Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

First Alert Weather vs First Alert 4 Weather

First Alert Weather 4.7★ · Free to download 60
Winner First Alert 4 Weather
First Alert 4 Weather 4.7★ · Free to download 65

First Alert 4 Weather has a slight edge over First Alert Weather due to fewer reported critical bugs and a better user experience despite both apps suffering from excessive ads and location-based inaccuracies.

Full reviews: First Alert Weather · First Alert 4 Weather

Both First Alert Weather apps are free, but users frequently complain about excessive ads, app crashes, and inaccurate location-based alerts. First Alert 4 Weather appears to have a slightly more stable radar and fewer critical bugs, making it a marginally better choice.

Head to head

Features tieR11R48R60R19
First Alert Weather Users appreciate the hourly updates and radar capabilities, which are helpful for planning R11R48R60. However, some find the radar overlay hard to see R19, and the snow forecast lacks detail on expected amounts . There are also requests for allergy forecasts and widgets for iPhone R47.
First Alert 4 Weather Users value the weather map and the ability to receive localized or area-wide alerts . Some users desire an allergy forecast and a radar screen showing the entire country . There are complaints about the new radar overlays being cluttered and the inability to set default storm info .
Ease of Use tieR35R60R1R21
First Alert Weather Some users find the app simple and easy to navigate R35R60. However, recent updates have been criticized for making the forecast page default to expanded views R1, removing the ability to view current weather R21, and changing the visual layout for daily/hourly forecasts . Users also report difficulty finding a way to leave suggestions R1 or contact developers R47R53.
First Alert 4 Weather The app is generally considered easy to use and provides information at users' fingertips . However, some users find it hard to work their way around the site and dislike that the app resets to the home screen after leaving and returning . The new overview weather map is less visually clear for some , and the UI/UX has issues like unreadable text against certain backgrounds .
Reliability edge: First Alert 4 WeatherR8R17R38R35
First Alert Weather Users have mixed experiences, with some calling it dependable and accurate R8R17R38R35, even life-saving during severe weather . However, many report constant crashes, especially when tapping on daily or hourly forecasts R4R36. The app is also criticized for being slow to load and for radar/hourly forecasts being inaccurate R10.
First Alert 4 Weather The app is praised for its accuracy and for providing timely alerts during storms . However, users frequently report the app breaking every few months, crashing when opening daily trackers or radar, and failing to load temperatures R75R82. The radar is often described as routinely wrong, not showing rain even when it's pouring , and conflicting with current status R61. Videos sometimes don't load or play without sound .
Price/Value tieR48R11R13R22
First Alert Weather As a free app, it provides value for some users who rely on it for daily work schedules R48 and travel planning R11. However, the value is diminished for many by the overwhelming number of ads R13R22R28 and the frequent crashes R4.
First Alert 4 Weather Being a free app, it offers value for localized weather alerts and information . However, the value is significantly undermined by pervasive ads, especially during critical weather coverage R61, and frequent app instability R75R82.
Support tieR1R53R47
First Alert Weather Users report no option within the app to leave suggestions R1 and that the support link in the App Store leads to a 404 page R53. There is a general lack of accessible developer contact information R47.
First Alert 4 Weather There are no specific reviews mentioning support or contact options for First Alert 4 Weather, suggesting a similar lack of accessible support channels as App A.
Pick First Alert Weather if

you prioritize hourly updates for travel and work planning, and are willing to tolerate ads and occasional crashes R11R48.

Pick First Alert 4 Weather if

you need reliable severe weather alerts and coverage, and are comfortable with a potentially buggy app that prioritizes ads .

Evidence note: Both apps are free, so negative reviews often stem from free-tier friction like ads and performance issues. The lifetime ratings are very similar, indicating a consistent user experience across both, but recent reviews highlight growing frustrations with ads and stability.

