Modern smartphone series Galaxy from the company Samsung provide users with many ways to personalize the interface. One of the most requested features is the ability to see the latest weather forecast without opening third-party applications. This saves time and allows you to instantly assess the conditions on the street, just by looking at the locked screen or home page.
The process of setting up widgets and functions Always On Display may seem confusing for beginners due to the abundance of settings in the shell One UI. However, the system is intuitive if you know the correct sequence of actions. We will analyze all available methods for displaying weather data, from standard tools to hidden capabilities of the system.
Setting up a weather widget on the home screen
The most obvious and common way is to place a special widget on the desktop. The shell One UI pre-installed a powerful widget from the service Weatherthat supports various data display formats.
First, you need to go to interface editing mode. To do this, long press with your finger on any empty area of the home screen. A toolbar will appear at the bottom of the display, where you need to select Widgets. This action will open a complete list of all available elements for adding.
In the menu that opens, scroll down the list to the section Weather. By clicking on this item, you will see several design options: from a compact line to large blocks with detailed information about temperature, humidity and wind. Select the design you like and hold your finger on it to drag the element to an empty space on the screen.
- 🌤️ Standard widget with a large temperature and a current status icon.
- 📊 Expanded block with an hourly forecast for the next day.
- 🗺️ Interactive map of precipitation with the ability to zoom.
- 🎨 Thematic backgrounds that change depending on the time of day.
After placing the widget, it will automatically determine your location through GPS module. If this does not happen, click on the widget itself once to open the application, and manually allow access to geodata in the system request that appears.
Weather activation on the Always On Display (AOD)
Function Always On Display is the hallmark of smartphones Samsung, allowing you to display useful information even when your device is locked. Displaying weather data on this screen requires separate activation, since by default only the clock and notifications are shown there.
Go to the main settings of your device through the menu Settings. Find the section Lock screen and select item Always On Display. Make sure the switch at the top of the screen is active. Next, go to the subsection Watch style.
Here you will see a lot of watch faces. Some of them already have a built-in area to display weather conditions. Select the one you like and click the Applybutton. If the selected style supports weather, but the data is not displayed, check the settings at the very bottom of the AOD menu, where there may be a separate toggle switch Show weather.
⚠️ Attention: Displaying weather on the Always On Display significantly increases battery consumption. If you have an older smartphone model or a worn-out battery, it is recommended to use the “Tap” display mode instead of “Always”.
It is worth noting that not all third-party themes and styles support this feature. Standard clocks from Samsung are guaranteed to work correctly. To save power, the system can disable weather updates if the battery charge drops below 15%.
Use dark clock styles for AOD on AMOLED screens - this reduces power consumption since black pixels are physically disabled.
Solving location problems
A common problem is when the widget shows dashes instead of temperature or displays the weather of another city. This is almost always due to incorrect location services or lack of permission for a system application.
You need to check your location access settings. Go to Settings → Applications. In the list, find the application Weather (or Weather). Click on it, then select the section Permissions. Make sure that the item Location is assigned the status "Allowed".
If permission has already been granted, but the problem persists, try changing the detection method. In the location settings, select a mode High accuracythat uses GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks simultaneously. This will help the system quickly and accurately determine your coordinates.
| Problem | Probable cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Dashes instead of degrees | No Internet | Check your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection |
| Weather in another city | GPS is disabled | Enable geolocation in the notification shade |
| The widget is not updated | Energy saving | Disable battery optimization for the Weather application |
| Invalid data | Service failure | Clear the application cache in settings |
Sometimes a simple restart of the communication module helps. Turn it on and off Airplane mode through the quick settings panel. This will forcibly reconnect the phone to cell towers and update the network data necessary for the operation of weather services.
Using third-party applications for widgets
Standard tools are good, but sometimes users need deeper customization or data from specific sources. The store Galaxy Store and Google Play offer many alternatives, such as Today Weather, Overdrop or Geometric Weather.
Installing a third-party application gives access to hundreds of unique widget designs that may not be available in the stock firmware. After installing such an application, the process of adding a widget is similar to the standard one: long press on the screen → Widgets → selecting a new application.
