# Max Defender 8 Weather App > Interactive local weather app for Tampa Bay with powerful radar. (iPhone/iPad app by LIN Television Corporation.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/max-defender-8-weather-app/id533796437 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [LIN Television Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/488222083) - Category: Weather, News - Price: Free - Rating: 2.09/5 from 187 App Store ratings · 75 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 142 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2012-06-13 - Data updated: 2026-06-22 - Monetization: ad-supported - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/max-defender-8-weather-app/id533796437/reviews.md ## What is Max Defender 8 Weather App? News Channel 8 and Storm Team 8 are proud to introduce Max Defender 8, a new, interactive local weather app for all of Tampa Bay. The world’s most powerful radar is now in the palm of your hand. Whether you live in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Clearwater, Lakeland or New Port Richey, Mac Defender 8 will keep you and your family safe. ## Key features - Interactive local weather - Powerful radar technology - Hyper-local forecasts - Safety alerts - Tampa Bay coverage ## Recent user reviews (10 of 75) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/max-defender-8-weather-app/id533796437/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Worthless *2026-03-16, version 6.9.0* This is the most worthless weather app I’ve ever used. For this to come from a local station makes it even worse. The radar lookalike it’s from 1997 and the app itself is so hard to navigate. I’m using an app from the panhandle that gives me a more accurate weather forecast than this garbage here. Do not download this useless weather app. ### 4/5 — Great Radar - fix your alerts *2026-01-01, version 6.9.0* Living in Tampa and enjoying outdoor water sports, I rely on this app’s radar including lightning strikes. It’s fantastic — better even than Apple’s weather app’s radar or Weather.com’s. It even has alerts when lightning is approaching the area. Up until now, the radar and alerts have been the best part of the app. Unfortunately, someone higher up that clearly doesn’t use their own app decided weather alerts should include when the weather girl is live. I. Don’t. Care. That’s not a weather alert. I’m so tired of seeing this alert multiple times per day, I’m sorely tempted to delete the app. Regarding the other reviews’ complaints of ads — there’s one you can immediately click out of when you first open the app — not an issue. ### 1/5 — Stop non safety notifications! *2025-12-01, version 6.9.0* The app changed to include notifications for live news. I only want safety notifications so I’m deleting the app. Even though you have great radar and lightning alerts, it’s not worth getting too many non important notifications! ### 1/5 — Accuracy is the worst *2025-09-24, version 6.9.0* On a daily basis they miss the high temp by 6-8 degrees to the hot side compared to Weather Channel and other local stations. ### 2/5 — App not working correctly *2025-08-17, version 6.9.0* The app crashes every time I click on the radar map. I do not get all the reading of current temperatures and feels like temperature. I also has uninstalled the app and re- installed the app and it still does not work ### 1/5 — Pointless *2024-09-13, version 6.9.0* We just moved to the Tampa area. This app was recommended to follow the local weather. It looks and acts like a preschooler developed it. What’s the point of having a radar that shows the previous two hours, but not what’s coming ahead??? ### 1/5 — Needs improvement *2023-10-22, version 6.8.2* Don’t like an Ad blaring in my face when opening an ap. Downloaded twice and deleted . ### 2/5 — Clunky *2023-08-20, version 6.8.2* I was a bit surprised to see so many negative reviews at first. If you use the app yourself you will see why. The app just doesn’t seem to be built well. Slow, a lot of functions are buggy. There’s also a lot of ads. ### 2/5 — Not worth the Ads *2023-07-24, version 6.8.2* It’s mediocre at best, compared to what’s already native on your phone. The radar is a still-frame snapshot, not live. The temps and weather predictions are nothing that you don’t already have on your Android or iPhone home apps. Worst of all this thing is riddled with advertising and annoying pop-ups. ### 1/5 — Giant Step Backwards *2022-12-29, version 6.8.1* This app used to be good and I used it several times a day. With this current version it not only looks retro to a fault, it doesn’t orient itself to landscape mode, making it useless on my tablet. Go back to the old version and I’ll come back. ## Frequently asked questions about Max Defender 