The situation when the weather widget on your smartphone persistently shows the temperature and conditions outside the window of another city occurs quite often. This can happen after travel, a change of residence, or a simple glitch in the geolocation service. For many users, weather widget is the main source of information about the climate, so its incorrect operation causes irritation.
Fortunately, fixing this problem is easier than it seems at first glance. In most cases, the Android system provides flexible tools for managing location in standard and third-party applications. You don't have to be an expert in system settings to return current data on temperature and precipitation.
In this article we will look in detail at all the possible ways to change the city in the widget and application. We will look at both standard solutions from Google and interface features of popular smartphone manufacturers. You will learn why sometimes automatic detection does not work and how to set up manual location selection.
Why the widget shows the wrong location
Before proceeding with the settings, it is important to understand the reason for the failure. Most often, the problem lies not in the application itself, but in the operation geolocation services or system permissions. If the GPS module is disabled or works intermittently, the smartphone is forced to determine your position by IP address or cell towers, which gives a large error.
Another common reason is storing old data in application cache. The app can “remember” the city you were in a week ago and ignore new coordinates. It is also worth considering that some widgets are not updated in real time, but require manual launch or have a long synchronization interval.
Sometimes energy saving settings are to blame. Aggressive battery saving modes can block background app access to coordinates to extend device battery life. As a result, the widget simply stops receiving the latest data about your current position.
⚠️ Attention: If you have turned on Flight mode or turned off mobile data, the widget will not be able to download the latest weather information, even if geolocation is turned on.
Customizing the standard Google Weather widget
The most common scenario is to use a standard widget from Google, which is preinstalled on most pure Android smartphones and devices with shells. The process of changing the city here is intuitive, but has its own nuances depending on the version of the operating system.
First, you need to find the widget itself on the main screen. This is usually a rectangular area with a temperature and a sun or cloud icon. Tap the widget once to open the full app, or hold your finger to bring up the settings context menu. In the window that opens, find the gear icon or the button with three dots.
In the settings menu you will need to find the section responsible for location. Here you can switch from automatic to manual mode. This is especially useful if you want to monitor the weather in the city where your relatives live, and not where you yourself are.
- 📍 Click on the magnifying glass icon or search bar to enter the name of the city.
- 🔄 Select the "Update location" option to force synchronization with GPS.
- ⚙️ Check if the "Use current location" checkbox is checked.
- 🗑️ Remove old, irrelevant cities from the list of saved locations.
If the automatic detection continues to make errors, try clearing the application data. Go to Settings → Applications → Weather → Storage and click the "Clear data" button. This will reset all widget settings to factory settings, and the next time you start the system will request access to geolocation again.
If the Google widget does not update, try changing the screen scale in the display settings, and then changing it back - this sometimes restarts the desktop interface table.
Changing the city in Samsung Weather and other shells
Owners of smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and other brands are often faced with the fact that they have branded weather applications installed, rather than standard ones from Google. The interface of these apps may differ significantly, but the logic of operation remains similar.
In Samsung's One UI shell, the weather widget is often integrated with the clock. To change the city, click on the widget to open the application. At the top of the screen you will see the name of the current city - click on it. A list of cities will open where you can add a new one or select an existing one from the history.
For Xiaomi and Redmi devices the situation is a little more complicated, since they often use the AccuWeather service or their own MIUI development. You may need to grant advanced permissions to run in the background. Without this, the widget will only show data when the application is open.
| Smartphone brand | Application name | Setting features |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Samsung Weather | Integration with the clock on the main screen |
| Xiaomi / Redmi | Weather (Mi Weather) | Requires autorun to be enabled in settings |
| Huawei / Honor | Weather | Uses its own weather data servers |
| Google Pixel | Google Weather | Full synchronization with Google account |
Do not forget that in some shells the widget and the application are two different entities in terms of settings. Changing the city in the application does not always automatically change the data on the widget. In such cases, you need to long press on the widget itself and select “Resize” or “Customize” to link it to the desired location manually.
Manual configuration and adding several cities
Many users prefer not to rely on automation, but to manually set a list of cities they want to monitor. This is an ideal option for those who travel frequently or have business connections with other regions. The function of adding multiple locations is available in almost any modern application.
