17 Great Apps for Expats

Every year there are more and more apps released which help streamline our occasionally challenging expat lives. We’ve put together a list of a few exciting new apps that help you manage everything from pesky unit conversions to the age old dliemma of finding the nearest pub to grab a pint. 

Platforms: iOS and Android

The reputation of Prague taxis is not entirely world class. Liftago, a taxi app, may go some way to improve the quality of service. Liftago works in two ways. Firstly it shows you any nearby available taxi drivers who are also registered. Alternatively, you can enter your destination and select from suggested fares of registered drivers. The app shows estimated price and the proposed route. You can also keep track of drivers, so you can select drivers you’ve had before. The app is currently available here and in Slovakia with plans to expand to Romania and Poland.

A list of apps for Prague would be useless without one that helps you find places where to sample the country’s brews. Pivní Deníček lets you find the nearest pub simply by entering your location into the search window. You can also filter your search by choosing those which are open, still have two hours to go or offer beer from the ‘third tap’ – that is beer from a smaller brewery. The app will also allow you to keep track of how much beer you have drunk and the total cost, though looking at those figures may only drive you to drink more. You can find recommendations and the app will even make recommendations of places to go. For Pilsner fans, the Pilsner Klub app lets you type in your address and find the nearest Pilsner pub.

Platforms: iOs and Android

I have to confess when I first heard about it terrified me. Actually, I first thought I’m glad I’m not single, but afterwards I thought it was a scary concept – an app which lets you know where other singles are. It sounds like Big Brother has opened a dating agency. Yet, it seems the app is taking off among the singles and it definitely fits the social media savvy online generation. After downloading the app, GPS shows other users who are nearby. You can either pass them or like them. One article compared it to speed dating without having to rush from person to person. You do have to have a Facebook profile to use it.

Platforms: iOS and Android

Here is an app which turns the idea of surveillance on its head. With, the user is able to watch the watchers – or at least have an idea where the ticket inspectors are. Users upload information about sightings of inspectors, the number and even how the inspectors were dressed. An added feature allows the user to tally how much money they have saved by dodging fares. In an interview with Radio Praha a spokesperson from Prague’s Public Transport Company said they were aware of the app but there was not much they could do to stop it.

Platoform: Android 

Some people are comfortable with the metric system, while others feel more at home having everything expressed in the units they know from hoome. If you are among the latter this app could be what you need. The app allows you to do conversions among a wide range of units and because it is customizable, you can select the units you need most often. It also includes a currency convertor, so really whether its weight, area or currency, all your conversion needs are met.

Platform: iOS

A number of apps for iPhones exist which can convert units, but the Converter Pro comes close to being as comprehensive as the ConvertPad. It allows for conversion of 300 units from 40 categories.

Platforms: iOS and Android

A number of ‘electronic wallet’ apps exist. What makes Mobito useful is that it is geared for the local market. The app can be used to pay for telephone credit, buy tickets through TicketPortal and TicketPro or pay for taxis. The app allows two forms of payments. You can either have a direct payment via a credit card, though it has to be one issued by Raiffeisen Bank. Otherwise it is possible to use Mobito to deduct from your bank account. Though the app is free, your bank may charge for the transactions. One drawback for some people is that the information is in Czech.

Platforms: iOS and Android

Until recently, this app allowed you to track details about your call plan. You could see how much you had spent, how much data you were using. Vodafone are now upgrading their application Můj Vodafone to include three new features. The first is the Roaming Calculator, which tallies how much you are spending while abroad. The Customer Care Center allows you to have any questions answered. Lastly the application has a credit recharge function, making topping up even easier. Vodafone protect lets you find, lock and wipe your phone remotely (isn’t getting pick-pocketed an expat rite of passage, afterall?)

Platforms: iOS, Aneroid, Windows and Blackberry

Digital radio has got even more convenient with the TuneIn Radio app. You have a choice of more than 70,000 stations from all over the world. You can keep up with news from home, tune in to your favorite styles of music and follow the local radio all in one app.

Platforms: iOs and Android

The Touchnote app is ideal for both travelers and people staying here long term. The app allows you to convert your own photos into postcards. After selecting a photo, you write a message and enter the recipient’s address. The postcard is then sent to be printed and depending on where the recipient is, the message can take anywhere from one day to three weeks. The printing and postage isn’t free, so you need to purchase credit to use the service.

Platform: iOS

The free ‘taster’ includes 100 Czech words deemed by the developers to be the most common. The app makes full use of the phones functionality, providing both audio and visual reinforcement. You can listen to a word being pronounced and record yourself to hear how your pronunciation is progressing. Pictures for the words assist those who are more visual learners. However, the full complement of 2,000 words will cost about 200 CZK.

Platform: iOS

From the same developers. There is no free component but for the same price you get 3,650 words, delivered at a rate of ten per day. They claim this is enough to read a newspaper or magazine in a given language. The incremental approach means the learning is more manageable and the small portions are considered more useful by language teachers. You can record your pronunciation and even store words for study later. A built in quiz can test your progress.

The Czech map website Mapy.cz [www.mapy.cz] has an app which is useful whether you’re looking for a place to eat in the city or hiking in the mountains. The app includes features from the website that let you find a particular location as well as suggesting places of interest nearby. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that you can download a map for the whole republic (400 MB) onto your phone, so you no longer have to worry about signal strength or even availability to check your location. The latest version even includes cycle paths.

Platforms: iOS, Android and Windows

The Czech Republic’s one-stop website for convenient food delivery has gotten even more convenient with this app. With over 800 restaurants incorporated into the service, chances are you will find something you want. By entering your location into the app, you can find places which are open and deliver. From this point it is a matter of selecting your order. The iOS and Android are the more recently updated versions, so some of the problems with locating coordinates should be ironed out.

Platforms: Android and Windows

Wouldn’t it be nice if dealing with most government offices was a matter of swiping the screen of your smart phone? AKatastr makes it possible with the Land Registry (kaktastr). The app allows you to find basic information on properties such as their block number and are all within your phone.

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