How does the weather app choose which location to open open location services are not enabled?

Question

Level 1

107 points

How does the weather app choose which location to open open location services are not enabled?

I expect weather app to open to the last displayed location, unless I have a location, services enabled, in which case I expected to know my location and give me the local weather. As often as not, what I want is not my local weather, and I do not routinely enable location services for weather. But it seems like it is trying to pick a location that is not based on the order in which I have arranged the locations and I track in the app. It seems it is using some kind of secondary information to fix these things, because it is not entirely random, and it is very annoying behavior. I always want it open to the location that I have put on top of the list whether I am there or not. Can I force it to do that?

iPhone 14

Posted on Dec 29, 2022 10:47 AM

Reply

Answer 1

justin_900

Community Specialist

Dec 30, 2022 1:31 PM in response to Donot Haveone

Hello Donot Haveone,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

We want to help you get the most from the weather app on your iPhone. The weather app uses Location Services, if enabled, to determine your location. See here:

"Check the weather on iPhone

Use the Weather app to check the weather for your current location. You can view the upcoming hourly and 10-day forecast, see severe weather information, and more.

Siri: Say something like: “What’s the weather for today?” or “How windy is it out there?” Learn how to use Siri.

Note: Weather uses Location Services to get the forecast for your current location. To make sure Location Services is turned on, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Weather. Turn on Precise Location to increase the accuracy of the forecast in your current location."

This Apple Support page has the full details: Check the weather on iPhone - Apple Support

This might be altered if you're using a VPN or depending on your connection.

We hope this helps to better understand why the Weather app is showing the location it shows.

Use the steps on the link to report any issues as needed.

Cheers!

Reply

Answer 2

destiny241

Community Specialist

Jan 2, 2023 11:05 AM in response to Donot Haveone

Hello Donot Haveone,

If you have Location Services enabled for the Weather app, it will always list 'My Location' at the top until you disable Location Services. There isn't a way to remove this option from the list. The Weather app should open to this location first, when Location Services are enabled for the app, unless it's picking up (resuming) where you left off (showing the last viewed location in the list).

If the app isn't working as expected, then we'd suggest removing the location it continues to open to despite your changes to the app. Then add it back in the list and test it out. Here's how you can do that: Check the weather in other locations on iPhone

Delete and rearrange locations in your weather list

1. Tap to see your weather list.

2. Do either of the following:

- Delete a location: Swipe left on the location, then tap . Or, tap , then tap Edit List.

- Rearrange the order of locations on your list: Touch and hold the location, then move it up or down. Or, tap , then tap Edit List.

Your list of locations stays up to date across your devices when you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.

Add a location to your weather list

You can add locations to the weather list to quickly check the weather in places important to you.

1. Open Weather, then tap in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

2. Tap the search field at the top of the screen, then enter the name of the city or the airport code that you want to add to your list.

3. Tap the location in the search results, then tap Add.

To check the weather in locations you added to your weather list, swipe the iPhone screen left or right when viewing a location, or tap , then tap a location.

Have you noticed any other apps not saving their previous states? For example, are other apps not resuming after reopening the app? Are you on the latest iOS 16 version (16.2)? If not, we'd definitely stay up to date, as Apple has recently updated this app: Update your iPhone or iPad

Hoping to hear how it goes, take care.

Reply

Answer 3

destiny241

Community Specialist

Jan 5, 2023 9:26 AM in response to Donot Haveone

Hello Donot Haveone,

If the issue continues to occur, even after reinstalling the Weather app, then it may be best to contact Apple Support directly: Official - Apple Support

They'll need to take it from here.

Wishing you well, take care.

Reply

Answer 4

Donot Haveone Author

Level 1

107 points

Jan 2, 2023 8:14 AM in response to justin_900

Thank you for the reply. I guess I did not make myself clear enough. I use the app to check not only my local weather, but forecasts for where friends and family live, etc. I have saved a list of locations where I regularly check the weather, and carefully ordered those per my priorities.

When I open the app, I want it to start with the top of that list every time, and if I have left it 'open', to the place I was last checking.

I do not want it to start with where it thinks I am, but with my list.

And I want to see the app's version of the weather report, not have Siri talk to me about forecasts, and I do not have Siri enabled.

So I am trying to understand how the weather app chooses what location, from my list, it will open to each time, when it does not have location services enabled at startup, because it keeps picking one spot from my list and starting with that for hours or days in a row, and then picking another spot to use at startup. It's obviously using information from some other setting, because it is not random. And because it follows that mystery setting/prompt, it wastes my time scrolling back through that list to the ones I most want to see.

Reply

Answer 5

Donot Haveone Author

Level 1

107 points

Jan 5, 2023 8:26 AM in response to destiny241

Location service has never been enabled for the weather app.

And this behavior--opening repeatedly to the wrong location--started since the iOS16 update.

I'm guessing weather app is somehow accessing something like a location recently suggested by my use of another app--that's it's trying to get around my block on its use of location services.

I did delete the app and start over to see if that would fix it.

Reply

Answer 6

Donot Haveone Author

Level 1

107 points

Jan 6, 2023 8:43 AM in response to destiny241

Thank you for the thoughts. It did not work. I had set my primary location (where I am at the moment) as the first one added, top of the list, and just now it opened to a different location, and my primary location was dropped two places on the location list. I again replaced it at the top of the list, and several times in a row the app opened to the location it preferred for whatever still unclear reason.

I do not have location services enabled for any of my devices for weather app, never have AFAIK, so it cannot be drawing from some memory of that in iCloud.

Really irritating. Will have to try Apple Support next.

Reply

How does the weather app choose which location to open open location services are not enabled?

Similar questions