What 1Weather Does and Who It’s For
1Weather is a hyperlocal weather app for Android that bundles hourly and daily forecasts, radar maps, air quality and pollen data, NWS alerts, a sun and moon tracker, and a big library of home screen widgets. With over 185 million installs, it’s aimed at anyone who wants a quick daily weather check plus more detailed tools like storm radar layers and long-range forecasting for planning outdoor activities. It’s a reasonable fit for people who like customizing widgets and want alerts for severe weather in specific saved locations.
Forecast Accuracy and Radar in Daily Use
Several users specifically praise the forecast accuracy, with one reviewer calling the ‘metrics delightfully accurate’ despite other complaints. The radar maps with multiple layers for rain intensity, temperature, humidity, and wind speed give more depth than many basic weather apps, and the NWS alert integration is genuinely useful for tracking storms in real time. For core forecasting, the app appears to deliver on its main promise.
The Widget Problem That Undermines the App’s Purpose
The most repeated complaint across reviews is that the widget simply doesn’t update automatically. Multiple users report having to open the full app and wait for it to load just to see the correct current temperature, which as one reviewer put it, ‘defeats the entire purpose of a widget.’ For an app whose standout feature is supposed to be its customizable widgets in multiple sizes, this is a serious functional failure that shows up again and again in feedback.
Ad Load That Overwhelms the Experience
The ad experience is the app’s biggest liability. Users describe full-screen ads that appear when checking a daily forecast, ads triggered by tapping weather alerts, and forced video ads with tiny or fake close buttons that redirect to advertiser websites instead of dismissing. One reviewer compared it to a ‘Family Guy skit’ where hitting the X imprecisely just reopens the ad, often requiring an app restart. Another noted having to scroll past multiple ads before hitting a timed full-screen ad just to see the forecast. This isn’t occasional banner advertising — it’s described as forcing users to game exit buttons repeatedly.
Uninstall Friction and System Integration Complaints
Multiple reviewers report that the app is difficult or impossible to fully remove, with one stating they ‘couldn’t fully uninstall it because it was pre’ installed, and another noting it’s ‘integrated into my phone’ without their choice. Combined with the ad volume, this creates a frustrating situation where users who dislike the app can’t easily escape it.
Verdict: Who Should Actually Download This
1Weather has solid bones — accurate forecasts, useful radar layers, and legitimate alert coverage — but the widget reliability issues and aggressive ad tactics are dealbreakers for many users based on repeated complaints. If you’re willing to pay to remove ads or can tolerate frequent interruptions just to check the temperature, the core forecasting features hold up. If you rely heavily on widgets for at-a-glance weather or have zero tolerance for forced full-screen ads, you’ll likely be frustrated within the first week of use.
