Guide to the new 4Warn weather app for iOS and Android

4Warn Weather app. (WDIV)

4Warn Weather – Local 4′s 4 Warn Weather app is equipped with cutting-edge features designed to keep you ahead of the storm. With its intuitive interface and comprehensive weather tools, the app is your new go-to daily weather resource.

This updated weather application has been rewritten from the ground up to focus on providing you with the best weather information possible. From livestreams from the best meteorologists in the area, to live notifications about what is happening at your location or just looking up what the weekend weather forecast is going to be, this application is the best app to keep you informed.

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The 4Warn Weather app offers a sleek and fluid map displaying real-time radar, temperature, and surface winds. Whether you’re planning your week or just stepping out for the day, our app provides detailed 24-hour and 7-day forecasts tailored to your specific location, accessible by city, zip code or wherever you are.

Key Features of the 4 Warn Weather App:

  • Live From the 4 Warn Weather Office: Livestreams of the best meteorologist team, for up-to-the-minute coverage of weather impacting the region and your backyard.
  • Interactive Weather Maps: Better, more dynamic weather radar that is more interactive and easier to read.
  • Updates from the WDIV Local 4 Weather Team: Get real-time insight, video forecasts and up-to-date analysis from our dedicated meteorologists
  • More Detailed Forecasts: Now including windspeed and direction! Get 3- and 7-day forecasts in both quick view and detailed formats, ensuring you’re fully prepared no matter the weather.
  • Live Weather Alerts: Experience integrated weather alerts including tornado likelihood rankings from 1 to 10 for upcoming storm cells.
  • Customizable Notifications: Choose from WDIV weather alerts and National Weather Service warnings for comprehensive alerting including tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods, directly on your map.
  • MIPics: Share and view photos and videos from your community and where events are taking place. Nothing is more powerful than the sights and sounds shared by our viewers, far beyond the forecasts and maps.
  • Dark Mode: A new visual option for easier nighttime viewing. Dark mode is enabled based on your device’s settings. 

Beyond just forecasts, the 4Warn Weather app offers fully automated, specific weather alerts with up to 15 minutes lead time before severe conditions hit. You can set up alerts for up to four locations, including your current mobile location, ensuring that you and your loved ones stay safe.

Detroit, don’t just watch the weather. Stay a step ahead with the 4 Warn Weather app. Download or update today, and take control of your weather experience. Your peace of mind is now at your fingertips.

How to install

1. Download the 4Warn weather app. You can access the app through your device’s app store (iOS | Android).

2. Permissions. When you first download the app there will be a series of permission prompts. ​

  • Push Alerts: To get the most out of the new Weather app, it is recommended that you allow the app to track your location “Always.” This is best practice and will allow the app to deliver weather push alerts in real time as they appear. Otherwise you may miss important location based weather alerts known as SAF-T-Net alerts.​
  • Location Tracking: This allows the app to send you alerts based on your location. Select “Allow Location While Using App.” You should then be asked to change this to “Always.”
  • Activity Tracking: This helps serve personalized ads to you while using the app. 

3. Set your locations. By default, the app will track the location of your device and base forecasts and radar on this location. You also have the option of adding locations. For example, you may want to track weather near a family member’s house or while a child is at summer camp.

  • Set your locations using the “pin” icon in the upper right corner of the app. 
  • From the menu, you can use the search bar to add as many locations as you’d like. You can also toggle push alerts for each location, or delete a location.

4. Daily use. Within the app, you’ll see hourly and daily conditions, video forecasts from the 4Warn weather team, and live radar.

  • The “Overviews” tab gives current conditions, the 3-hour hour forcast, the 7-day daily forecast, and access to the radar page. 
  • The “Currents” tab provides humidity, cloud cover, visibility, dew point, barometric pressure, and sunrise/sunset times. 
  • Radar includes a number of options and layers, which are all configurable through the gear icon in the upper right corner. 
  • MIPics is available on the home screen and through the three-bar menu in the upper left corner. This allows you to share photos and videos with the 4Warn weather team and the Local 4 newsroom. 

5. Radar. The gear icon gives you three menus of options to customize your radar.

  • The Data tab allows you to change the data product. 
  • The Overlays tab allows you to change overlays on the map. 
  • The Setting tab allows you to change the map settings.

6. Video. The 4Warn app features video updates from the WDIV weather team, including forecasts and live coverage. Live video will display at the top of the app on the home screen. Video forecasts are available in the “Video Forecast” section on the home screen.

7. Articles. Stories written by the 4Warn weather team detailing weather conditions are available through the three-bar menu in the upper left corner. Select “Weather Headlines.”

8. Light and dark mode. The app display will adjust to “light” or “dark” mode based on your device’s settings. You control this through your device menu (not the app menu).


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