NWS Weather — Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 14, 2026
The short version
- There is no NWS Weather server. The app has no backend that I operate, no account system, and no login.
- I collect nothing. I never receive, see, or store your location, your usage, or any other information about you.
- Your requests go straight to U.S. government weather services. To show your forecast, the app sends your approximate location from your device directly to those services — not to me.
- No ads, no analytics, no trackers, no data sales. Ever.
- Everything the app saves stays on your device.
This Privacy Policy explains how the NWS Weather app for iPhone and iPad (the “App”) handles information. The App is developed and published by Benjamin Issa, an individual developer (“I,” “me,” or “my”). By using the App, you agree to this Policy.
1. I do not operate a server, and I do not collect your data
NWS Weather has no backend service of its own. I do not run any server that receives information from the App, and there is no account, sign-up, email capture, or login. As a result, I do not collect, receive, store, transmit, sell, share, or have access to any personal information about you or any record of how you use the App.
2. What the App accesses on your device, and where your requests go
To function as a weather app, NWS Weather makes requests directly from your device to public U.S. government weather services. It works like this:
- Location. With your permission, the App uses your device’s location so it can show weather for where you are. Your coordinates are rounded to about four decimal places (roughly a city-block level of precision) before being sent, and they are sent only to the government weather services listed below in order to retrieve the forecast, radar, air-quality, and related data for your area. You can grant, limit (to an approximate location), or revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services, or search for any city by name instead of using your location.
- IP address. As with visiting any website, when your device contacts a government weather service, that service can see the network (IP) address your request came from. This is inherent to how the Internet works, happens between your device and that service, and is governed by that service’s own privacy policy — not by me. I never see it.
- Nothing else. No advertising identifiers, contacts, photos, health data, or similar information are accessed or transmitted.
3. On-device intelligence
NWS Weather generates its short plain-language weather summaries using Apple’s on-device models (Apple Foundation Models), which run entirely on your iPhone or iPad. No information about you or your weather is sent off your device to produce these summaries. Apple’s handling of on-device features is described in Apple’s Privacy Policy.
4. What is stored, and where
Any information the App saves — such as your saved locations, unit and display preferences, and recently fetched weather used for offline display and for the App’s widgets — is stored locally on your device (including in an app-group container shared with the NWS Weather widget so the widget can display the same data). None of it is transmitted to me or to any server I control. If you delete the App, this locally stored data is removed by iOS.
5. No tracking, advertising, analytics, or data sales
NWS Weather contains no third-party analytics tools, no advertising networks, no software development kits (SDKs) that profile you, and no cross-app or cross-site tracking. I do not build a profile of you, and there is nothing to sell or share — because I do not collect anything in the first place.
6. Third-party government services and their privacy policies
The weather, radar, air-quality, UV, and climate information in the App comes from independent services operated by U.S. government agencies, and the on-device summaries use Apple technology. These are separate organizations that I do not control. When the App retrieves data, your request is handled directly by them under their own terms and privacy policies. I am not responsible for, and cannot control, the content, accuracy, availability, security, or data practices of these third parties. Their privacy policies are:
| Service | Used for | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| National Weather Service / NOAA (api.weather.gov) | Forecasts, current conditions, alerts | weather.gov/privacy |
| NOAA (nowCOAST map tiles; NCEI climate normals) | Radar & forecast map layers; climate averages | noaa.gov/protecting-your-privacy |
| U.S. EPA — AirNow | Air Quality Index | epa.gov Privacy & Security Notice |
| U.S. EPA — Envirofacts | UV Index | epa.gov Privacy & Security Notice |
| Apple | On-device weather summaries | apple.com/legal/privacy |
7. Children’s privacy
NWS Weather is a general-audience weather app. It is not directed to children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect any personal information from anyone, including children under 13. Because the App collects no personal information at all, it does not knowingly collect it from children.
8. Your California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident: I do not collect, and therefore do not sell or “share” (as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended), any of your personal information, and I have not done so. There is no personal information for me to disclose, delete, correct, or stop selling, because none is collected or retained by me. You may still contact me with any privacy question using the details below.
9. Users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (GDPR)
I do not act as a data controller or processor of any personal data through the App, because I do not receive or store any personal data. Where your device sends your approximate location directly to a government weather service to fulfill your request, that transfer is made by your device to that service to provide the functionality you requested. Those government services are independent parties with their own roles and policies. As I hold no personal data about you, there is nothing for me to access, rectify, erase, restrict, port, or object to; you may nonetheless contact me with questions.
10. Data security
Because the App keeps its data on your device and I operate no server, the security of that data relies on the security of your device and of iOS. No method of electronic storage or Internet transmission is 100% secure, and while the App is designed to minimize data exposure by design, I cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Disclaimers, weather-data warning, and limitation of liability
Weather information is not guaranteed — do not rely on it for safety
The weather, forecast, radar, air-quality, UV, and climate information in the App is produced by third-party government sources and is provided to you as a convenience. It may be delayed, incomplete, preliminary, unverified, interrupted, or inaccurate. Air-quality data in particular is described by its source as preliminary and subject to change. You must not rely on NWS Weather for any decision where an error or delay could result in harm, injury, death, or loss of property. Do not use the App for safety-of-life, severe-weather, emergency, marine, aviation, agricultural, or other critical decisions. For those, always consult official sources such as NOAA Weather Radio, your local National Weather Service office at weather.gov, and official government emergency alerts.
“As is” — no warranties
The App and all information it displays are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranty of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including but not limited to any implied warranties of accuracy, completeness, timeliness, reliability, availability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. I do not warrant that the App or its data will be uninterrupted, error-free, or correct.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will Benjamin Issa be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or relating to your use of, inability to use, or reliance on the App or any information it provides, under any theory of liability (including contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise), even if advised of the possibility of such damages. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, my total cumulative liability for all claims relating to the App will not exceed the greater of the total amount you paid, if any, to obtain the App, or US $5.00.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of certain damages, so some of the above may not apply to you; in that case, those exclusions and limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Third-party and government data
NWS Weather is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Government, or Apple Inc. Product and agency names are used for identification only. Government data is used in accordance with its public-domain status and the data providers’ usage guidelines.
12. Governing law
This Policy and any dispute arising from your use of the App are governed by the applicable laws of the United States of America, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
13. Changes to this Policy
I may update this Policy from time to time. When I do, I will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be reflected here, and your continued use of the App after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.
14. Contact
If you have any questions about this Policy or about privacy in the App, contact:
Benjamin Issa
nwsweatherapp@protonmail.com