Android Studio Emulator and Galaxy Watch4 showing error retrieving weather data

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Summary

The core issue is a runtime permission change in Android 15 (SDK 35/36) and Google Play Services for Wear OS, which invalidates the implicit background weather fetch used by older watch face implementations. While the real Pixel Watch 3 (likely running an older or stable Wear OS build) permits the legacy com.google.android.wearable.permission.ACCESS_WEATHER behavior, the Emulator (Wear OS 6) and production Galaxy Watch4 running newer SDK versions enforce stricter context-aware permissions. The specific error WeatherOperationError(errorCode=5) indicates a permission or context denial rather than a data availability issue. The fix requires implementing the new Weather API declarative workflow using androidx.wear.weather libraries instead of relying on implicit runtime queries.

Root Cause

The primary cause is the deprecation and enforcement of the implicit Weather Data intent system. Prior to recent Wear OS updates, watch faces could query weather data via a Condition tag or direct data lookup without explicit foreground service requirements. This has changed in the following ways:

  • Context Enforcement: Wear OS 6 (emulator) and updated production builds now require the weather request to be tied to a specific Activity Context or a verified wearable launcher context. Requests made from a background initialization flow or a service without the correct attach context are rejected with Error Code 5.
  • Permission Scope Changes: The implicit permission com.google.android.wearable.permission.ACCESS_WEATHER is being phased out in favor of the Health Services API or the Weather Library. Without the specific androidx.wear.weather:weather dependency and the associated WEATHER_CONDITION capability declaration in the watch face manifest, the Google Play Services weather module drops the request.
  • Network Isolation in Emulator: The “fake network” in the Android Emulator often lacks proper DNS resolution or routing to Google’s weather endpoints (likely weather.google or google.com/weather). This causes a silent failure in the WeatherProvider, which is then mapped to a generic Error Code 5 (Failed to read data) rather than a network timeout error.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

In distributed systems like Wear OS, dependency drift is common between the developer environment and production devices.

  • Google Play Services (GMS) Version Mismatch: The Pixel Watch 3 likely has an updated GMS version that still supports the legacy “passive” weather retrieval mode for backward compatibility. The Emulator, however, is a clean install of the latest Wear OS 6 preview, which strictly enforces the new API surface.
  • Context Lifecycle Rigidity: The WeatherDataManager in the runtime (mentioned in your logs) expects an active Activity or a specific CarrierConfig context. When the watch face initializes, it often runs in a stripped-down SurfaceHolder context that is not privileged enough to access the system’s aggregated weather data without an explicit handoff from the companion phone or a foreground trigger.
  • Geolocation vs. Weather Data Proximity: Even if location permissions are granted, the Weather Provider is a distinct system service. On restricted devices (Emulators and Watches without active Companion Apps), the Weather Service requires a direct query or a subscription model. If the subscription isn’t registered via the correct AndroidX interface, the system ignores the request entirely.

Real-World Impact

  • Fragmented User Experience: Users with newer devices or OS updates see a blank or broken weather indicator, while users on older firmware see data correctly. This creates significant support overhead for developers.
  • Silent Failure Modes: The error code 5 is a catch-all. It does not distinguish between “Permission Denied,” “Network Unavailable,” or “Data Not Found.” This leads developers to waste time checking location services and XML validity when the actual issue is architectural (API usage).
  • App Store Rejection Risk: With the shift toward the androidx.wear.weather library, apps relying on deprecated system intents may fail certification checks on the Play Store for Wear OS, specifically for “Dependency compatibility.”

Example or Code

To fix this, you must move from the implicit XML Condition check to the explicit API. Below is the required implementation using the AndroidX Weather Library.

1. Add Dependency (build.gradle):

implementation "androidx.wear.weather:weather:1.0.0-alpha01"

2. Manifest Permissions:

3. Implementation Logic (Kotlin):

This code must be executed within a Activity Context (e.g., your WatchFaceActivity or an Engine method that has access to activity), not just a generic Service.

import androidx.wear.weather.WeatherClient
import androidx.wear.weather.WeatherData
import com.google.android.gms.wearable.DataClient

fun fetchWeatherData(activity: Activity, dataClient: DataClient) {
    // Initialize the WeatherClient
    val weatherClient = WeatherClient.newInstance(activity)

    // Check availability
    weatherClient.isWeatherAvailable.addOnCompleteListener { isAvailableTask ->
        if (isAvailableTask.isSuccessful && isAvailableTask.result) {

            // Request specific weather data
            // Note: This often requires an active DataClient connection to the Companion
            val weatherTask = weatherClient.getCurrentWeatherData(dataClient)

            weatherTask.addOnSuccessListener { weatherData: WeatherData? ->
                if (weatherData != null) {
                    // Update your Watch Face Rendering
                    val temp = weatherData.temperature
                    // ... render logic
                } else {
                    // Handle case where data is technically available but currently null
                    // Fallback to cached data or display "--"
                }
            }

            weatherTask.addOnFailureListener { exception ->
                // Log specific error codes here
                println("Weather fetch failed: ${exception.message}")
            }
        } else {
            // Weather service is not available on this device/emulator
            // This handles the "Fake Network" or "Restricted Service" case
            println("Weather service not available")
        }
    }
}

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers approach this by identifying System Service boundaries rather than debugging permissions in isolation.

  1. Context Auditing: They verify that the weather request is initiated from a context that the system recognizes as “interactive.” This often means moving the fetch logic from the WatchFaceService.onCreate() (which is passive) to a connected Engine.onVisibilityChanged() or a dedicated Activity that is started when the watch face is active.
  2. Library Migration: They immediately replace legacy DataLayer hacks with the official androidx.wear.weather library. This library handles the complex handshake with the Companion app and the system’s Weather Provider API, abstracting away the permission changes.
  3. Companion Dependency Check: They recognize that standalone Wear emulators are often disconnected from the weather backend. The senior solution is to enable the “Host” or “Companion” path in the Emulator settings (linking it to a mocked phone) or mocking the WeatherData entirely for development to bypass the network dependency.
  4. Fallback Implementation: They implement a robust fallback strategy. If isWeatherAvailable returns false (which it will on the Emulator without specific setup), the watch face should degrade gracefully to a generic icon or a “No Data” state, rather than crashing or logging unhelpful errors.

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior developers often miss this issue because they treat the Weather API as a permission problem rather than a Context and Library problem.

  • Focus on Manifest: Juniors usually spend time toggling ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION in the manifest and Android Studio permissions, believing that if the permission is granted, the data should flow. They miss that the Weather Provider is a separate system service that requires its own specific client library implementation.
  • Emulator Trust: They assume the Android Emulator is a perfect replica of hardware. They don’t realize that the Emulator’s “Wear OS 6” build often strips out proprietary Google Mobile Services (GMS) integrations (like the live Weather feed) unless the emulator is specifically configured to route through a connected phone.
  • XML vs. Code Reliance: The use of <Condition> tags in the XML is a declarative approach. Juniors often assume that defining the condition in XML is sufficient to trigger the data fetch. In reality, modern Wear OS requires imperative code (the Kotlin/Java logic shown above) to actively fetch and subscribe to the data stream.
  • Log Interpretation: They read “Failed to read weather data” as a network or location error. They fail to interpret Error Code 5 as a SecurityException or ContextException wrapped inside a generic WeatherOperationError.