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Universal The best Mac weather app, Forecast Bar, now available on iOS

OfficialForecastBar

OfficialForecastBar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 2, 2016
23
8
Since we launched Forecast Bar for Mac, it has been featured by Apple, Lifehacker, and Macworld (for Mac and iOS) and consistently receives high reviews from our users. Since then, we have heard loud and clear from our users that they would like to see Forecast Bar for their iPhone. For the last few months, we’ve been hard at work to deliver on that request. We are extremely excited to introduce Forecast Bar for iOS, a modern, fully-featured weather app powered by Forecast.io.

The app is available now in the iOS App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forecast-bar-weather-powered/id1057030968?ls=1&mt=8

O4Y3mgo.jpg



Forecast Bar for iOS brings the best parts of our Mac app to iPhone, iPad and Watch with a redesigned touch-friendly interface:
  • An easy to read overview of the upcoming week’s weather
  • Simple to understand hour-by-hour weather breakdowns
  • Minute-by-minute rain forecasts powered by Forecast.io
  • Get a daily weather forecast delivered to you each morning
  • Precise location using GPS leading to even more accurate hyper-local weather
  • Animated radar provided by Aeris Weather
  • Automatic dark mode based on your screen brightness
  • Choose from a variety of community created Icon Sets and Background Packs
  • Time Machine to check weather up to 70 years in the future or past
  • Severe weather alerts provided by the U.S. National Weather Service
  • Share forecasts with friends and family through Twitter, Facebook, iMessage and more
  • Gorgeous images matching the weather which change the feel of the app
  • Give personal names to your locations (i.e. Mom’s House)
For iPhone 6S and 6S+:
  • Quick Actions to jump to recent cities, or to check weather at a new location
  • Peek and Pop to view details about the upcoming week
For Apple Watch:
  • A native watchOS 2 app and Glance
  • 30+ complications to customize (additional purchase required for background updates)
For iPad:
  • Multi-tasking support with Slide Over
  • Landscape and portrait orientation support
Get it now in the App Store! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forecast-bar-weather-powered/id1057030968?ls=1&mt=8

We would greatly appreciate hearing your feedback and any thoughts you have on the app! You can also learn more about Forecast Bar for Mac and Forecast Bar for Apple TV at our website: http://forecastbar.com
 
Last edited:
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Ok so humor me. How often are the "background updates" you need to buy for $3.99 a year vs not buying them? I would want my location data and weather data to update every 30 mins or so on the watch complication.
 
dictoresno said:
Ok so humor me. How often are the "background updates" you need to buy for $3.99 a year vs not buying them? I would want my location data and weather data to update every 30 mins or so on the watch complication.
Click to expand...

They are currently every 45 minutes. We started with 30 but that resulted in unacceptable battery drain on the watch.
 
So 45 with or without the paid update. If without, how often are then. A competing weather app offers 30 minute updates on the complication and watch for $1.99 a year.
 
dictoresno said:
Does the watch complication support location information?
Click to expand...

Background updates is a paid feature (because it costs us quite a bit) at 45 minute intervals, all day every day. Without the background update upgrade the complications will update whenever you open the app.

The app uses background location updates from your phone to always keep the location up to date so your weather updates are always at the current location (you need to enable background location updates on your phone for this to work, of course).

Hope that helps!
 
Ok so the first year is included in the purchase price? I'm being prompted to purchase the background update upgrade right after I paid $3.99 for the app. If this is requiring another purchase on top, I think I'll take my refund. As stated, another app using forecast.io is only charging $1.99 a year for updates.
0e8fad6dc93602849f1449a9e6a04f20.jpg
 
dictoresno said:
Ok so the first year is included in the purchase price? I'm being prompted to purchase the background update upgrade right after I paid $3.99 for the app. If this is requiring another purchase on top, I think I'll take my refund. As stated, another app using forecast.io is only charging $1.99 a year for updates.
Click to expand...

The watch background updates are a separate purchase as we don't want to impose that cost on people without an Apple Watch.

We aren't aiming to be the cheapest solution--we are aiming to be the best.
 
OfficialForecastBar said:
The watch background updates are a separate purchase as we don't want to impose that cost on people without an Apple Watch.

We aren't aiming to be the cheapest solution--we are aiming to be the best.
Click to expand...

Ok then I misread. Your App Store description states "purchase includes one year FULL access" so I thought that meant for the background updates but now I see your description above here states watch access is extra. A little misleading. You're saying the app itself requires a yearly subscription of $3.99????? I would never have purchased. Can I delete it and get a refund? The wording on the App Store makes it sound like everything comes with the original purchase. I'm not paying $3.99 a year for the app then another $3.99 for the watch updates.

$3.99 doesn't get me "full access" at all, according to the wording. It mentions nothing about needing to purchase the watch updates separate.
 
dictoresno said:
Ok then I misread. Your App Store description states "purchase includes one year access" so I thought that meant for the background updates but now I see your description above here states watch access is extra. A little misleading. You're saying the app itself requires a yearly subscription of $3.99????? I would never have purchased. Can I delete it and get a refund? The wording on the App Store makes it sound like everything comes with the original purchase. I'm not paying $3.99 a year for the app then another $3.99 for the watch updates.
Click to expand...

If you don't find Forecast Bar to be worth it for you, you can email Apple to request a refund. They do not make it possible for developers to do so.

