Here’s our list of useful apps that we think all Indians should have installed on their phones
The Rail Yatri app is an all-in-one must have app for any frequent train travellers who’re looking for an alternative from the usual IRCTC app. Rail Yatri maintains an updated database of trains on the Indian Railway so that users can get accurate information at all times. Rail Yatri also includes local and metro info for most metropolitan cities in the country, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Hyderabad to name a few. Some of Rail Yatri’s neat features include Live train statuses via GPS to get a running status of a train at anytime. Train time tables, the platform they’ll arrive at, coach and seat positions etc. Rail Yatra automatically pulls your SMSs from IRCTC and adds your PNR numbers automatically. Additionally, the app also allows users to easily check for hospitals near stations in case of emergencies.
Saavn gives you free access to music at anytime and anywhere. What’s not to like? Saavn offers songs, and radio stations in Hindi, English, and all Regional languages. You can follow your friends and check out the music they’re into and get updates when they find new music, or you can follow your favorite artists and get notified whenever there’s any new content. Saavn allows you create your own custom playlists that you can play at anytime and anywhere, all you need is a connection. Saavn allows users to browse the top charts or browse for music of any mood or genre. Going Pro, which comes at a price of Rs. 120 per month, allows users to download music and listen to it while offline and also turns off ads.
BookMyShow allows you to book tickets for pretty much anything. If you need to book tickets for just about any event, BookMyShow probably has them. Be it movies, plays, concerts, shows, sports, or any kind of event happening in your city, you can book and buy your tickets via BookMyShow. Users can check out movie or show timings, theatre lists, and read reviews on the app itself. Almost every renowned cinema in the country, such as PVR, BIG Cinemas, and INOX to name a few, are tied up with BookMyShow. BookMyShow also lets you invite your friends to the show (or shows) you’ve booked your tickets for, or buy them their tickets yourself if you’re feeling exceptionally generous!
Dailyhunt, which was previously known as NewsHunt, is an app that provides you with the latest news. It keeps the user updated on the latest in politics, business, technology, sports and more. Furthermore, the app also provides study material and question banks for exam preparation, and a wide range of free books, along with the option to buy books as well. The app comes along with an inbuilt ebook reader. Dailyhunt features news in several regional languages, from Hindi and Punjabi to Malayalam and Tamil, to name a few. The app itself supports 15 languages, even if your phone does not. So you’ll still be able to read the language font within the app itself.
JustDial or the JD app, as it’s now called, is an app that lets you search for anything, anytime, and anywhere. It provides you with phone numbers and addresses. Additionally the new JD app now lets you make transactions and shop online. The app includes reviews and ratings for businesses as well now, in order to cater to the online shopping population. Using JD, you can order food, book movie tickets, make hotel reservations, recharge/pay your bills, and book cabs, trains etc as well.
Paytm is a fast and easy way to pay bills and make payments, and improve your overall shopping experience. With paytm you can pay your bills on the go, without actually needing to physically carry money or cards with you. Paytm allows users to recharge their mobile, DTH, electricity, water, and gas immediately without having to wait in line or stand in queues. You can even use paytm to book hotels, or travel tickets – for buses or flights etc. You can charge your paytm wallet with debit cards, credit cards, and online banking from any prominent bank in the country. Paytm also has an order history so that users can review their past purchases and track or repeat orders if they have to.
Pincode, IFSC, STD, RTO Finder
Code finders are cool apps for any Indian to have. They help you keep track of the plethora of codes that keep coming up in our country for something or the other. These codes include stuff such as pin codes, STD and RTO codes, and bank details of around 173 banks and their many branches ranging well over the 1 lakh mark. With this app you can keep track of district pin codes, bank IFSC/MICR numbers, and RTO vehicles with ease.
OLX is a free classifieds app that has become a must have for people who want to buy and sell second-hand goods locally. OLX helps you find deals for Cars, Bikes, Phones, Electronics etc that aren’t in use or are in less use. OLX allows you to post free ads and manage your ads on the go. You can converse directly with your buyer via chat or through phone call and personally check out the condition of the goods you’re about to buy. OLX lets you buy and sell goods without the middle man, you don’t pay any commission or transaction fee. Furthermore you can filter localities within cities to find the buyers and sellers closest to you.
Voodoo is an app that integrates all shopping apps into one single app. What this does is it allows you get the best deals and compare prices among the various online shopping sites or apps. Voodoo interacts with your favorite shopping app while you’re using it, and lets you know if there are better deals available without any extra effort on your part. You don’t even have to open Voodoo, it automatically shows up with the best available deal. Voodoo works with the popular online shopping sites and fashion shopping sites. Voodoo also works with popular Taxi Service apps to show the cheapest and nearest available cabs to you.
Zomato is an app that was primarily made to find and discover new places to eat at or order from. It’s a great app to find local restaurants and browse through their menus before deciding to make the trip. You can also check out reviews of people who’ve previously been to the restaurant to get a better idea of the kind of food that is served and the ambiance of the place or restaurant. Furthermore you can now order food online from select locations and restaurants through the Zomato app itself.
Ixigo Cabs compares outstation and local cabs, across leading radio cab and local taxi providers and apps in India to find the cheapest option. Using Ixigo you can choose the type of car, from Hatchbacks to Sedans to SUVs. You can compare prices and make estimates of the fare before you make a booking. You can book from all online and offline cab providers in the country and also get the driver and car details instantly once you make a booking. Furthermore, you can cancel with ease without any hassle.
The redBus app allows you to book bus and Volvo tickets with ease. You can choose from seater, sleeper, semi-sleeper, A/C and non A/C buses, and check out the amenities available on the bus before you make your decision. You can make ticket purchases via the app itself through Netbanking, Credit or Debit cards, and phone booking options. Furthermore you can also find and book hotel rooms via the redBus app while on the go. Hotel reviews and ratings can also be found on the app itself. RedBus also lets you track your bus live on a map so that you can know your location at anytime.
With the Hotstar app you can watch the latest TV serials, Movies, and LIVE sports on your phone. You can watch full episodes of your favourite shows. Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, and other regional channel’s shows are available on the app. Full episodes of shows that aren’t airing currently on the TV can also be viewed on Hotstar. Most popular English TV shows can also be streamed on Hotstar, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of downloading them yourself. But if it’s HBO shows you’re interested in *cough*Game of Thrones*cough*, you’re going to have to opt for Hotstar Premium.
Haptik is an app made to assist you in any way possible. In their own words, Haptik is ‘everyone’s personal assistant’. All you need to do is use the app and outsource your work to a Haptik assistant. You don’t have to go through the trouble of going through countless apps and browsing the internet to get your work done. Your Haptik assistant will take care of it for you. Be it searching for information, task completion(i.e. reminders, booking tickets, etc), support or repair issues, anything at all, Haptik has a guy for it. All you need to do is send them a simple message and lay back and relax.
The biggest perks that come with using Hike is the ability to chat and share your files without the internet or any data usage. Another feature in Hike that appeals to it’s many users is it’s huge library of stickers. Over 5,000 if you had to put a number on it. It also has standard features such as the ability to create chat groups and have chat themes. Additionally you can make calls and group calls using Hike as well. Hike also lets you control your last seen, decide who gets to see your profile picture, and other privacy settings.
This article was first published in our 15 year Anniversary Special June 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e-magazine app. You could also buy the Anniversary Special June 2016 issue here.