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Are you traveling or living outside the U.S.? STEP is a free service that sends you emails with updates from the local U.S. embassy or consulate. If there’s an emergency where you are, it helps us contact you with instructions on what to do.

Why join STEP?

Get real time updates about health, weather, safety, and security in the country.
Plan ahead using information from the local U.S. embassy.
Help the embassy or consulate contact you if there’s an emergency like a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency.

What kind of messages does STEP send? Currently, STEP sends emails only. STEP can send you several types of information:

Routine Messages : News and updates about the country you picked.
Alerts : Messages about short-term security, terrorism, health, weather, or disaster situations that could impact your travels.
Travel Advisories : We re-evaluate the situation in each country every 6-12 months. Advisories include a simple 1-4 rating system, details about specific risks in the country, and clear steps U.S. citizens should take to stay safe.

Join the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

After you set up your account, you can pick what types of messages you want to get.

Stay in touch during an emergency. Signing up for STEP helps the U.S. embassy get in touch with you if there’s an emergency. And, if your family or friends in the U.S. can’t reach you with urgent news while you’re traveling, we can use the information in STEP to try and contact you.

Become a Smart Traveler Now! STEP is an easy first step to being a smart traveler. You should also always research your destination , and consider additional ways to get safety and security information from the U.S. Department of State, like on social media.

Enroll in STEP

Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad.

Recommended Web Browsers: Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

Learn about your destination

Make two copies of all of your travel documents in case of emergency, and leave one with a trusted friend or relative.

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Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

What Is The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program And Why Do You Need It?

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and many countries post record-breaking daily or weekly case counts, the U.S. State Department now cautions that U.S. citizens who travel internationally may face unexpected challenges related to the coronavirus as they attempt to return to the U.S. or travel from one foreign country to another.

One of those challenges is to simply stay up-to-date on various countries’ travel restrictions.

That’s because governments around the world continue to implement new requirements and even impose new travel restrictions as they strive to keep COVID-19 case counts down in their own countries. The problem, however, is that changes are often implemented quickly with little advance notice, which may take those traveling by surprise.

The good news is that the State Department offers a service that helps U.S. citizens and nationals stay informed about changing conditions in countries they are visiting or plan to visit.

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that enables U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. That way, they are able to quickly receive important information from the U.S. embassy about safety conditions in their destination country, which helps them make informed decisions about travel plans. Another benefit is that enrolling a trip in STEP makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy to contact travelers with important information about natural disasters or civil unrest in their destination country, or to contact the traveler in the event of a family emergency.

Here’s a quick look at what you need to know about STEP before your next international trip.

Created To Assist U.S. Citizens

Consular officers at U.S. embassies and consulates can help U.S. citizens who run into legal, medical, or financial difficulties while visiting other countries. For example, if a U.S. citizen’s passport is stolen while traveling, staff at an embassy or consulate can help that traveler get a replacement passport. They can also provide the names of English-speaking doctors or local attorneys, as well as provide information about dangerous conditions.

“In a crisis situation such as a natural disaster or severe political instability, the Department of State often takes an active role in providing information and assistance to U.S. citizens in the affected area,” the State Department explains . “We encourage all U.S. citizens travelling or residing overseas to notify the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate of their contact information so that, in an emergency, we can contact them to provide important safety and security information, or support during a crisis. Enrolling in STEP is an easy way to send your contact information to us online.”

In addition to Travel Advisories, U.S. embassies and consulates often send alerts about emerging situations in a country. It’s important to enroll your international trip in STEP because these alerts are written specifically for a traveler’s dates of travel and destination.

You can learn more about the STEP service here and create an account to enroll a trip here .

Know Before You Go

If you are planning an international trip, the State Department has two more suggestions for you. The first is to visit its Country Information webpage so you can learn about your destination.

“We provide safety and security information for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. Each Country Information page contains a Travel Advisory, Alerts, and other important details specific to that country that could affect you,” the State Department explains. “Pay close attention to the entry and exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, and other details to decide whether traveling to that country is right for you.”

The State Department’s Country Information web page may be found here .

The State Department’s second suggestion is to visit its Traveler’s Checklist webpage, which is found here .

That page includes information explaining how to get informed about conditions in a country you plan to visit and ensure you have all necessary documents. It also provides information about three types of insurance: health insurance, evacuation insurance, and additional insurance for unexpected expenses such as those from interrupted or delayed travel and lost luggage.

While you’re thinking about international travel, be sure to read all of our travel news coverage as well as our COVID-19 coverage, including 6 Things The State Department Says You Should Do If You’re Traveling Internationally and 21 Expert Tips For Traveling Internationally Right Now .

Jim Fulcher has been a writer and editor his entire career. In addition to writing, he also enjoys traveling--particularly in an RV. Over the course of numerous trips, Jim has driven an RV through West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. His favorite national park is Yellowstone, which he has visited three times.

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service for U.S. citizens and nationals who are traveling or living abroad. STEP allows you to enter information about trips abroad so that the Department of State, via our embassies and consulates, can better assist you in an emergency. You can also subscribe to receive email updates with travel advisories and other information for a particular country.

How can the embassy or consulate assist me while I am abroad?

Consular officers assist U.S. citizens and nationals who encounter serious legal, medical, or financial difficulties. They can provide the names of local attorneys and doctors, provide loans to destitute Americans, and provide information about dangerous conditions affecting your overseas travel or residence. Consular officers also perform non-emergency services, helping Americans with absentee voting, selective service registration, receiving federal benefits, and filing U.S. tax forms. Consular officers can notarize documents, issue passports, and register American children born abroad. Visit the website of the closest embassy or consulate for more information.

Your Privacy

Information you provide the U.S. Department of State is protected by the provisions of the Privacy Act (5 USC 552a). This means that the Department of State will not disclose your info or email to any third parties unless you have given us written authorization to do so, or unless the disclosure is otherwise permitted by the Privacy Act. We will not share your email or personal information and will only contact you as part of this STEP enrollment. You may update your country alerts or enrollment preferences at any time via this mobile website or the STEP link at travel.state.gov.

OMB Control No: 1405-0152, Estimated Burden: 20 minutes, Expiration Date: 6/30/2026.

Smart Traveller 4+

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Smart Traveller, our Global Airport Rewards Programme, gives every traveller a reason to reward themselves effortlessly at every interaction when on the go. Dedicated to help immerse and reward each time you enjoy premium airport services of Plaza Premium Group. Smart Traveller opens up a world of privileges to make travelling with us even better. From a well-needed rest in our premium lounges, to satisfying a dessert craving before boarding in one of our restaurants, or a nap between flights in our hotels, whether it is for business or pleasure, or on departure, transit or arrival at the airport, we reward you for travelling smart. Become a Smart Traveller today. Download and register the Smart Traveller mobile app to navigate and enhance your airport experience. Be a Smart Traveller. Travel Smart, Travel Better. Commited to make your travel experience better, the brands by Plaza Premium Group is a staple of international premium airport service experiences globally. The Group strives to make the airport experience exceptional for all travellers, going beyond expectations whether at departure, in transit or through arrivals. The Group comprises four core airport services, Airport Lounge, Airport Transit Hotel, Airport Meet & Greet and Airport Dining. Unlock your travelling experience with Plaza Premium Group as a Smart Traveller. Begin your discovery at over 50 Plaza Premium Lounge and Plaza Premium First brands across the globe, as well Root98 in Hong Kong and Canada, plus Flight Club in Malaysia.

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I used a lounge at the Toronto airport and was asked to sign up for this. It was not needed.

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The developer, Arrture Group Ltd , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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Smart Traveller: A new global membership programme making the return to travel better in 2022

Posted by Chisa Boonmee | Apr 1, 2022 | Apps , Headline News | 0 |

Powered by Plaza Premium Group (PPG), the world’s largest airport hospitality group that constantly strives to Make Travel Better , the personalised digital solution seamlessly combines all of the Group’s hospitality offerings into one easy-to-use app. Members can also enjoy rewards, exclusive offers, benefits, and service packages from PPG and partners, all on the platform.

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STEP: Why the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program Matters

By Katherine LaGrave

Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Water Ocean Sea Shoreline Aerial View Coast Beach and Human

In the past year, the travel community has been shaken by attacks of various size and scope, from Turkey to France. And while most of the destinations that were targeted are most likely no more dangerous than they were before the attack, it pays to be prepared when you're heading out of the country, regardless of when—or where—you travel. One of the most helpful resources? The U.S. State Department's oft-overlooked Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), in which users register trips and get messages relevant to their area and dates of passage.

Here's how it works: After booking their flights and hotels, travelers enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and provide requisite information—think name, date of birth, passport number, travel dates, email addresses and phone numbers, and an emergency contact. Once you've filled in your information, you'll receive warnings, alerts, notifications, and news about where you're traveling, or may even be contacted by family members having difficulty getting in touch with you while abroad. And while larger travel alerts and warnings often appear in the news by themselves, these local messages from the STEP program (received via email) can be helpful in detailing specific safety, security, and practical travel information relevant to specific dates and destinations.

Those uninterested in enrolling their trip in STEP can follow the U.S. State Department's alerts and warnings here . Other services, like France's SAIP app , also alert travelers to attacks or dangerous situations; while Facebook's Safety Check feature helps users quickly inform friends and family, via the social network, of their safety.

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Traveller. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

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Search Smartraveller

Smartraveller is for Australians planning to travel, or already travelling or living, overseas.

Our purpose is to help Australians travel overseas safely, reduce their risks and avoid problems.

Explore this page to learn about:

the Smartraveller website

Australia's consular services

the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
our partnerships

Smartraveller is provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade .

The Smartraveller website

The Smartraveller website provides:

official travel advisories for 178 destinations , with an advice level for each
a subscription service, for updates to our travel advice
general advice before you go , on a wide range of travel topics
general advice for while you're away , especially when things go wrong overseas
information about Australia's consular services

Our travel advisories

We maintain travel advisories for most countries around the world. We assign an overall advice level to each, based on the level of risk Australians may face there.

Each travel advisory provides destination-specific information and advice about:

safety issues
health care and health risks
entry requirements
local contacts

We keep all our travel advisories under close review. We update each as required. You can subscribe to get an email when we update the advice for your destinations.

Before we update a travel advisory, we consider information and advice from a variety of sources. This includes from our overseas network of embassies, high commissions and consulates. We exchange information and assessments with our consular partners (Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA). We also receive information from the Australian intelligence community and assessments from the National Threat Assessment Centre in ASIO .

Learn more about our travel advisories. Understand how, when and why we update them. See travel advice explained .

