It wasn’t that long ago that Android phones came without pre-installed weather apps. Now, every Galaxy and Pixel phone comes with a stock weather widget on the home screen, and many people simply never bother to download a different one. I’m here to tell you you’re missing out.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who uses a smartphone and doesn’t check the weather on it, so it makes sense that weather apps have become a core part of the stock experience. Some of these apps are quite good, others are pretty lackluster. Regardless, there’s a huge selection of diverse and delightful weather apps in the Play Store waiting to be discovered.

Stock weather apps are made for basic needs

A nice way of saying “boring”

Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek

Here’s the thing about stock apps: they’re intentionally basic. That’s not to say they’re inherently bad. As I said, some are quite good. The fact is they’re made for everyone, and that brings certain limitations. It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s Good Lock suite offers the most interesting and powerful features—it’s not something the average person knows about.

In the same way that Samsung doesn’t put all the Good Lock options in the main Settings app, stock weather apps often miss out on more advanced features. Most people simply want to check the current temperature, hourly and daily forecast, chance of rain, and maybe a few extras like humidity and the UV index. So, that’s what most stock weather apps provide. The bare essentials.

If you happen to use Samsung or Google’s stock weather app and it does everything you need, I’m not here to tell you that’s a bad thing. In fact, it’s great—another app you can avoid downloading. However, if you have more than a passing interest in the weather, there’s a whole world of apps that you’re missing out on.

Specialization sets third-party apps apart

A weather app for your individual preferences

Phone makers like Samsung and Google need to make sure their weather app appeals to the lowest common denominator, but a third-party app developer has the freedom to do whatever they want. As a result, you can find an app that focuses on just about any part of the weather you can imagine.

A perfect example is weather radar maps. This is something that stock apps often lack, but some people are downright obsessed with checking the radar. An excellent Android app called MyRadar Weather puts radar maps front and center. It includes several different maps to choose from and various data layers that can be overlaid on top. There’s even a Wear OS app for viewing radar on your wrist.

Weather apps typically need location access, and that comes with some concerns. No worries, there are weather apps for the privacy-conscious. Breezy Weather is a free, open-source weather app available from F-Droid that doesn’t collect any personal data or include trackers. The free weather sources provide all the typical weather data you’d expect, and it has a nice, clean Material-like design.

What about widgets? Many of us interact with weather apps almost exclusively through a widget on the home screen. This is another area where stock apps can be unimaginative. Meanwhile, Overdrop is a weather app that includes over 70 home screen widgets in a wide array of designs. Access to the full library of widgets doesn’t come for free, mind you, but if home screen aesthetics are important, it’s well worth it.

Then there’s an app called CARROT Weather, which sits in a category of its own. This app has a smooth, minimal design and plenty of data to pore over, but the star of the show is the bizarre way that forecasts are given. On a beautiful day, it might say, “It’s perfectly nice out right now because recenge is a dish best served cold.” Or you might see, “It’s a bright, sun-shiny day! Haha, just kidding. It’s raining.” It’s a fun, irreverent way to get the weather.

Don’t let your phone maker decide your experience

The weather apps mentioned above are an incredibly small selection from the Play Store’s massive catalog. The point isn’t to switch to one of the apps above—it’s to explore what’s out there. Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy or a Google Pixel, it was set up in the manufacturer’s vision. Their wallpaper, their widgets, their settings, and their apps. Some of those apps may be perfect for your needs, but it’s important to remember there are so many other options available.