8 Weather App ### What does the Max Defender 8 Weather App do? This app provides interactive, hyper-local weather forecasts and real-time radar updates specifically for the Tampa Bay area. It aims to keep users informed about weather conditions to ensure their safety. ### What are the key features of this weather app? Key features include access to the world's most powerful radar technology in your hand, interactive local weather updates, and safety information tailored for residents across Tampa Bay. ### Is the Max Defender 8 Weather App free to use? Based on the provided information, the app is ad-supported, indicating it is free to download and use, with advertisements displayed within the application. ### Which areas does the Max Defender 8 Weather App cover? The app is designed for all of Tampa Bay, specifically mentioning coverage for cities like Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Clearwater, Lakeland, and New Port Richey. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 7.1.0 — 2026-06-18 Bug Fixes and other enhancements ### 6.9.0 — 2024-03-07 Here are the new features with this release! -Dark mode -Improved lapse speed and bar -Past (2hrs) and real time as well as future radar (2hrs) combined in one product -New stylized legends above the map ### 6.8.2 — 2023-06-19 Updated Branding and Backend Enhancements ### 6.8.1 — 2022-09-15 Update to the mapping background in the radar tile and page to give it a new modern look. Boundaries, roads, cities display on top of radar data to make it easier to view your location on the map. New look to the current conditions and forecast tile to make it more modern looking and easier for users to read weather data. Changes include a white background, colored icons, and larger text to make data easier to read. Updated Current Conditions/Forecast Page. Updates include: -Page opens to the ‘Overview’ tab which gives current conditions, 3 hour hourly forecast, the 7 day daily forecast, and access to the radar page -The 'Currents' tab will give additional information on humidity percent, cloud cover, visibility, dew point, barometric pressure, and sunrise/sunset times. -The 'Hourly' tab will give detailed weather information for the next 24 hours on the forecasted weather condition, temperature, pop and wind speed and direction. -The 'Daily' tab will show the 7-day forecast in a manner that is much more similar to on-air 7-day forecasts with a detailed forecast for the next 7 days/nights below. ### 6.7.2 — 2022-02-10 Bug fixes and other enhancements ## Apps similar to Max Defender 8 Weather App | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [FOX 13: Tampa SkyTower Weather](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fox-13-tampa-skytower-weather/id897521658) | 3.2 (234) | Free | Weather | | [ABC7 WWSB First Alert Weather](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc7-wwsb-first-alert-weather/id430653305) | 4.7 (12,060) | Free | Weather | | [9 StormTrack](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9-stormtrack/id584803925) | 4.7 (5,295) | Free | Weather | | [Ready Pinellas](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ready-pinellas/id1160254835) | 2.4 (48) | Free | Weather | | [FOX13 Weather App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fox13-weather-app/id540839151) | 4.7 (7,973) | Free | Weather | | [NOAA Center Hurricane](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-center-hurricane/id1628001787) | 4.3 (36) | Free | Weather | ## More apps by LIN Television Corporation - [WJHL Weather App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wjhl-weather-app/id383181663) - [ABC27 News \| WHTM-TV](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc27-news-whtm-tv/id394896224) - [KHON2 News - Honolulu HI News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/khon2-news-honolulu-hi-news/id411526747) - [KOIN 6 News - Portland News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koin-6-news-portland-news/id411685184) - [KSNT News - Topeka, KS](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ksnt-news-topeka-ks/id411759231) - [KSN - Wichita News & Weather](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ksn-wichita-news-and-weather/id411762914) All apps by LIN Television Corporation: https://appshunter.io/developer/488222083 ## Related topics [wfla weather](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wfla-weather) · [wfla](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wfla) · [8max](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/8max) · [klystron 9](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/klystron-9) · [commercial appeal](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/commercial-appeal) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-22.*