Windy.app F.A.Q. for Android

• What’s new in the app?

  A major addition has been made - there’s now a swell forecast on the map. We’ve also made the map a bit tidier and moved the wind barbs, SD/HD mode, isobars and fronts, offline mode toggle to the settings of the map (see the settings icon on the lower right corner of the map). Also, the route function has been improved and now it’s much easier to edit the route.

  We’ve also added an Aerologic Diagram (AD, Skew-T Diagram), which is a popular chart used by weather forecasters, pilots, paragliders, and many others. This diagram works as a template for mapping vertical profiles of air temperature, dew point temperature and winds.

  The AD is built from aerological sounding data using a radiosonde or model data. We’re using data from the ICON13 model. The forecast depth is seven days.

  You can switch between full scale and height up to 600 mb (4500 meters). You can tap on the needed level to see detailed information. Here’s how it looks like:

  

  We’d really appreciate your feedback and suggestions on this feature at [email protected]!

• How to get started

  Hey there! You must be new to the app. Welcome!

  Key points:

  Main page is what you see each time you start the app and where your weather widget, mini wind map, favorite spots and nearby spots are.

  Spot page gives you access to weather and marine forecasts (+10 days of history), weather archive, spot info (photos, best times to visit and etc.), wind alerts, nearby weather stations, local chat and special offers.

  Map page displays wind, gusts, precipitation forecast as well as isobars and atmospheric fronts.

  Weather Station page shows near real-time wind and gusts readings.

  You can search for a spot from the main page and on the map. If you can’t find a spot, you cancreate it on the map. 

  Let us walk you through the layout of the key screens of the app. When we're done, you'll be able to choose a spot for your outdoor activity, know how to find live wind data, and analyze rain forecasts on the map.

  Now, it all begins on the main page:

  

  Сlick on the “weather widget” on the main page and explore the spot page!

  

  Click on the little map icon in the upper right corner of the spot page and go to your next destination - the map page. You can see wind, rain from various models and spots for different outdoor activities.

  

  Switch to precipitation and turn on isobars and fronts to see a bigger picture of the processes in the atmosphere.

  

  The "wind turbine" icons on the map represent weather stations. Click on it to see current and past readings of wind and gusts.

  

  If you need any help getting around the app - please contact our friendly user support at !

• Using the app

  • How can I customize the app?

    There are several things you can do to make the app feel more homey.

    1. Register in the app and make sure you’re logged in. You can upload your profile picture. Your favorite spots will be linked to your login email so you’ll have access to them on any other device, both Android and iOS.

       

    2. Go to the main menu -> Settings and select the units that you’re used to. You can also set your weight, which will be used for kite and windsurf size recommendations.

       

    3. Add spots and weather stations that are dear to your heart to the list of favorites. If you have more than a handful, use the “pin” function to sort them.

       

    4. Create spots wherever you need them to be. You’ll be in charge of naming them too. Don’t worry, they’ll be private and not visible to anyone unless you share a direct link.

       

    5. Choose one of the preset profiles on the spot page

       

    6. Create custom profiles for your outdoor activity/activities. Сhoose the profile close to your interests as a template for a new one.

       

       In your new profile preview untick parameters you don't need.

       

    7. Create a custom color palette for the profile and the map.

       

  • I can’t find my spot/city/location!

    If you can’t find a spot by name, please try entering the name of the spot in English. If this doesn’t help, you can always create the spot yourself!

  • Where do I find tides/swell/water temperature forecast and other parameters?

    In short: to do that, you should open the map, click on the spot and open it.

    Windy.app has dozens of parameters from various weather and marine models. The “basic” atmospheric parameters are:

    • wind speed
    • wind direction (in degrees and as an arrow)
    • gusts
    • wind speed and direction on various altitudes
    • precipitation
    • air temperature
    • “feels like” temperature
    • atmospheric pressure
    • relative humidity

    Most of these parameters are available from 3 global models (GFS, ECMWF, ICON13) and a number of regional models (NAM, HRRR, AROME and etc.).

    It seems logical to be able to compare forecasts from various models, right? We think so too! That’s why we’ve created the COMPARE profile that displays wind speed and other parameters from all available models on one chart. If you’re not into charts, you can go ahead and create a custom profile with the parameters from all your favorite models.

