Is there a privacy aware weather app?

I just want the weather.
But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.

I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a few
zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to them.

No ads either.
What privacy aware weather app do you use?

In article <tonsrg$2aia1$1@news.mixmin.net>, Gronk
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> I just want the weather.
> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.

weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
needed, which can be done via other methods.

> I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a few
> zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to them.

you could do that, although it won't do much to further your goal.

nospam wrote:

>> I just want the weather.
>> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
>
> weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
> need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
> needed, which can be done via other methods.

I think that may be wrong because all the weather apps I've seen use the
GPS location to automatically determine where you are to deliver weather.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.accuweather.android

>
>> I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a few
>> zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to them.
>
> you could do that, although it won't do much to further your goal.

This app has a setting which can turn off the automatic GPS search though.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.vazquezsoftware.weatheralarms

I'm looking for an app that sends alerts of rain or inclement weather
for a set group of locations.

Do you know of any non-GPS weather app to get weather alarms?

In article <top0ge$2gdi0$1@news.mixmin.net>, Gronk
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>
> >> I just want the weather.
> >> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
> >
> > weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
> > need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
> > needed, which can be done via other methods.
>
> I think that may be wrong because all the weather apps I've seen use the
> GPS location to automatically determine where you are to deliver weather.

it's not wrong and as usual, you're confused. again, weather apps do
not need the accuracy of a gps. it's not as if the weather will be
different across the street or two blocks away.

> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.accuweather.android

that states it uses approximate location, as well as collect it from
users. approximate location is sufficient for weather and why would you
even consider an app that collected data, given your deep paranoia?

> >> I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a few
> >> zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to them.
> >
> > you could do that, although it won't do much to further your goal.
>
> This app has a setting which can turn off the automatic GPS search though.
>
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.vazquezsoftware.weatheralar
> ms

it does say gps in the description, however, he is likely confusing
that with location services in general.

if the app really does use the gps, then it's best avoided since the
gps is a battery drain and obtaining a fix is not always possible, plus
the developer is clueless.

> I'm looking for an app that sends alerts of rain or inclement weather
> for a set group of locations.

there is ample evidence to suggest otherwise.

> Do you know of any non-GPS weather app to get weather alarms?

yes.

nospam wrote:

>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.accuweather.android
>
> that states it uses approximate location, as well as collect it from
> users. approximate location is sufficient for weather

Did you install that "AccuWeather" app?
What's the first thing it asked for?

>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.vazquezsoftware.weatheralar
>> ms
>
> it does say gps in the description, however, he is likely confusing
> that with location services in general.

Did you install that "Weather Alerts" app?
What does it say in the "Location mode" settings field?

> if the app really does use the gps, then it's best avoided since the
> gps is a battery drain and obtaining a fix is not always possible, plus
> the developer is clueless.

Thank you for your help which I've looked again and found that both apps
want the GPS to be on but both will then accept a zip code as the location.

What I'm seeking is a good weather app that has no ads and that can provide
alerts for upcoming inclement weather over the next day or two.

>> Do you know of any non-GPS weather app to get weather alarms?
>
> yes.

Which weather app do you suggest that is free without ads & has alerts?

"Gronk" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote

| Is there a privacy aware weather app?
| | I just want the weather.
| But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
|

There may be an app, but many of them get paid by selling
your data, so it's not just a matter of whether they need GPS.
It's a world of sleaze.

I don't know whether this will work for you, but it's what
I use on my computer and would use if I wanted whether on
my cellphone:

https://www.weather.gov/

That's the horse's mouth. NOAA. Once you enter a zip code
you get a detailed 7 day forecast. You can then save that
link for next time. www.aviationweather.gov/radar will get you
to the live NOAA radar maps, which you can load by region to
see exactly where and how heavy approaching rain is.

No ads. No nonsense. No kiddie version of a weather report.
But it does require starting a browser and clicking a bookmark.
A bit more work then just clicking an icon.

On 2022-12-31 01:29, nospam wrote:
> In article <tonsrg$2aia1$1@news.mixmin.net>, Gronk
> <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> I just want the weather.
>> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
>
> weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
> need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
> needed, which can be done via other methods.

It is true they don't need the GPS, but they do ask for it. Currently in
Android the permission is for "Location", it doesn't differentiate if it
is GPS or network. Older Android versions did.

Some also use it to tailor adds.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

On 2022-12-31 00:39, Gronk wrote:
> Is there a privacy aware weather app?
>
> I just want the weather.
> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
>
> I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a
> few zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to
> them.
>
> No ads either.
> What privacy aware weather app do you use?

You have not said country.
Well, in Spain the national weather agency has such an app. It can use
the current location, of you can configure the location. The location is
only used by your phone, it is not reported neither stored.

There is just a query to the server to find out what weather point is
nearer to your location (maybe it downloads a list of places with their
coordinates), and then the app queries the weather for that location.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

On 30/12/2022 23:39, Gronk wrote:
> Is there a privacy aware weather app?
>
> I just want the weather.
> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
>
> I don't know how to maintain privacy but I guess I'd want to put in a few
> zip codes, some of which are wrong, to obscure my real location to them.
>
> No ads either.
> What privacy aware weather app do you use?

I use Netweather Radar. You can turn location off. You can also enter a
location (in the UK this is a post code - similar to a zip code in the
USA). In settings you can request the weather forecast for a specific
location. You can also set rain or snow alarms.

