Android Auto

Android Auto is still waiting for more weather apps – nothing has changed in nearly two years

Ben Schoon | Dec 20 2024 - 3:05 pm PT

Google announced nearly two years ago that weather apps would be coming to Android Auto and Android Automotive, but one of the biggest examples, The Weather Channel, is still missing.

In case you missed it, we’ve been tracking the release of weather apps on Android Auto since 2023.

The first was released in February 2023 in “Weather & Radar” which later picked up a major update on its 1-year anniversary. In February 2024, “MyRadar” became the second major Android Auto weather app release.

Those were actually the result of an “early access” program going on behind the scenes. Google announced this in May 2023, with a “Weather” category would be joining both Android Auto and Android Automotive alongside new app support for conferencing apps (Zoom and Microsoft Teams) as well as IoT apps on both platforms.

In September 2023, Google showed off The Weather Channel app for Android Automotive, the native experience built into cars. That app has not been well-received based on Play Store reviews.

Not much has changed in the time since those announcements.

There aren’t any more notable weather apps available on Android Auto, and The Weather Channel is still missing. It begs the question of whether or not the app will be released at all. Google’s original description in May 2023 noted that the weather app category was in an “early access” program and didn’t clarify whether or not The Weather Channel would be coming to both platforms. As so much time has now passed and the experience is still not live on Android Auto, it seems unlikely that we’ll be seeing it arrive anytime soon, and more likely that it was only ever intended for Automotive.

The IoT category is available for all developers, while weather is in an early access program. In the weather category, The Weather Channel app will join other weather apps like Weather & Radar later this year.

It’s a shame that Google still hasn’t widely opened up support for more weather apps on Android Auto, as it really seems to be holding things back. A page on Google’s website was updated on December 10 where Google reiterates that developers cannot publish weather apps for Android Auto or Android Automotive unless they are a part of the early access program. As far as we can tell, nothing has changed in this regard since Google announced this in mid-2023, and the lack of additional app releases suggests things are moving slowly behind the scenes.

What weather app do you want on Android Auto?