So you’ve already gotten all your paperwork ready, found your new home and are ready to start living dolce vita in Italy. However, there is one last not so obvious but very 21st century step to be completed. To make your life in this new country easier, we suggest you a list of the best apps for Italy you can download directly to your phone.
In this article, you’ll read about the top apps for Italy to:
- manage Italian public services online
- request an English-speaking doctor in your city in Italy
- find the best urban mobility solution (e-scooter, bike, taxi, public transport)
- order taxi in Italy
- buy or sell second-hand
- order food and groceries
- discover hidden gems in your city
- stay hydrated
- learn Italian
- make new friends and date in Italy
Must-have app in Italy: PosteID
PosteID is an app by Poste Italiane that serves as a sort of digital key to many public services. It simplifies the process of authorization on government websites through SPID (Digital Identity Public System).
“SPID is a digital identity that consists of your personal credentials (username and password) that allow you to request documents and communicate with various public administration offices in Italy.
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You can request SPID via PosteID too. You’ll only need your:
- mobile number
- fiscal code
- valid identity document
Let’s say you want to log in to Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (Immigration Desk). All you need to do is:
- Choose “enter with SPID.”
- Select Poste Italiane.
- Scan the QR code if you’re on your desktop or unlock with a fingerprint/facial recognition/passcode on mobile.
- That’s it! You can proceed with your request.
The Italian government is slowly reforming the system to make it more digitised. SPID is expected to become the standard way of doing administration either via the web or its IO public services app.
The best Italian public services app: IO
IO is a centralised communication system that allows you to interact with various Italian authorities and request their services digitally.
It’s an ambitious idea aiming to combine everything from changing your place of residence to paying school fees in a single interface.
Currently, IO operates as a beta version and has a messaging system, where you can receive alerts about a residence permit that needs to be renewed or taxes that need to be paid. There, you can also receive your COVID-19 Green Certification and pay for public services in seconds.
To start using IO, you’ll need the SPID credentials we talked about earlier, or your Electronic Identity Card (CIE). After you’re registered, you can set up your password or choose to log in by biometric recognition (fingerprint or face recognition).
Sounds easy right? We hope that this digitalisation trend will prevail and simplify the exhausting paperwork expats need to deal with in Italy.
The best app to find an English-speaking doctor in Italy: MedInAction
If you’ve already had the taste of Italian bureaucracy, you know that not knowing Italian can be quite tough. It can especially get a bit awkward when you find yourself in need of medical care. Luckily, we live in a world where there is an app for literally anything, healthcare included.
MedInAction is a medical service that delivers a qualified English-speaking doctor in Italy, right to your doorstep.
The service is available 24/7 and it has live chat and video consultation options.
The prices for online consultations start from € 50 and for house doctor visits - from € 100. It’s not cheap compared to the free public healthcare in Italy, but being able to talk to a licensed doctor or psychologist immidiately and in English might be just worth it.
The best dating app in Italy: Badoo
Meeting people in a new country can be tricky, asking someone out - even trickier. And in the years of the pandemic, our means to find love shrank a whole lot. That’s why many people turned to dating apps in hopes of getting hit by cupid's arrow.
Badoo is the most downloaded dating app in Italy, which means your chances to find the one are slightly higher than with other apps.
When you sign up, you can select if you want to find a date, make new friends, or just have a chat.
The app allows you to discover people nearby or swap through people suggested based on mutual interests. You can even scroll through your Facebook friends’ Badoo profiles as well as the profiles of their friends. If you get a match with a friend of a friend, you can chat or video call with them directly.
Of course, users are also invited to verify themselves through a photo to prevent cat-fishing. So go ahead and try your luck with the best dating app in Italy!
The best app to learn Italian: Duolingo
You’ve probably heard about Duolingo. Duolingo is unarguably the world's most-downloaded education app that makes learning seem fun. Its clean and efficient interface makes it the best app to learn Italian today.
Duolingo has game-like lessons, fun challenges and reminders that teach you to read, listen and speak Italian. And thanks to the AI and language science behind the app, lessons are tailored to your level and pace.
What’s most important is that Duolingo is scientifically proven to work. So, go ahead and break that language barrier with the best free app for learning Italian!
The best app to make friends in Italy: Meetup
Moving to a new country can often feel pretty lonely. But fear not, Meetup up is all about bringing people together.
This app is designed to make friends around the world based on common interests. You can discover various groups in your city, join their activities and have fun!
When you register, you can select topics you’re interested in, and you’ll see a myriad of exciting gatherings you could attend. Think city walks, art workshops, wine tasting, sailing adventures, language exchange groups, you name it!
These days a lot of the activities are done via Zoom, but this is a good way to ignite that first spark. You’ll mingle with locals and fellow expats alike, and, who knows, maybe that leads to an IRL coffee or even a long-lasting friendship!
