FOX Weather: Daily Forecasts

About FOX Weather: Daily Forecasts

I got FOX Weather because a coworker named Jake swore by it after a nasty thunderstorm caught him off guard last summer. I figured, why not try something different from my usual default weather app. Honestly, the forecasts themselves are solid. The temperature readings have been accurate for my area in Chicago, and the precipitation predictions actually matched what I saw outside my window last Tuesday when it started drizzling around 3:15 PM. But here’s the thing — I’m the type of person who reads every permission prompt and taps “Ask App Not to Track” without hesitation. So when I first opened FOX Weather and it immediately asked for my precise location, then my contacts, and then wanted to send me push notifications for everything, I got suspicious. The app works fine for basic weather stuff, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s collecting way more than it needs to.

Features & Highlights

The main draw is the interactive radar map. You can pinch and zoom to see storms rolling in, which saved me during a sudden hailstorm in April. I was at a park near Lincoln Avenue and saw the green blob moving toward me, so I biked home just in time. The 7-day forecast is also handy — it shows highs and lows clearly without clutter. There’s a customizable alert system for severe weather, which I set up for tornado warnings since we get those here. You can save multiple locations, so I’ve got my apartment, my mom’s house in Naperville, and a buddy’s place in Denver. The app also streams FOX Weather TV live, but I barely use that because it eats up data and I don’t need to watch meteorologists on my phone. One thing I was surprised to find: the UV index and air quality info are included, which I use when planning bike rides. But honestly, the feature list is pretty standard for a weather app — nothing groundbreaking beyond the radar.

User Experience

The interface is clean and modern, I’ll give it that. Swiping between the hourly forecast and the 10-day view feels smooth, and there’s no lag on my iPhone 15 Pro. But there’s a learning curve. The settings menu is buried under a hamburger icon, and I spent a good five minutes trying to turn off notifications for “fun weather facts” — yes, that’s a thing. The home screen shows a big temperature and a little weather icon, but it also automatically pulls in news articles from FOX News, which I didn’t ask for. That felt sneaky. Every time I opened the app, there was a banner about some political story or breaking news. I don’t want that mixed with my weather data. It makes the app feel less like a utility and more like a way to push content. Also, on a rainy Saturday morning, the radar froze for about 30 seconds right when I needed to check if I could walk to the farmers market. So it’s not perfect.

Pricing

It’s free. No subscription fee. You can download it, use the radar, get alerts, and check the 7-day forecast without paying a cent. That’s fine for most people. But — and this is a big but — if you want to remove ads, there’s no option. I get a full-screen ad for some car insurance company every time I switch between locations. It’s annoying but not deal-breaking since I’m not paying. There’s no premium tier, no “pro” version. So you’re the product. I’m okay with that to some extent, but the ads interrupt the experience, especially when I’m in a hurry. One time I was checking the radar during a lightning storm and an ad popped up and covered the map for five seconds. That could actually be dangerous if someone’s trying to make a quick decision about going outside.

Updates & Support

I reached out to support once because the app kept crashing every time I tried to load my saved locations. This was around 8 PM on a Wednesday. I submitted a ticket through the app’s help form. I got an automated reply saying they’d get back to me in 24 to 48 hours. I actually waited three days. Then I got a generic response asking if I’d tried restarting my phone. Yes, I tried that before contacting you. The follow-up took another two days, and they basically said “we’re aware of the issue and working on it.” Never got a real fix. The app updates fairly often, but the release notes say stuff like “bug fixes and performance improvements” without explaining what changed. That’s not helpful for a privacy-conscious person like me — I want to know if they changed data collection practices. Overall, support felt like a black hole.

Security & Privacy

This is where I get serious. FOX Weather is made by FOX News Network, LLC. I read their privacy policy, and it’s long and full of legal jargon. They say they collect location data, device identifiers, and usage data. But here’s the part that bugged me: they share data with “affiliates” and “third-party partners” for advertising purposes. The app also uses analytics tools that track what you tap on and how long you spend on each screen. I noticed the app asked for Bluetooth permission — why does a weather app need Bluetooth? I denied it. There’s also a feature that lets you share weather reports to social media, but that’s a separate privacy risk if you’re not careful. I’m not saying they’re doing anything illegal, but for a weather app, it feels invasive. Apple’s App Store privacy label says they collect location, identifiers, and usage data linked to your identity. That’s yellow flag stuff for me. I’d rather use an app that doesn’t tie my weather check to a marketing profile.