Weather app Dark Sky says it's been acquired by Apple along with its team; the Android app is no longer available and the API will shutter on Dec. 31, 2021

In a big move to improve its weather app, Apple has purchased the highly popular iOS app Dark Sky.

9to5Mac 2020-04-01 Michael Potuck

Context & Ripple Effects

Dark Sky built its reputation on hyperlocal forecasting, extending that approach beyond iOS with a free web weather site offering microclimates and altitude-specific forecasts. The acquisition ends its life as an independent, cross-platform product: the Android app is pulled immediately and the developer API gets a Dec. 31, 2021 sunset date.

The deal lands as Apple is already investing in first-party weather — weeks later it detailed [[a:954992|severe-weather tracking and next-hour precipitation charts coming to the iOS 14 Weather app]]. Dark Sky's team and data are being folded into that roadmap rather than run as a standalone business.

First-order effects

Android users lose access to Dark Sky outright, and every developer who built on the Dark Sky API must migrate off it before the Dec. 31, 2021 shutdown.

Second-order effects

Rival weather apps and forecast-data providers become the default landing spot for displaced Android users and API customers, turning Dark Sky's churn into their acquisition funnel.

Third-order effects

The move fits Apple's pattern of absorbing popular indie apps into OS-level features — the same tight-integration strategy later scrutinized when critics tied it to App Store rules like the 30% cut. Notably, Apple's eventual WeatherKit replacement reopened its weather data to third-party developers, including on Android, so the capability outlived the product.

The trend: Apple is acquiring beloved independent apps and dissolving them into first-party platform features, trading standalone products for tighter ecosystem integration.

Discussion

@johnvoorhees John Voorhees on x
This acquisition will impact A LOT of 3rd party weather apps. Dark Sky Has Been Acquired by Apple and Its API Will Be Discontinued at the End of 2021 https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
Apple buying Dark Sky is a good test for my general “acquisitions are bad” instinct: iOS having a great weather app is a good market solution, as people won't download any of the extremely shady third-party weather apps that sell location data. Discuss. https://www.theverge.com/.…
@mkbhd Marques Brownlee on x
So Apple just bought the best weather app, Dark Sky, and they're shutting down the Android version. Booooooo (RIP) https://blog.darksky.net/... https://twitter.com/...
@dangillmor Dan Gillmor on x
Apple can be such a corporate dick. Example: It buys a deservedly popular weather service, shuts down a great API, and kills the Android version. https://9to5mac.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
From SensorTower: “We estimate that Dark Sky has been installed more than 3 million times to date with about half of those on Google Play.” https://twitter.com/...
@mollywood Molly Wood on x
I feel like in a different timeline this really would have sparked a conversation about competition. 😐 https://9to5mac.com/...
@reneritchie Rene Ritchie on x
Dark Sky isn't widely available internationally (just U.S./[U.K.]?), Apple Weather is world-wide. If this isn't an acqui-hire, what would Apple do with a hyper-regionalized app? Take its over-the-top layers and push them international? That'd be rad. [Updated to add U.K.] https:/…
@apollozac Zac Hall on x
Two thoughts: Dark Sky as a Mac Catalyst app = awesome. Dark Sky as a Weather+ subscription service = 🙈🙈🙈
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
also if you use the iOS app, i wouldn't count on that living on forever either, though the company isn't confirming it's dead like the Android app is.
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
outside of Dark Sky, weather apps on Android are a minefield of privacy issues/bad design/obnoxious ads. i guess I'm just going to have to use the crappy app that comes installed on the phone now?
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
Dark Sky's Android app has been around for four years and has over a million downloads according to the Play Store, so it's not like it wasn't used on the platform. Apple killing it is just out of spite.
@albertwenger Albert Wenger on x
Super annoying — have been a longtime user on Android (and got dozens of others to sign up and pay) https://twitter.com/...
@sbisson Simon Bisson on x
@ow @can @TechmemeChatter I'm looking for an Android alternative that doesn't use it; it's hard!
@counternotions Kontra on x
Why isn't Dark Sky free at Apple Store? Apple needs the $3.99 it brings in, obviously.
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
Apple, just so you know, this is the behavior that causes people to hate you. Even worse, the API is getting shut down in 2021 which is used by hundreds of other weather apps for both iOS and Android. Very lame. Boo! https://twitter.com/...
@ow @ow on x
@can @TechmemeChatter Seems kinda anticompetitive for anyone that was consuming the data 🤷‍♀️
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
update notes on the Android app update today are like a twist of the knife https://twitter.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Apple buys Dark Sky (my favorite weather app). The $3.99 app remains paid on the App Store, removed from Android. https://blog.darksky.net/...
@charlesarthur Charles Arthur on x
Dark Sky started as a $35,000 Kickstarter project in 2015. Quite an accomplishment - it'll now be rolled into iOS. https://twitter.com/...
@neilcybart Neil Cybart on x
Dark Sky is $3.99 in the App Store and is ranked the #1 iOS weather app. Here is what Apple's App Store team had to say about the app (Editors' Choice). https://twitter.com/...
@shen Shen Ye on x
shitty move is shitty https://twitter.com/...
@chrisalbon Chris Albon on x
I have never been more emotionally invested in the acquisition of a company that I wasn't a financial stakeholder in. I LOVE DarkSky. https://9to5mac.com/... Huge congrats to @DarkSkyApp! @hmason
@fmanjoo Farhad Manjoo on x
I really liked dark sky https://9to5mac.com/...
@mikeisaac Rat King on x
apple bought dark sky, the best weather app please, please dont kill it https://9to5mac.com/...
@apollozac Zac Hall on x
NICE! unless you rely on the API https://twitter.com/...
@twostraws Paul Hudson on x
Yes! I would *love* to see the Dark Sky API made free for all iOS developers - immediate weather for things like calendars, maps, and more. https://twitter.com/...
@ow @ow on x
Good for the team, but killing the Android app is a total dick move https://9to5mac.com/...

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