Overcast Privacy Policy
At Overcast, we respect your privacy. Overcast is designed as a clean, local-first weather forecast app for Android. Your location and personal details stay entirely in your control.
Effective date: October 8, 2026
Local-First & Privacy Focused
Important: Overcast does not collect, log, or share your personal data. Weather requests are queried directly to the chosen weather service provider (e.g. Open-Meteo, AccuWeather, etc.), and all cached forecast data and configuration stay strictly on your device.
Overcast guarantees that:
- Zero server tracking or telemetry: We do not operate any intermediate servers, analytics SDKs, advertising frameworks, or tracking libraries.
- No account required: No login, email signup, or user identity tracking.
- Local storage only: Saved cities, widget preferences, custom API keys, and cached forecast data are stored in your device's private local storage.
How Weather Data & Location Are Used
To provide accurate real-time forecasts, temperature, precipitation, and widgets, Overcast processes your location as follows:
- Approximate Location: If enabled, your approximate coordinates are used locally solely to fetch the current weather and forecast for your area from the weather provider API.
- Background Location: If granted, background location allows widgets and the daydream screensaver to refresh weather conditions periodically when the app is in the background.
- Manual City Search: If you choose not to grant location permissions, you can search for and select cities manually.
Permissions Explanation
Overcast requests only the Android permissions necessary to fetch weather data and deliver widgets/screensaver functionality:
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION | Used to determine your approximate location to fetch local weather forecasts and conditions. |
ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION | Optional. Allows home screen widgets and the screensaver to update forecast data while the app is closed or running in the background. |
INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE | Required to connect to weather data providers and download current forecasts, alerts, and hourly details. |
VIBRATE | Provides subtle tactile haptic feedback for UI controls and simulation tools. |
Third-Party Weather APIs
When fetching weather updates, Overcast communicates directly with the relevant weather data provider (such as Open-Meteo or user-configured provider keys). Only coordinates/locations necessary to retrieve the weather report are transmitted in the API request. Please refer to your chosen provider's privacy policy for details on their data handling.
Data Retention & Security
All saved locations, preferences, and cached forecasts are stored inside Android's sandboxed app storage. Clearing the app data or uninstalling Overcast will immediately remove all locally stored information.
Contact
If you have questions or feedback regarding Overcast or this Privacy Policy: