Life-changing hidden iPhone weather app setting texts you before it's going to rain
There's nothing worse than being caught short in the middle of a downpour, and while the movies might make it look romantic and encourage you to pull off an upside-down Spider-Man kiss, the reality is far less appealing.
More often than not, we're left without an umbrella, running for cover, and looking like a drowned rat.
Sometimes the extreme weather comes out of nowhere, but wouldn't it be handy if someone could give you some kind of warning beforehand?
Even if you tune in every morning to check the weather forecast, we know anchors can get it wrong.
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Knowing how to dress for the weather is an ordeal all on its own, but did you know iPhones have a special setting that can give you a heads-up before you get soaked?
Apple's Weather app can be used for more than just checking out how hot it's going to be on your next vacation, with a handy feature texting you before it starts raining.
Buried deep in iOS' many hidden settings, there's an option to set up rain alerts. For those in colder climes, you can also get a text when it's about to snow - handy if you need to leave work early to beat an incoming blizzard.
To activate Apple's weather alerts, follow these simple steps:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services
- Select Weather and tap on 'Always'
- Ensure Precise Location is turned on
- Head to the Weather app and tap the menu button at the bottom right (it looks like three stacked dots)
- Tap the menu button in the top right (three dots in a line)
- Press notifications
There should be options for 'Severe Weather' and 'Next-Hour Precipitation', and you'll want to make sure both are toggled on. There are some limits to the service, but according to the official information from Apple, severe weather information uses national weather services from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, the United States, and 'most' of Europe. If you're in China, severe weather warnings are available from QWeather.
Next-Hour Precipitation notifications can only be used in Australia, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
While some of you are sure to be sick of another notification clogging your feed, it's easy to go back into your notifications and turn them off. Still, a little notice would be nice instead of embarrassingly having to dash into the nearest shop. Everyone reads the news online these days, so it's not even like you can turn a newspaper into a soggy umbrella.