Let the Downloading Begin! 22 Apps Every Digital Nomad Should Have on Hand
A new day means a new coffee shop, city or country. It also might mean a new time zone, to-do list or bucket list item to tick off.
Your home is everywhere and your office is anywhere. You are a true digital nomad.
The life of a digital nomad might seem all glitz and glamour to the stationary nine-to-fiver. However, most non-nomads don’t realize how much work really goes on behind the scenes.
To be a truly proficient and profitable digital nomad, you have to be your own office manager, accountant, travel agent and personal assistant. Oh, and you have to stay on top of deadlines and schedule meetings while regularly changing time zones.
Fortunately, as a digital nomad, you are probably tech savvy! And that means you can take full advantage of apps for digital nomads.
The apps on this list can help you take your career and wanderlust-fueled life to the next level.
These apps will save you valuable time and money, increase your productivity and eliminate unnecessary stress. In doing so, you will have more time to spend adventuring and enjoying the non-working part of your nomadic life.
Click the link, download, register and log in. Welcome to your new streamlined and efficient digital nomad day!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Let the Downloading Begin! 22 Apps Every Digital Nomad Should Have on Hand
Digital Nomad Apps for Travel
TripIt
If you are constantly on the move, you absolutely need TripIt! This app is like your own personal travel assistant. TripIt is user-friendly and keeps all your travel dates, flights, hotels and other information organized and accessible.
Always know where you are going, how you are going to get there and what time you need to show up to start your next journey with TripIt. This travel app also makes it easy to share your travel plans with family members, friends and colleagues so that everyone is in the know about where you are going.
Hopper
Hopper is an essential flight booking app. Not only does Hopper make it a snap to search and book flights, it also tells you when the best deals are available and when you should book a flight versus when you should wait.
You can select to “watch a flight” and Hopper will send you a notification when the price is at its cheapest.
Hopper will save you a lot of money and time!
Uber
Uber has changed the way many of us are getting around. It is a company that offers rides on demand for a very budget-friendly rate. Uber is currently operating in 60 countries and 400 cities worldwide, but it is expanding every month.
The Uber app makes scheduling transportation easier than it has ever been. Stop waiting around for a taxi or not knowing how much your fare will be! This is the one and only app you need for getting around town.
Airbnb
Airbnb makes it possible to have a home wherever you are in the world. Downloading the Airbnb app allows you to search for and book your perfect home away from home while you are on the go.
There are millions of rooms, studios, apartments and homes for all different budgets and personal preferences. You can find a place with Airbnb in 191 countries and 81,000 cities around the world.
iTranslate
No matter how diligently you study the local language, there will always be certain phrases you do not know. While this is something that may have once caused travelers a great deal of anxiety, apps like iTranslate are making it possible for anyone to communicate in nearly any language.
iTranslate is breaking down language and communication barriers!
You can use this advanced translation app to translate text, websites, single words or phrases and even face-to-face conversations in over 100 languages.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular communication apps on the market. This is a free way to stay in touch with family, friends, clients, bosses and colleagues while you are abroad. WhatsApp has text and voice capabilities.
You can also set up group messages, send photos and even record voice messages. WhatsApp is such a great app that many people around the world use it instead of having a phone plan.
As long as you are connected to the internet, WhatsApp can completely replace regular texting and calling, which will save you a boatload of money on international roaming fees!
Digital Nomad Apps for Finding Work Spaces
Workfrom
Workfrom is a free app that allows users to find workspaces with free Wi-Fi in major cities around the globe. This app makes it possible for digital nomads to quickly and easily find places to work.
As part of the Workfrom community, you can also contribute by adding places you find with free internet to the interactive map and database.
WiFi Finder + Map
Access hundreds of thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots around the world with this valuable digital nomad app. You can download the information for places you know you will be traveling to prior to your trip. Then access the Wi-Fi map even when you are offline.
This app is unique because the hotspots are also rated according to their Wi-Fi speed.
Digital Nomad Apps to Increase Productivity
Freedom
We live in a world of distractions! Our very own devices are the source of a lot of those distractions. As a digital nomad, though, we rely on our devices to work.
Freedom is an app that gives you the power to block distractions on your phone, computer or tablet for a set amount of time.
Imagine how much more productive you would be if you could not access your social media or your email while you were working! Freedom users reported being productive for 2.5 more hours during their work day while using this app.
iA Writer
The iA Writer app is designed to help you focus solely on the writing task at hand. The app creates a clean writing slate on your computer or tablet. Your screen becomes free of all distracting icons and other open programs when you are using IA Writer.
iA Writer includes other features to help you improve the quality of your writing and increase your productivity, as well.
One of the signature features is the Syntax Highlight Mode, which is very useful when you move into editing mode. This mode highlights different parts of speech in different colors. This will allow you to easily spot stylistic weaknesses in your writing.
