Most of the best Android weather apps in 2026 are not in the Play Store. Some pulled themselves out to escape Google’s policy tightening around location background access, some are ROM-specific builds that never listed, and a few (Pixel Weather being the well-known one) are locked to a single OEM until someone posts the APK. The upside is that installing an APK on Android is now a two-tap process, and the sideload weather scene has quietly grown up.
We tested six weather apps that live outside the Play Store. Every one of them ships as a signed APK, most of them are on F-Droid, and none of them serve ads or run behavioural analytics on you. Enable “install unknown apps” for your browser or your F-Droid client of choice and every one of these installs in under a minute.
What matters in a sideloaded weather app
- Signed reproducible builds. F-Droid’s build server produces reproducible builds you can verify. Random APK-mirror uploads deserve more scrutiny.
- No account, no ads. The reason to leave the Play Store is often to leave the tracking behind. A sideload app that adds its own analytics defeats the point.
- Widget quality. The pre-installed weather widget on Pixel or Samsung is what you are replacing. If the sideload widget is worse, nothing else matters.
- Multiple data sources. Open-Meteo, MET Norway, and NWS in the US are the free, no-key sources most FOSS apps use. Being able to pick the source per location matters.
- Notification and alert control. Silent weather is not a feature; being able to turn on severe-weather alerts without turning on ambient noise is.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Where to install from | Free plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breezy Weather | Overall pick | F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, GitHub APK | Free, open-source | Multiple sources, gorgeous widgets |
| Forecastie | Minimal, older Android | F-Droid | Free, open-source | Runs on Android 5.1+ |
| Good Weather | Simple widget + notification | F-Droid | Free, open-source | From WHOBirdApps |
| Fossify Weather | Simple Weather fork with no telemetry | F-Droid, GitHub APK | Free, open-source | Part of the Fossify suite |
| OMNI Jaws | LineageOS and Omni users | ROM add-on | Free, open-source | Uses ROM location provider |
| Pixel Weather | Non-Pixel devices | APKMirror sideload | Free | Google’s own app on Pixel |
The apps
1. Breezy Weather, the pick most sideload users end on
Breezy Weather is the descendant of Geometric Weather and is what most people mean when they say “the good FOSS weather app.” It supports Open-Meteo, MET Norway, HERE, WMO Severe Weather Watch, and half a dozen other data sources, and lets you set a different source per location. The stock widget set is the best-looking of anything on this list. The build is signed and reproducible on F-Droid.
Where it falls short: The initial “add a location and pick a source” flow is denser than the Play Store weather apps most users know. iOS-style AirPlay is not on offer.
Pricing:
- Free and open-source (LGPL).
- No paid tier.
Platforms: Android 5.0+.
Bottom line: The default answer to “what should I install now that I have F-Droid?”
2. Forecastie, the classic for older phones
Forecastie is the older F-Droid staple that predates Breezy Weather. It uses OpenWeatherMap by default (bring your own key) and now supports MET Norway too. The app is tiny, runs on Android 5.1, and has one of the smallest APKs on this list. On a hand-me-down phone or a spare device that mostly displays a weather widget on a table, Forecastie is the sensible choice.
Where it falls short: Requires you to sign up for a free OpenWeatherMap API key on first launch (a fifteen-second detour). No animated backgrounds. UI has not been redesigned in a few years.
Pricing:
- Free and open-source.
- No paid tier.
Platforms: Android 5.1+.
Bottom line: The pick for spare and older phones where Breezy Weather feels heavy.
3. Good Weather, small widget with the essentials
Good Weather by WHOBirdApps focuses on the widget above all else. Add the widget to your homescreen, pick your city, and the forecast updates on a schedule you set. The full-screen view is minimal but readable. The whole app is under 5 MB.
Where it falls short: Very intentionally minimal. No radar view. Notifications are limited to daily forecast summaries, not severe alerts.
Pricing:
- Free and open-source.
- No paid tier.
Platforms: Android 5.0+.
Bottom line: The right pick when the whole point is a homescreen widget that stays out of your way.
4. Fossify Weather, the Simple Weather successor
Fossify Weather is part of the Fossify suite, the community fork of the discontinued Simple Mobile Tools family. It looks and feels like the Simple Weather app long-time users remember: clean typography, minimal chrome, no analytics, no in-app purchases. The forecast is powered by Open-Meteo, which needs no API key.
