Weather Live review: get beautiful weather forecasts on iOS and Apple TV

IMG_7863

Weather apps are a personal thing. Some people want epic details of radar, Doppler, and real-time satellite views of the clouds rolling in. Others want a minimalist design with nothing but the current temperature.

For those that want something in-between, something that looks good and provides a lot of information, but doesn’t crowd the screen, Weather Live will make you happy. The app was recently updated with support for Apple TV and it looks gorgeous on the big screen. We’ve got a hands-on app review of Weather Live for you today.

Should you bring your umbrella to work?

Whether you just want to get a quick view of the current weather, or want to know if it will rain at 5:00 PM today, this app has got you covered. It provides current conditions, hourly and eight-day forecasts, and a handful of useful bits of data, like the current wind chill and what time the moon will rise.

See the beauty of weather

The most interesting design of this app is that it displays different beautiful moving images, depending on what the conditions are like for the area you are checking. If it is raining, you might see a grassy field at sunset with rain falling across the sky. If it is sunny and clear, you might see a bird’s eye view of the blue sky. Maybe a cloud or two will roll by.

The information overlay is transparent so you can see the data that is important to you, but still get a great view of the background image.

On Apple TV, the scene is expanded to fit the larger screen. Most of the data is to the left side or just below the landscape view, so you can take it all in.

IMG_7857

What’s good for your TV is good for your watch

This app has much of the same features as any great weather app. You can track your current location and set additional ones. You can switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius. You can use the 12 or 24-hour time format.

It also has dozens of additional customizations to give you a more personalized experience. For example, you can show the current temperature as a badge on the app’s icon, get daily notifications about the weather, and even rearrange the placement and format of the different weather parameters.

There are also four different dashboard styles on the iOS app, so you can pick the right layout for your needs.

There is a Notification Center widget, which can be detailed or compact to show more or less information, depending on your preference.

On Apple TV, there are no customizations, other than the ability to add locations and change the temperature and hour format. However, the information on the screen changes regularly to show you the different data parameters. For example, you may not see what time the moon rises on one data set, but when the display switches, you’ll get that additional information.

On Apple TV, you can switch between the different locations using the Siri Remote and select a specific day in the six-day forecast, and check the temperature for each hour of the next 24.

The app is also compatible with Apple Watch. It shows you the weather conditions and daily and hourly forecast for the area you are in. You can add the information to your Glances list and use it as one of your watch face complications (although, it only shows an icon of weather without the temperature).

IMG_7862

The Good

I love looking at this app on my Apple TV. It’s almost mesmerizing. I sometimes leave it on for hours while I’m reading or listening to music.

I also like the detailed customization options for the overlay on iOS. I don’t have much interest in dew point, but I always want to know how windy it is. I like that you can change the dashboard layout with more or less data. If the screen seems too cluttered, switch to a different layout.

The Bad

I would like to see some of the overlay customizations brought to Apple TV. I’d like the ability to change the look when the mood strikes. The Apple TV app also doesn’t sync data with iOS, so you have to add new locations separately.

I prefer the Yahoo Weather Notification Center widget to this one. Considering the company claims this to be “the most beautiful weather app. Ever,” they sure didn’t think much about making the widget look good.

Value

Weather Live costs $2.99. There are a lot of good weather apps out there for free, which makes it difficult to justify spending so much on this. However, it is a very good looking and reliable weather app with a lot of data that you can customize to your personal uses. If you aren’t sure if you want to invest, there is an ad-supported free version that only tracks your current location.

Conclusion

As I previously noted, weather apps are a personal thing. I’ve typically always gone back to Yahoo Weather, even if I like a different weather app a lot simply because it suits me best. However, I could see myself switching to Weather Live on a permanent basis because I love the way it looks, it has a lot of useful features, and connects with Apple Watch with glances and complications. I recommend giving the free version a try to see if it is something that could grow on you. If you already know that the full version is right for you, download it in the App Store here.

Related Apps

We’ve spent time with a lot of weather apps. Check out some of our coverage.