RainViewer launches Apple Watch radar complication update

RainViewer has launched a rebuilt Apple Watch app with a watch face complication that shows a radar map. The feature is available to all users of the weather app.

Unlike most Apple Watch weather complications, the new display shows a radar image on the watch face instead of a single forecast data point such as temperature, rain probability, or a weather icon.

The update also adds up to two forecast frames to the complication, each marked with a "+N min" label to show lead time. The current frame uses measured radar data, while the forecast frames use RainViewer's nowcast and appear as images rather than percentages.

Users can view the complication without opening the app, giving them a direct view of approaching rain from the watch face. RainViewer rebuilt the Apple Watch app to improve launch speed and support upcoming iOS 27.

Watch update

Beyond the watch face feature, the revised Apple Watch app includes an hourly forecast that scrolls 12 hours ahead for standard users and 24 hours ahead for Premium subscribers. It shows the same metrics as the iPhone app, including wind, and adds a radar preview on the forecast screen for the selected location.

The release also includes an updated radar map design. Directional arrows showing precipitation movement are available to Premium users.

RainViewer has also updated its iPhone home screen widgets. They now display a timestamp for the radar frame shown and include labelled forecast frames.

RainViewer is positioning the release as an alternative to the forecast-led format used by many smartwatch weather apps. That approach has faced greater scrutiny as users compare forecast summaries with live conditions.

"Most watch complications can only tell you what a model predicted, not what's actually happening outside," said Oleksii Schastlyvyi, founder of RainViewer.

"We wanted the watch face to show the radar itself, not a percentage, so people can see the same data we see, at a glance, without opening the app," Schastlyvyi said.

Pricing model

RainViewer offers both free and paid versions of its app. Its paid service has two subscription tiers: Essential at USD $4.99 a month or USD $19.99 a year, and Pro at USD $8.99 a month or USD $39.99 a year.

According to RainViewer, the service covers radar data across more than 80 countries. The app also includes severe weather alerts, a hurricane tracking overlay, precipitation notifications, and visualisations of precipitation and cloud cover through radar and satellite maps.

Weather information on wearables has typically been condensed into compact indicators because of the limited space on watch faces. RainViewer's update takes a different approach, using that space for an image-based display to give users a quick visual indication of where rain is and how it is moving.

RainViewer said its radar processing updates every two to five minutes.