That said, we aren't trying to be misleading at all, which is why it's all described in the App Store. We are a premium product, relying on several premium, expensive data providers, and are constantly working to add new features and improvements. One example of that is severe weather push notifications which we have currently in alpha testing to be released shortly. Our aim is to be the most fully weathered, yet clean and simple to use weather app available.
 
OfficialForecastBar said:
If you don't find Forecast Bar to be worth it for you, you can email Apple to request a refund. They do not make it possible for developers to do so.

That said, we aren't trying to be misleading at all, which is why it's all described in the App Store. We are a premium product, relying on several premium, expensive data providers, and are constantly working to add new features and improvements. One example of that is severe weather push notifications which we have currently in alpha testing to be released shortly. Our aim is to be the most fully weathered, yet clean and simple to use weather app available.
Click to expand...

I understand that, as a competing weather app uses the same model. There's a purchase price up front, no subscriptions UNLESS you want the extra background updates for the watch which is $1.99 yearly. The issue I have is this....

Your App Store description states "purchase includes one year full access. After a year you can renew via an in app purchase". You never explain what the full access is or means. To me, it means all access to all features. Nothing in your app description states "except watch background updates".

Your description on macrumors is different and states "additional purchase required for background updates"

Maybe you aren't trying to mislead, but your wording is vague and you need to lay out for everyone plain and simple.

This app costs $3.99. Then pay another $3.99 for watch background updates. Then, every year you must pay the same amount or at least another $3.99 for the app to work.

Because of your vague App Store wording, I just paid $3.99 for an app I do not want to pay $3.99 every year for in order for it to work. And I bought it under the impression that "full access" means just that.
 
dictoresno said:
I understand that, as a competing weather app uses the same model. There's a purchase price up front, no subscriptions UNLESS you want the extra background updates for the watch which is $1.99 yearly. The issue I have is this....

Your App Store description states "purchase includes one year full access. After a year you can renew via an in app purchase". You never explain what the full access is or means. To me, it means all access to all features. Nothing in your app description states "except watch background updates".

Your description on macrumors is different and states "additional purchase required for background updates"

Maybe you aren't trying to mislead, but your wording is vague and you need to lay out for everyone plain and simple.

This app costs $3.99. Then pay another $3.99 for watch background updates. Then, every year you must pay the same amount or at least another $3.99 for the app to work.
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out. We've updated our App Store description to make that more clear. If you send me a PM I'd be glad to see if I can help further.
 
cerberusss said:
When you got a cup of coffee with a piece of cake $5.50, have you ever told the barista about your financial dire straits?
Click to expand...

I don't get my coffee at Starbucks so no, I haven't. But if you'd like, I can PM you all my life complaints and you can offer me life advice for $3.99 a year and $3.99 in in-PM purchases.

On a side note, I spoke with the devs and settled our current differences in views. But thanks for checking in on me.
 
Your App Store description mentions that local severe weather reports are available only in the US. Does everything else work everywhere in the world?

One of the reasons why I thought Dark Skies isn't available in Europe was that they can't for some reason handle the hyperlocal, up-to-the-minute rain forecasting over here. Can Weather Bar?
 
I'm really liking the app! Are there any plans to support time travel on the Apple Watch in the future? Currently, if I rotate the crown, the complication does not change to display the upcoming temperature.
 
Puonti said:
Your App Store description mentions that local severe weather reports are available only in the US. Does everything else work everywhere in the world?

One of the reasons why I thought Dark Skies isn't available in Europe was that they can't for some reason handle the hyperlocal, up-to-the-minute rain forecasting over here. Can Weather Bar?
Click to expand...

We use the same data as Dark Sky, and it is largely U.S. only for the minute-to-minute rain, but we have also seen it working in other international locations.
[doublepost=1457298153][/doublepost]
colburnr said:
It does...
9ad72020e295342cbd32382ad78b5255.jpg
Click to expand...

Where available, the widget also shows minute-by-minute rain charts when precipitation is forecast in the next hour.
[doublepost=1457298184][/doublepost]
eliehass said:
I'm really liking the app! Are there any plans to support time travel on the Apple Watch in the future? Currently, if I rotate the crown, the complication does not change to display the upcoming temperature.
Click to expand...

D'oh--that should already be working! We will take a look and get it fixed up either way.
[doublepost=1457298217][/doublepost]
geta said:
Tnx for the pic, i was hoping it will show the location name as well as switching option between locations...
Click to expand...

Very good idea. We'll see if this will make sense for us to add, but today location switching for the widget is done from the app preferences.
[doublepost=1457298665][/doublepost]We're working on some big updates, and would love some dedicated beta testers! If you are interested either post or PM your Apple ID and we will get you added!
 
OfficialForecastBar said:
We use the same data as Dark Sky, and it is largely U.S. only for the minute-to-minute rain, but we have also seen it working in other international locations.
[doublepost=1457298153][/doublepost]

Where available, the widget also shows minute-by-minute rain charts when precipitation is forecast in the next hour.
[doublepost=1457298184][/doublepost]

D'oh--that should already be working! We will take a look and get it fixed up either way.
[doublepost=1457298217][/doublepost]

Very good idea. We'll see if this will make sense for us to add, but today location switching for the widget is done from the app preferences.
[doublepost=1457298665][/doublepost]We're working on some big updates, and would love some dedicated beta testers! If you are interested either post or PM your Apple ID and we will get you added!
Click to expand...

PM sent..
 
Not bad but a bit different. Comparing it to BeWeather which is currently my default.
One note - I did forego the automatic location as like most weather apps it chooses the incorrect spot. Not a big distance in miles as the crow flies but is frequently significantly different.
 
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