Changing your location in the Google Weather app is straightforward, whether you want to view the weather for your current spot, a manually searched city, or update your default home and work locations. You can achieve this by allowing automatic location detection, performing a quick search, or adjusting your saved places within Google Assistant settings.
Understanding How Google Weather Determines Your Location
Google Weather, often accessed through Google Search or Google Assistant on Android devices, relies on several sources to provide relevant weather information:
- Device Location Services (GPS/Wi-Fi/Cellular): This is the primary method for automatically displaying weather for your current physical location.
- Manually Searched Locations: You can search for and select any city or region worldwide to view its weather.
- Saved Places (Home, Work, Other): These are locations you've defined in your Google Account settings, often managed via Google Assistant. They allow you to quickly access weather for frequently visited or important places.
Changing the Currently Displayed Weather Location
If you want to see the weather for a different place than your current location or a saved one, there are two main methods:
Using Automatic Location Detection (Recommended)
To ensure Google Weather always shows your most accurate current location, enable location services on your device and grant permissions:
- Enable Device Location: Go to your Android device's Settings > Location and toggle it On.
- Grant App Permissions: Navigate to Settings > Apps (or Apps & Notifications) > See all apps. Find the Google app (or Google Assistant) and ensure Location permission is set to "Allow all the time" or "Allow only while using the app."
- Refresh Google Weather: Open the Google Weather interface. It should automatically detect your current location. If not, look for a refresh or "current location" button.
Manually Searching for a Specific City
You can always look up the weather for any location worldwide:
- Open Google Weather: Access it by searching for "weather" in the Google search bar, tapping the weather card on your home screen, or saying "Hey Google, what's the weather in [City]?"
- Tap the Search Bar: Within the weather interface, you'll usually see a search icon (magnifying glass) or a bar displaying the current city. Tap on it.
- Enter Your Desired Location: Type the name of the city, town, or even a specific address you want to check (e.g., London, UK, New York City, Sydney).
- Select from Results: Choose the correct location from the suggested results. The weather forecast for that location will then be displayed.
- Add to Saved (Optional): Many interfaces allow you to "save" or "add" this location to your list for quick access later.
Managing Your Default and Saved Locations
For consistent weather updates for your home, work, or other significant places, you can manage these directly through your Google Account settings, which Google Weather often references.
Updating Home and Work Addresses via Google Assistant Settings
These steps allow you to define or modify places that Google services, including Weather, use as default or frequently visited locations:
- Access Google Assistant: On your Android phone or tablet, touch and hold the Home button or say "Hey Google."
- Open Explore: In the bottom right corner, tap the compass icon (often labeled "Explore").
- Go to Settings: In the top right corner, tap your Profile picture or initial, then select Settings.
- Navigate to Your Places: Tap on You, then select Your places.
- Edit Locations: From here, you can:
- Add your Home address: Tap "Home" and enter your address.
- Add your Work address: Tap "Work" and enter your address.
- Add other places: You can also add other frequently visited locations by tapping "Add a new place."
- Save Changes: Ensure you save any changes you make. These updated locations will then be used by Google Weather and other Google services.
Adding and Removing Other Saved Places
Beyond Home and Work, you can often add other cities to your quick-access list directly within the Google Weather interface:
- When you manually search for a city, there's usually an option (like a star icon or "Add to list") to save it.
- To remove a saved city, open the weather interface, view your list of saved places (often accessed by swiping or tapping a list icon), and then tap an "X" or "Edit" option next to the city you wish to delete.
Troubleshooting Common Location Issues
If Google Weather isn't showing the correct location, consider these common fixes:
- Check Location Permissions: Ensure the Google app has permission to access your device's location.
- Verify GPS Accuracy: Move to an open area for better GPS signal or ensure Wi-Fi is on for more accurate location via Wi-Fi scanning.
- Clear Cache: Sometimes clearing the cache for the Google app (Settings > Apps > Google > Storage & cache > Clear cache) can resolve minor glitches.
- Update Google App: Make sure your Google app is updated to the latest version from the Play Store.
Quick Reference for Location Changes
| Action | Description | How to Perform |
|---|---|---|
| Current Location | Shows weather for where you are right now. | Enable device location services and grant permissions to the Google app. |
| Specific City Search | View weather for any city not currently displayed. | Open Google Weather, tap search bar, type city name, and select from results. |
| Home/Work Address | Set default locations for consistent updates. | Access Google Assistant > Explore > Profile picture > Settings > You > Your places. |
| Other Saved Locations | Quick access to frequently checked cities. | Manually search for a city, then use the "Save" or "Add" option within the weather interface, or add via Google Assistant's "Your places" settings. |