    

    We’ve also added the forecasts of various parameters based on the ECMWF ensemble of 50 models! Wind speed forecast is available in the EC-ENS profile, temperature and pressure forecasts are available in the EXPERT profile.

    

    Oceanic parameters are:

    • tides (in LAT, MLLW, MSL tidal datums)
    • currents speed
    • currents direction
    • swell height
    • swell period
    • swell direction
    • swell energy
    • water (sea surface) temperature

    

    There are also several sport-specific parameters that might come in handy:

    • solunar
    • recommended kite size*
    • recommended windsurf size*
    • bike riding temperature
    • UV index

    *To get the correct recommended kite and windsurf size be sure to set your weight in the Main menu-> Settings -> Units.

    

    A special treat is the atmospheric fronts and isobars on the map! You’ll be able to see the current synoptic situation and where the highs and lows are heading. Isobars are available globally and atmospheric fronts are available for Europe and North America.

    

    Also, many spots in the app have “spot info” that lists the best season to visit, type of water conditions, working wind direction, water depth, traffic, level of riding, information about the marina, etc. It might be very helpful when planning a trip to a new destination!

    

  • Can I change wind speed/precipitation/temperature/… units? Meters to feet? How?

    Yes, you can.

    Go to the Main menu -> Settings -> Units and make yourself at home!

  • Why do I see Gibraltar on the mini map on the main page and not my area?

    

    In short: to see your location on the mini map, turn on your geolocation.

    This is happening because your geolocation is off and you’re seeing the default map.

    Why you might like to switch on geolocation:
    • you’ll see “Weather widget”
    • you’ll see you are on the mini map
    • you’ll see nearby weather stations
    • you’ll see nearby spots

    This is how the main page looks like when your geolocation is on:

    

    How do you turn on geolocation? Scroll down on the main page and to the “Spots nearby” and click “Turn on GPS”.

    If you have any questions regarding geolocation - don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected], we’d be happy to help.

  • I have slow Internet connection or might completely lose it. How can I keep my Windy working?

    Windy.app can operate in offline mode. It means that forecasts for your favorite spots and the area on the map that you’ve selected would be available when there’s no network. Make sure to open the app before you go offline, so that it has the latest available forecast data. To switch the offline mode on, click on the icon and turn on the options you need.

    

  • Where do I find real time data, not forecast?

    We have 25000+ weather stations that are sending near real time data to our servers. This is how the data is displayed:

    

    How do you find a weather station?

    1. You’ll see all the nearby weather stations on the spot page, below the forecast

       

    2. On the map, weather stations are represented by “wind turbine” icons. If you want to see only weather stations on the map and not different kinds of spots, you can go to the settings of the map, choose “Spots on the map” and then tick only “Weather stations”.

       
       

    When you select the station on the map, you’ll see the latest wind speed and direction and the weather model that was the most accurate for the last 10 days on that spot. In this case, it’s GFS27 and it was right 89% of the time.

    You can also look for the weather station through search on the main page and on the map. Please note that you can choose to search for weather stations, spots or both (ALL).

    

    Live wind data that comes from airports (also known as the METAR telegrams) can be found by the airport 4-letter code (index) like ROAH (Japan - Okinawa) or RKPC (South Korea - Jeju).

  • How can I create my own spot?

    That’s easy! Before you start, go to the map page.

    1. Tap on the spot on the map
    2. Click on the “+” sign and name the spot
    3. The spot is created and added to your favorites automatically.

    

  • How can I add a spot to favorites?

    

    In short:click on the star icon to the right of the spot name.

    On the spot page, you’ll see a star-shaped icon to the right of the spot name. Click on it and it’ll become colored. This means that the spot has been added to favorites. You can add weather stations to favorites too!

    Once you have more than one favorite spot/weather station, you can use the “pin” instrument to pin the favorite item to the top of the list. To use the pin instrument, just slide left on the favorite item and choose “Pin”. You’ll also notice that you have an option to choose “Delete” in that same menu. You can also delete the spot from your list of favorites on the spot page itself - just click on the star-shaped icon again.

    Keep in mind that the spots you create are private and aren’t visible to other users unless you send them the direct link to the spot via the “Forecast share” option. If you feel that a certain private spot deserves to be public - let us know! If you need any other sorting/favorite items managing tool - let us know at [email protected]!

  • How can I delete/rename my spot?

