The best free apps that will help you get back on the street during the covid times. As things get back to normal due to less tough restrictions imposed by the government, people have started stepping out of their homes for work. This is good for the economy as well as for people’s well-being – particularly the elderly, who had been forced to stay indoors for months for fear of contracting Covid-19. Although we wouldn’t call 2021 a normal year yet, as the pandemic continues to spread in a number of states in India, but if you are planning to go out anytime soon these free mobile apps might overcome fear and anxiety. Mostly free, and available for both Android and iOS, these apps will make life easier and help you take steps towards normalcy.
Aarogya Setu
Whether you are commuting on public transport or using your own vehicle, make sure you have the Aarogya Setu app downloaded on your smartphone. India’s Covid-19 contact tracing app uses your phone’s Bluetooth and location data, and lets users know if they have been near a person infected with Covid-19 by scanning a database of known cases of infection. Just remember that your name and number won’t be made public. However, the app does collect all sorts of information, including your gender, travel history and whether you’re a smoker. This led many to raise data privacy concerns over Aarogya Setu. Covid tracing apps are far from perfect and there is no evidence of whether such apps work. On the safer side, there is no harm in installing this app on your phone, as Aarogya Setu is one of the efforts to track infections.
Price: Free
Available for: iPhone, Android smartphone
Indian Oil One lets you search for the station and allows sorting by location.
IndianOil One
There have been times when you struggle to find a petrol station, especially when going on a road trip. And by chance, if you find the station only to see that no petrol is available. Instead of wasting time driving around trying to find the nearest petrol station, a free mobile app from Indian Oil can come to your rescue. Indian Oil One lets you search for the station and allows sorting by location, so that you can find the petrol pump near you. Not only will the app help find the petrol station near you, but this app also shows the latest fuel price. In addition, users can also track their IndianOil LPG account. It’s a decent fuel-finder app, which many people are not aware of.
Price: Free
Available for: iPhone, Android
Finding a vacant spot in a mall or office is now easy, thanks to ParkingRhino.
ParkingRhino
With over 4 million parking spaces in over 17 cities in India, ParkingRhino helps you reserve a space and let you pay for the parking through your smartphone. Fire up the app, search for a spot at a specific venue, and reserve the parking. One can quickly reserve one of those spots from your phone, as the app finds the available parking space (paid or free) in real-time. ParkingRhino is available in most metropolitan cities and is introducing new locations every day, especially in tier-2 cities of India.
Price: Free
Available for: iPhone, Android
HYGN
Coronavirus hasn’t gone away, and with the new more contagious coronavirus variants spreading fast, experts warn that people should continue wearing masks and maintaining a physical distance. The problem is: how do you ensure the restaurant you plan to visit on the weekend follows the best safety practises and hygiene protocols? Don’t worry, there is an app to rate space for hygiene. The app, called ‘HYGN’ lets you view the hygiene level/ratings before you drop into the place. All you need to open the app, search for a restaurant, a shopping mall or any other public space, read the review based on hygiene, and then decide whether you want to visit the place or skip it entirely. The best part is that only users/visitors can rate the place. The app is free to download and is currently available on Android. However, the developer plans to rollout the HYGN app for iOS soon.
Price: Free
Available for: Android
A FasTag is a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) enabled tag that propagates automatic deduction of toll payment
MyFAStag
Planning a road trip to the hills or have plans to visit a family friend living in closeby town, you might need a FASTag sticker on your car. Starting January 2021, the government has made FasTag mandatory for all vehicles in India. The idea is to simplify toll collection on all highways across the country, making them cashless. If you are clueless about FasTag, install the MyFASTag app on your phone. The app is a one-stop-shop for FasTags and provides you with all the information: purchase or recharge of a FASTag, keeping a track of transactions, access highway helplines. You also check balance status by simply entering the vehicle number.
Price: Free
Available for: iPhone, Android