Google Expands AI-Powered Weather Forecasts to Pixel 8 and 8a Devices

Pixel Weather's AI-powered forecasts expand beyond the Pixel 9 series

Now Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a users with Gemini Nano report that AI forecasts have started working. Almost all of us rely on weather forecasts to help plan our days, and while you've got no shortage of weather apps to chose from on Android, Google's own Pixel Weather has got to be one of our favorites. For as great as it is, though, that app's not without its limitations, like how it's only available for Pixel devices. More than that, not all of its features are universally available across the Pixel lineup, and while that's not a situation we're likely to see go away for good, it is one that's currently getting a little better.

Google is quietly bringing Pixel 9's AI weather forecasts to more Pixel phones

Massive T-Mobile data breach payments prove all settlements aren't created equal For all the new features the Pixel 9 brought, one of the most loved additions from last year's flagship was the new Pixel Weather app, which Google launched alongside the phones. Even though the app dropped the beloved frog mascot, it introduced a much-improved UI, a customizable layout, and more recently, new data like pollen levels. Related Google's Pixel Weather app takes two steps forward, one step back in latest update Improved dates, but a Save button adds clutter Posts 5 Arguably, one of the best features of the Pixel Weather app is the AI-powered weather reports. These small forecast summaries help you quickly understand the weather in your area through a few simple sentences, without needing to dig through temperature charts or data. These summaries can give you a quick idea of how your day will look and even tell you if you might need an umbrella. While Google made the new Weather app available to all Pixel devices in the October 2024 Feature Drop, the AI weather summaries remained exclusive to the Pixel 9 series -- until now. Pixel 8 and 8a users are starting to see AI forecasts It now appears that nearly a year after the Pixel 9 launch, Google is expanding access to these AI-generated summaries. As reported by Android Authority, many Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a users have started noticing AI forecasts showing up on their devices as well. Although there is no official confirmation from Google yet, this likely ties back to the on-device Gemini Nano integration added to the Pixel 8 phones in 2024. It seems the Pixel Weather app is now tapping into Gemini Nano to generate and display these summaries. Related Google just made switching units in the Pixel Weather app less annoying Still no weather frog, sadly Posts 3 Users on Reddit reporting this feature's availability have Gemini Nano enabled on their Pixel 8. If you do not see the feature yet, you can try enabling Gemini Nano manually by going to Settings > System > Developer options > AICore Settings, and toggling on the on-device GenAI features. Some users also report seeing a prompt within the Pixel Weather app asking them to enable Gemini. Regardless, it is great to see Google bringing one of the standout Pixel 9 features to older devices. While it is unclear if this feature will expand to even earlier Pixel models, it is now at least reaching one generation back.

Google starts rolling out AI Weather Reports on Pixel 8, Pixel 8a with Gemini Nano update

Nearly a year after Google launched AI weather summaries on the Pixel 9 series, Pixel 8 users are starting to see those same reports slowly roll out to their devices. AI Weather Reports were initially exclusive to the Pixel 9 series as part of last year's overhauled Pixel Weather app. When Google brought that app to all Tensor-powered Pixels, only the Pixel 8 Pro was included in the AI-powered fun, thanks to its larger allocation of RAM. Over the past couple of weeks, however, countless Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a users on Reddit have spotted AI Weather Reports in Pixel Weather, seemingly indicating a broader rollout to devices with less memory (via Android Authority). I, too, can count myself among those Pixel 8 users finally seeing AI Weather Reports on their device, initially with a blank space before eventually being prompted to update Gemini Nano. The experience seems unchanged from what Pixel 9 or Pixel 8 Pro users have had access to since 2024, delivering a short blurb with current and future conditions while allowing for more context through a drop-down menu. When I reviewed the Pixel 9 Pro last year, I found that, despite Pixel Weather itself feeling like a fantastic app, Google's AI forecasts felt just a tad superfluous compared to all of the other included data. Despite the AI branding and its sparkle icon, AI Weather Reports feel like nothing more than a basic summary of the exact data you can grok just by looking at the daily or hourly forecasts underneath. While you'll occasionally get tips that extend outside a standard forecasting toolset, they usually amount to suggestions like "bring an umbrella" on a rainy day. If you're on a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a, you should see this feature rolling out to your device soon if it hasn't already. You'll need to make sure Gemini Nano is enabled within Developer Settings, though, as Google has kept its requisite miniaturized local LLM to an opt-in experience on phones with relatively limited memory. If you have Gemini Nano enabled but don't want AI Weather Reports, you can disable the feature by heading to your saved locations, tapping your profile icon, and toggling off the tool under Pixel Weather settings.