Apple has just acquired weather app developer Dark Sky, in what appears to be the tech giant’s first weather acquisition. Dark Sky’s developer announced the deal in a blog post to let customers know what’s happening.
Apple buys Dark Sky Weather app, ruins it for Android
What’s next? The current iOS app is unchanged for the time being and will continue to be available for purchase in the App Store. Unfortunately, you can no longer download the Android (or Wear OS) version of the app going forward. Service for existing users will continue until July 1, 2020, at which point the app will no longer work. All subscribers at that point will be refunded.
And what about their famous API? The web app and API systems will continue to function after July 1st to support API and iOS app users, but weather forecasts, maps, and embeds will only work until then. The API itself will not accept new signups, but “will continue to function until the end of 2021.”
The bottom line: If you’re using the API to control smart home features, as some of our own employees do, it’s probably time to look for a new service. If you’re an Android or Wear OS user, you might want to check out the competition at this point, too.
