These days it seems there really is an app for everything- and here in Bengaluru, there are a few which make our lives a lot easier! Check out our recommendations for our go-to-apps and get downloading!
CATEGORY: TASK MANAGEMENT
Are you in need of one item for dinner that is only available at a store across town? Does your friend want to borrow a dress but the thought of getting it to her makes you want to say no? Or maybe you need a prescription filled but just don’t have the energy to go to the pharmacy. Just “Dunzo” it. Dunzo is a task-management app that finds people to do any kind of errand you need. Spend your time doing something better than the banal tasks, especially with the long travel times in Bangalore.
CATEGORY: GROCERY DELIVERY
We all know that grocery shopping in Bangalore is not a one-stop-shop. Some companies only deliver one day a week, other stores don’t stock great meat, and others require you to pick up yourself. Enter Big Basket, India’s biggest online grocery and food provider, all of which can be ordered with the click of your finger. With over 19,000 products and 1,000 brands, you’ll find most of the household names you can find in any other grocery store here. Best of all, while most items can be delivered the same day or latest the next day, you can even get items delivered in as little as 90 minutes! Best for dry foods and snacks, household and cleaning items and drinks.
SIMILAR APPS: Zop Now, Grofers, Doodhwala/ Daily Ninja for milk, Licious for meat, HipBar for alcohol
CATEGORY: RESTAURANT GUIDE
This restaurant search and discovery service gives you all the info you need on every restaurant in town. Zomato is a great place to browse different menus and see what other diners have said before choosing a spot and even book a table. Look at pictures of the venue and food to ensure you won’t be disappointed! Be sure to also download Order by Zomato which is their food delivery service app.
VINE TIP: Zomato Gold is their super affordable premium service which pays for itself after only about 2 restaurant visits. Get 1+1 on food and 2+2 on drinks at a huge list of participating restaurants. This means you’ll get one complimentary dish priced the same or less than the highest priced dish and up to two free drinks against two or more paid drinks per visit!
CATEGORY: TRANSPORT
It’s smart to have the Ola app downloaded and ready to go in case you ever find yourself without a ride and in a hurry to get somewhere. Ola operates both cars and autos and offers riders seven different categories of rides including a carpool option. You can book a car and driver for a single ride, at hourly packages or even for a road trip out of Bangalore.
VINE TIP: If the car doesn’t begin moving in your direction a few minutes after you’ve booked a ride, be sure to immediately call the driver to “confirm” your ride, or else he will stay parked where he is. Don’t ask us why this is…
SIMILAR APPS: Uber, Meru
CATEGORY: PAYMENT
Simpl has literally saved our lives during those times where we ‘desperately’ needed an OTP, but our husbands were too “busy” at work to get back to us within the 8 minutes that an OTP is valid. With Simpl, you don’t have to make individual payments, so you don’t need dozens of OTPs. Instead you can pay one bill at the end of the month. Numerous merchants accept Simpl, and with one simple click, you can pay all your online orders at once.
SIMILAR APPS: Paytm although this is problematic for some of us without an Adhar or PAN number
CATEGORY: FITNESS
The Fitternity app lets you discover different gyms and workouts around the city. India’s biggest fitness platforms, you’re able to find a workout near you, see schedules and book a class all on the app. What’s great is that you can pay per session at gyms and studios that may usually require a membership so you can try things out before joining!
CATEGORY: SERVICES
Urban Clap is India’s largest services marketplace where you can find local services ranging from beauty and spa, home cleaning and repairs, painting and renovation, health and fitness, and appliance repairs. User-friendly and quick, you can schedule appointments with the click of a button, and soon you’ll have someone ringing your doorbell.
SIMILAR APPS: OK Sir, hecqo, Timesaverz, AtHomeDiva
CATEGORY: MEDICAL
Ever had a non-urgent question that you would normally ask your family doctor, but want to avoid traffic and waiting times? This is where DocsApp comes in. Specialists in every field are available 24/7 to answer your questions at extremely reasonable prices- we’ve messaged at 3 AM asking about our child’s cold for Rs. 129. You are able to send pictures of things (who doesn’t love getting opinions on baby rashes…) and discuss prescriptions. You’ll get to speak to the same doctor for three days without paying a fee for any follow up you need. Lab tests and medicine delivery can also be arranged via the app.
VINE TIP: While useful, this app is not for emergencies! Go to the hospital right away in the case of a serious injury.
SIMILAR APPS: Myra is a medicine delivery app
9. BENGALURU APP
CATEGORY: CITY GUIDE
The ultimate Bangalore city guide, this interactive app gives us all the details about places of interest around the city. From heritage sites to restaurants to sports and adventure spots, they have you covered, Want to explore the city without a guided tour? No problem, just head to a place listed and start their audio tour (tours include Lalbagh botanical gardens, Sri Someshwara Swamy temple, Government Museum, and Tipu Sultan’s summer palace). Or want to take one of their pre-marked cycle tours of the city! The app will tell you what’s close to you and give you the history of the landmarks. It also has practical info like nearby ATMs, emergency contact and transit info as well as helpful Kannada translation for you to use! Consider this your virtual Bangalore tour guide!
CATEGORY: FOOD DELIVERY
Don’t feel like cooking but sitting in traffic doesn’t sound appealing either? Enter Swiggy– our restaurant delivery savior. Have food from your favorite neighborhood restaurants delivered within 30-40 minutes (okay we won’t lie, sometimes it may take longer… this is Bangalore after all). With an easy to use interface, browse different menus and simply order with the click of a button. Payment is simple by hooking up your local credit cards or paying via Paytm or a number of other wallet payments.
SIMILAR APPS: Zomato To Go, Food Panda, Uber Eats
CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT
The online ticketing portal, Book My show, offers showtimes, movie tickets, reviews, concert tickets and events near you- all in one handy app. Check out movies playing at your local theatre, or any venue in town and directly book your tickets and seats.
SIMILAR APPS: EventsHigh
THE ESSENTIALS
We think it’s also worth noting the essentials apps, apps that you may already use in other cities but are really utilized a lot here.
WhatsApp is crucial here in Bangalore as EVERYTHING seems to be via WhatsApp: groups, businesses, events, schools, etc. You may already be used to this from Europe and Asia, but if you’re coming from America, this might not be so used to this. iMessage is not really used much in India due to the small number of iPhones users here. Google Maps is the go-to map app to use here, as it seems to be surprisingly accurate with expected timing and accounting for traffic. Of course, some slip-ups may still occur so be sure to double check addresses that you input. Facebook is another one we tend to use a lot here as many businesses do not have websites but only Facebook pages, Facebook groups are very helpful, and many events are put on here as well. Amazon India is also a must-have to order off almost anything you’ll need here in India. With quick delivery time and different payment options available including some Cash-on-Delivery options, having the app will be very helpful!
