Google is rolling out a new feature on Google Maps that shows weather information on Android. Whether this is going to take away usage from dedicated weather apps remains to be seen.
Google Maps on iOS displays information about the temperature and air quality index already. Google is now rolling out the same feature to Maps on Android.
A small and easy to overlook widget in the left corner of the screen displays the current temperature and air quality index when enabled. An icon depicts the weather condition, e.g., rain, sun or clouded, and the temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. Below that is the air quality index, again with a quality indicator.
A tap on the widget displays additional information. You get the weather forecast for the next hours among other information, including the chance of rain.
A tap on the air quality section displays an overlay on the map that uses colors to highlight the quality of air in the region.
Google Maps: weather information widget
The weather widget is only displayed when nothing is selected. Once you make a selection, e.g., by tapping on a place, you won’t see the information in Google Maps.
Google seems to roll out the feature over time. If it is not available on a device, you may want to see if you have the latest Google Maps version installed. Also, weather information is not displayed if you select anything on Google Maps or have any character in the search field. You need to clear any character in the search field before the weather widget is displayed.
The display of weather information on Google Maps is useful but also limited. It can be useful, even when you check out a place that is nearby. While the actual temperature or air quality index may not be that useful, the forecast may be. You can now check how the weather is going to be in a few hours.
As for places far away, it can be useful as well, but not as much. The main limitation is that the forecast is limited to the next few hours. It does not help much if you want to visit the place tomorrow or next week.
Tip: users from the European Union may allow or disallow the sharing of data between Google services.
Closing Words
The Android version of Google Maps features the same weather widget as the iOS version now. The information is useful, but it is also limited, which makes it less useful than it could be. A forecast for the next one or two days would improve the usability significantly.
The information seems to be pulled from weather.com, at least that is what Google links to when you open the details view.
The web-based version of Google Maps shows weather information as well.
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