Weather and art on your screen? Do it with Locksider+ for Win Phone 8. (Psst it’s free.)

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

We’ve already covered the much loved app Locksider form Liquid Daffodil, one of the first apps to give your Lock screen some fresh art on an hourly basis (or once a day, if you’re more tame). The app went free for a few days before going to $0.99 and received some great feedback, including a request for weather.

Well, look no more as Locksider+ is now here, which gives you all the same pre-selected images to your phone with the additional option of a weather overlay. Sure, it’s not as robust as Weather Flow, but being able to peek at the current temp as well as the day’s high and low temperature is pretty awesome. It’s also laid out well, not hindering your view of your data and being easily visible.

Locksider’s wallpapers are some of the best around if only because they are formatted for Windows Phone 8 HD displays, meaning you won’t get awkward crops, low resolution pics or images that obscure your detailed data (below the clock). You of course get the same art selection as the original Locksider, including Today, Cool, Geeky, Abstract, Nature and Mellow and the ability to select frequency of updates (every hour, every four hours, twice a day, once a day).

Normally, the app will fetch for $1.49—a $0.50 price hike for the additional weather module. But being Liquid Daffodil, you can grab Locksider+ right now for the low, low price of ZERO. Yup, it’s free through the weekend, so make sure you get that license now, because once you lock it in as free, it’s free for life.

Speaking of the original Locksider app, that too is free as well for the same time period and it too received a minor update to fix a bug that would occasionally erase the app’s settings when exiting. That has now been addressed and the app is back in shape.

You can pick up Locksider+ here and Locksider (without weather) here. Both are free through Monday. And remember, if you like both apps (or any dev’s apps) please remember to leave a positive rating for them in the Store, it really helps them out—especially when they give things away for free like this!

And check out our other recommended Lockscreen Apps that we've covered, right here.

PS The bug fix update for Locksider (original) has *not* gone live yet, so stay tuned. Locksider+ though is a go...

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

78 Comments
  • Don't see the app...
  • ...and you didn't use our Store links or QR code, right?  We can only do so much for you guys!
  • Will you come over to my house and install it for me? My thumbs don't want to work too hard.
  • When I click the download link I see 2 items but it says title not found for both.
  • Yeah, not sure why that is. I pinged Jay on it. It most likely means a change in the Matrix...err...Windows Phone Store, causing a failure of the app to retrieve the name. The good news is you have a 50/50 chance of getting the right app!
  • How is it that you're still Ping-ing? I thought those Devs bailed on WP.
  • Apologize...it says "Title Not Found" and I assumed that, well...it wasn't there. I clicked on "Title Not Found" and it took me there. So is this what we should expect going forward? We should just click on everything to see if it works? Its OK with me, just curious...
  • No, I answered above--it's a recent change in the Store that is causing that and it'll probably be fixed in the next update (due in a few days) for our app. It only affects posts where we have more than 1 app listed, which is actually quite rare.
  • Oh will it now? Fixed in the next update eh???... But yeah it probably will be when i figure out what changed...
  • Testy testy jay ;)
  • Oh Jay. You tease.
  • Sigh, so turns out the nice XML way into the store has gone, I now have to write a HTML scraper to replace this functionality...
  • ....AND drain your battery while you look at the pretty pictures. Unfortunately, this app is a battery hog. Any updating more than twice a day and it sucks juice like a hungry baby.
  • I've never experienced that on two devices and scrolling through the app reviews, no one else mentions that, so....no?
  • It does on mine - very noticably. Had it off the charger for 2 hours and it drained down to 50% and that was the only app I had running in the background. Recharged, repeated, same thing. Recharged, blocked that app - no more drain.
  • I thought the new phone update had a problem with battery drain.  I realized I installed this at the same time.  As soon as I turned it off, my battery life went back to normal.  I normally have between 40-50% battery left at the end of the day.  This app actually compltely drained my phone before the day was over.  I disabled it and my phone is back to normal.
  • I have had it installed all day, hourly update, no battery issue.
  • I would love to see a developer make an app that's just weather information for the lockscreen but with several sets of icon, a bit like it's done with Android widgets. Then we'd just have to pick our own wallpaper and be sorted.
    Any developer reading this? Jay? :)
  • Have you tried Weather Flow? I think their weather lock screen is great.
  • I have but I don't like the icons they use. If any Android user has used snowstorm, they'll know what I mean. The weather information stays the same but you have a wide choice of icon sets.
  • I genuinely wish i could respond to items like this, stupid day job...
  • Too bad. I hope someone reads this and picks up the idea :)
  • I cant see weather on my lockscreen is anyone else having this probblem ? 
  • Yeah, I'm having the same issues...
  • You need to enable it (Settings, Plus) and then choose a new image and use the Up Arrow to force update the screen...it'll work instantly if you do that. Simply enabling the weather option doesn't force update the screen, you need to either do that yourself or wait until the app updates your screen for you (which could be hours).
  • Restart helped me too. Even after changing to Celsius the App still shows Fahrenheit... It's late here in Europe, probably i should go to bed and try again tomorrow...
  • i guess it could be a bug, happens to me too, no celcius over here either
     
