There are many of us who have integrated certain features of our smartphones into our daily lives and the apps we use have become second nature. As with many other things, when we travel abroad it’s helpful to know what is going to be different from what we expect.
On the app side of things, here are the biggest changes you can expect with some of your favorites when you’re overseas.
Entertainment
This applies outside of TV and movies too. Larger online casino companies that span many countries such as Paddy Power will also have different titles and offers to better suit the region, so if you’re playing casino online for real money, just keep in mind your selection may look a little different.
Given that a lot of TV and movie apps are already so divided up with their content, you won’t be surprised to know that their lineups abroad are a lot different from their ones at home. Netflix is probably the biggest example of this as countries in Europe, for example, you would find that many American shows are missing, while local shows not found at home are available.
Food
The good news for takeout lovers is that the idea of a food delivery app is almost universal around the world. The bad news is that your favorite app from the US is unlikely to feature in other countries as there are hundreds of competing names globally. Names like UberEats and GrubHub have the highest quantity and quality of partnerships in the US, but in other countries, you can expect other names like FoodPanda or Wolt to supply the best local food.Â
Also, you may notice that in most countries in the world, the idea of 24/7 takeout is just not a thing. If you get hungry in Glasgow around 3am for whatever reason, you’re probably going to be out of luck until the morning. Keep tipping in mind as well when using these apps as you may end up being more generous than you mean to!
Communication
If you’re sticking to Europe for your travels, this might be less important as apps like Snapchat, Skype, and Messenger are just as common there as in the US. If you’re staying for a while in Asia, however, you may need to install the local preference as many businesses and local contacts won’t have those as standard.
By far the most popular in China is WeChat, while Japan has long used a local messenger service called LINE and South Korea has an equivalent in KakaoTalk. While local apps might be more common in certain regions, WhatsApp is very popular in Asia and is frequently used for business and personal matters.
Apps like these may not be your first thought when you’re traveling as there are so many other things to consider, but making sure your software is lined up before you go can save a lot of hassle. Don’t forget those roaming settings either!