Focus@Will
I am actually using this app right now to help me stay focused as I write this article. Focus@Will is a music app that helps you concentrate and remain productive while you are working through carefully selected music.
The scientifically-tested technology behind the music on this app has been proven to alter your brain activity toward a more productive and focused state. Results from a survey of 22,000 active Focus@Will users concluded a 75% increase in productivity while using this app.
When you are sitting in a busy coffee shop trying to meet a deadline, plugging in your headphones and using this app can make a significant difference in the outcome of your work session.
Trello
Trello is the ultimate planning and organization app for digital nomads. This app can be used individually or as a collaborative tool to keep you and everyone on your team on track.
With Trello, you can design a board for any project, make to-do lists, create detailed task cards and manage your work flow. This is an effective app to keep you on schedule and organized as you work and travel the world.
Evernote
Evernote is a fantastic note taking app that helps you plan, manage, organize and stay on top of your work. As a digital nomad, it is likely that you have a lot of projects, tasks and deadlines for different clients and companies.
Not to mention all the planning, booking and bucket list completing that go hand in hand with globetrotting!
Evernote makes keeping your digital nomad life in order a breeze!
Pocket is an app that all digital nomads and world travelers should have! This simple yet revolutionary app allows you to save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app. When you save something with Pocket you can access it whenever you are ready, even without internet.
This is a great tool for collecting research and content that you will need to use later for a work project. It allows you to collect everything you need and store it in one organized place. This app is perfect for leisure, learning or work.
Digital Nomad Apps to Manage Your Finances
Xero
Xero is your on-the-go accounting app. With this award-winning mobile app, you can send invoices, approve expenses, input receipts and store client contact information.
Xero is especially useful for digital nomads who run their own businesses.
Revolut
Are you tired of your bank charging you every time you spend or transfer money while you are abroad? As a digital nomad, those charges can really add up since you are likely spending a lot more time out of your home country than the common desk jockey.
Revolut is changing the way digital nomads are spending money. Revolut is a digital banking alternative. This is the banking system that you will want to use when you are spending time and money abroad.
You can set up your Revolut account within minutes right from your phone. Once you have an account, you can withdraw money while abroad, transfer money globally, send and request money and set up recurring payments without being charged exorbitant international fees.
You will be given a Mastercard or Visa card that is attached to your Revolut account.
XE Currency
XE Currency is the best currency calculator app out there. With XE Currency you will have access to live exchange rates and be able to quickly calculate currency exchanges on the go in any of 180 world currencies.
PayPal
PayPal has long been a go-to app for digital nomads. This is one of the easiest ways to send and receive money. It is also a secure way to make purchases online.
Sometimes you do not need to seek out the newest app when an old one really does the trick.
TransferWise
TransferWise is a very affordable way to make and receive transfers. This is one of the newest and best ways to do international banking whether you are a business owner or a freelancer.
The company also recently launched a free borderless account feature with banking fees that are eight times lower than traditional banks.
Digital Nomad Apps for Safety and Security
LastPass
LastPass was rated as one of the top five password security apps for 2018. However, you do have to pay for it. The good news is that this app is only two dollars per month!
LastPass is unique in that you can opt for a family, team or enterprise account so that multiple users can access important passwords.
As a digital nomad, you probably have more passwords than the average Joe, especially if you are working with multiple clients on various projects and jobs. Utilizing an app like LastPass will make worrying about your online security a thing of the past.
Private Internet Access
While an advantage of being a digital nomad is that you can work from anywhere, there is an inherent risk associated with working on the internet from non-secure and public Wi-Fi connections.
In a world where digital hacking is rampant, you want to make sure your sensitive information is secure.
When you use Private Internet Access you are protected against unwanted exposure and data leakage, data monitoring, digital eavesdropping, unwanted connections and restricted internet services. Private Internet Access uses VPN tunneling to protect you and your digital life.
International SOS Assistance
International SOS Assistance is a must-have app for anyone who is traveling abroad, whether you are a digital nomad or not. We live in a volatile world. It is important to be in the know about what is going on in the places you are planning on or currently exploring.
This sophisticated but simple-to-use app keeps you in the loop about any present dangers, threats or risk in the place you are visiting. This safety and travel app also provides users with access to medical, travel and emergency assistance while overseas.
With International SOS Assistance you are never alone, even if you are traveling and working around the world alone.
Now that you have the tools to better manage your travels, workspaces, time, finances and security, the world is truly your oyster! With these apps you now have your very own office manager, accountant, travel agent and personal assistant all at the click of a button. And remember to also check out our post on the best apps to meet fellow travelers!
Technology is amazing. But I guess you already knew that. You are a digital nomad, after all!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Jenn Parker is a native Floridian who has been living in Costa Rica since 2010. She is an avid writer, traveler and nature lover on a mission to surf the earth and share her stories. You can check out some of her published work on her website Jenn Parker.