Might be worth a try - you can always uninstall it if it doesn't suit you.

--

Jeff

On Sat, 31 Dec 2022 05:38:25 -0500, nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid>
wrote:

>In article <top0ge$2gdi0$1@news.mixmin.net>, Gronk
><invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>
>> >> I just want the weather.
>> >> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
>> >
>> > weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
>> > need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
>> > needed, which can be done via other methods.
>>
>> I think that may be wrong because all the weather apps I've seen use the
>> GPS location to automatically determine where you are to deliver weather.
>
>it's not wrong and as usual, you're confused. again, weather apps do
>not need the accuracy of a gps. it's not as if the weather will be
>different across the street or two blocks away.

Sometimes it is different. For example, when it rains, it doesn't rain
everywhere, and there's always a boundary between where its raining
and where it isn't, so it could be raining on one side of the street,
but not the other.

But yes, that level of precision isn't needed and is never supplied.

In article <top7oe$2hniv$1@news.mixmin.net>, Gronk
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>
> Thank you for your help which I've looked again and found that both apps
> want the GPS to be on but both will then accept a zip code as the location.

they don't use the gps to determine location.

> What I'm seeking is a good weather app that has no ads and that can provide
> alerts for upcoming inclement weather over the next day or two.

mostly rainy, except for sunday.

In article <u3q58jx1u2.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>, Carlos E.R.
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

> >> I just want the weather.
> >> But I don't want the app to use my GPS to locate me.
> >
> > weather apps do not use gps to determine location because there's no
> > need for that level of accuracy. an approximate location is all that's
> > needed, which can be done via other methods.
>
> It is true they don't need the GPS, but they do ask for it. Currently in
> Android the permission is for "Location", it doesn't differentiate if it
> is GPS or network. Older Android versions did.

correct. it asks for location to obtain the weather for where the user
actually is.

location *can* include the gps if that level of accuracy is needed, but
for weather apps, it's not.

In article <topd6m$11623$1@dont-email.me>, Mayayana
<mayayana@invalid.nospam> wrote:

>
> That's the horse's mouth. NOAA. Once you enter a zip code
> you get a detailed 7 day forecast. You can then save that
> link for next time. www.aviationweather.gov/radar will get you
> to the live NOAA radar maps, which you can load by region to
> see exactly where and how heavy approaching rain is.
>
> No ads. No nonsense. No kiddie version of a weather report.

you've clearly never used a weather app. they're anything but 'kiddie'.
some are *very* sophisticated.

> But it does require starting a browser and clicking a bookmark.
> A bit more work then just clicking an icon.

a bookmark can be saved as an icon, so no additional work to use it,
although the results may not be as good as a dedicated app designed
specifically for mobile devices.

In article <v9l0rhhc17o8ph45o3mfel3ipdr08m9vrv@4ax.com>, Ken Blake
<Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote:

> >> I think that may be wrong because all the weather apps I've seen use the
> >> GPS location to automatically determine where you are to deliver weather.
> >
> >it's not wrong and as usual, you're confused. again, weather apps do
> >not need the accuracy of a gps. it's not as if the weather will be
> >different across the street or two blocks away.
>
> Sometimes it is different. For example, when it rains, it doesn't rain
> everywhere, and there's always a boundary between where its raining
> and where it isn't, so it could be raining on one side of the street,
> but not the other.

it's not a binary rain/dry. the weather would go from dry to drizzly to
rainy over a distance. it also moves, so where it was dry might soon be
wet.

Jeff Layman wrote:

> I use Netweather Radar. You can turn location off.

It's not in this list.
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Netweather%20Radar&c=apps
Do you have a link to the app on google play?

Gronk wrote:

>> I use Netweather Radar. You can turn location off.
>
> It's not in this list.
> https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Netweather%20Radar&c=apps
> Do you have a link to the app on google play?

Found it outside of the google play store search using duck duck go.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.netweather.netweatherradar&hl=en&gl=US

Works only for the UK.

On Sat, 31 Dec 2022 10:52:20 -0500, nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid>
wrote:

>In article <v9l0rhhc17o8ph45o3mfel3ipdr08m9vrv@4ax.com>, Ken Blake
><Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote:
>
>> >> I think that may be wrong because all the weather apps I've seen use the
>> >> GPS location to automatically determine where you are to deliver weather.
>> >
>> >it's not wrong and as usual, you're confused. again, weather apps do
>> >not need the accuracy of a gps. it's not as if the weather will be
>> >different across the street or two blocks away.
>>
>> Sometimes it is different. For example, when it rains, it doesn't rain
>> everywhere, and there's always a boundary between where its raining
>> and where it isn't, so it could be raining on one side of the street,
>> but not the other.
>
>it's not a binary rain/dry. the weather would go from dry to drizzly to
>rainy over a distance.

Often, but not always, I've seen binary situations.

>it also moves, so where it was dry might soon be
>wet.

Yes.

On 31/12/2022 17:04, Gronk wrote:
> Gronk wrote:
>
>>> I use Netweather Radar. You can turn location off.
>>
>> It's not in this list.
>> https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Netweather%20Radar&c=apps
>> Do you have a link to the app on google play?
>
> Found it outside of the google play store search using duck duck go.
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.netweather.netweatherradar&hl=en&gl=US
>
> Works only for the UK.

That's a pity. I installed it 15 months ago.

--

Jeff