Before you go, read the travel advisory for the destinations you're travelling to, and through.

Advice levels

We assign an overall advice level for each destination. You can find the current level on each destination 's travel advisory.

In some destinations, we assign different advice levels for parts of the country to reflect different risks in those areas.

Learn more about how we determine and assign advice levels. See travel advice explained .

Subscription service

We no longer ask you to register your trip with us, instead we offer a travel advice email subscription service . This is a free service for all Australians.

You can opt in to receive email notifications when we update the travel advice for any destination you subscribe to.

We recommend subscribing before you go. Not just for updates to your main destination, but also places you're travelling, or transiting, through. Subscribe as soon as you start planning your trip. Then, when things change, you'll know promptly.

You can also subscribe for critical updates to travel advisories by providing the phone number of the mobile you are travelling with. These will be sent when we consider there is a major incident or crisis that might impact many Australians.

You can easily unsubscribe, at any time. Most people unsubscribe when they come home and no longer need updates.

Learn more about our travel advice subscription service .

Our general advice

Before you go.

We have advice to help Australians prevent problems before they travel. Our general advice pages cover dozens of travel topics. These relate to:

the travel basics , such as passports and insurance
who you are , advice based on age, gender or orientation
taking care of your health , including vaccinations
preventing problems with your planned activities
staying safe and avoiding danger, including natural disasters
staying within the law , to avoid getting arrested or jailed
getting around safely

Explore our suite of general advice before you go .

While you're away

Sometimes things don't go as planned when travelling. We've prepared general advice for Australians overseas who need help. Our general advice covers topics relating to:

what to do when things go wrong
what happens if you're the victim of a crime
crises and emergencies
emergency consular support if you need help

Explore our suite of general advice while you're away .

The Australian Government supports Australians overseas through the provision of consular services . We deliver most of our consular services through our embassies and consulates overseas .

Our consular services include:

crisis response
consular emergency assistance
notarial services (document legalisations)
passport services

Understand how and when we can help. Read the Consular Services Charter .

Explore our range of services for Australian overseas.

About the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains Smartraveller. It also manages our embassies and consulates around the world. Through these, it delivers consular services to Australians.

DFAT is also responsible for Australian passports . It administers and issues travel documents through the Australian Passport Office .

Learn more about DFAT and what it does .

Our partnerships

We work closely with a range of government and not for profit partners to prepare our advice, and to promote Smartraveller. We link to our partners extensively throughout Smartraveller.

Learn more about our partnerships .

Learn more about our services .
Understand how and when we can help overseas. Read the Consular Services Charter .
Read the travel advisories for the destinations you're travelling to, and through.
Subscribe any time for updates.
Understand our advice levels. Read travel advice explained .
Be informed, be prepared. See our general advice before you go .
Learn about passports from the Australian Passport Office (DFAT).
Find an Australian embassy or consulate overseas (DFAT).
See a list of foreign embassies and consulates in Australia (DFAT).

30 essential travel apps every traveler needs before their next trip

When it comes to planning and taking a vacation, travelers rely on their phones now more than ever.

Travel apps are a source of inspiration and are extremely useful for booking and managing logistics — even making restaurant reservations or finding a great fitness class wherever in the world you're flying next.

From apps that help with everything from day-of hotel bookings and last-minute flight changes to those that serve as guidebooks and foreign-language dictionaries, travel is infinitely easier thanks to technology.

Apps can help you navigate a new city, make currency conversions, pack a perfect suitcase and even provide on-the-ground local expertise. Whatever you need when you hit the road, there's an app for that.

We've rounded up the most-loved apps here at TPG. Some may be obvious, and others more obscure, but either way, get ready to download.

Best apps for researching and booking trips

In addition to the apps for the airlines you fly most frequently and your favorite hotel brands, these apps can help you save money on flights and accommodations.

Hopper has changed in recent years from just offering a price prediction tool for flights to being a true online travel agency. The app helps travelers find the cheapest flights, hotels and rental cars.

Of course, Hopper also still offers its signature price prediction technology to help you plan out when to book, as well as travel protection options and a price freeze to help you lock in the lowest possible price on hotels and flights.

Kiwi is used mainly to book flights, but it also helps you book hotels (using its partnership with Booking.com) and car rentals (using its partnership with RentalCars.com).

Some of the app's most interesting features include the "Deals" section, which pulls in discounted flights, and the "Travel hacks" section, which includes options for hidden city ticketing, throwaway ticketing (making one-way flights more affordable) and free price alerts.

Hotel Tonight

A dream for last-minute travelers, Hotel Tonight ( now owned by Airbnb ) lets you book stays for the same evening up to a few months in advance in thousands of cities worldwide. Available hotel rooms are categorized into sections like basic, luxe, hip, charming and solid, so you can select what works for your vibe. Take advantage of the daily drop feature, where you swipe to find a personalized deal with a special price only valid for 15 minutes after unlocked.

At TPG, we love a good loyalty program, and HT Perks, the app's nine-level reward program, is extensive. Not unlike a video game, you "level up" by reaching specific spending thresholds on the app, and you'll gain access to perks like discounts, VIP customer support and credits. Also, your levels never expire, so you can only continue to move up.

To book home rentals instead of hotels, use the Airbnb app. After entering your destination and dates, you can filter results based on the home type, price, requisite amenities and more. If you find something you like, you can book directly through the app.

The app is ideal for managing your trips while on the road — you can access all your bookings under the "Trips" tab, where you can view your reservation (and the address or directions), contact the host or change your reservation. Once you have a booking, you can also explore and book local experiences in your destination, such as wine tastings, kayak tours, hikes, shows and concerts.

We can't talk about travel apps without mentioning the TPG App. Use it to track your credit card, airline and hotel points balances; earn points and miles efficiently through using the right credit card ; and research how many points or miles you'll need to book your dream getaway. You can even curate your own news feed so you see the news and advice that matters most to you first.

The TPG App is available for download on iOS . Android users can join the waitlist here .

Related: The TPG App has arrived — here's why you should download it now

Best apps for organizing a trip

From keeping all your documents in order to perfectly packing your suitcase without forgetting a thing, these are the best apps for organizing travel plans.

TripIt declutters your itineraries and documents by keeping them organized in one place. You can set your reservations to automatically send to TripIt, which lets you view travel confirmations, flight itineraries, tickets, hotel and Airbnb booking information, rental car reservations, ferry tickets and driving directions without ever leaving the app.

TripIt also makes it simple to share your trip plans with whoever picks you up from the airport or train station or anyone else who may need to coordinate with you. TripIt Pro subscriptions cost $49 per year and include extras like real-time flight alerts, security wait times, baggage claim information and updates on your loyalty reward programs.

Roadtrippers

Perfect for organizing that epic road trip you've always wanted to take, Roadtrippers plans out your driving route and lets you book hotels and activities along the way. The app is especially useful for finding interesting and off-the-beaten-path roadside attractions, cool restaurants and can't-miss landmarks you can bookmark.

A Roadtrippers Premium membership includes offline maps, live traffic information, overnight RV parking and more for $59.99 per year. For those looking to only venture on a few road trips per year, the app also offers a Pro ($49.99 per year) and Basic ($35.99 per year) membership.

PackPoint takes all the stress out of packing . The app shows you what to bring based on the length of your trip, the weather in your destination and any activities you're planning along the way. If you have access to laundry facilities at your destination, PackPoint even allows you to account for washing your clothes and wearing them multiple times.

Just download and install the app, type in the city you're visiting and plug in your travel details. So, stop waiting until the day before your trip — or the hours before you have to leave for the airport — and start packing now.

Best apps for navigating the airport and flights

Track flights, navigate airports and find airport lounges with these apps.

LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy offers access to premium airport lounges around the world, regardless of the airline or class you're flying. When you create a trip in the app and type in the credit cards you currently hold, it will tell you which lounges you have access to based on the airports you'll be transiting through and how to purchase access if you don't already have it.

You can purchase access on the day you're traveling or up to two months in advance if you're the plan-ahead type. If you prefer to search by lounge or lounge program, the app will tell you exactly what is needed to use them.

Priority Pass

Priority Pass offers access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide and provides meal vouchers at select airport restaurants across the world for an annual fee starting at $99.

Several cards, including The Platinum Card® from American Express , the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve , offer Priority Pass memberships for all cardholders (enrollment required). Otherwise, you'll have to pay an annual fee to be a member and, depending on your membership tier, a fee to enter each lounge on top of the annual fee.

To use the Priority Pass app, enter the name or code of the airport you're in, and Priority Pass will pull up the lounges or restaurants that you have access to, including photos, hours, amenities and specific location information. For more information on the Priority Pass Program and how to gain lounge access, click here . Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: The best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access

FlightAware

The FlightAware app allows you to track flights online, see a live map of a flight and check on delays, cancellations and gate changes. This app is especially helpful if you have a tight connection or want to track your flight.

It's also useful when picking up friends and family at the airport, as you can track their flight and see updated landing times or delays. AvGeeks will enjoy digging into flight statistics, flight maps and community aviation discussions on the app.

Best apps to use during your flight

Timeshifter.

What better way to cure jet lag than with an app? Timeshifter actually helps you avoid jet lag long before your flight takes off and also offers inflight and post-flight suggestions. The app relies on neuroscience research about sleep and circadian rhythms to provide personalized recommendations, taking into consideration your age, gender and normal sleep patterns — as well as specifics about your trip and travel plans. Timeshifter maps out when you should avoid or seek light, take a nap or try to stay awake. It even tells you if you should consider supplementing with melatonin or caffeine.

Your first jet lag plan is free, then $9.99 per plan, or you can enjoy unlimited plans for a year for $24.99.

Flying can cause anxiety — or provide a welcome relief from constant contact with our digital devices. Either way, use travel as an opportunity to relax, meditate or listen to soothing sounds that will lull you to sleep or a deep, relaxed state. Or, perhaps, you'll simply find it helps pass the time during a long flight.

Calm offers meditations on topics such as self-awareness, calming anxiety, breathing, lowering stress levels and happiness, among others. The app also has music options for focusing, relaxing and sleeping, as well as stories for adults and content for kids.

A limited selection of meditations and music is available for free (which you can download to use when you're offline or in flight). The premium version of the app costs $14.99 per month or $69.99 annually.

OK, so Netflix isn't really a travel app, but it can be a lifesaver during a long flight on an aircraft without seatback inflight entertainment or at the airport during an unexpected flight delay or boring layover. If you have a Netflix account, the app allows you to download your favorite shows onto your device to watch offline.