  • Those instructions worked perfectly. I never would have known otherwise
  • It worked after I restarted my phone. Thanks for the quick reply 
  • Liquid Daffodil have got to be one of the greatest developers of any mobile ecosystem. That is one sexy app. Thanks Liquid Daffodil!
  • ^^ THIS ^^ I couldn't agree more!!!
  • I second that.
  • Right now, the app to beat is the HTC app (sorry Lumia users). It is beautiful and dynamic, but also informative. Perhaps the only thing that I could imagine that would be better would be an app that would let you choose a few of your own images, puts a shade over them, and then provides a lot of different weather information (five day forecast, humidity, barometer, etc) that you can either toggle on or off.
  • HTC's app is nice but they jam the info too low, blending too much in with the time/date/calendar info...should be boosted to the top, imo.
  • It is in the top half of the screen now. I'm not sure how long it has been that way, though. I guess it could still go a little higher, perhaps.
  • Ok it worked but I can't seem to switch it to celcius ! any ideas? I tried putting it to celcius but it stays in Fahreneit 
  • Did you "send it to the screen" again after you changed it to Celsius?
  • Yes, several times 
     
  • :D And again having the same issues. Probalby both of us don't unerstand how this app is working XD
  • The selection of wallpapers is really great. Love it!
  • Amazing app, I'd even pay a dollar for this app easy, but I'm psyched it's an awesome app and free to boot. Just one question tho, do I still "need" the standard Locksiders app if I am using this one? I'm not worried about space for I have a 920 but it was an odd question that randomly came to mind.
  • Haha or maybe we can just learn our conversions :P 
  • I tried to get Celsius to show but failed too...
  • Hey folks, just some quick notes:
    #1 The update for the original Locksider update (that fixes the Settings loss) hasn't made it live yet, look for it shortly!
    #2 Anytime you set the lockscreen from within the app it will show Fahrenheit until the update happens automatically. The update pending approval does it correctly. Sorry Metric folks! :)
    #3 You don't need both apps, although they are both awesome. If you like have a "quick glance" temperature and conditions, get Locksider+, otherwise get the original Locksider.
    #4 If you don't want to wait for the original Locksider update to fix the Settings, just get Locksider+ and disable weather and it will be exactly like the original Locksider! :)
    Hope you all enjoy! We love our fans!
     
  • We love you too guys ! Thanks for the Great app
  • This is great. I think all lock screen apps should have the weather option.
  • I think my app list would've been pretty bland if it wasn't for WPCentral.
  • its nice but only F' shows. no Celcius. tried updating as well and no go.
  • Just an awesome app
  • I don't usually rate apps I like, because there aren't that many that really blow me away..... however, this is a really fantastic application, and it gets a good review.  The weather information is so brilliant and yet so simple, and I am wondering why this wasn't part of the OS itself to begin with.  No matter now, though - and I'm now looking through the developer's other interesting apps (other than gleek) to see what other goodies are in the marketplace too :).
  • For some reason, the weather isn't showing up for me...I installed Locksider+ off of the QR code and enabled the weather feature. It said fetching location info, then I went back and refreshed the preview: no weather. Locked and turned on the screen, no weather. Went back into the app, turned weather off and on, updated preview, changed background image, no weather. Anyone else having difficulties?
  • Read Daniel's response above and fixed it. Need to read more carefully next time!
  • Nice app but I'd like to be able to add my own pics to it
  • Nice apps but the temperature is off and it is not updating.
  • Why are all the weather programs pointless. Who cares what the temperature or weather is at the present moment as you can tell by looking out a window. The most important are show if the weather is going to change today and what the weather will be tomorrow.
  • You can tell what the temperature is by looking out the window? You should join the Avengers dude.
  • LOL!
  • Yes i can tell whether it's hot or cold by looking outside. It's called common sense which a lot of people don't seem to have.
  • Hot or cold, sure; but how about cold and frigid? Or warm and hot? A sunny minus 27C  day looks exactly the same as a sunny minus 14C day. Those who live in these climates have the "common sense" to check the temperature.
  • "You can't get apps in this region. You can check the Windows Phone Store in your home region to see if the app is available there."
    Windows Phone Store in my home region (Finland) doesn't have it yet, can't wait...
  • have you tried scanning the first qr code? that's what i did coz its not in oz marketplace yet
  • It doesn't convert on Celsius :(
  • Celsius issue for me as well. But thanks a lot for this app, wpcentral!
  • Is it Possible only the weather on my locksreen with my own pics?
  • I like to have the image change only once per day, but sounds like that will cause the weather info to also only update once per day, which is a bit useless. Am I wrong about that, or is there a setting to change that?
  • Definitely not adjustable as of yet. Hit Scott up and I bet he'll implement it in no time. He's a great dev and always pleased to help his fans. :)
  • Might have to do that, thanks! (Tough I must admit, I do feel lousy about requesting features when I DL'd the app for free!)
  • Like the app but mine does not update the pics hourly like I have chosen on my Lumia 920. Anyone else having this issue?
  • Yes me too
  • Photos do not update on my 8X. Got the weather but photo does not change.
  • Well, the photo doesn't update, nor does the temperature. So the app pretty much doesn't work at all.
  • For me it does.  You need to keep the WiFi open at all times for updates.  I have mine set up every hour.
  • I had WiFi on at all times and still got no photo update or weather update. Having a temperature from 4 hours earlier was not much help.
  • It says that app is not avaiable for your device. Currently using Samsung Omnia W... :(
  • why there is no version for WP 7.8?
  • Is there any way to get this without a working phone?
    I still don't have mine and I don't want to waste this chance!
  • I'm proud to say that I'm one of the first 5-10 people who have downloaded this!  Amazing app!
  • This app completely drained my battery, easily doubling battery drain.  As soon as I turned it off things went back to normal.  The weather also didn't show up at all on the locksreen even though it was enabled.