    In short: you can't do that.

    Currently, you can’t delete/rename your spot or any of the public spots from the app. If you feel the need to do so - please contact our user support at [email protected] with the link to the spot (it looks like this - https://windy.app.link/jTWXN2C39db, you can create it with “Share spot -> Copy to clipboard” ), and the explanation on what and why needs to be done.

    However, you can delete the spot from your list of favorites on the main page. To do so, slide left on the favorite spot and select “Delete”.

    

  • Where can I see all the parameters that you have?

    Go to the main menu -> Settings -> Forecast settings -> Сustom profile. If you feel that certain parameters are missing and you need them for your outdoor activity - please let us know at [email protected]!

  • I see “SAIL”, “KITE” and other profiles, but not for my activity.

    This happens sometimes! You can:

    • Create a custom profile for your type of activity
    • Email our user support at [email protected] and tell us what parameters you and other users need for your type of outdoor activity.

  • Where do I find weather for a day in the past?

    1. If you’re interested in a day that was less than 10 days from now, you can click on the left arrow in the timeline on the spot and you’ll see the complete weather history:

       

    2. If you’re interested in the weather for any day in 2012-2020, please go to the “History” tab on the spot. Pull the screen to the right to see the legend. Select a month and a year and click on “Detailed archive”

       

    3. To see detailed weather for a particular day, select the date. Scroll all the way down to see precipitation intensity on that day

       

  • Can I see monthly mean wind/temperature/precipitation?

    Yes! Go to the spot page -> History. You’ll see monthly mean wind speed, day and night temperatures and precipitation if you select “All time”. If you click on the map icon, it’ll take you to the monthly mean wind map.

    

  • How do I set up a wind alert?

    Choose the spot you need it on (if you can’t find a spot in the app, you can always create one yourself) and click on the bell icon. Customize the wind alert and when you’re done - click “OK”. The bell icon will change color to orange - it means the alert is set.

    

    Once the wind conditions in the forecast meet the settings of the wind alert, you’ll get a push notification.

    

  • Is it possible to set up alerts other than wind alerts - for rain/snow, swell, air temperature and etc.?

    Not at the moment, unfortunately. Let us know what kind of weather/marine alert you need at [email protected] and we’ll look into it!

  • How do I set up a widget?

    1. Add the spot you want the widget on to the list of favorites.

    2. Open the list of apps that have widgets on your phone and choose Windy.app

    3. Choose the spot that would be displayed on the widget. The list of favorite spots can take a bit of time to load.

    4. Ta-da! The widget is set up!

       

  • How to switch off notifications from chats?

    To switch off notifications from any particular chat, you need to open the chat and click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner to mute or leave the chat.

    

  • How can I see highs and lows on the map?

    Click on the “Weather fronts” in the settings of the map and you’ll see the global map of atmospheric pressure. The centers of highs (anticyclones, areas with high pressure) are marked by letter “H” and lows (cyclones, areas of low pressure) are marked by letter “L”. Atmospheric pressure is forecasted 10 days into the future. You can choose between 1h and 3h intervals in the Settings -> Units.

    You’ll also notice red, blue, purple and orange lines over the USA and Europe. Those are atmospheric fronts based on synoptic analysis of specialists at NOAA and DWD (German Weather service). Red stands for the warm front, blue - for the cold front, purple is for the occlusion front and orange is the stationary front.

    

  • Can I share a forecast/spot location/piece of map?

    In Windy.app, you can share:

    • a public spot

    • a private spot e.g. the one you’ve created and named yourself

    • a weather station

    • an area on the map

    

    Look for the “share” symbol and it’ll give you several sharing options. We’d really appreciate it if you share your favorite spot or favorable (or dangerous!) wind conditions on the map with your friends on Facebook :) If you have questions or the sharing feature doesn’t work the way you expect it to - don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

• Weather models and how to use them

  • What models does Windy.app use?

    We’re glad you asked! We have several global and regional weather forecasting models and we’re very proud of the variety that we provide. We obtain forecasts from the world's top weather forecasting centers and we calculate the WRF8 model on our servers. We also provide a GFS+ modification of GFS which basically gives the maximum speed in a 25 km radius of the spot. This wind speed will be a more accurate representation of the wind speed on a water spot in the coastal area and give a better understanding of what one must be prepared for in terms of safety.

