Karaoke, 3D Navigation Or Selfies: 10 Apps To Make Your Squad Roadtrip A Blast

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Oh how we all look forward to road trips. But let’s face it, it can sometimes get boring, or even tedious. From experience of being a travel junkie, and driving as much as possible to nearby destinations, I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, that all you need is an app! From dramatic karaoke ones that’ll make the designated driver want to punch you, to utterly helpful ones that’ll tell you where to get vegan food or find your route minus Internet, here are some that will make your trip an ‘appy one!


Audio Compass

From the churches of Goa or the temples of Tamil Nadu, this fine app has tied up with Incredible India! To turn your travel experience into an informative one, this app will turn your phone into a personal guide for when you are ogling at cultural and heritage sites. With clear audio, crisp information and all of this available offline, there’s so much to like about Audio Compass. For INR 40, you can get the pro version and seamlessly listen to all the audio tours they have. Want more details? Each state or at least the popular tourist destinations (think Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) have separate apps so you can get a more focused experience.

Sing! Karaoke by Smule

This is for everyone but the driver. Bring out all your favourite songs, and belt them out on the highway. You can even do duets with Jesse J, Jason Derulo, Walk The Moon or good old Britney Spears. They’ve categorised it into plenty of genres including the much-loved 80s and 90s tunes, Classic Rock and Rock because we all know Bangalore loves good music.

AccuWeather

Invest in this neat app which not only updates the weather based on your location every 15 minutes, but it even alerts you when there’s a storm or rain expected. You can even personalise the forecasts for activities, illnesses or particular situations, and they take it to a new level. We’ve currently got it personalised to Migraines (yes, it’ll tell you when the weather is likely to trigger a migraine or it’ll help soothe one), Running, Hair Day and Travel. Cool, eh?

NaviMaps: 3D GPS Navigation

Powered by MapMyIndia, this app is free, but you best get the paid version. While expensive, (INR 299 – INR 1,200) for all the features, this is a highly detailed map which works on GPS. So no need to download heavy maps while using mobile data. Currently available in English and 10 other languages including Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, they even have cool 3D landmarks so they can be easily recognised. Oh! It even tells you about parking spots and petrol stations along your route.

Settle Up

Right. So you’re all settled in your cars, ready to take on the highways of India. But what about the fuel. Who’s paying how much? Ah Ha! That’s where Settle Up will sort you out. All you need to do is put in the names of the people on the trip, and then, every time a bill – fuel to food – is paid, feed in the information about who paid how much, and for whom. It’ll then prompt the person who owes most to foot the next bill. By the end of your trip, it’ll tell you clearly who owes whom how much. From personal experience, it seems tough at first, but it really makes things infinitely easier.

SnapSeed

In a world dominated by selfies, we’re hoping there’s a few smart travellers like you, dears, who want some decent photos. If you have a phone with 4K HD capabilities, then download Snapseed, it’s perfect. With preset effects for the amateurs and editing tools for the more seasoned photographers, you can have your images Instagram-worthy in no time. It’s all about the structure and saturation, you see! That too on the go.

Live Trekker

We’re suckers for this app. Not only does it document your trip, but it also collates information from it.  As you drive or hike, you can track the journey by pinning photos, videos, audio or text entries to the map as you go. You can then add captions to them and share them on social media. It’s almost like a HD scrapbook of your travels; how can you not download this? That too it’s free!

Happy Cow

All you vegetarians and vegans must rejoice for this app will tell you exactly where to make a pitstop so you don’t have to eat bread and chips while you companions gorge on the meaty delights. Perfect to find out where to eat, and also what to eat, it’s also for anyone looking to eat healthy. Of course, it’ll only depend on whether there are vegetarian/vegan eateries around you, but if there is one, this is your best shot at finding it.

FlippAR Go

If you want to go to touristy places rich with history and look at touristy historical landmarks and get in-depth info about what you're looking at without hunting for a signboard, FlippAR Go will help, and do you one better. Using Augmented Reality, monuments, roads, parks, and sightseeing spots come to life with audio clips with history and fun facts. Be it the temples at Hampi, palaces of Udaipur, or Pompeii! Currently available in English, Hindi, and Kannada, it's perfect for adding that extra sparkle to an otherwise conventional experience.