Pick apps by state, verify entry first and prepare properly for remote travel
Australia's size makes app advice state-specific rather than national.
Install only the transit and hazard apps for the places on your itinerary, and verify Melbourne's current myki and contactless rollout because it is changing during 2026. Cards cover most everyday spending, but as of August 13, 2026, merchants may still add a lawful card surcharge. Keep a little cash and always pay in Australian dollars. Visa rules depend on passport.
ETA-eligible travelers must apply outside Australia through the official AustralianETA app, while many European passport holders can instead use the online eVisitor route. Biosecurity rules are strict: declare food, plant, animal and wooden goods, plus rural or animal-used equipment, whenever unsure. On road trips, offline maps do not replace live road closures, weather and fire warnings. Remote routes can have no mobile coverage, so carry water, fuel and a suitable emergency communications plan.
Save bookings, insurance details and exact addresses offline. Call Triple Zero (000), or 112 from a mobile, for a life-threatening emergency.
The broadest familiar ride app for major cities, airports and many regional centers across Australia.
A current rideshare alternative in its listed Australian cities, useful for comparing pickup times and fares.
Licensed taxi booking in major Australian cities, with standard, MAXI and accessible vehicles where available.
A specialist prebooked ride service for women and children, with child-seat options in supported areas.
Broad restaurant and convenience delivery across a long list of Australian cities and towns.
A major current delivery service for restaurant meals, groceries and convenience items in supported areas.
A specialist delivery app for Chinese and other Asian food in supported Australian cities, with an English interface.
Useful for some hosts, guides and international contacts, but Australian businesses also rely heavily on calls, SMS and email.
The main all-purpose map for addresses, walking, driving and many urban public-transport journeys.
A driving-focused alternative with community traffic, crash, hazard and road-condition reports.
Official NSW trip planning, live departures, disruption alerts and Opal or contactless travel activity.
Victoria's official journey planner for train, tram and bus departures, disruptions and myki information.
Queensland's official planner for live departures, disruptions, accessibility and fare information.
Perth's official journey planner with live services, disruptions and network information.
Optional mobile tickets and visitor passes for Adelaide buses, trains and trams.
Canberra's official journey and fare account app for the MyWay+ public-transport system.
Official Hobart, Launceston and Burnie bus planning with scheduled and available real-time departures.
Official live bus locations and stop information for Darwin and Alice Springs services.
Optional grocery shopping, delivery, pickup and store tools from one of Australia's major supermarket chains.
Optional grocery delivery, pickup, lists and store information from a major Australian supermarket chain.
The official Australian Border Force tool for preparing eligible departure tax-refund claim details and a QR code.
The official application route for eligible Electronic Travel Authority passport holders who are outside Australia.
Camping and road-trip directory for caravan parks, camps, dump points, water and other traveler facilities.
Optional text, camera and conversation translation for visitors who are not comfortable communicating in English.
A useful comparison tool for discovering possible flights, trains, coaches and ferries across Australia's fragmented network.
The Bureau of Meteorology's official forecasts, rain radar, warnings and saved locations for Australia.
A national location aid that shows coordinates and information to help an emergency caller describe where they are.
Official NSW alerts and watch zones for bushfires, floods, tsunamis and other supported hazards.
Victoria's official incident and warning app with location-based watch zones and notifications.
Western Australia's official warnings and incidents app for supported hazards and watch zones.
South Australia's official warning app for current incidents, notifications and user-defined watch zones.
Tasmania's official warnings and emergency information app with saved locations and notifications.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
After the 3G shutdown, some imported phones may be blocked even if they support 4G; confirm compatibility before buying.
Best choice for broad coverage, including rural areas.
A solid alternative; compare current prepaid offers before buying.
Strong in major cities, with weaker rural coverage.
The essential apps for Australia are Uber, Uber Eats, Google Maps, AustralianETA, BOM Weather.
We've curated 34 apps across 13 categories for traveling in Australia, including 6 essential apps.
Uber is the top-rated ride hailing app in Australia. The broadest familiar ride app for major cities, airports and many regional centers across Australia.