The best urban mobility app: URBI
Italian media reported a boom in the use of electric scooters or monopattini during the pandemic as people started looking for alternatives to public transport. Today you see two-wheelers of all colours parked along sidewalks, and we became familiar with names like DOTT, Helbiz, and Lime.
Choosing can be difficult, with all the options available. That’s why URBI created an interactive map where you can discover all of your city’s mobility solutions, all in one app.
You can browse through the multitude of car, scooter and bike-sharing opportunities. One click and URBI takes you to the right sharing app so you can proceed with your reservation. It’ll save you the time you’d spend switching between the apps, looking for what’s available around you. However, you still need an account for each app to make a reservation.
In bigger cities like Milan and Rome, you can even purchase public transportation tickets for bus, tram or metro directly via URBI. And recently, you can buy and manage your Trenitalia tickets. So you don’t need to have a separate Italian train app anymore!
The best taxi app for Italy: FREE NOW
When we talk about carsharing, the first brand that comes to mind is Uber. And of course, the popular app covers most of the cities in Italy today.
However, the only options available are the pricier categories of cars such as UberBLACK, UberLUX, and UberVAN. And, of course, the tariffs will depend on the time of the day and traffic.
An alternative to Uber is FREE NOW. This app is one of the leaders in carsharing in Italy. Similarly to Uber, you can simply put your location and the nearest available cab will pick you up in no time. You’ll be able to track the location of the driver in real-time via the app.
Moreover, the fares are fixed and are run by a meter. You can pay with cash, PayPal or credit/debit cards. Moreover, the carsharing app offers plenty of discount options such as award miles and referral programs. But what really makes FREE NOW stand out from Uber is that you can pre-book your ride as early as 4 days before your journey. You can even save a driver if you want to reach out to them again.
The best second-hand marketplace app in Italy: Subito
Looking for some cheaper options to furnish your new place? Subito is an Italian online marketplace where you can buy or sell literally anything. From cars to real estate, jobs to furniture - you can browse through 37 categories of classified ads. And lots of things are completely free!
The app makes it easy to post free ads, search for items for sale by your location and chat with sellers or buyers. It’s a great way to save some money and reduce waste!
The best Italian weather app: Il Meteo
Are you planning to take a trip to the coast? Today, you’re just one tap of a finger away from knowing whether to bring along your umbrella. One of the most reliable Italian weather apps to help you make the right choice is Il Meteo.
It’s a complete weather station that gives you an overview of the seven nearby cities. One click and you can see an elaborate 5-day forecast for your location. You can receive additional information about the wind, precise estimates of rain, sea condition, all with hourly details.
You can get forecasts for all the world, but it's especially focused on Europe and Italy. Il Meteo is as comprehensive as it gets, which is why it’s the most downloaded weather app in Italy.
The best food delivery app in Italy: Just Eat
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of food delivery apps in your home country? Well, it's the same story in Italy.
In every major city, you’ll find Deliveroo and Uber Eats. However, the most used food delivery app in Italy and also the cheapest one is Just Eat.
Fancy a poke bowl? Or a tandoori chicken? Or hungry for a pizza from that awesome place that’s just a bit too far to walk to? You won’t find yourself with a lack of options to order from.
With this app, you can order food 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether you have late-night cravings or need a satisfying low-effort lunch break. All you need to do is fill out your address and start scrolling. As soon as you made your choice, you can pay online with PayPal or debit/credit card. Wait for about 30 minutes, and Voilà! You have a restaurant-made meal at your doorstep!
The best groceries delivery app: Glovo
Talking about food delivery apps… Glovo takes it to the next level. Like Just Eat, the app allows you to order food from all kinds of restaurants, but that’s not all it’s good for. You can shop at a pharmacy, florist, grocery store, anything really, directly from your couch!
The best guide app for Italy: Spotted by Locals
The best way to explore hidden gems in a city is of course to ask a local. But don’t worry if you haven’t made any friends in Italy just yet. Spotted by Locals is an app that features favourite spots of real locals in more than 80 cities, including Rome, Milan and Turin.
This is your opportunity to explore your city like a true local and forget about all the tourist traps. And to prevent repetitive suggestions, the app is regularly updated with new places and tips from its guides.
To top it off, the app is 100% offline, so no need to spend your precious data. You can save your favourite tips and look them up anytime!
The best app to stay hydrated in Italy: WeTap
Italy, like most of the European states, has perfectly drinkable tap water. So you never have to worry about wasting your money on single-use plastic bottles.
But what if you get thirsty during your stroll on a warm summer evening? Luckily, most of the Italian cities have water fountains or nasoni scattered around their whole territory. Rome alone has more than 2 500 drinking fountains.
You can easily locate those with the WeTap app. Now you only need to make sure to bring along your bottle. Both the environment and your body will say thanks!
Download: iOS | Interactive map
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