Best Weather App for iPhone (2026): 10 Apps Compared

Every iPhone comes with a capable weather app, so the case for another one has to be specific. Maybe you want a rain alert ten minutes before it starts, a chart that shows the whole day at a glance, or a widget that fits your Lock Screen without clutter.

The ten apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from the built-in option to small studios that obsess over design. Each description comes from the app's own App Store listing, re-checked this week. Weather is one of the most useful widgets on an iPhone, and my guide to adding a widget to your home screen shows the basic steps.

iPhone weather apps at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the app's own store listing or site describes free use or a free download, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read. Many free apps carry ads or sell optional upgrades.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
(Not Boring) Weather	Design-led forecast	A fun, simple look	Yes
Apple Weather	Built-in forecast	Already on your iPhone	Yes
CARROT Weather	Personality forecast	Customising every detail	Yes
Clime	Radar app	Live radar and alerts	Yes
Hello Weather	Forecast app	Clean, joyful forecasts	Yes
Mercury Weather	Chart-based forecast	Reading the day at a glance	Yes
Met Office	National service app	UK warnings and forecasts	Yes
RainViewer	Radar app	Knowing when rain starts	Yes
Weather Strip	Timeline forecast	When to go outside	Yes
Weather Underground	Station-based forecast	Neighbourhood-level readings	Yes

Ten weather apps for iPhone

(Not Boring) Weather

Best for: Design fans who want a simple, playful weather app with a look that's unlike anything else on their phone.

Apple Weather

Best for: iPhone owners who want ten-day hourly forecasts, maps and adverse weather notifications without installing anything new.

CARROT Weather

Best for: Power users who want deep customisation, privacy-conscious design and a forecast with a sense of humour.

Clime

Best for: US users who mainly want live radar images and severe weather alerts to keep their family safe.

Hello Weather

Best for: Readers who want a clean, cheerful forecast with hyperlocal real-time info and no clutter.

Mercury Weather

Best for: Visual thinkers who read the day best from beautiful charts of temperature and rain across the hours.

Met Office

Best for: UK users who want forecasts from one hour to seven days ahead plus official weather warnings.

RainViewer

Best for: Dog walkers and cyclists who want to know exactly when rain will arrive, with live radar and alerts.

Weather Strip

Best for: Planners who want a compact timeline of cloud, rain, wind and even auroras to pick the best time outdoors.

Weather Underground

Best for: Neighbourhood-level forecasters who want readings from nearby personal weather stations rather than the closest airport.

How colour-coded weather warnings work

The Met Office gives each warning a colour, yellow, amber or red, based on a combination of how much impact the weather may have and how likely those impacts are.

What that means for you: a yellow warning isn't always minor. It can mean low certainty about something that could cause real disruption. Whichever app you use, open the warning and read what it says rather than judging it by its colour.

Charts, timelines or a classic forecast?

Classic forecast apps show icons for each hour and day. Chart apps draw temperature, rain and wind as lines, so you can see the shape of the day in one glance. Timeline apps squeeze everything into a strip that tells you when it's best to head out.

If you think in pictures, a chart or timeline app can save you scrolling through hour after hour. If you just want the essentials, the built-in app may already be enough.

Getting more from weather on an iPhone

1. Turn on notifications for rain or severe weather at your saved locations.
2. Add a Lock Screen widget so you can check without unlocking.
3. Save a second location for work or family.
4. Check whether your app lets you pick the data source.
5. Use radar before a walk, not just the hourly icons.
6. Keep government alerts switched on in Settings.

Why two apps show different temperatures

Apps pull from different forecast models and observation networks, and some use readings from personal weather stations near you. A station in a sunny garden can read warmer than an official one in an open field. Neither is broken; they're measuring slightly different places.

Lock Screen, widgets and Apple Watch

Weather is one of the few things people check many times a day, so where it lives on your iPhone matters as much as which app you choose. A small Lock Screen widget with the current temperature and rain chance means you rarely need to open anything at all.

If you wear an Apple Watch, a weather complication on your watch face does the same job on your wrist. It's worth checking that your chosen app offers the widget sizes you like, because some focus on the home screen while others are built around the Lock Screen.

Notifications are the other half of the picture. Turn on rain alerts for home and work, keep severe weather alerts on, and switch off anything that pings you without telling you something new.

Do you make a weather app for iPhone? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing an iPhone weather app

Try the built-in app for a week first and notice what annoys you. If it's rain timing, go for a radar or rain-alert app; if it's clutter, a design-led app or timeline will feel calmer; if it's detail, a chart app will suit you.

Then give your choice a home on the Lock Screen, because the best forecast is the one you see without trying. For more free guides, browse my free resources library.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best weather app for iPhone?

It depends on what you check most. The built-in app suits many people; others add a radar, chart or rain-alert app.

Is the built-in iPhone weather app good enough?

For many people, yes. It shows hourly forecasts for the next ten days, maps and adverse weather notifications.

Which weather app is best for rain alerts?

Apps built around radar and nowcasting are the strongest for knowing when rain will start at your location.

Do weather apps on iPhone work with Apple Watch?

Several apps here list Apple Watch support on their App Store pages.

What do yellow, amber and red warnings mean?

They combine how much impact the weather may have with how likely that impact is, so read the warning itself as well as the colour.

Are there weather apps without ads?

Yes. Some apps here describe no ads on their App Store listings.