Some advanced widgets allow you to display not only temperature, but also air quality (AQI), ultraviolet level and moon phases. This is especially useful for people with allergies or those who exercise outdoors.
Why might third-party widgets disappear?
The Android system may offload the background processes of third-party widgets to save memory. To avoid this, pin the application in memory through the multitasking menu or disable battery optimization for it.
When choosing an alternative, pay attention to the reputation of the developer. Some free widgets may contain intrusive advertising or overload the processor, which will lead to rapid drainage of the device. Check reviews before installation.
Setting the frequency of data updates
Up-to-date information is critical, especially in a rapidly changing climate. By default, the system updates data every 30-60 minutes, but this interval can be changed depending on your needs and mobile data tariff plan.
Go to the application Weather and open the settings menu (usually three dots in the corner of the screen). Find the section Auto-update or Update interval. Here you can select the frequency: from 15 minutes to several hours.
Frequent updates (15-30 minutes) guarantees maximum accuracy, but increases traffic and consumption batteries. An infrequent update (1-2 hours) saves resources, but you may miss a sudden change in weather, such as a sudden downpour.
- ⚡ 15 minutes: Ideal for days with unstable weather and storm warnings.
- ⏳ 1 hour: Optimal balance between accuracy and energy saving.
- 🔋 3 hours: Suitable for stable weather and saving traffic when roaming.
It is also worth checking your background settings. If Hard Power Saving is enabled, the system may ignore your frequency settings and only update data when you unlock the screen. Disable power saving mode for full functionality.
For maximum autonomy, set the update interval to 1 hour and allow updates only via Wi-Fi in the mobile traffic settings.
Reset settings and clear the widget cache
If the weather widget is frozen, displays incorrect data, or simply stops responding pressed, the solution is to clear its temporary files. This will not delete your saved cities, but will reset the current state of the application.
Long tap on the application icon Weather on the desktop or in the application menu. In the pop-up window that appears, click on the icon (i) or the inscription About the application. In the menu that opens, select the section Memory.
Press the button Clear cache. Don't confuse this with the Clear Data button, which will reset all app settings to factory settings. After clearing the cache, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that the system reinitializes the widgets on the desktop.
⚠️ Attention: Before clearing application data, make sure that you remember the list of added cities, since they will have to be re-entered manually after the reset.
B In rare cases, the problem may lie in an outdated version of a system component. Go to Galaxy Store, go to the updates section and check for new versions for the application Weather and system plugins One UI Home.
Additional features and integration with Bixby
Ecosystem Samsung allows you to integrate data about weather not only in widgets, but also in the voice assistant Bixby and panel Bixby Home (now often called Google Discover or Samsung Free depending on the region).
Swiping to the right from the main screen, you will be taken to the news aggregator. At the top of this feed there is often a weather card. It can be configured by clicking on the gear icon in the corner of the feed and selecting your preferred data source or city.
The voice assistant can announce the forecast when setting an alarm. In the application Clock go to the alarm settings and activate the option Weather. Now, when a signal is triggered, the phone will tell you about the temperature outside the window.
For smart home users SmartThings weather can affect automation scenarios. For example, when receiving a storm warning, the phone can automatically send a notification or turn on certain lighting modes.
☑️ Diagnose weather problems
Why did the weather widget disappear from the main screen after the update?
With major system updates One UI Sometimes the desktop grid is reset or the size of the widget is changed, which is why it may not fit in the same place. Try adding it again through the widget menu or increasing the free space on the screen by deleting other elements.
Is it possible to change the city in the widget without opening the application?
There is usually no direct editing of the city name in the widget itself. However, on some models, when you long press the widget, a menu appears with a “Resize” button or settings, where you can select another saved city from the list. Otherwise, you need to go to the application.
Why does the temperature in the widget differ from the data on the Internet?
Differences may arise due to the fact that the widget shows the temperature directly at your point (using GPS), and the site shows the temperature in the city center or at a weather station at the airport. A discrepancy is also possible due to a delay in updating the widget cache.
How to disable advertising in the Weather application?
There are usually no ads in the standard Samsung application. If it appears, you may have accidentally installed a third-party widget with an advertising module. Check the list of installed applications and remove suspicious weather-related apps.