Just make sure to download your shows while connected to Wi-Fi before flying and check them again preflight to make sure they haven't expired (you can usually renew any expired downloads, but you must be connected to Wi-Fi or data to do so). Monthly prices vary depending on the plan.

Another app that's not really a travel app, Spotify can still be incredibly useful during tedious travel moments — just pop in those noise-canceling headphones and listen to your favorite music, meditations, podcasts and more.

The app's Premium plans (prices vary) allow you to download all your content offline on your phone, so you'll have it during long flights or when you don't have data or Wi-Fi access. Whether you want to take a morning jog in Bali to your favorite tunes or pass the time with a podcast on the metro in Barcelona, Spotify has it all.

Best apps to use in your destination

From exchanging money and sightseeing to communicating and knowing all the local tips and tricks, you don't want to land in a foreign city for the first time without these key apps.

XE Currency Converter

The XE Currency Converter app quickly provides live, up-to-the-minute currency rates, then allows you to store and view them even when you're offline. You'll never need to wonder if you're really getting a good deal in another country if you have this app.

Google Translate

Google Translate is a translation app that allows you to do it all — translate into more than 100 languages by typing, access 59 languages offline, translate via photo, translate bilingual conversations and even use the handwriting tool to translate.

The app is simple to use, too, with icons at the top you can click on to draw, take a photo, speak or type.

Not quite sure how much to tip when traveling internationally? GlobeTips will advise you on how to tip appropriately in more than 200 countries. It also offers a tip calculator for easy math. Globe also has apps for currency conversion, unit conversion and more that may be useful for travelers.

Related: The ultimate guide to tipping while traveling

For travelers globe-trotting with friends and family members or simply splitting the cost between groups, Tricount calculates shared costs and splits bills so you don't have to think twice about who owes what. Just enter your trip and currency and invite your travel mates to join your trip.

Each time someone pays for something, you enter the amount in Tricount, and the app splits everything up. You can also snap and store photos of receipts in the app. At the end of your trip, it will show the balances of who owes who what, making it easy to settle up.

Metric Conversions

Never be baffled by Celsius temperatures or suitcase weight in kilograms again with the Metric Conversions app . Whether you're measuring flour to cook at your Airbnb, figuring out distances for your Europe road trip or deciding whether to take a sweatshirt with you during your walking tour of the Great Wall of China, this app has you covered with easy conversions in volume, weight, temperature, area and more.

Google Maps

Google Maps is essential when visiting a new city (or even for getting around your hometown). You can map locations, get directions (walking, driving, public transportation, ride-hailing services and beyond) and see how crowded your subway will be in select cities .

You can make restaurant reservations, save your favorite spots and read and write reviews of attractions, eateries, shops and more. Make sure to download specific city or area maps ahead of time for offline access if you know you'll be without internet at your destination. For obvious reasons, the app works best when your GPS is turned on.

WhatsApp is a handy messaging service for travelers abroad as it uses an internet connection to avoid SMS fees.

It works like most other messaging apps: You start by creating an account, then add your friends and family members to contact and voila! You're able to call, video chat and send messages, images, voice memos, gifs and files just as you would in, say, iMessage (but with Android users too). You can also download WhatsApp on your Windows or Mac computer.

Best apps for planning activities

Traveling is about more than just getting from point A to point B. If you're looking for activities to add to your itinerary, check out these apps.

Meetup is an app designed for interacting with locals and other travelers who have mutual interests or shared hobbies. Whether you're traveling or at home, take what you love and do more of it with Meetup.

The app shows you groups that are formed around particular interests in your city, including yoga, photography, cooking, wine tasting, hiking, cinema and other activities. You can join groups to get updates on particular events you may want to participate in. The app can even help with networking, as there are many groups dedicated to business and technology. You might even be able to join a coworking group. Travelers with kids can participate in family-friendly meetups, and it's a great way for solo travelers to make friends and connect with others.

TheFork is one of the most useful resources for making restaurant reservations in Europe. Similar to OpenTable or Resy, the app lets you browse different restaurants by category and make reservations. TheFork features more than 60,000 restaurants in cities like London, Madrid and Geneva, as well as spots outside of Europe like Sydney, Australia.

The biggest perk is that many restaurant reservations come with discounts — in some cases, you can get up to 50% off your meal just by reserving a table through TheFork. Since we here at TPG are always down for earning rewards, make sure to monitor your YUMS — TheFork's reward system. You'll earn YUMS with each reservation, and when you hit 1,000, you receive a discount on your bill. Foodie travelers should also consider downloading these apps , too.

Happy Cow helps vegan and vegetarian eaters locate more than 180,000 restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, farmers markets and grocery stores in over 180 countries around the world. The app allows you to filter by not only vegan and vegetarian but also gluten-free and cuisine types. You can also read reviews and get recipes on the app as well.

The app does cost $3.99, but it's a one-time expense.

TripAdvisor

Besides reading reviews of restaurants, hotels and attractions, you can book almost anything on TripAdvisor, from vacation rentals and restaurant reservations to tours and tickets.

The app has grown to include almost all things travel, allowing you to search by destination or interest (like the outdoors, food and drink, family or by the water, for example), which can give you inspiration for a trip or help you get your activities, meals and accommodations organized before traveling or on the fly.

With over 400,000 curated trails, AllTrails can help you find the hike or walk perfect for you and your group. It's not just mountain trails — AllTrails offers city walks, too, like easy meanders through the Marais district in Paris or peaceful strolls through Bangkok's Lumpini Park in Thailand.

See photos, updated weather predictions and key information about each route and connect with other travelers through reviews and forums. Access to AllTrails+ is $35.99 per year, which offers perks like offline maps and wrong turn alerts.

Best apps for staying safe

Use these apps to stay safe when traveling.

Smart Traveler

Smart Traveler is a free service that offers tips and information specifically for U.S. travelers. You can see what visas and vaccines you'll need before traveling and where to find help if you need it during your trip.

Register your trip on the app, which gives your information to local embassies and consulates in your destination. If there's any kind of disaster or tragedy, the local embassy can contact you to see if you need help.

TripWhistle

Another app dedicated to keeping you safe, TripWhistle maps your location and allows you to easily text or send your GPS coordinates or location. It also provides emergency numbers for firefighters, medical personnel and police in nearly 200 countries. After all, 911 is only for U.S.-based emergencies: Each country has its own specific emergency number.

Yes, Uber (or any local ride-hailing service app) is convenient, but it may also keep you safe. Using this app when traveling means you'll never get stuck wandering around in an unfamiliar area late at night or have to deal with unscrupulous taxi drivers trying to scam you. Uber also has in-app safety features such as an emergency assistance button which will allow you to call local emergency services right in the app.

June 1, 2020

Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after

Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after

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Use this tool to calculate all purchases like ski-lift passes, show tickets, or even rental equipment.

6 Reasons to Use the Allyz® TravelSmart App

6. Find quick translations of medical and first-aid terms.

Discover universal medical and pharmaceutical names for hundreds of common medications in the Medical Dictionary so you can effectively communicate with medical personnel while abroad.

Travel insurance is a necessity. And the Allyz ® TravelSmart app helps you get the most out of your protection plan wherever you go. Just remember to check with your mobile provider to make sure your phone will work in a foreign country and ask about any fees associated with using data or making calls overseas.

Download the Allyz ® TravelSmart app today.

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Accessible Travel

We Tried the Top Apps for Travelers with Disabilities. Here's What We Found

New advances in technology, from apps to web-based services, are making trips more accessible and equitable for all travelers..

Those first few moments in a new destination are exhilarating. The fresh sights, scents, sounds, come together to create that elusive high avid travelers chase. But for travelers with disabilities , the same new experiences can be overwhelming, and even limiting.

Airports are loud and often difficult to navigate for anyone, but for a neurodivergent traveler who struggles to function in chaotic environments, they can be nearly impossible. For a visually impaired traveler, the signage most people use to navigate a new destination is often unreadable. New cities are exciting, but a wheelchair user likely doesn’t know which restaurants and museums are accessible, like they would in their hometown. Calling an Uber or hailing a cab is also not always an option, as most rideshare vehicles are not wheelchair accessible. Will the hotel have a shower they get in and out of, or a place for their service animal to relieve themself? For many travelers with disabilities, each step of their journey requires careful planning and consideration.

As an avid traveler and mother to children with multiple physical and developmental disabilities, I know how much planning a vacation for a family like ours requires, and just how time consuming and frustrating it can be. A crop of apps and programs created to make travel more accessible have begun to level the playing field, though. We tested these programs in real-world settings ranging from airports to our own community to see just how they work and how they can make traveling easier for us. While there are many new apps and programs emerging constantly, we focused on those that are available in most destinations and are easy to navigate. While the tourism industry still has a long way to go to make travel more accessible, these programs are leading the charge—and have made our most recent trips a bit less fraught.

accessibleGO

For non-disabled travelers, booking a hotel is mostly about price, location, and amenities. For travelers with physical disabilities, hotels can be a nightmare. While the ADA has guidelines about accessible hotel rooms, these booking rules often do not fully apply to third-party booking sites like Priceline or Travelocity. Sometimes a traveler books an accessible room only to find it doesn’t match the online description or was even given away to a non-disabled hotel guest.

That’s where accessibleGo comes in. This platform allows travelers to filter accessibility options that extend beyond the basic “wheelchair accessible” toggle feature in most hotel booking apps. AccessibleGO allows users to search for lodging with roll-in showers, accessible swimming pools, outdoor space for service dogs, and more. The platform also takes things one step further—once a booking is made, an accessibleGO team member contacts the destination directly to assure that all accommodations are able to be met.

"Our goal here at accessibleGO is to enable travelers with disabilities to get their accessibility needs met, no matter where they are going or what their needs are so that they feel comfortable to take that trip,” says co-founder and CEO Miriam Elijas. Beyond hotel rooms, users can search for mobility rentals, rental cars with hand controls, wheelchair van rentals, and more.

A "Sunflower" card with lanyard lies on a table at a press briefing at BER airport

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

While there’s no app yet, the web-based Sunflower program is growing in usage around the world. By simply requesting a free lanyard through the program, users are easily identifiable to airport staff as a traveler with an invisible disability. The bright green lanyards are decorated with sunflowers and are easily visible to TSA and airline staff. As a family that travels with several invisible disabilities , including autism, ADHD, and a joint condition that limits mobility some days but not others, we don’t always stand out as a family that may need assistance navigating the airport—but we do.

We first tested this program out at Pittsburgh International Airport, which also has a great sensory room . The TSA lines at PIT are generally not long, but we were able to take our children through a shorter line reserved for travelers with disabilities. On our return trip out of Orlando International Airport, the security lines were long and overwhelming. We knew that not all of our children would be able to manage it after a busy week. The security line marked with a sunflower symbol was much shorter, and the TSA staff took extra care with our kids and their anxiety.

