The Weather Channel

Making Live Updates possible

/ Timeline

Q1 – Q2 2025

/ FeatureS

Live Updates Permissions Priming

/ My Role

Product design lead (permissions architecture • education flows • dev partnership & delivery)

/ Platforms

Android • iOS

I led discovery on Android Live Updates and uncovered a permissions gap that threatened launch. By pivoting to permissions priming, we delivered a measurable lift in opt-ins (+11% at 25% completion) and a design foundation adopted by both Android and iOS teams.

Proof of concept

/ The challenge

Android 16 introduced Live Updates, a system for persistent, real-time event tracking. Our challenge was to evaluate its potential for weather and define what was needed to make it successful.

/ Discovery

Beta 1 launched in January 2025. I partnered with engineers to prototype Live Update use cases and test technical boundaries.

In February, I presented our discovery work to leadership in a cross-platform review. Live Updates showed strong potential, but we uncovered a critical dependency: too few users had “Allow all the time” permissions enabled. Without fixing this, Live Updates would fall short of user expectations.

Assembly of images from branded imagery to UI elements as part of the permission priming aspect of the project

/ The pivot

After securing leadership alignment, we pivoted to permissions priming. I partnered with product, dev, content, and UXR to map flows that showed how location settings impact forecast accuracy and guided users toward informed choices.

Draft user flows and deep linking to device settings

/ Research insights (Userzoom survey)

What frustrates you most about weather notifications?

“

When I get [a notification] for a location I am no longer in.

/ User feedback (PLay Store reviews)

The app keeps saying I’m not in the right location, even when I’m standing outside my house.

”

“

I don’t understand why it only works when the app is open. Shouldn’t it know where I am?

It keeps asking for location access but never explains why. I just hit ‘Only this time’ and then things stop working.

”

/ User testing

“

I only figured out how to fix the alerts after Googling. It should just explain inside the app.

five high fidelity compositions illustrating the in-app touchpoints for permissions priming.

/ Materialization

With flows validated, I partnered with Content Design to craft high-fidelity patterns—clear copy, contextual nudges, and consistent visuals that made permissions intuitive.

+11%

lift in “Allow all the time” opt-ins (at ~25% rollout)

Phases 1–4 shipped

by mid-June. We de-risked Live Updates by addressing core permissions blocker.

xPlatform adoption

Android groundwork, iOS informed by framework

Android 16 OS Release (top) + TWC Readiness Timeline (bottom)

2024

Android

Nov

Dec

Dev Preview 1

Dev Preview 2

Opportunity not yet prioritized

TWC

2025

Android

Jan

Feb

Mar

Beta 1 & 2

Platform Stability

Discovery & PoC

Permissions Priming

TWC

2025

Android

Apr

May

Jun

continued...

OS 16 Stable Release

Phased Implementation + Release

TWC

2025

Android

Jul

Post-launch adoption & patch cycle

50% complete (layoffs July 11)

TWC

/ Outcome

We reframed the problem and closed the permissions gap, directly improving GPS-reliant features like notifications, widgets, weather chips, and in-app forecasting—while de-risking Live Updates ahead of Android 16. By the time permissions priming was nearly complete in mid-July, the team was positioned to move swiftly into Live Update design and implementation.

The Weather Channel

Making Live Updates possible

/ Timeline

Q1 – Q2 2025

/ FeatureS

Live UpdatesPermissions Priming

/ My Role

Product design lead (permissions architecture • education flows • dev partnership & delivery)

/ Platforms

Android • iOS

I led discovery on Android Live Updates and uncovered a permissions gap that threatened launch. By pivoting to permissions priming, we delivered a measurable lift in opt-ins (+11% at 25% completion) and a design foundation adopted by both Android and iOS teams.

Proof of concept

/ The challenge

Android 16 introduced Live Updates, a system for persistent, real-time event tracking. Our challenge was to evaluate its potential for weather and define what was needed to make it successful.

/ Discovery

Beta 1 launched in January 2025. I partnered with engineers to prototype Live Update use cases and test technical boundaries.

/ The pivot

After securing leadership alignment, we pivoted to permissions priming. I partnered with product, dev, content, and UXR to map flows that showed how location settings impact forecast accuracy and guided users toward informed choices.

/ Research insights (Userzoom survey)

What frustrates you most about weather notifications?

“

When I get [a notification] for a location I am no longer in.

/ User feedback (PLay Store reviews)

The app keeps saying I’m not in the right location, even when I’m standing outside my house.

”

“

I don’t understand why it only works when the app is open. Shouldn’t it know where I am?

It keeps asking for location access but never explains why. I just hit ‘Only this time’ and then things stop working.

”

/ User testing

“

I only figured out how to fix the alerts after Googling. It should just explain inside the app.

/ Materialization

With flows validated, I partnered with Content Design to craft high-fidelity patterns—clear copy, contextual nudges, and consistent visuals that made permissions intuitive.

+11%

lift in “Allow all the time” opt-ins (at ~25% rollout)

Phases 1–4 shipped

by mid-June. We de-risked Live Updates by addressing core permissions blocker.

xPlatform adoption

Android groundwork, iOS informed by framework

Android 16 OS Release (top) + TWC Readiness Timeline (bottom)

2024

Android

Nov

Dec

Dev Preview 1

Dev Preview 2

Opportunity not yet prioritized

TWC

2025

Android

Jan

Feb

Mar

Beta 1 & 2

Platform Stability

Discovery & PoC

Permissions Priming

TWC

2025

Android

Apr

May

Jun

continued...

OS 16 Stable Release

Phased Implementation + Release

TWC

2025

Android

Jul

Post-launch adoption & patch cycle

50% complete (layoffs July 11)

TWC

/ Outcome

We reframed the problem and closed the permissions gap, directly improving GPS-reliant features like notifications, widgets, weather chips, and in-app forecasting—while de-risking Live Updates ahead of Android 16. By the time permissions priming was nearly complete in mid-July, the team was positioned to move swiftly into Live Update design and implementation.