Apple buys popular weather app, Dark Sky — Android app will shut down

By Luke Filipowicz
last updated

Apple buys popular weather app, Dark Sky — Android app will shut down
Apple buys popular weather app, Dark Sky — Android app will shut down (Image credit: Joseph Keller/iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple has purchased Dark Sky.
  • The iOS app will remain unaffected for the time being.
  • The Android app is no longer available for download and will shut down on July 1, 2020.

Dark Sky is an immensely popular weather app for local weather, and in a blog post released today, Dark Sky announced it's joining Apple.

"Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy. There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone."

Dark Sky's hyper-local forecasts have been available on iOS and Android for years now, but with this recent acquisition, there are changes afoot.

The iOS app will remain unaffected for now and continue to be available for download; however, the Android app will not be so lucky.

"The (Android) app will no longer be available for download. Service to existing users and subscribers will continue until July 1, 2020, at which point the app will be shut down. Subscribers who are still active at that time will receive a refund."

The company also announced that the website forecasts, maps, and embeds will continue until July 1, 2020, as well; however, the website will remain active "beyond that time" for API and iOS app support.

As for its API service, which it provides to plently of users and developers alike, it will end at the end of next year.

"Our API service for existing customers is not changing today, but we will no longer accept new signups. The API will continue to function through the end of 2021."

It will be interesting to see how Apple incorporates Dark Sky into its services and just how many changes we may see to the Apple Weather app. Frankly, the Apple Weather app is pretty lackluster, and I hope this acquisition sparks a new redesign and increased features on future iOS builds.

Luke Filipowicz
Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.

5 Comments
  • I have found Dark Sky to be the best weather app. It seems to be way more accurate than the ones my wife uses. I also like the time machine where you can look at the weather from any past date. It also includes more data such as pressure, UV, Cloud Cover, Dew Point, Humidity, Wind, Wind Gust, .., etc. ... With a nice split out across days and hours of day.
  • Great news! Looking forward to the integration etc.
  • I was skeptical about the Workflow acquisition initially but that has worked out well.
    I feel the fears that Apple has plans for a weather subscription are a bit unfounded. Apple doesn’t offer a subscription to their map data. And developers are free to integrate Apple Maps into their apps and websites.
    I suspect Apple has learned the value of owning data sources from their experience with Maps. Weather is integrated into the app itself, Siri, Maps, Calendar, Activity, and could be useful in AR applications as well.
    I’m also (selfishly) not too torn up about dropping Android support. The accuracy of Dark Sky dropped substantially when they opened it up to Android. My guess is Android device data is less consistent due to the variety of sensors used across devices.
  • "The accuracy of Dark Sky dropped substantially when they opened it up to Android." Says ... nobody at all but you.
  • I'm pretty sure if Dark Sky does use device data to help build weather data, that they would only use the data if it matched on multiple devices, rather than allowing anomalous data from a single device