Gatwick Airport in London was the first to use the sunflower lanyards in 2016, and the program has expanded across the world since. Participating locations have sunflower lanyards on site—most airports keep them at the customer service desk before security. Travelers can also request a pass via the website or by contacting their local airport ahead of their trip—and they do not need to disclose their disability to receive a pass. At this time, over 200 airports participate in countries across the globe, and a growing list of railways, museums, and theme parks are adopting the program as well. Some users report that not all airport staff seem to be versed in what the lanyard means, so continued education is needed. We do think an app would be helpful, too. The website is thorough and helpful, but since most of us travel with our phones in pockets, apps are just handier.

When I rush through an airport, my eyes glance up at the overhead signage to point me towards my gate, restrooms, or baggage claim. Once at my destination, I scan for safe walking routes. For visually impaired travelers, navigating airports, hotels, and unfamiliar destinations in general can be a challenge. Braille signage is not as common as it should be, and is only required in certain locations . With the app Be My Eyes , which is available on Apple and Android , users can scan anything from written documents to photos—and AI or a stable of volunteers will verbally interpret the information for them.

We tested it on overhead signs in a local T station as well as on sets of public stairs near our home. The AI descriptions are incredibly accurate, even noting how shadows on a photo may indicate a tree out of frame and denoting the location of handrails and cracks in the pavement. After requesting an AI response, we had the option to ask further questions to the chatbot or call a live volunteer for more input. Overall, we found the app to be well-designed and very user friendly.

Young person in wheelchair looking at mobile phone

While most accessibility programs are private companies or nonprofits, TSA does have one solid option: TSA Cares. The Cares program is available in all US airports and exists to modify standard security and travel requirements to meet the needs of certain groups of travelers. In addition to supporting travelers with disabilities, TSA Cares also offers support to military families, families traveling with young children, and other groups who may have a difficult time traveling. Travelers can print a TSA notification card to let staff know about their needs if they do not wish to (or cannot) do so verbally.

There’s also an app called MyTSA that provides information on packing rules, wait times, and disability accommodations. There are various accommodations offered by the program. For example, the program can help travelers become exempt from removing their shoes or unpack their bags at security.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is one of many locations incorporating TSA Cares protocol into a broader goal of accessibility. The Newark airport recently joined the list of airports with sensory rooms, and had added a security line dedicated solely to screening neurodivergent travelers —the first in the country. How travelers utilize TSA Cares varies widely based on their needs, and some airports seem better at it than others. More cohesive training for TSA staff would be a great addition to the program. Contact the program to find out specifics about your needs.

Google Maps

Most travelers are familiar with Google Maps and accompanying Google services that make trips easier. But recent improvements in Google products have made Maps a perfect choice for travelers with disabilities.

Sasha Blair-Goldensohn , Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Features Lead at Google Maps, is a wheelchair user himself, so he’s used his own personal experiences to make Google services more accessible. He says these updates are a game changer for travelers with accessibility needs and points to the crowdsourced accessibility information from other Maps users and the ability to create wheelchair-accessible routes as top features.

When browsing shops in a particular destination, the wheelchair icon features details like step-free entrances, accessible parking, and more. The screen reader and voice guidance features are helpful for travelers with auditory and visual impairments. The screen reader feature audibly provides information on nearby locations when the user holds their phone up to scan their surrounding area. Voice guidance in Maps, which is enabled with a toggle button in settings, provides much more detailed feedback on walking routes so that visually impaired travelers or those who have a hard time following a basic map can navigate a new location. Google Live Transcribe can turn any audio announcement or speaking person’s words into written text for travelers with auditory disabilities, too.

Backpacker couple taking photos with a camera on a break from hiking in a forest

Roadtrippers

Planning a road trip —complete with waystations along the route—can be particularly tricky for travelers with disabilities. For those with service dogs, finding a spot where their companion can play, rest, and relieve themselves is necessary, for example. The Roadrippers app, which is available on Apple and Android , has long been a go-to for travelers choosing stops and attractions along a selected route. By choosing your route and how frequently you plan to stop for a short break or overnight, the app creates a custom itinerary that includes necessary stops like gas stations—and fun stops like the World’s Largest Corn Maze .

Updates to the platform allow travelers with disabilities to filter their searches with accessibility in mind. Once users choose the type of attraction they are interested in, they can then select the “wheelchair accessible” filter to narrow a broad list down to spots that work for them. A vast collection of reviews and feedback from other travelers can help determine if a particular attraction is a fit. I’m hopeful that future updates to the platform will increase the ability of options travelers with disabilities can search for—particularly info on the accessibility of roadside attractions.

If we aren’t road tripping or renting a car when we travel, rideshares are a must . While our family can use any standard rideshare vehicle, some travelers with physical disabilities cannot. Unfortunately, this is an area where the main players fall short. Uber and Lyft do have accessible vehicles via the UberWAV and Lyft WAV programs, but it's limited to a small number of cities so far. Foldable wheelchairs are allowed in standard rideshare cars—if they fit, which is a gamble.

While zTrip is not yet in every U.S city, there are more options in more locations . Wheelchair accessible vans and trained drivers are a regular part of zTrip’s business so they know how to accommodate travelers safely. Riders can hail a zTrip vehicle just like a standard taxi, though there’s no guarantee that will be an accessible vehicle. For that, rides can be booked via phone, website , or app. Hopefullly zTrip expands to more cities soon so that it's a reliable option wherever you’re headed.

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10 Apps That Will Make The Most Of Your Vacation In 2024

I f you've ever spent time at a networking event, made small talk at your kids' soccer games, or scrolled through a dating app, you'll know that "travel" is something almost everyone will tell you they enjoy. Couple that with an attachment to our smartphones that borders on co-dependent, and it's no surprise to learn that travel apps are a hot commodity. Some of the best innovations in travel come in the form of apps. Staying in touch with people at home, travel planning, staying organized on the road, or connecting with other travelers? Not only is there an app for that, there are many apps for that.

To help you sort through the plethora of what's out there, here are some travel-ready apps to make your vacation a blast. We've sourced suggestions from people who travel for a living and those who leave their local area only rarely, so no matter how often you jet-set, there is an app for you.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

If your cell plan doesn't include international roaming, you can get slammed with steep fees for using mobile data outside your own country.

There are a few ways to get around roaming charges, including buying a local SIM card for the country you are traveling in, using a Wi-Fi stick , or investing in a dual SIM phone, like those from Samsung, Apple, or Google. One of the easiest and cheapest options though, is an eSIM app like Airalo . Airalo was one of the first in the eSIM game and continues to be popular with travelers. Fans of the app point to how easy it is to download and get started quickly, and how much it saves in fees. On the other hand, some users have noticed a discrepancy in how well it works in different countries. One reviewer on TrustPilot states "We do NOT recommend this plan given the extremely poor performance in Vietnam" despite noting excellent service in Hong Kong.

Airalo is a paid service, available on the App Store and on Google Play.

Google Maps is often the default app travelers reach for when navigating new territory. It's a trusted resource for a lot of reasons, including the ease of finding reviews and info for even very small businesses. But it's not the only map app out there, nor is it the best in every situation. The main advantage of Maps.me over Google Maps is that it is based on user-generated information. Particularly for folks who are getting around on foot, this "boots on the ground" approach is excellent and more direct than reporting problems to Google Maps . It also means that if you find a cool place on your travels and want to make sure other travelers can find it, you can add it to a map.

Like Google Maps and other useful way-finding apps, you can download maps and bookmark points of interest for offline use, although the background information on locations is not as robust as on Google Maps. Maps.me also allows you to access various modes of transportation while offline, which Google doesn't.

Maps.me is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Cash's position as king is increasingly precarious. On your travels, you'll find cashless options in places you might not expect. The mass availability of mobile payment platforms like Square means you may be able to whip out your phone or card at Swiss coffee carts or Mexican street vendors. Wise (formerly Transferwise) lets you move between currencies seamlessly. Wise lets you operate in 40 currencies, which is particularly handy if you are traveling to several different countries. They advertise charges that are less than the major banks. However, some users have complained about complications with money transfers, so be forewarned if you intend to use this app for sending money.

Of note to travelers is the option to get an actual bank card that can function as an international debit card with a nominal conversion fee (not all bank cards can pay by debit in countries other than your home base.) Or, save a step and scan your phone to pay from your Wise account.

Wise is available on the App Store and from Google Play. There is no charge to download the app, but fees are charged for some banking activities.

If you are going to be traveling from place to place on your vacation, you will want the Rome2Rio app on your phone. Enter your destination and departure location, and the app spits out the options and approximate costs for each leg of your journey. For instance, if you are in Edmonton, Canada, and want to get to the Thai island of Ko Yao Yai, the app will suggest six options, labeling the best, cheapest, and fastest combination of flight, minibus, and ferry. You can't purchase tickets through the app, although there are links to book accommodation that take you to Booking.com. Being able to purchase travel fares through the app would make things easier, especially if they were offered in a package, but the absence of that feature means you can investigate and compare prices from different booking operators , so we are putting it in the win column.

Rome2Rio is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Rick Steves Audio Europe

Rick Steves is recognized as a top voice in travel guides. His down-to-earth approach to travel has endeared multitudes of followers to him, spawning an industry of books, television shows, and a sprawling web presence that features how-to guides, articles, and an active travelers' forum. On top of all that, he has a free app for self-guided walking tours through many of Europe's top sights called Rick Steves Audio Europe . Reviewers of the app give it a high rating (4.7 on Google Play and 4.3 on the App Store) using superlatives like "This app is GOLD," and comparing the quality of the tours to paid audio tours. On the downside, it is difficult to sync the app on multiple devices, so if you are in a group you may all be at slightly different parts of the tour, which can be mildly annoying. There are a bunch of tour sites, with more added periodically.

The audio tours and accompanying maps are downloadable, so you don't need to worry about burning through mobile data or needing to rely on Wi-Fi. Rick Steve Audio Europe is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

How many trips come vividly back to life in your mind just by thinking about that one excellent bowl of Cacio e Pepe pasta or sun-drenched sip of a Paloma? Exploring a place through its flavors and discovering new spots to eat is a beloved part of travel. In Europe, TheFork (the French version is called LaForchette) is the go-to app for crowd-sourced restaurant reviews. Previously, the app also covered Australia, but at the start of 2024, it was announced they will be pulling out of Oz.