To add a new city, open the weather application and find the plus button (+) or the city list icon. It is usually located in the top or bottom corner of the screen. Enter the name of the locality in the search bar. The system will offer options from the database - select the one you need.
After adding a city, you can switch between them by swiping the screen left or right inside the application. For the widget, you need to select a priority city. Go to the widget settings and in the "Main city" field, select the newly added location from the drop-down list.
⚠️ Attention: When manually selecting a city, the automatic update function when changing geoposition is disabled. You will have to switch cities yourself when moving.
A convenient feature is the ability to rename saved cities. For example, instead of the official name "St. Petersburg" you can write "Home" or "Peter". This makes the interface more personalized and understandable at first glance.
How to remove a city from the list?
To remove a city from the list of watched ones, go to the list editing mode (usually the pencil icon), click on the cross next to the city name or hold your finger on the name and select "Delete".
Problems with permissions and services geolocation
If all of the above methods did not help, the problem almost certainly lies in system permissions. Android has a strict privacy policy, and if you accidentally deny an application access to geodata, it will not be able to determine your city.
You can check permissions through the general system settings. Go to section Settings → Applications → Manage applications. Find your weather app in the list and tap on it. Select "Permissions" and make sure that location access is set to "Allow always" or "Allow only when used."
It is also worth checking the accuracy of the location. In the geolocation settings there is an option "Detection mode". Select the "Across all sources" option (GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks). The "GPS Only" mode may not work indoors, and the "Only Network" mode gives a large error in determining a specific area.
- 📡 Make sure that the GPS module is active in the notification shade.
- 🔋 Disable the power saving mode for the weather application.
- 🌐 Check if it is enabled is data transfer for background processes.
- 🔄 Restart your smartphone after changing all permission settings.
Sometimes resetting geolocation settings helps. In the settings menu, find "Backup & reset" or "System", and then select "Reset Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth settings." This will not delete your personal data, but it will update network configurations, which may correct the city detection error.
☑️ Geolocation diagnostics
Using third-party weather applications
If standard Android tools do not suit you or are unstable, you can always turn to third-party solutions. App stores offer hundreds of options: from minimalist widgets to powerful weather complexes with radars and wind maps.
Popular apps, such as Yandex.Weather, Gismeteo or AccuWeatheroften have more accurate location algorithms and their own databases. Installing such an application solves the problem if the native software from the smartphone manufacturer is outdated or poorly optimized.
When installing a third-party application, be sure to carefully read the permission requests. A good application will ask for access to geolocation and the Internet. If a app requires access to contacts, microphone or SMS without obvious need, this is a reason to be wary and look for another option.
Most third-party applications allow you to flexibly customize the appearance of the widget. You can choose the size, color scheme, and number of options to display. This makes it possible not only to solve the problem with the city, but also to improve the visual component of the desktop.
⚠️ Attention: Third-party applications may consume more battery power than standard ones due to frequent data updates and the use of advertising modules. Monitor your energy consumption.
Third-party applications often offer a more detailed forecast and flexible widget settings, but require careful settings of permissions to work correctly.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is the weather widget not updated after changing the city?
This may happen because the application is running in the background and was closed by the system to save memory. Try opening the app manually, waiting for the data to update, and then closing it. Also check to see if Do Not Disturb mode or hard restrictions on background activity are enabled.
Is it possible to set up different cities for different desktops?
Yes, on most modern Android skins you can add multiple weather widgets to different screens. When setting up each widget separately, you can choose your own unique city for it. Just add a new widget by long pressing on an empty area of the screen and configure its parameters.
How to change the city if I am roaming abroad?
When roaming, automatic detection may not work correctly due to the peculiarities of registration in foreign networks. It is best to manually enter your city of residence in the widget settings. Also make sure that your geolocation settings allow the use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for scanning, as cell towers abroad may not be accurately detected.
Why does the app show the weather of a nearby city?
This is a common problem when using IP address or cell tower detection. The accuracy of this method is several kilometers. To solve the problem, switch the widget to GPS mode or manually select the exact name of your locality from the list.
Are city settings reset when updating the Android system?
Usually settings for widgets and applications are saved after updating the operating system. However, in rare cases, major updates (for example, moving from Android 13 to 14) may reset the interface settings. It is recommended to remember or write down your city before major system updates.