    First things first, what does the “global” and “regional” model mean and what difference does it make? Global model’s grid covers the entire world, the spatial resolution would typically be 10-50 km, the forecast depth 7-14 days, temporal resolution - 1-3 hours. These models are typically updated 1-4 times a day.

    Weather forecasting model	Where does it come from?	Spatial resolution	Forecast depth	Expected update
    GFS	The United States' National Weather Service	27 km	10 days	4 times a day
    ECMWF	The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts	14 km	10 days	every 12 hours
    ICON13	Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service)	13 km	7.5 days	2 times a day
    GFS+	The United States' National Weather Service	27 km	10 days	4 times a day

    Global models are great for longer-term planning (3-7 days) and for areas where regional weather forecasts aren't available. Also, there are spots where one of the global models works best meaning that the forecast success rate is the highest.

    Regional models cover a certain area (Europe, the USA, the Alps and etc.) and give a shorter (hours to 2-3 or sometimes 5 days) forecast, but with high spatial and temporal resolution. Regional models tend to be more accurate than the global models.

    Regional models in the European region:

    Weather forecasting model	Where does it come from?	Spatial resolution	Forecast depth	Expected update
    ICON7	Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service)	7 km	5 days	4 times a day
    ICON-D2	Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service)	2.2 km	2 days	8 times a day
    AROME	Meteo France (French meteorological service)	1.25 km	42 hours	5 times a day
    OS (OPEN SKIRON)	The University of Athens	12 km	5 days	8 times a day
    OPEN WRF	The University of Athens	4 km	2 days	8 times a day

    Regional models in the North American Region:

    Weather forecasting model	Where does it come from?	Spatial resolution	Forecast depth	Expected update
    NAM	The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)	12 km	61 hours	2 times a day
    HRRR	The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US	3 km	1.5 days	24 times a day

    We also have models that provide swell, currents, tides and water temperature forecasts. These are typically updated once a day, cover oceans, seas and coastal areas and don’t cover rivers and lakes, even big ones.

    If there’s a weather/marine model that works well in your area, but Windy.app doesn’t have it - let us know at [email protected]! We’ll see if we can add it.

  • What is the best weather model on my spot?

    That’s a tricky one! In general, regional models are more accurate than global models and among global models the ECMWF is thought of as the most accurate. However, our and our users’ experience shows that this might not work for a particular spot. What can the user do?

    • If there’s a weather station nearby, click on the weather station icon on the map (wind turbine icon) and you’ll see which model was the most accurate compared to the weather station data for the past 10 days.

      

    • If you spend a lot of time on the spot, it might be best to observe and see which model is more accurate.

    • If you don’t spend a lot of time on the spot, it might be a good idea to ask other users in the chat about the best model there.

    We believe it’s always better to check what all the available weather forecasting models are “saying”. Why?

    • To see the range of conditions that can be expected.

    • To see if models largely agree on the forecast (the lines are close together) or the situation is not very predictable (lines are far apart) like in the two examples below:

      

    • “The best model” can change with the season and synoptic situation.

  • When was the forecast updated?

    You can see it below the forecast table on the spot page.

    

    Click on the arrow to view details.

• Help and support

  • I think my forecast is incorrect. What do I do?

    We know that no forecast is correct 100% of the time. Even the most accurate global models like the ECMWF and regional models can fail from time to time. Please note that forecasts for “today”, “tomorrow” and the “day after tomorrow” are far more likely to be accurate than the forecast for more than 4 days.If the difference between the forecast and reality is small, it’s probably within the normal range.

    If the difference is big, there could be several explanations:

    • If it happens rarely, this means that this particular weather situation is complex and this model failed. Overall, precipitation and cloudiness are the toughest parameters to predict. Typically, weather conditions in spring and autumn are trickier to forecast. Summer convective events (showers, thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes etc.) are difficult for the weather model to “pinpoint”, because these events are very small scale (a thunderstorm cloud could develop, cause damage and disappear within 40 minutes in a radius of tens of kilometers).

    • If this happens often or always, this means this particular model isn’t great for your area. This could happen in areas with complex shore lines, orography, etc. In this case, it makes sense to switch to a different model. To choose a different model you might want to talk to users in the local chat - it could be that somebody already figured out which model works best at this time of the year.

    • If the numbers look weird and unrealistic (like the temperature being -273 C) - please report this to our user support at [email protected], it’s almost certainly a bug.

