My Favorite Apps & Websites To Use While Traveling Or Living Abroad

Life abroad can be amazing! The adventure, the new cultural experiences. But…at times, it can also feel frustrating to not have access to some of the things you’re used to having unlimited access to back home.

Whether you live abroad – will live abroad soon – or, are just looking for some great apps to add to your phone, I hope you’ll find this list helpful. If there are any apps you recommend that I’ve left off, let me know in the comments! I’d love to learn about what else is out there!

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The Need For Apps/Sites

I feel like I should start this section off by saying…I’m not really much of a games-on-my-phone type of person. It feels like a waste of time – or an opportunity to waste time. I’m not much of a social media scroller either (read: I don’t have any social media apps on my phone). I’d rather use my time doing something I can grow in.

Granted, the feeling to always need to be productive can be exhausting. I have no chill mode. Which is hard, because it’s important to be able to wind down and relax. That’s why I’m putting together this list for you. In case you need an all-inclusive list of apps and websites for your phone or computer. I use many of these on a daily basis while I’m on WiFi in my house here in Perú, and others I use while on the road, off on an adventure when I have no access to WiFi or signal. My phone is set up to conserve data when I’m not connected to WiFi, so I needed some apps that allow me the freedom to read a book, listen to music, or do other things while out on the road without adding to my phone bill.

I’ve really put a lot of effort into building this list for you. So you don’t have to do tons of research. I hope you find it helpful!

No but seriously, please tell me if you found this helpful so I can make more posts like this for you!

Entertainment Apps & Websites

The longer I live abroad, the more I start to become homesick for luxuries I can easily pop into a store and buy (and always find in stock) like I can back in the US.

As random as this sounds, for me, this year, it was books. We pass bookstores in the cities here and sometimes go in, but nothing ever really catches my attention. If I’m going to read something, I want to relax and escape to another reality, but it’s really hard to do that if you’re reading a book in another language that you haven’t yet mastered.

Digital streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ can be great (although they usually have limited viewing options when you’re outside the US), but sometimes you just want access to other things that aren’t movies and TV shows.

So here’s what I’ve got for you:

• Libby – is a library app that you can use straight from your phone. You can rent books to read on your device from your local library back home, browse magazines, or even rent audiobooks.
  • Something important to note is you need an active library card. If you don’t have a current one, either consider borrowing one from a friend/family back home who isn’t using theirs, or get one on your next trip home.
  • The downside of Libby, is that you’re limited to only what your library has in stock. Some books just never come in.
  • But upside – as long as you rent a book while you’re on WiFi and it downloads to your phone, you can listen/read your book without using any data when offline. For me, this means I always have access to a book (or a few) while on a plane or bus ride to my next adventure.
  • Please, please, tell me in the comments your favorite book so I can add it to my reading list! I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours!
• Audible – essentially the same as Libby, but with a wider selection of books. i.e. you won’t be waiting (in vain) for your library to get book three of the four-part series so you can finish what you started (yeah, that’s totally me over on Libby. It’s torture!).
  • It has the same offline listening option. Yay to no data consumption while traveling!
  • Audible has multiple subscription plans to choose from, so click here to sign up for a free trial and pick which option works best for you.
• Kanopy – rent movies (and probably TV series too).
  • Full disclaimer, I’ve never used this. My library isn’t in the list of libraries linked to the app. But if you have a library card, I would definitely check it out and see if your local library is linked to Kanopy.
• Messenger X – access to devotionals and Christian books, which can be read by yourself or with others.
  • I just finished this course on Messenger X and really enjoyed it!
• Bible App – access to studies and the Bible, which can be read by yourself or with others.
  • I would recommend downloading your favorite Bible translation to your phone if you plan to read this while on the road.
• Brave Browser – I recommend downloading this immediately to both your computer and your phone. This browser is just like Google – but it blocks ads! I like to use it for listening to YouTube for hours of uninterrupted listening. You can thank me later.
• Spotify – I finally caved and purchased a subscription…and honestly, I would recommend it. I only listen to music or podcasts here because the audiobook option hasn’t been intriguing enough to switch from Libby and Audible.
• Podcasts – in Apple Podcasts, I’m not sure what Android has to offer, but you can find some of these on YouTube as well – and then watch them via the Brave browser to avoid commercials. lol.
  • I recommend:
    • Andrew Huberman – Educational
    • The Way I Heard It – Fun/Educational
    • Midnight Burger – Fun

Creating

For those of you, like me, who like to get a little artsy.