You can find Michelin-starred restaurants with months-long wait lists or little hole-in-the-wall spots by searching the name of the eating establishment, the city or neighborhood you want to eat in, or the kind of cuisine you are craving.

The app is worthy of its space on your phone just for the restaurant listings and reviews, but if you want to explore more of the capabilities, there are ways to expand its usefulness. You can make reservations, register to collect points, access discounts and specials at select spots, and pay through the app. TheFork is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Looking for a little love on the road? The Fairytrail app might be the ticket to romance (or ROAMance) you are looking for. Aimed at digital nomads and van life devotees, the app is a nice addition to the dating lives of travelers of all stripes. Members are evaluated and assigned a fairytale character similar to enneagram-slash-Myers-Briggs personality types, which is a new and novel approach compared with other iPhone dating apps or Android dating apps .

Because the app is focused on people with nomadic lifestyles, matches are location-independent. The idea is that users of the app will be willing to travel to each other to meet and date. There is a setting that allows an extra layer of matching: dream places to visit. If you so choose, before chatting with a match you need to have an overlapping "bucket-list" destination. Previously, this was an unavoidable step but became an optional setting after it was changed in response to frustration expressed by reviewers. The app is being redesigned in 2024 and soliciting feedback from users. Stay tuned, it seems more happy endings are in store! Fairytrails is free to download with in-app purchases and is available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Price Scanner And Converter

A very unpleasant aspect of vacationing in another country is coming home to a shocking credit card bill. Part of the problem is the tendency of holidaymakers to spend like money isn't real, but the other problem is how difficult it is to calculate prices into your own currency. Sure, you can come up with shortcuts to do quick math, but that gives you an estimate rather than an exact cost. To help, there are many different currency converter apps out there, with features like real-time rate calculation and offline capability. The somewhat clunky-named Price Scanner and Converter takes it one step further by using your phone's camera to scan prices and display them automatically in your preferred currency (out of 150 global currencies.) New iPhone cameras also have a similar capability, but it isn't as seamless a process as using this app.

This price scanning app isn't presently available on Google Play, although there are similar apps to be found. The reviews are pretty overwhelmingly mediocre, so if you are on team Android, your best bet may be to download a regular currency converter and enter in prices the old-fashioned way.

Downloading the Price Scanner and Converter is free from the App Store.

Searching through your emails for confirmations and itineraries isn't an efficient way to access your travel information. And good luck if you have used your work email for some of your planning and your personal email for others. What if you are offline when you need to find your tour details? Nightmare fuel. Tripit has created a simple user experience, allowing you to forward all those endless travel planning emails to be arranged into an easily accessible itinerary in a single spot, which you can access from any of your devices.

Other features of this include the ability to load PDFs, QR codes, and other travel documents to your Tripit travel folder. There are helpful navigation tools, like airport maps, neighborhood safety ratings, and nearby places. You can share your travel plans and sync them to your calendar. For $49 a year (or a free 30-day trial) you can upgrade to Tripit Pro for enhanced travel aid, including notifications to help keep you on track and on time.

Tripit is free to download from the App Store and from Google Play, and you can upgrade to the premium Tripit Pro on the Tripit website or in the app.

Mobile Passport Control

The latest app from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol goes by the wildly creative name, " Mobile Passport Control ." It's a no-nonsense app with a no-nonsense name that allows users to streamline the customs experience. Rather than filling out declarations forms, users enter their information into the app and send it to border officials so they can access it as soon as they get to customs. You can do this immediately upon arrival, say as your plane is taxiing to the gate.

The app is for United States citizens and Canadians with a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa who are entering the USA at one of 33 American airports, 11 preclearance sites, and four seaports. It works in tandem with your passport, but it doesn't replace it.

As a bonus, some sites allow those with the Mobile Passport Control app to use their own (almost always shorter!) line or expedited Global Entry lines at passport control. You can enter family members on the same app and there is no approval process, just download and go.

A previous iteration of the app had a premium, paid version, but this is no longer the case. The app is free on the App Store and Google Play.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

3 travel apps you need before your next flight to keep you out of long TSA lines

Travel can be stressful, especially when airports are involved.

Flights get delayed, or, worse still, canceled.

Ever-growing security lines sometimes snake through the airport, putting you in jeopardy of missing your flight.

Last-minute changes can happen and derail months of planning, potentially starting off your trip on a bad note.

Programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry can help travelers, but there are also ways that tech can help you prepare for your journey and stay aware of the curveballs that might come your way.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Here are three apps to download before your next trip.

Watch the video above to learn which three apps you need before your next trip.

Airline app

Download your airline’s app!

It keeps all of your travel information in one, easy-to-access place.

Turn on notifications to get immediate alerts when it's time to check in so you'll know if there are any delays or gate changes.

Once you have a boarding pass, save even more time by adding it to the digital wallet on your smartphone.

The lines at airport security can be very unpredictable. Sometimes there is no wait, other times, the line extends into the check-in area.

The Transportation Security Agency’s (TSA) app, MyTSA, tries to make the wait a little more predictable and helps you determine what to expect, especially if you’re traveling from one of the busiest airports in the US.

The app provides a real-time look at your selected airport's wait time, any FAA delays, and which TSA PreCheck lanes are open.

The app also uses historical data to help you plan ahead. So, even if your flight is three days away, the app can show you what you’re likely to encounter that day based on previous experiences.

It’s also a useful resource if you’re unsure about what you can or can’t pack in your carry-on and checked luggage.

Mobile Passport Control

If you’re traveling abroad, the Mobile Passport Control app makes your return through U.S. customs much faster.

The app is a digital version of the Customs and Border Patrol Declaration Form that anyone entering the U.S. is required to fill out.

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Rabbit R1 Review: This AI Device Can't Replace Your Smartphone Apps Yet

The Rabbit R1 is a gamble on a new type of operating system, but it feels half-baked.

Our Experts

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

Cool retro design
Good at understanding natural language
Visual search feature is fun to use
Not many compatible services yet
Short battery life
Doesn't save answers for later reference
Some noticeable bugs

To edit a spreadsheet, all I had to do was hold the gray button while speaking the following words into the tiny orange box in my hand: "Transcribe this spreadsheet and swap column B with column C." A revised version of the spreadsheet popped up in my email inbox almost instantly. It was surprisingly impressive… until I realized the words in the first column were cut off.

This sums up my experience using the Rabbit R1 , a $199 app-free handheld device that uses AI to complete tasks. There were moments when everything clicked and I understood the hype behind what creator Jesse Lyu calls a "real world" Pokedex.

But there were many more moments when the Rabbit R1 fell short of my expectations. The services that currently work with the R1, like Uber and Doordash, feel much more limited on the Rabbit R1 than they do on your phone -- if they work at all. The R1 also had trouble identifying certain landmarks when I took it sightseeing in New York City and it lost internet connectivity occasionally. Battery life is also painfully short, although a software update should fix that soon enough .

The Rabbit R1 is a tiny, handheld gadget that you primarily interact with through verbal commands. Instead of using apps, the operating system runs on software that Lyu says can learn how to operate digital apps and services on your behalf using AI. It's a novel concept, and one that Lyu thinks will ultimately prevail and become the dominant way we get things done in the future.

And he isn't alone; Rabbit fans who preordered the device flocked to the product's New York launch event on April 23 to be among the first to get their hands on it. A man I spoke with while waiting in line even drove all the way from Massachusetts.

But the current version of the R1 doesn't live up to these lofty ambitions. The R1 can call you an Uber (or at least it's supposed to), order Doordash, create images with Midjourney, play songs on Spotify, answer questions, translate speech and use its camera as a visual search engine, among other things. It's fresh and interesting, but many of these experiences feel inferior to the smartphone right now. On the whole, the R1 feels like a work in progress and a bet on the future rather than the AI revolution it's been made out to be.

Read more: AI Is Changing Our Phones, and It's Just Getting Started

The R1's retro design

You can press and hold the Rabbit R1's side button and speak into it like a walkie-talkie.

If there's one thing Rabbit got right with the R1, it's the design. It's about half the size of a smartphone and comes in a deliciously bright orange color. The device has a tiny 2.8-inch screen, a scroll wheel for navigation and an 8-megapixel camera. There's a SIM card for cellular connectivity, but I used the R1 by connecting it to Wi-Fi networks and my phone's mobile hotspot.

The R1, which was designed in collaboration with Teenage Engineering , somehow feels nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. It reminds me of the seashell phone from the horror movie It Follows. In that movie, one of the characters is seen using what appears to quite literally be a clamshell-shaped mobile device with an e-ink screen. While the R1 doesn't physically resemble this device, they both create the illusion of a handheld electronic that somehow feels like it's from the past and the future at the same time.

The R1's size also makes it feel like a walkie-talkie when you speak into it, which is likely intentional given that's the primary way you interact with the device. It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 when closed.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 closed next to the Rabbit R1

The Rabbit R1 is about the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 when closed.

The Rabbit R1's design is important for more than just aesthetic reasons; it dictates how you interact with the device. Since the display is so small, the screen isn't meant to draw your attention the way a smartphone's does. It doesn't tempt you to browse around the operating system or launch an app when you're bored as you might while using a phone. And it forces you to think about what question you should ask to get your intended task done rather than which app you should open.

Since it's a new type of gadget, there is a learning curve. On my first day with the device , I forgot that you need to shake it twice to launch the settings menu, for example. I also didn't realize that you exit the camera interface with the same gesture you use to launch it: double pressing the side button. Other gestures felt surprisingly natural and clever, like using the scroll wheel to adjust screen brightness and volume.

The Rabbit R1 is small enough to easily fit in the palm of your hand.

Setting up the Rabbit R1 was fairly simple and involved connecting it to the internet and scanning a QR code. In order to get the most out of the Rabbit R1, you need to link it to digital services so it can actually do things on your behalf. You can connect these services through an online portal called the Rabbithole, but right now Spotify, Uber, Doordash and Midjourney are the only services visible as options. But according to Lyu's keynote, there are a bunch of new features and integrations planned for summer 2024 and beyond, including support for Yelp, Amazon Music and Apple Music, as well as calendar and contact functionality, reminders, shopping features and more.

Rabbit uses the authentication systems from each of these services to log in, meaning it's not directly handling your login credentials or saving them. It feels like logging into a website on a web browser. Lyu said user requests are handled directly by the language models that process them, so Rabbit doesn't see or save your specific words.

Using the R1 as a handheld tour guide

A woman holding up the Rabbit R1 in front of Washington Square Park

The Rabbit R1 can answer questions about objects it sees in the real world.

