Google is replacing the long-standing shortcut with a new Search interface.
Google is quietly saying goodbye to one of Android’s most familiar mini-apps. The company is phasing out the long-standing Google Weather experience and replacing it with a redesigned weather interface inside Google Search, as reported by 9to5Google.
If you have ever tapped the sun-and-cloud shortcut on your home screen to quickly check the forecast, you have already used what many consider Android’s default weather app. Despite feeling like a standalone app, it was actually a full-screen weather experience built into the Google app. However, that shortcut is now being redirected to a new Search-based weather page, and the change appears to be rolling out widely after months of testing.
The original interface was simple and recognizable. It opened into a clean, full-screen feed with Google’s iconic “Froggy” background, showing current conditions, a 10-day forecast, and quick switching between saved cities. For many Android users, it became the fastest way to check the weather without installing a third-party app.
The replacement keeps most of the same information, but the experience is changing. Instead of a self-contained full-screen app, tapping the shortcut now opens a Google Search results page that includes the weather card alongside other search elements. The redesigned page still shows forecasts, air quality data, and detailed weather metrics. It also introduces an AI-generated summary alongside the usual hourly and 10-day forecasts. However, the experience now behaves like a typical web results page, complete with additional links and search content as you scroll.
Interestingly, Pixel phone owners are mostly unaffected. Those devices already ship with a dedicated Pixel Weather app, meaning the change primarily impacts non-Pixel Android users who relied on the shortcut as their main built-in weather tool. That said, for non-Pixel users, if you prefer quick, dedicated weather tools, this shift might nudge you toward third-party apps. Nonetheless, it is another sign that Google’s future on Android increasingly revolves around Search as the hub for everyday information.
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
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