• Canva – the app/website for creating all kinds of projects. From profile pictures to flyers to social media posts to documents, you can create and sell. You can create just about anything you want and print it out – and if you’re into it, try selling what you make on Etsy or your own website.
  • I’ve used Canva to make products you can find in my store, and I’ve made 100s of things for my blog, Instagram, and YouTube. I’ve also used it to create little personal trackers for my friends and I.
    • Let me know if you’d be interested in seeing something like that. I could always put them up on my website! I’ve created prayer challenges, sewing trackers, exercise sheets, and even trivia games!
  • P.S. See my thoughts on making money online in this blog post.
• Etsy – you can buy lots of digital products that you can easily print out. Like trackers, to-do lists, sewing patterns, and coloring pages. Even though I live in a foreign country, I love that I can still use resources like this to pursue my passions.
  • Word to the wise, sometimes your bank doesn’t like Etsy purchases (probably because of your location vs the location of the seller). My bank almost always flags these transactions because I’m abroad. Check out this blog post to learn more about money difficulties in a foreign country.
• Simplicity – is a sewing pattern website. They have 100s of sewing patterns, both digital and physical – definitely pay attention to that when you’re making your purchase!
• Mood Fabrics – has lots of free digital sewing patterns.
  • Check out this video to see my sew-along of the Taos sewing pattern.
• Dress Measurements – if you create clothes for yourself or people in your life, this app is great! It has so many measurement categories, and you can keep so many things all in one place. I never have to worry about losing my paper with my measurements on it, and I can collect the info wherever I go…assuming I have a tape measure on me.

If you prefer another form of art and have a digital resource that wasn’t mentioned, please drop it in the comments for other creative people!

Money

I covered money a little deeper in a previous post, you can read that here, but the short and sweet version of that is, if you need to get access to your money and operate (to some extent) on a normal level abroad, I recommend the following apps/websites.

*Disclaimer: I am not a financial expert; please don’t take anything I say as financial advice; these are just tools I’ve used abroad to help me access my money.*

• Remitly – You can send money in just about any currency, and at two different speeds. It’s pretty easy to link and verify your account. Plus, you can manage it directly from your phone in case you need to send money to a local bank account in a hurry.
  • FYI, if you use my referral code you can get $25 off your first money transfer of $50 or more.
• Robinhood – as long as you’ve still got a US bank account, you can still maintain your investments abroad!
  • Use my link when you sign up to get free stock!
• Turbo Tax – Because wherever you live, if you’re a US citizen, the taxes still chase you.

Communication

Maintaining your relationships abroad is super important, whether they’re with friends in the US or abroad. I’ve got a whole blog post on more tips for maintaining your long-distance relationships, but the main tools I use daily are listed below!

• WhatsApp
• Signal
• Marco Polo
• Zoom
• FaceTime
• iMessage (on iPhone) – if you have an iPhone, I recommend turning on iMessage so you can send texts over WiFi. This makes it so I don’t have to convince all my friends to download a new app just to keep in touch.

