Dark Sky users are in for a bad surprise: The popular weather app Apple bought in March 2020 has now been officially shut down. A notification on the app’s homepage indicates that Dark Sky will be removed from service as of January 1, 2023,, as its forecasting technology is now integrated with Apple’s Weather app.
The news is not surprising but it is disappointing.
After the acquisition, Apple immediately shut down the Android and WearOS versions of Dark Sky. It also announced that it would no longer accept signups to Dark Sky’s API. This API allowed third-party developers to access the company’s historical weather data and forecasts. Later, it pushed back the API’s closing until the end 2022,. It also announced that the iOS app would be shutting down at the same time.
The writing was on the board. Apple had already made it clear that Dark Sky’s app was not the main focus of its deal with Apple. It was the weather service and forecasting technology.
Apple recognized the potential to turn Dark Sky’s API into a revenue-generating company. Previously, that API had offered 1,000 API calls for free, then charged $0. 0001 each subsequent call. At Apple’s WWDC 2022, alongside the launch of a default weather app for iPad, Apple announced it would transition the API’s paying customers to its new weather service, WeatherKit, where it would provide up to 500,000 API calls per month as part of its Apple Developer Program membership during the beta period and beyond.
It then will charge businesses additional data at these rates:
1,000,000 calls per month: US $49. 99
2 Million calls per month: US $99. 99
5 Million calls per month: US $249. 99
10 Million Calls/Month: US $499. 99
20 Million Calls/Month: US $999. 99
As a result of the iOS 16 Launch yesterday, Apple also launched its WeatherKit subscriptions. This means that developers can now access weather data in apps for iOS iPadOS and watchOS 9. These apps are compatible with both iOS iPadOS and Apple WatchOS 9. The company stated that developers can upgrade or downgrade to receive more calls at any time by accessing the Account tab within the Apple Developer app.
It’s understandable that Apple will shut down Dark Sky’s iOS application, as this service has been integrated with Apple’s Weather App. The interesting thing is that, even though Dark Sky is directing users to the Apple Weather app in its notification to existing users it doesn’t have to convince them to switch.
After Apple purchased Dark Sky’s backend data service, it now has the opportunity to generate revenue whenever users use another third-party app that taps into WeatherKit. It’s not yet clear how many of the former Dark Sky API customers will make the transition to WeatherKit, but it has been live for a while.
It is sad to see Dark Sky’s consumer-facing products go. Its user interface is easy to read and includes tappable buttons that allow you to quickly switch between forecasts for temperature, precipitation probability and humidity. The iOS app has been downloaded nearly 2,000,000 times
according to data from Sensor Tower, a mobile intelligence firm.
There are still a number of third-party apps that can add visual flair to weather forecasts if Apple’s weather app isn’t inspiring you. We love CARROT Weather (Not Boring Weather), MyRadar, Clime, and Clime (if we’re willing to sign up).