Frequently asked

Do these apps have a lot of ads?
Yes, both First Alert Weather and First Alert 4 Weather are heavily criticized for having too many ads, often interrupting critical weather coverage or being longer than the actual weather reports R13R22R28R61.
Are the weather forecasts accurate?
User opinions on accuracy are mixed for both apps; some users praise First Alert Weather for being accurate and dependable R8R17R35, while others claim its forecasts and radar are 'ALWAYS WRONG' R10. Similarly, First Alert 4 Weather is called 'vary accurate' by some , but others state it's 'not reliable' and its radar is 'routinely wrong' .
Do these apps crash frequently?
First Alert Weather users report constant crashes, especially when trying to access daily or hourly forecasts R4R36. First Alert 4 Weather also experiences frequent crashes, with users noting it 'breaks every few months' and is 'buggy' R75R82.
Do these apps provide local alerts only?
No, both apps often send alerts for states or areas not near the user's set location, which is a common complaint R3R7R37R39.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R11] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Traveling from Ky: Thank you so much for keeping us updated hourly! We downloaded your app on Friday as we traveled into Mississippi from Ky and it’s helped us tremendously to plan when we needed to stop. We travel in a motorhome so the updates have been so helpful!
  2. [R48] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Best for business!!!: I use this app daily to arrange my schedule for workdays depending on if I can work in or out and helps with preparing!!!
  3. [R60] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US I: Love the app. Simple and easy. Radar is very good. I truly trust KFDX weather.
  4. [R19] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Radar overlay: Hard to see the rain with the overlays. I have to go to other apps to see where rain or fronts are. Do not waste your time with this app.
  5. [R35] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Weather: Always accurate and easy to navigate! 👍🏻😎
  6. [R1] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Not a Fan of Update: I don’t like how the forecast page defaults by having today automatically expanded. Don’t like how the radar loop doesn’t pause at the end. I hate how there is no option in the app to leave suggestions.
  7. [R21] First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Current weather not on update: Since the newest update I’m no longer able to view the current weather forecast
  8. [R8] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Weather peace of mind!: You are the best. I have only one other app. You are most dependable & accurate. Thank you
  9. [R17] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Love this app: Love this app! Thank you for accuracy.
  10. [R38] First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Accurate: Keeps me on top of the weather
  11. [R13] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Too much ads.: Barely can see anything with ads everywhere. Feels like a 90s website.
  12. [R22] First Alert Weather 2/5 · US Coveage is okay, but the ads are absolutely mind numbing: I’m in the app trying to watch the coverage videos and I get met with a 30 second long ad. Although it’s understandable, you cannot click or close out for a second without it glitching the entire app.
  13. [R53] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US No support to contact, not saving settings: I’m having to change the location back constantly to my location, and the app is no longer saving my settings. The support link in the App Store for the page is a 404 as well
  14. [R47] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Contacting app developers: Hi, I was unable to find a way to “contact developer “ and I have a question: do you have widgets for this app for iPhone users? Thanks in advance!
  15. [R28] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Don’t have time to watch it anymore! It’s useless: I used to rely heavily on this application for a quick 60 seconds overview of the weather forecast, but recently they’ve added commercials that are LONGER than the 60 seconds weather forecast. I simply don’t have time to sit thru the commercials to get to a 60 seconds weather summary. The application is of no use to me anymore. Last Saturday, a ho
  16. [R61] First Alert 4 Weather 2/5 · US Conflicting information, ad prioritized: Could literally be dangerous in bad weather that the advertising sponsor takes up the entire screen so long. (Duh, just have the ad at the top or bottom of the screen continuously.) And regular future radar and 24-hr radar conflict, even in the supposed current status.
  17. [R10] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US ALWAYS WRONG!: The radar map and hourly forecasts are ALWAYS WRONG! You’d think in the year 2025 with the technology we have today that weather forecasts would at least be somewhat accurate. Wrong. A forecast of a 90-100% rain day may not see any rain at all while 30-40% may rain significantly all day. A forecast of light thunderstorms may be tornadoes. This morning for instance the hourly and
  18. [R4] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Crashes constantly!: The app crashes constantly. Specifically when tapping on Daily or Hourly. It will crash several times in a row before it finally loads the data. There is no way to report it when it crashes either. It’s not a user issue- cache cleared, happens during good data or WiFi connection, etc. It’s been going on for quite some time.
  19. [R36] First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Crashes: Had worked fine but now ceases on startup. The wlbt to go is doing it too. 3GS 4.3.1
  20. [R75] First Alert 4 Weather 3/5 · US App breaks every few months: It’s great for trying to keep track of the weather and everything, but every few months the app breaks. It crashes trying to open the daily tracker, the radar, and it won’t load even the temperature.
  21. [R82] First Alert 4 Weather 2/5 · US Buggy: Crashes randomly, radar won’t show up sometimes, videos don’t load half the time, ads on the videos sometimes make the phone crash. I don’t have these problems with any other weather app.
  22. [R3] First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Wrong area: My app is set to Atlanta, but keep getting weather reports from Mississippi.
  23. [R7] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Weather alerts: Hate yours as you give me alerts for states I do not live in. If it continues I am deleting the app
  24. [R37] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Weather predictions and warnings: I wish you would not send out weather warnings for places not even near my location
  25. [R39] First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Too many notifications not for my area: See above

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store