Miscellaneous

• Clue – Period tracker, helps me stay on top of important feminine things!
  • They’ve got an annoying ad that pops up every time you open the app, but it’s free to use if you just close it. I’ve never felt the need to pay for a subscription.
• Google Translate – Pro Tip: Star your favorite phrases for a later date! I find so many gems in there that I forgot that I’ve learned, but I love using them again when I go back to it.
  • Here’s a little gem for you: ¿Cómo se llama tu llama? (What is your llama’s name?)
    • P.S. Totally random, but if you’re interested in seeing some llamas get married, check out this video here.
  • Another Pro Tip: Make sure you download your target language. There’s nothing worse than trying to communicate with someone, and the translation won’t load because you’re offline.
• Google Docs – I really recommend putting your frequently used documents on “available offline,” that way you can still access them during long bus rides.
• Polaroid High Print – you would need to purchase the printer with it. But these make great gifts to give out to friends and family while traveling. It’s sort of like carrying a Polaroid camera around with you, only it’s a little smaller and you can print directly from your phone.
• iPhone settings – I thought I’d point out a few settings I recommend adding to your phone. For the first three, swipe down from the right side of your screen and apply pressure until it allows you to edit your accessibility settings. Click the + Add a control button.
  • Vehicle Motion Cues – this setting can be set to auto-detect when you’re in a moving vehicle, and helps if you easily get car sick when looking at your phone. Ahem – me. I didn’t think it worked at first, but after testing it again on a recent bus trip (if you’ve ever been on a bus in Perú, you know how crazy that feels and how easy it is to get car sick) I actually think this setting works really well!
  • Recognize Music – one quick tap, and you can quickly find the name of a song playing on the radio.
  • Color Filters – changes your screen to red light, which is helpful for your eyes, especially when you’re winding down for the night.
  • Siri – I really like to use Siri on my iPhone to set reminders and timers throughout my day. I use it quite frequently and really recommend enabling the talking function on your iPhone.
• Seed Oil Scout – find restaurants that don’t cook with seed oils!

Bonus

Because running off your phone or laptop is just kind of normal, everyday life for those of us who live abroad (especially if you work remote), I thought I’d list a few helpful tools (not app or website related) that will help extend the life of your enjoyment of your choice of entertainment (work or play) while on the road.

Here are some things I use regularly while traveling or working from home:

• Noise-cancelling headphones – a work-from-home and travel must-have!
• Portable phone charger – it packs well in a backpack pocket and helps your phone survive those long 16-hour bus rides.
• Phone strap – helps you to not drop your phone when you’re leaning out the car window taking pictures. Don’t look at me like that, I know you do it too.
• Zagg privacy phone screen – so no one can see over your shoulder while you’re on a bus or plane.
• Laptop cooler – I can’t speak for all countries, but the housing in Perú doesn’t have heaters or air conditioning. Meaning in the summer it gets very hot inside, and in the winter it gets very cold inside. Why is this relevant? If you work off a laptop eight hours a day like I do, in the summer, your laptop might get overheated pretty quickly. Every time I travel, I pack this laptop cooler in my duffel bag. And yes, I know it’s clunky, but it makes my laptop run smoother, so it’s absolutely worth it.
  • I personally have two laptop coolers (but I bought both in Perú, so I can’t speak to whether either of these specific ones are any good). I have a larger one that stays at my house, similar to this one. And I have a smaller one that’s more compact that I toss in my backpack every time I travel. This one is similar to the smaller/lighter one I have.
• Fav travel backpack – it’s got alllll the pockets!

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What other apps and gadgets do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Explore other recent posts:

• My Favorite Apps & Websites To Use While Traveling Or Living Abroad
• Non Toxic Activewear | My Favorite Microplastic Free Yoga Pants
• Come See My Peruvian Textiles: Including Fabrics, Yarn and Ribbons
• How I Made A Farm Rio Inspired Matching Set
• Making Free People Inspired Cargo Pants From A Simplicity Pattern

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P.S. Looking for a fun activity to play while traveling to your next adventure? We put together a great freebie that you can play with your seatmate on a plane, train, or long bus ride, download your free trivia here.

Playing trivia is a great way to participate in fun activities with your friends and family, even when you’re 4,591 miles apart or constantly on the go. It helps you keep your long-distance relationships growing and is sure to provide lots of fun!