Apps you need in the UK
On your first trip to the UK you soon notice that daily life runs through your phone.
Trains, renting, opening a bank account, groceries, taxis, job hunting — there is an app for all of it.
Here are the ones students use most, and the ones worth downloading before you fly.
You will start using these on your first day in the UK.
The UK's main messaging app
Use it for: Messaging classmates, Talking to halls or a landlord, Society and course group chats
Outlook
Where official university email lands
Use it for: Course announcements, Module registration, Tuition fee notices, Exam timetables, Campus events
Check it every day so you do not miss anything important from your university.
Google Maps
Navigation and route planning
Use it for: Walking directions, Bus times, Tube connections, Finding restaurants
Uber
Taxis and airport runs
Use it for: Getting home late, Airport transfers, Moving house, Shifting heavy luggage
Trainline / TrainPal
Buying train tickets
Use it for: Booking train tickets, Checking times and fares, Buying a Railcard
Notes (built into iPhone)
Scans documents and makes PDFs
Use it for: Passport, Visa paperwork, Proof of enrolment, Tenancy agreements, Forms of all kinds
Nothing to download on an iPhone. Use Scan Document inside Notes and it saves straight to PDF.
Your bank's app
Managing your account and transfers
Use it for: Transfers, Verification, Spending alerts, Account admin, Checking your statements
The usual banks are HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, Monzo and Revolut.
LINE (the TUF community)
News and chat among students here
Use it for: Visa questions, Housing leads, Opening a bank account, Job hunting, Advice from older students