The R1's camera serves a different purpose than the one on your phone. Instead of using it to document important moments and events, the R1's camera is primarily used to learn about the world around you. Just point it at a nearby object and ask it a question, and it should be able to identify it and answer your query. I thought the best way to test this out in practice would be to take it out for a day of sightseeing in lower Manhattan.

I tried using the Rabbit R1 for everything from learning about landmarks to ordering an Uber to my next point of interest and finding nearby coffee shops. Most of the time, I just ended up reaching for my phone to get these tasks done. However, there were a few instances in which the Rabbit R1 gave the answers I was looking for, such as when I pointed it at the arch at the entrance of Washington Square Park. Not only did it correctly identify the Washington Square Arch, but it also described the nearby scenery -- making me curious about the R1's potential as an accessibility device in the future.

But the Washington Square Arch was the only landmark the R1 was able to consistently identify that day. It couldn't recognize the New York Stock Exchange or the Castle Clinton monument right on the water near Battery Park. Instead, the Rabbit R1 gave me its best guess at what I might be looking at. For the Stock Exchange, it described a "grand, historic building, likely a government or financial institution." It could tell Castle Clinton was a "historic landmark or attraction," but it couldn't say much more than that.

The Rabbit R1 being held up in front of a fountain.

The Rabbit R1 has a tiny display that's significantly smaller than your smartphone's.

Answers can also vary depending on the angle and positioning of the camera, as well as what else is in frame, which I learned when asking the Rabbit R1 to identify the iconic Charging Bull statue near Wall Street. It answered correctly on the first try but couldn't identify the statue on the second or third try, perhaps because there were too many tourists and sightseers standing in the way.

The R1 is fun to use as a visual search tool, but you can get similar functionality from Google Gemini and Google Lens. I received nearly the same results using the Rabbit R1 and Google Gemini running on a Pixel 8 Pro when pointing the camera at my ice blue Nintendo 64 to see if it could tell me what year the console came out. (I thought this was a fitting question for the Rabbit R1 given its retro theme.)

Battery life is the biggest obstacle to using the Rabbit R1. The battery drained significantly during my first few days with it even when the device wasn't being used. On the day that I took the R1 sightseeing, I had to go back to my office because the battery was nearly depleted by lunchtime. On a different day, the battery dipped down to 34% after being off its charger for about 5 hours. It got so bad that I started carrying a portable charger anytime I left my house with the R1, although Lyu says a fix is coming .

I needed to plug the Rabbit R1 into a portable charger to get through the day.

As of April 29, I began noticing some battery improvements, but I'm still not brave enough to leave the house without a power bank. The battery level is down to 23% as of 5:49 p.m. ET after unplugging it shortly before 9 a.m.

The Rabbit R1 as a work companion

The Rabbit R1 showing a cartoonish cat on screen

The Rabbit R1 can generate images through Midjourney.

While the idea of using the Rabbit R1 as a tour guide is interesting, I'm far more intrigued by its potential to help with productivity. Remember that spreadsheet example I mentioned earlier? Unfortunately, the R1 isn't all that great at editing spreadsheets just yet. Words in the first column got cut off, and in my experience the camera isn't wide enough to capture all of the data in a big spreadsheet anyhow. But the fact that it was able to make any sort of edit to a document and send it to my email instantly still felt like a big deal.

You can also use the Rabbit R1 to generate images on the fly through Midjourney. All it took was a quick command like, "Create an image of a cute puppy with floppy ears and big eyes," and the Rabbit R1 conjured up four images matching my prompt. Even though Google Gemini accomplished a similar task slightly faster, generating an image with the press of a button, without having to tap or type any inputs, still felt impressive.

The Rabbit R1 can also serve as a personal translator and a voice recorder for quickly saving dictated memos, and voice recordings are stored in the Rabbithole portal for later reference. These features work as expected for the most part, although I sometimes found that I had to use a specific phrase to get these tools to work properly. For example, in response to the phrase, "Record a note," Rabbit says "saving your note" and then follows up by adding that it doesn't have enough information to save a note. It may sound minor, but it can be frustrating when you just want to save a quick thought in a hurry. And Rabbit can't translate text in images; it works only with speech, which limits its usefulness.

The Rabbit R1 as a search engine

The Rabbit R1 face down on a wooden counter

The Rabbit R1 can answer questions, play music on Spotify, use its camera to answer questions about what it sees and more.

The Rabbit R1 can answer questions about the weather, pop culture, nearby points of interest and more -- similar to phone-based virtual assistants. But it has pros and cons compared to the digital helpers that live on our mobile devices, like Apple's Siri, for example.

I noticed that Rabbit sometimes provides more information than Siri might, such as when I asked who the pop icon Taylor Swift is dating. Siri answered first, but Rabbit provided extra details, such as when the couple began seeing each other. The case was the same when asking Rabbit to recommend nearby coffee shops that are ideal for working. Rabbit provided a rating and mentioned factors like Wi-Fi and ambience, while Siri just pulled up a list of results. I liked that I didn't get a generic "Here's what I found on the web" type of answer when asking Rabbit questions like I sometimes do with Siri.

Rabbit's coffee shop recommendations were pretty spot on for my neighborhood, but the quality of its suggestions sometimes changed depending on my location. When asking for coffee shops near Washington Square Park, some of the suggested coffee shops weren't very close by, including one option located in Brooklyn.

That said, I'm surprised by how well the Rabbit R1 can understand language and intention. When it can't answer my questions, it at least tells me why and acknowledges that it knows what I was trying to ask. For example, when I pointed it at my salad and asked how many calories were in the meal, it said it needed more information about portion size and the specific ingredients.

Rabbit may have done a better job at understanding the specific intent behind my question, but the experience of looking through recommendations was still easier on my phone. The R1 doesn't save verbal responses to the Rabbithole portal; it only stores voice memos and visual queries at this time. It also can't send responses to your email the way it does with spreadsheets. So once the R1 is done dictating its response, there's no way to access that answer. (In another testament to the R1's language understanding capabilities, it told me to just jot down its response when I asked it to send recommendations to my email.) A Rabbit spokesperson said the company plans to add the ability to save answers in a future update.

Rabbit OS instead of apps

The Rabbit R1 showing the Doordash interface

The Rabbit R1 can use Doordash on your behalf.

The overarching goal behind the Rabbit R1 is to provide an experience that's faster and more intuitive than your smartphone. Instead of opening multiple apps to accomplish a single task, Rabbit OS promises to get things done for you with a simple prompt.

But that dream still feels like it's in its early stages. The Rabbit R1 doesn't support many services yet, so you can't ask it to do much other than calling an Uber or ordering lunch on Doordash. I haven't even been able to get Uber to work properly yet even though I linked my account to my Rabbit device. I would either get a response indicating the request couldn't be processed because of maintenance issues, or the R1 would fail to accurately pinpoint my location even when I dictated the address. A Rabbit spokesperson said the company's working to improve the success rate and transparency of booking a ride using the R1.

Ordering Doordash may be faster using the Rabbit R1 if you already know what you want and it happens to be on Rabbit OS' implementation of Doordash. But in most cases, using your phone is the better option. Rabbit OS doesn't pull up as many restaurant choices as Doordash would on your phone, and it doesn't show the full menu either. A Rabbit spokesperson said it's constantly working to improve the selections on Doordash.

There are also a couple of puzzling bugs I ran into when using the R1 that are unrelated to Uber and Doordash. For one, the time zone appears to be stuck in Pacific time even though I'm located on the East coast. Lyu posted on X that a fix for this specific problem, along with the battery drain issues, is coming soon. And while the Rabbit R1 was usually accurate with my location when I asked for the weather, it pulled up temperature forecasts for Massachusetts on a couple of instances. I also had a hard time exiting the Spotify interface on multiple occasions, and the device can't seem to reconnect to my phone's hotspot after disconnecting. Instead, I have to manually forget the network and rejoin, which means typing in the password every time.

Rabbit R1 overall thoughts

The Rabbit R1 is a handheld device that you interact with using voice commands.

The Rabbit R1 isn't meant to be a phone replacement, but it is meant to do certain things better than your phone can. It's not there yet, but I can see the pieces of a new type of operating system starting to come together. While it's true that you can do many of the same things the R1 does on your phone -- including generating images based on a voice prompt and using the camera as a visual search tool -- it's more about how you're doing those things.

Just because you can unlock your phone and ask Google to identify a nearby landmark or plant doesn't mean you're going to. We're so accustomed to opening apps, typing and scrolling that it doesn't always feel intuitive to fire up the camera and ask a question. The R1, however, forces you into these types of multimodal interactions. And that's promising; so few gadgets actually succeed in breaking us out of our comfort zones when it comes to user interfaces.

But "eventually" is the key word there. Based on the R1's current state, that vision feels closer to a promise than it does to reality. Many of its features and experiences feel unfinished, and you're much better off just using your phone. Smartphone makers are also moving toward this idea of evolving beyond apps, as evidenced by Google's Circle to Search feature, meaning the R1 may soon have to try even harder to compete with your phone. Our mobile devices also have a big advantage that the R1 doesn't when it comes to serving as a virtual assistant: They already know so much about us. And that's going to be tough to beat.

If you're thinking about buying the R1, do it because you're curious about the future and don't mind gambling $200 on it. But for most people, my advice is to just stick with your phone. There may be big things ahead for the Rabbit R1, but I can't review what isn't there yet.

Editors' note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you're reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our AI policy .

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How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On (Including Me)

This privacy reporter and her husband bought a Chevrolet Bolt in December. Two risk-profiling companies had been getting detailed data about their driving ever since.

A view of a car’s interior from below and to the left of the steering wheel, which is gripped by one hand.

By Kashmir Hill

Kashmir Hill is a technology reporter who has been covering the privacy implications of connected cars, including her own.

Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led insurance companies to charge some of them more for premiums. I’m the reporter who broke the story . I recently discovered that I’m among the drivers who was spied on.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

My husband and I bought a G.M.-manufactured 2023 Chevrolet Bolt in December. This month, my husband received his “consumer disclosure files” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, two data brokers that work with the insurance industry and that G.M. had been providing with data. (He requested the files after my article came out in March, heeding the advice I had given to readers.)

My husband’s LexisNexis report had a breakdown of the 203 trips we had taken in the car since January, including the distance, the start and end times, and how often we hard-braked or accelerated rapidly. The Verisk report, which dated back to mid-December and recounted 297 trips, had a high-level summary at the top: 1,890.89 miles driven; 4,251 driving minutes; 170 hard-brake events; 24 rapid accelerations, and, on a positive note, zero speeding events.

I had requested my own LexisNexis file while reporting, but it didn’t have driving data on it. Though both of our names are on the car’s title, the data from our Bolt accrued to my husband alone because the G.M. dealership listed him as the primary owner.

