Stay Weather Aware With the NBC Chicago App

The NBC Chicago app is free and available for both iPhones and Androids

Inclement weather is unavoidable in the Chicago area. But when severe storms and winter snow are headed your way, it’s important to know early and often what Mother Nature has in store.

By downloading the NBC Chicago app, you can be the first alerted to warnings and watches in your area so you can better prepare for what’s ahead.

The NBC Chicago app is free and available for both iPhones and Androids, featuring real-time weather forecasts, traffic maps, radar images, severe weather alerts and school closings.

Ready to download? Click here to add the app to your phone. Don’t forget to turn on push notifications to have your weather alerts sent to you the moment they’re issued!

If you have any questions, feel free to view our FAQ or send an email by clicking here

Q: I want to add your app to my phone or tablet. How do I do that?
A: If you are on an iPhone or iPad, tap here, then tap "Get." If you are on an Android phone, tap here, then tap "Install."


Q: If I already have your iPad app, do I need to download it again?
A: Yes, you will need to delete the old version and download the new version. If you're not sure which version you have, open the app. If you see an article at the top of the app telling you to download the new version, that means you have the old one. You can always click on the link above to easily download the new one.


Q: If I already have your Android app, do I need to download it again?
A: No, you do not need to delete the old version. If you have automatic updates on, it will update automatically. If not, you can update it on your own. To do so, tap on the Google Play Store icon, then tap on "My Apps," find the NBC Chicago icon and tap "Update." You can also go to the Google Play Store and search for the NBC Chicago app and tap "Update."


Q: I opened up my iPad or Android app today and it looks totally different. What did you do?
A: Once you downloaded the new version of our iPad app, or upgraded your Android app, you saw that we've completely redesigned the apps, providing a new look and feel, and introducing some new functionality, including an enhanced weather section.


Q: When I open my current app, I get a message saying I need to update to a new version. How do I update my app?
A: On your iPad, tap on your App Store icon, then tap on Updates and find the NBC Chicago icon and tap "Update.” You can also go to the App Store and search for the NBC Chicago app and tap "Update." On your Android device, tap on the Google Play Store icon, then tap on "My Apps," find the NBC Chicago icon and tap "Update." You can also go to the Google Play Store and search for the NBC Chicago app and tap "Update."


Q: In the App Store, I used to see two different versions of the NBC Chicago app, one for iPhone and one for iPad. Now I only see one. Why is that?
A: We’ll skip all the technical talk, but know that the same app will work when downloaded on both the iPhone and iPad now. It will look different when you load it on each device, however.


Q: OK, this iPad (Android) app looks completely different. Where did all of the content I used to look at go?

A: Don’t worry, the content is still there. The layout of the app changed, but you can still find all of your local news and weather. In fact, you should see even more content in the new app than what you’re used to.


Q: I see an option to customize my start screen. What’s that all about?

A: You can customize the start screen of our app to highlight news OR weather when you open it. If weather information is crucial for you and your family, we want you to see it immediately on the app to make your life easier. If you’re more interested in local and national news, you can continue to see that first when the app opens if you want. To make a change, tap on the main nav icon in the upper left and then tap on “Set Your Start Screen” to choose between Top Stories or Weather.


Q: Does the app work when the iPad is in a landscape view?
A: The app supports video playback and viewing the interactive radar in landscape mode. In a future release, we’ll be updating the design of the app to support landscape mode on tablets.


Q: When I open my NBC Chicago weather app, I get a message telling me to download the NBC Chicago news app instead. What’s up with that?
A: We are combining our Weather app and News app into one powerful local news and weather app. All of the information found in the Weather app has been added to our News app, as well as some other key enhancements we hope you like. This is just the first step in improving our overall app weather content. Stay tuned for even more features in future updates.


Q: What happens if I don’t download the new station app and continue to use the current weather app?
A: Sorry, but our current weather app will eventually suffer the same fate as black-and-white TV sets. At some point in the near future the weather app will stop working altogether. But we’re putting all the great weather functionality you expect in the station app. We believe you’ll like the improvements to our weather section in the station app, and appreciate having all of your news and weather in one place.


Q: How can I get weather alert notifications in the news app?
A: Just go to the weather section of the app and tap on the city name at the top of the page. You will see an "Alerts” toggle on the right side for each city you enter (you can search to add more cities). Tap on the "Preferences” tab to view all of the different types of alerts you can receive.


Q: How can I change the font size on the app?
A: You can adjust the font size to be larger or smaller from any article page in the app. Simply tap on the font icon (represented by two capital As) in the upper right hand corner of the article page and then select from the three font sizes available.


Q: How do I turn off the sound on push alerts on the Android app?
A: Our app honors your device's silent, vibrate or do not disturb function. If your device is in any of these modes the notification will not make a sound when it comes through. If the sound is on, we'll audibly alert you to the notification. There isn't currently a way to turn off the sound of notifications just from our app.


Q: How can I turn off push notifications entirely on an Android?
A: You have to turn off push notifications entirely at the device level, not from within the app. Each Android device is a little different in terms of functionality, but there are generally two ways to make this happen.
On your Android device, launch the Settings of the device (icon that looks like a gear). Within the Settings there are two ways to disable push notifications:
1st mode to disable push notifications via Application Notifications:
Within Settings window, tap "Sound and Notification"
Then scroll down and tap "Application Notifications"
Scroll through the list of apps and tap the NBC app
Tap to turn the "Block" feature on. This will block all notifications from this app
2nd mode to disable push notifications via Application Manager:
Within Settings window, tap "Applications"
Tap "Application Manager." On some Android devices, this might just be called "Apps"
Scroll through the list of apps and tap the NBC app
Uncheck the "Show Notifications" button
If you'd prefer to stop only the severe weather alerts, you can go into the app, open the menu by tapping on the logo, tap the cog wheel in the top right corner of the header, under Weather tap "Alert Settings" then "Preferences."

Q: If I see any problems or have questions about the new app, who can hear me out?
A: The best way is to email us at limmobile@nbcuni.com.

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