need, which means you’ll still be able to get the weather at a glance.
For casual users, this shouldn’t really be a huge issue. It’s just the same information, found in a different environment. The web results present the temperature, hourly changes, along with other details like precipitation, humidity, winds, and more. What will be upsetting to veteran users is that this is just another example of Google closing down another app or service.
It’s unclear why this change is happening with Weather, but if we had to guess, it’s just Google cutting costs, which means there’s less to maintain in the end. After all, despite Google’s wealth and resources, it still costs money to maintain all of its apps and services. So, if you see this change on your phone or tablet, don’t be alarmed, it’s just something new that’s rolling out to users.
Of course, since this is Android, if you need a replacement app, there are plenty available to choose from. While everyone will have their favorites, these apps are just some of the ones we love. If you’re looking for something different, we recommend giving them a try.