  • My app’s acting weird. What are the things I can do myself?

    Here’s the list of things you can try that might help:

    • Restart the app which means closing the app completely and opening it.

    • Update the app to the latest version through Google Play of App Store.

    • Restart your phone.

    • Reinstall the app which means deleting the app from your phone and installing it from Google Play.

    • Clear the app’s cache and data in the settings of your phone.

    If this doesn’t help and/or it’s getting frustrating, please don’t suffer in silence! Contact our user support at [email protected] and describe the problem. Screenshots and screencasts (videos) would be a great help. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

  • How do I get help/support?

    You can always contact us at [email protected] or through the feedback form in the app (Main menu -> Settings -> Feedback). In many cases, it’s preferable that you contact us through the feedback form in the app, since the message would contain technical information like your userID, version of the app, version of your Android OS that could help us diagnose the problem.

    We always welcome screenshots and screencasts (videos) that illustrate issues in the app. They’re a big help!

    If you have ideas and suggestions - they’re also very welcome! In this case, screenshots and links that illustrate your ideas might be helpful too.

  • I haven’t found an answer to my question

    Contact our user support at [email protected], we’d be happy to help! We mean it! Even if it seems small.

  • I have ideas/suggestions/feedback for the app!

    We really appreciate user feedback and we always want to learn more about your user experience with the app and what you need for your outdoor activity! Contact our user support at [email protected], we’d be happy to help!

• Sign up and login, managing subscription and language settings

  • How can I change my email?

    You can’t do it by yourself at the moment, but if you send the “old” email and the “new” email to our user support at [email protected], we’ll change it for you!

  • Do I have a subscription in Windy.app?

    To see if you have a subscription and what are its terms as well as manage it (cancel or resubscribe) please go to Google Play (Play Market) -> Subscriptions. If you’re using IOS, open Settings app -> Tap on your name -> Subscriptions. If you have any questions about it - don’t hesitate to contact our user support at [email protected]. We’ll need your Google Play email to look you up in the database.

  • How do I change the language?

    The language should be the same as on your phone, unless the app doesn’t support it. In that case, you’ll see the app in English. Currently, Windy.app supports: English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese.

    If the translation isn’t correct or there are other issues related to the language in the app - please contact our user support at [email protected], it’ll be appreciated!

  • What is my email? How do I register/login?

    Click on the “human” icon at the bottom of the main page and then open the main menu.

    

    If it says “Login” it means you haven’t registered/logged in the app. Please click on the “Login” and do so. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to use your account (both free and PRO) and access your list of favorites on other devices.

    

    If you don’t see a “Login” sign, but see a blank space or your chat user name, it means that you’re logged in. If you click on that area, you’ll see your personal account: email and the sport/s you’ve chosen when you started using the app.

    

  • I like your app, but it’s pricey! What can be done?

    We regularly have sales and promotions where you can get a good discount for the app. Keep in mind that you can use your PRO status on up to 5 devices, both Android and iOS. To use it on a different device, you’ll just need to log in the same way you were logged in on the device you’ve bought it on.

    Please note that Family sharing isn’t available for Windy.app.

  • How can I use the PRO version for free?

    You can invite three friends to use Windy.app and get a month of PRO access for free! You can do it an unlimited number of times. To do that go to the main menu -> get free pro, copy your link to the app and send it to 3 of your friends. Make sure, that:

    • Your friend didn’t have Windy.app installed on their phone before

    • Your friend opens the app once it’s installed.

    Once 3 of your friends download, install and open Windy.app on their phones, the PRO for a month will be given to your account automatically.

    If you have any questions about it - don’t hesitate to contact our user support at [email protected].

    Also, if you contribute to the society (as a firefighter, rescue team member, scientist, volunteer, activist, work for an NGO and so on) and you need Windy.app for your good cause, go to the Main menu -> Windy Care and fill in the form. If you’re eligible for a free PRO, we’ll contact you.

  • I can’t access my account on a different device!

    • Please check that you’ve registered in the app on your “home” device.

    • Please check that you’re using the same email/Facebook account/Google email to login. Keep in mind that you’ll not be able to login with Apple ID on an Android device.

    • If this doesn’t help, don’t hesitate to contact our user support at [email protected]. We’ll be happy to assist!