G.M.’s spokeswoman had told me that this data collection happened only to people who turned on OnStar, its connected services plan, and enrolled in Smart Driver, a gamified program that offers feedback and digital badges for good driving, either at the time of purchase or via their vehicle’s mobile app.

That wasn’t us — and I had checked to be sure. In mid-January, again while reporting, I had connected our car to the MyChevrolet app to see if we were enrolled in Smart Driver. The app said we weren’t, and thus we had no access to any information about how we drove.

But in April, when we found out our driving had been tracked, my husband signed into a browser-based version of his account page, on GM.com, which said our car was enrolled in “OnStar Smart Driver+.” G.M. says this discrepancy between the app and the website was the result of “a bug” that affected a “small population” of customers. That group got the worst possible version of Smart Driver: We couldn’t get insights into our driving, but insurance companies could.

Many G.M. owners have reached out with similar accounts since my article appeared. Jenn Archer of Illinois bought a Chevy Trailblazer in April 2022. She didn’t subscribe to OnStar and had never heard of Smart Driver, but last month discovered that LexisNexis had her driving data.

“I was furious,” she said. In the last two years, her insurance rate has increased by 50 percent.

In 10 federal lawsuits filed in the last month, drivers from across the country say they did not knowingly sign up for Smart Driver but recently learned that G.M. had provided their driving data to LexisNexis. According to one of the complaints, a Florida owner of a 2019 Cadillac CTS-V who drove it around a racetrack for events saw his insurance premium nearly double, an increase of more than $5,000 per year.

At no point had these drivers been explicitly informed that this would happen, not even in the fine print, they said. New reporting reveals the cause: a misleading screen that these people would have briefly seen when they bought their cars — if their salesperson showed it to them.

“G.M. established the Smart Driver program to promote safer driving for the benefit of customers who choose to participate,” said a company spokeswoman, Brandee Barker. “Based on customer feedback, we’ve decided to discontinue the Smart Driver product across all G.M. vehicles and unenroll all customers. This process will begin over the next few months.”

Last month, G.M. stopped sharing data with LexisNexis and Verisk — giving up annual revenue in the low millions, an employee familiar with the contracts said. The company also hired a new chief trust and privacy officer.

“Customer trust is a priority for us, and we are showing that in our actions,” Ms. Barker said.

How It Happened to Me

According to G.M., our car was enrolled in Smart Driver when we bought it at a Chevrolet dealership in New York, during the flurry of document-signing that accompanies the purchase of a new vehicle. That this happened to me, the rare consumer who reads privacy policies and is constantly on the lookout for creepy data collection, demonstrates what little hope there was for the typical car buyer.

To find out how it happened, I called our dealership, a franchise of General Motors, and talked to the salesman who had sold us the car. He confirmed that he had enrolled us for OnStar, noting that his pay is docked if he fails to do so. He said that was a mandate from G.M., which sends the dealership a report card each month tracking the percentage of sign-ups.

G.M. doesn’t just want dealers selling cars; it wants them selling connected cars.

Our Bolt automatically came with eight years of Connected Access, a feature we didn’t know about until recently. It allows G.M. to send software updates to our car but also to collect data from it — actions consented to during OnStar enrollment.

Our salesman described the enrollment as a three-stage process that he does every day. He selects yes to enroll a customer in OnStar, then yes for the customer to receive text messages and then no to an insurance product that G.M. offers and that monitors how you drive your car. (This sounds similar to Smart Driver, but it is different.)

He does this so often, he said, that it has become automatic — yes, yes, no — and that he always chooses no for the last one because that monitoring would be a nuisance for customers.

Ms. Barker, the G.M. spokeswoman, said that dealers are not permitted to sign customers up and that the customer must be the one to accept the terms. At my request, she provided the series of screens that dealers are instructed to show customers during the enrollment for OnStar and Smart Driver. There is a message at the top of each screen: “The customer must personally review and accept (or decline) the terms below. This action is legally binding and cannot be done by dealer personnel.”

The flow of screens was almost exactly as my salesman described, except for the second one about receiving messages, which he said he always hits “yes” on. That screen wasn’t just about accepting messages from G.M.; it also opted us into OnStar Smart Driver.

It’s a screen that my husband and I do not recall seeing — presumably because our salesman filled it out for us as part of his standard procedure.

The Forgettable Screen That Enrolled Millions

I drove to the dealership — in my Bolt, appropriately — to ask about this, and a more senior salesman said they always have the customers accept the terms themselves.

Maybe our salesman misspoke on the phone and my husband and I have forgotten a moment during our car purchase when we were asked to tap “yes” on this screen. I can’t say with certainty.

What I can say is that, regardless of who pushed the consent button, this screen about enrolling in notifications and Smart Driver doesn’t say anything about risk-profiling or insurance companies. It doesn’t even hint at the possibility that anyone but G.M. and the driver gets the data collected about how and where the vehicle is operated, which it says will be used to “improve your ownership experience” and help with “driving improvement.”

I showed the screen, used to enroll millions of people in Smart Driver, to a series of information design experts.

“What you showed me does not at all disclose clearly how G.M. or OnStar benefits from the use and sale of your info,” said Jen King, an information privacy expert at Stanford University. “Including it during the purchase process appears to be a conscious decision to get high conversion rates.”

Harry Brignull, author of “Deceptive Patterns: Exposing the Tricks Tech Companies Use to Control You,” said: “In these sorts of agreements, they need to be very clear about the true function of it. Otherwise, users won’t understand what it is they’re opting into.”

Ms. Barker said G.M.’s terms and privacy statement allowed the company to share information with “third parties” — legalese that people agree to on the first screen the salesman was instructed to show us. That wouldn’t seem, however, to meet G.M.’s own bar for such sensitive information.

A decade ago, G.M. and other major automakers made a commitment to the Federal Trade Commission to provide “clear, meaningful and prominent” notice about the collection of driver behavior information, including why it is collected and “the types of entities with which the information may be shared.”

Moreover, this innocuous-sounding data-collection program appears alongside a request to send important-seeming notifications about, among other things, “issues with your car’s key operating systems.” To get them, you have to accept the other.

Kate Aishton, a lawyer who advises companies on data and privacy practices, deemed the process poorly designed for obtaining actual user consent, particularly since it takes place in a high-pressure sales environment. She was sympathetic to salespeople who were given an incentive to sign G.M. customers up for this without realizing the consequences.

“Their job is to sell cars. It’s not to understand the details of privacy products,” she said. “Passing the buck on to that blind person, if there hasn’t been a really specific education on it, would be pretty unfair.”

Smart Driver 2.0

A former G.M. employee who worked on the company’s data engineering team said he was not surprised that drivers did not understand what data was being collected from their cars and where it was going.

G.M., he said, gets data from all of its internet-connected cars. Some of that data collection benefits drivers, such as monitoring of vehicle health. For example, if a particular model has a transmission issue, he said, G.M. can see from vehicle data which specific cars are experiencing the problem and send their owners a targeted recall.

In recent years, he said, G.M. began analyzing other driving behavior besides speeding, braking and acceleration. An internal G.M. document from 2021, which was reviewed by The New York Times and which said more than eight million vehicles were “opted in” to Smart Driver at that time, described a new version of the program called “Smart Driver 2.0.” This version tracked hard cornering, forward collision alerts, lane-departure warnings and seatbelt reminders; these metrics were being used to price policies for drivers using G.M.’s own insurance plan, then called OnStar Insurance, but don’t seem to have been shared with LexisNexis and Verisk.

Still, these in-vehicle alerts, intended to help people drive more safely, became a measuring stick for how risky they were as drivers.

A new car, like mine, has hundreds of sensors, the former employee said, so even just a 15-minute trip creates millions of data points, including GPS location — all of which is broadcast in near real time to G.M. He expressed concerns about the insurance industry’s use of this data because it lacked context about the situation that might have led a driver to slam on the brakes or swerve out of a lane.

Turning It Off

Asked how consumers can turn off G.M.’s digital access to their cars, a spokeswoman said customers could “disable all data collection” by contacting an OnStar adviser through the blue button in their vehicle or by calling the OnStar customer service line .

Some drivers have said on online forums that they don’t trust G.M. to stop remotely tracking their cars, and instead offer D.I.Y. advice for opening up the car’s electrical guts to remove the OnStar module.

Andrea Amico , founder of Privacy4Cars, a company that makes a tool to erase personal data from vehicle infotainment systems, said a line needed to be drawn between technical data from a vehicle — like that used to trigger recall notices — and personal data about drivers, such as how and where they drive, which should belong to them, not the automaker.

Beyond privacy issues, Mr. Amico pointed out that the driver behavior reports that LexisNexis and Verisk were creating were inaccurate — tracking my driving, for example, on my husband’s report.

“The fact that they cannot reconcile who gave consent and whose data it is,” he said, “is very problematic .”

Read by Kashmir Hill

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Kitty Bennett and Jack Begg contributed research.

Kashmir Hill writes about technology and how it is changing people’s everyday lives with a particular focus on privacy. She has been covering technology for more than a decade. More about Kashmir Hill

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The Travel Smart App is the safest travel app available, prioritizing your security and peace of mind throughout your journey. Here are some key reasons why our app stands out in terms of safety:

Call Police and Emergency Services: In case of any emergency, the Travel Smart App provides direct access to police and emergency services in every country. With just a few taps, you can quickly connect with the local authorities, ensuring prompt assistance when needed.
Call Your National Embassy: We understand the importance of consular assistance when you're in a foreign country. That's why our app allows you to call your national embassy or consulate directly. Whether you need help with lost documents or require support in unforeseen situations, your embassy is just a phone call away.
TGuard 24/7 Notifications and Monitoring: The Travel Smart App incorporates the cutting-edge TGuard 24/7 technology, which keeps you informed about travel safety in real-time. This technology combines information from trusted sources such as government agencies, intelligence sources, and TGuard's own monitoring to provide you with up-to-date notifications and alerts regarding potential risks or security concerns.
Information about Scams and Dangerous Areas: Our app is designed to empower you with knowledge to avoid scams and stay away from dangerous areas. We provide valuable information and tips to help you recognize common travel scams and guide you on how to navigate unfamiliar territories safely.
Comprehensive Travel Safety Resources: The Travel Smart App goes beyond just notifications and emergency contacts. It offers a wealth of resources and information related to travel safety. You can access safety guidelines, learn about local customs and laws, and receive advice on staying secure during your travels.