Where it falls short: No radar. Limited to Open-Meteo as the data source. Some countries’ data quality varies with the underlying model.
Pricing:
- Free and open-source.
- No paid tier.
Platforms: Android 7.0+.
Bottom line: The natural pick for anyone who liked Simple Weather and wants the same feel without abandoned code.
5. OMNI Jaws, the ROM-native option
OMNI Jaws is the weather service and widget bundled with OmniROM and available as an add-on on LineageOS. If you already run a custom ROM, Jaws integrates with the ROM’s location provider and lockscreen widget system in a way no sideload app can. It uses the ROM’s cached location instead of asking for permission per app.
Where it falls short: Not useful on stock Android. Installation flow differs by ROM and version, so first-time setup requires reading the ROM’s docs. Interface is functional rather than pretty.
Pricing:
- Free and open-source.
- Ships as part of OmniROM or as an add-on on LineageOS.
Platforms: Android (LineageOS, OmniROM, and forks).
Download: Comes with OmniROM. LineageOS add-on: download.omnirom.org and community Magisk/KernelSU modules
Bottom line: The right pick if you already run a custom ROM and want a lockscreen weather that respects your existing location setup.
6. Pixel Weather, sideloaded onto non-Pixel devices
Pixel Weather is Google’s own weather app on Pixel devices, and it is not listed for other Android phones. The APK is regularly mirrored on APKMirror and installs on most Android 12+ devices without root. The AI-generated hourly summaries, the widget set, and the radar view are all reasons Pixel users like it. Getting them on a non-Pixel phone is a two-minute exercise.
Where it falls short: Google could break sideload compatibility at any time. The AI-generated summaries need an internet connection. On non-Pixel devices some widget colours pick up the system theme in slightly off ways.
Pricing:
- Free.
- No paid tier.
Platforms: Android 12+ (on non-Pixel devices via APK).
Download: APK from apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/pixel-weather (mirror; check signature against Google’s before installing)
Bottom line: The way to get Pixel Weather’s widgets on any modern Android device.
How to pick the right one
- If you can only install one → Breezy Weather. Most polished, most sources, best widgets.
- If the phone is old or small → Forecastie. Runs on Android 5.1 in under 5 MB.
- If you just want a widget → Good Weather. Widget first, everything else second.
- If you liked Simple Weather → Fossify Weather. Same feel, active fork.
- If you run LineageOS or Omni → OMNI Jaws. Ships with the ROM.
- If you want the Pixel Weather widget on a non-Pixel → sideload Pixel Weather from APKMirror.
For most users the answer is Breezy Weather. For a spare-phone widget, Good Weather.
FAQ
Is sideloading a weather app safe?
Yes, if you install from a trusted source. F-Droid builds are reproducible and signed by the F-Droid build server. IzzyOnDroid is a well-run additional repo maintained by a long-time community member. APKMirror verifies signatures against the original developer’s key. Random uploaders on file-sharing sites are the risk to avoid, not sideloading itself.
Why is Pixel Weather not on the Play Store for non-Pixel phones?
Because Google positions Pixel Weather as a first-party feature of Pixel devices, similar to how Recorder and Pixel Studio stay Pixel-exclusive as a selling point. The APK works on non-Pixel devices because Google has not added any hardware gating; only the Play Store distribution is restricted.
Do these apps need location permissions?
Yes, but you can grant “only while using the app” instead of “all the time” and every app on this list still functions. Widget-only users can pin a city manually and grant no location permission at all.
What is the best free weather data source?
For hobbyist use, Open-Meteo (no key, no attribution required for personal use) and MET Norway (attribution required, no key) are the two most reliable free sources. Both are supported by Breezy Weather and Good Weather. In the US, the National Weather Service’s Forecast API is free and needs no key.
Does F-Droid update sideloaded apps automatically?
The F-Droid client checks for updates and prompts you when new versions are available. On Android 12 and later, the OS may require you to confirm each update because sideloaded apps are treated as “installed from unknown sources.” F-Droid Basic (a variant with fewer permissions) reduces this friction on newer Android versions.
