15 Apps That Make Living in Miami Easier
Chances are you can’t live without your smartphone, and if you’re exploring Miami, apps can be a huge help. We’ve rounded up a mix of national and locally focused apps that make navigating (and enjoying) Miami a little bit easier — and all of them are free.
Big-Timers
Well-known players you might already have on your device.
Uber, Lyft
If your evening includes wine or beer or if you just don’t want to deal with Miami traffic, download Uber or Lyft and someone will pick you up at a competitive rate.
Waze Navigation & Live Traffic
Braving the roads yourself? Waze is your friend, offering community-based, real-time traffic updates to get you from A to B quickly — though certainly not as the crow flies.
UberEats, GrubHub
Choose from local eateries and larger chains alike on food delivery apps UberEats and GrubHub. Yes, you’ll pay a delivery fee, but if you sign up for email alerts on all three, you could get coupon codes that waive delivery fees in light of all sorts of events including occasional rainy days, of which Miami has plenty.
Google Translate
Miami is an incredibly cosmopolitan city, and for every foreign national living in Miami, there are even more keeping their eyes peeled for local real estate. While knowing Spanish (or at least Spanglish) is helpful, you never know what other languages might be of use to you in Miami. Ukrainian, perhaps? The Google Translate app is essential with a clean interface, myriad languages, and an effective, oh-so-easy talk-to-translate option.
Facebook’s “Discover Events” search (desktop only) is a fantastic tool for finding local, more underground Miami events on any given day of the week. Unfortunately, you’ll find less functionality on the mobile app, but the app still offers an “Upcoming Events” page that lets you scroll through local events popular in your network.
Yelp
As long as you take Yelp reviews with a grain of salt, this app can be extraordinarily helpful in learning more about local businesses before you try them. Restaurants, nail salons, handymen, phone repair shops — they’re all fair game on Yelp. Often, local businesses offer modest discounts if you check in on Yelp mobile while you’re in the store. It’s usually enough to offset sales tax, so, why not?
Under-the-Radar and Local Apps
Live la vida local with these apps designed to make daily headaches (Freak rainstorms! Parking issues!) a bit more bearable.
MIA Airport Official
With options in both English and Spanish, this app is helpful for both regular and occasional travelers to Miami International Airport. Features of the official app include a mobile passport for U.S. and Canadian citizens, visual directions with walk times to gates and restaurants, real-time flight information, and a “Near Me” function to find the closest, most bearable food in a pinch.
Bonus: The American Airlines app doesn’t get great reviews, but taking an American Airlines flight is pretty likely when you’re flying out of MIA — it’s a hub for the airline (though you could always fly out of Fort Lauderdale).
Park Mobile
Pay for spots in city lots, private lots, the airport, stadiums, and just about anywhere you need to park using Park Mobile. You can register your car and payment information to make paying for parking as efficient as possible (even if finding a spot in the first place isn’t quite so easy). The app is also functional in hundreds of cities across the U.S., so if you’re ever on a road trip outside of Miami, this is one to keep handy.
PayByPhone
Did you know Miami was the first major U.S. city to accept parking payment by phone? Riveting stuff! But in all seriousness, PayByPhone is a must-have in Miami, and it’s been around long enough (five years) to work out any major kinks. The app has also extended its reach to include Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale by the Sea, and South Miami, so you can easily park and pay even if you’re in the suburbs.
Miami New Times
Local news junkies, we hear you. The Miami New Times app is great for up-to-date metro news as well as interesting lifestyle and culture tidbits. The paper’s award-winning calendar section (chock full of local events and concerts) is searchable by date, artist, neighborhood, or venue on the app — planning your weekend just got a lot easier.
WSVN-7 News
We’re recommending the 7 News app specifically for its weather section. The app’s animated weather radar helps you see what’s going on (and what’s forecast in the coming hours) to plan your beach trip to perfection. The horoscope section isn’t as necessary, but it’s a lot of fun.
Miami-Dade Transit Tracker
Real-time tracking for the Metrobus and Metrorail might make you want to pull your hair out, but at least you’ll know what you’re in for. The Transit Tracker also includes system maps for the bus, rail, and MetroMover as well as fare information.