By integrating features such as direct emergency calls, access to national embassies, TGuard 24/7 notifications and monitoring, information about scams and dangerous areas, and comprehensive travel safety resources, the Travel Smart App ensures that your safety is our top priority. You can have peace of mind knowing that you have a reliable companion to guide and assist you throughout your travels.

The Travel Smart App is the epitome of the best travel app on the market, offering a comprehensive package of features that make it a one-stop solution for all your travel needs.

The App brings together all travel information and features in one convenient place. No more juggling multiple apps or websites to gather essential details about your destination. From currency exchange rates and weather forecasts to cultural etiquette and places to visit, the app consolidates all the necessary information you need for a seamless travel experience.

But what truly sets the Travel Smart App apart is its emphasis on travel safety. With this app, you receive real-time travel safety notifications that keep you informed about any potential risks or security concerns. These notifications are sourced from trusted government, intelligence agencies, and TGuard 24/7 technology, ensuring that you stay safe and informed during your journey.

In addition to travel information and safety notifications, the Travel Smart App offers an array of other features designed to enhance your travel experience. These features include the ability to call your national embassy or consulate directly from within the app, providing you with immediate assistance and support when needed. Furthermore, the app incorporates a currency converter, allowing you to easily calculate and manage your expenses in different currencies. You can also access cultural etiquette guidelines, enabling you to navigate social situations with respect and cultural awareness.

By combining all travel information in one place, delivering travel safety notifications, and offering a range of other useful features, the Travel Smart App ensures that you have everything you need for a successful and enjoyable journey. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a first-time explorer, this app is your trusted companion, providing convenience, safety, and invaluable insights throughout your travels.

Smart Travel Tips are one of the main features of this awesome travel app! We've got your back with a treasure trove of invaluable travel advice to make your adventures even more epic.

First up, let's talk about the currency converter . No more scratching your head over confusing exchange rates or getting swindled by shady money changers. Our real-time currency converter ensures you'll always know exactly how much you're spending in your home currency.

Now, let's check out the weather outlook feature. Whether you're a sun seeker or a rain dancer, our app keeps you in the loop with up-to-date weather forecasts for your destination. No more surprises with unexpected downpours or scorching heatwaves – you'll be prepared to slay any weather!

Dont know how much to tip when travelling? The Travel Smart app includes a tipping calculator designed specifically for restaurants. No more awkwardly fumbling with numbers or worrying about overtipping or undertipping. We'll help you navigate the tipping culture of different countries, ensuring you leave the right amount and maintain your foodie reputation!

But hey, it's not just about numbers and weather. We've also got your back with some killer cultural advice . From the dos and don'ts of local customs to understanding social norms, our app gives you the inside scoop on how to be a respectful and mindful traveller. Say goodbye to unintentional cultural faux pas – you'll be impressing the locals with your travel-savvy skills!

Now, let's talk about the best part of any journey – the places to visit ! Our app provides you with a curated list of must-see attractions, hidden gems, and off-the-beaten-path wonders. Whether you're a history buff, an adrenaline junkie, or a beach bum, we've got recommendations to suit every taste and travel style. Get ready to create memories that will make your friends green with envy!

Time to travel smart! We've also got your safety covered. Our app highlights the things to avoid and dangerous places you should be aware of during your travels. We want you to have a fantastic experience, so we'll help you navigate any potential pitfalls and ensure you stay out of harm's way.

So, buckle up, fellow adventurer! With our app's travel tips, currency converter, weather outlook, tipping calculator, cultural advice, places to visit, things to avoid, and knowledge of dangerous places, you're all set for an unforgettable journey. Get ready to explore, have fun, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Bon voyage!

In the paid version of the Travel Smart app, we utilize the cutting-edge TGuard 24/7 technology to ensure your trip is smart and safe. This technology integrates various government sources, including the US Department of State, UK National Archives, and Australian Smart Traveller. Additionally, TGuard has in-house 24/7 monitoring to provide you with realtime travel notifications. With this comprehensive approach, you can trust that our app will keep you well-informed and prepared for a secure journey.

With a Travel Smart app subscription, you will receive travel safety notifications should anything of concern happen in the country you are travelling in. The service is provided by TGuard 24/7, so you can sleep at night and know you will receive a message should any danger arise.

Push notification messages include information for:

Severe weather risks
Intelligence agency country alerts
Natural disasters or risks
War or major threats
Airport closures
Anything that may effect your travel

To get your advice included on the Travel Smart App, please us on email on: [email protected]

Firstly, make sure your device has been given the appropriate storage access permissions to Travel Smart. This can be done in your phones settings, under app management. Now just go to the Travel Docs page inside the Travel Smart app, click the folder where you wish to add your travel document and navigate to where the document is saved.

The travel document must either be saved either your phone, Gdrive, Dropbox, iCloud or other storage systems that your phone has access to.

Remember Travel Smart does not store your documents, it only connects them to the app so they are all collated in one convenient place for easy access when you travel.

Android Police

What is samsung smart switch.

Learn more about the Samsung Smart Switch that helps set up your new Galaxy phone

If you own a Samsung phone or tablet, you might be curious about the Smart Switch app. In short, it’s a very convenient app that makes it easy to transfer files between your phone and other devices, so you should take a moment to understand how to use it, the different ways to connect, and what phones, tablets, and computers are compatible.

The latest and best Samsung phones can move data quickly and easily, no matter which way you connect.

What is Smart Switch and what is it used for?

The Samsung Smart Switch app can help you get your new Samsung phone set up with the photos, videos, many of the apps and app data from your old phone. There are some limitations, which we’ll cover below.

Smart Switch can also backup data from your Samsung phone to your computer. If you ever need to restore your Samsung phone, Smart Switch helps simplify that process, using the computer backup you created.

How to use Smart Switch

22 preinstalled apps that you can safely delete from your samsung galaxy phone.

Samsung Smart Switch offers multiple ways to connect to other devices to transfer data to your new phone. You can send files between mobile devices using Wi-Fi or via a USB data cable.

Wi-Fi has the potential to outpace a wired connection, but that isn’t always the case. If your Wi-Fi speed isn’t the quickest or your signal isn’t strong, a USB cable might be faster.

If you haven’t used Smart Switch before, you’ll see a list of requested permissions. Select Allow to continue. If the app asks you to enable more permissions in the Settings app, follow those instructions to proceed.

Using Wi-Fi on Android devices

To transfer data between two Android phones or tablets, you need to have the Smart Switch app on both phones.

On newer Samsung phones, you can find Smart Switch in the Accounts and backup section of Settings . Select Bring data from old device to open the Smart Switch app.

On older Samsung models and other Android devices, you must install the Smart Switch app from the Play Store.

With the Smart Switch app open, choose which phone will send data and which will receive it. On your old phone, select Send data , then tap Wireless .

On the new phone, tap Receive data , choose Galaxy/Android as the source, then select Wireless .

Next, you choose what you want to transfer: Everything ; Just accounts, calls, contacts, and messages ; and Custom , which lets you choose from a list of data types.

If you upgrade between Samsung phones, you can send all your messages, app data, photos, and more. Other Android devices could require a manual transfer of some information due to compatibility issues.

Using USB on Android devices

If your Wi-Fi speeds aren’t great, you can also transfer data from your old Android phone to your new Samsung phone with a USB cable.

The process is the same as the Wi-Fi method, except you select Cable instead of Wireless . As above, you can send everything or select specific types of information to copy to your new device.

Switch from iPhone to Samsung

If your old phone is an iPhone and you want to transfer as much data as possible to your new Samsung Galaxy phone, Smart Switch can help.

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Smart switch usb transfer.

Download the Smart Switch app from the iPhone App Store , open it, and follow the on-screen instructions to transfer your files and some data to your new phone.

Select Send data to transfer information from your iPhone. It’s best to use a USB or Lightning cable to directly connect to your new Samsung Galaxy phone since that copies the most data.

Since you’re using the Smart Switch app on both devices, it works the same as it does on Android. Allow and authenticate on both devices, then follow the Android USB instructions above to complete the transfer.

iCloud to Smart Switch

Backing up your iPhone to iCloud, then downloading files to your Samsung phone with Smart Switch could be faster than using a wired connection, but there are drawbacks.

You won’t get your text messages, iMessages, browser bookmarks, voice memos, and several other types of data. You can see what’s lacking in the FAQ of Samsung’s Smart Switch support page .

The process is quite simple, however. From your old iPhone, open the Settings app, then select your Apple ID at the top. In iCloud settings, turn on iCloud backup.

When the backup is complete, open the Smart Switch app on your Samsung phone, tap Receive data , then iPhone/iPad , and choose Get data from iCloud .

You must sign in with your Apple ID before selecting what you want to download to your new Samsung Galaxy phone.

Where to find your Secure Folder within the Samsung Gallery app

Usb cable to windows or mac computers.

If you need to back up your phone to a computer or restore your phone after something goes wrong, you can connect to a computer. That requires a wired connection.

Samsung makes a version of its Smart Switch app for Windows and macOS. You can find the download links on Samsung’s support page .

After opening the Smart Switch app on your computer, connect to your Samsung phone with a USB cable.

You can use a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cable as long as it’s capable of data transfer. If possible, use your computer’s USB 3.0 or newer ports since that will be much faster than sending files over USB 2.

Select Allow on your phone to let the computer access your data.

On your computer, choose whether you want to create a Backup or Restore an earlier backup. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

How to back up your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet

What phones work with smart switch.

Most recent phones, tablets, and computers work with Samsung Smart Switch, but a very old device might not run the app.

Compatible Android devices

Smart Switch supports any Android phone with Android 4.3 or later. Known as Android Jelly Bean, the final release was in 2013.

It’s unlikely your phone or tablet is older than that, but if it is, you’ll need another Android file backup method like Google Drive .

Compatible iOS and iPadOS devices

Any iPhone running iOS 5.0 or later can install and open Samsung Smart Switch.

Apple didn’t release iPadOS until 2019, long after iOS 5.0, so any iPad running iOS 5.0 or newer or any version of iPadOS will work with Smart Switch.

Compatible computers

Samsung Smart Switch can back up and restore files from Windows 10 or later. If your PC can’t connect, you might need to install the Microsoft Media Feature Pack .

Mac computers running macOS 10.9 or later should work with Samsung Smart Switch.

Smart Switch simplifies new phone setup

With so many options for transferring data, the Samsung Smart Switch app greatly simplifies upgrading to a new Samsung Galaxy phone. If you're moving between Samsung devices or another Android phone, most data will come across with no problems.

Samsung phones work well with most devices , but it's a bit harder if you're switching from an iPhone. The Smart Switch app goes a long way toward easing your transition, but you might need to work out some details on your own.

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Update April 12, 2024

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