Smartphones are the Swiss army knife of the digital age. They have all kinds of uses – many of which a lot of us don’t take advantage of. 

This includes many useful functions while traveling. This post delves into 20 examples.

Take photographs/videos

When it comes to recording memories of your adventures, a smartphone can be the perfect tool. Most modern smartphones are as capable as some of the best digital cameras without being as bulky. And using social media apps, you can instantly share your photos and videos with friends and family. 

It’s worth noting that there are also other useful ways to use photos and videos such as reminders (taking a picture of a car park area sign to remember where you parked) or legal evidence (such as taking a picture of damage found at AirBnB that wasn’t caused by you). 

Use as a map

Another fairly obvious use for your smartphone is to use it as a map. There are many detailed GPS apps that can help direct you around roads and cities, including apps that allow you to download maps for rural areas with little signal. Some can also help you navigate public transport links or avoid toll roads. 

Store digital tickets

Flight tickets, bus tickets, ferry tickets and attraction tickets all come in digital form nowadays. There are apps that can store your tickets as a PDF, so that even if you have no internet connection you can still open them. 

Book last minute accommodation

Need to find a hotel or hostel to stay at last minute? Various sites and apps can allow you to compare and book local accommodation on your phone. This is much easier than having to scout around a town checking each individual hotel for availability. 

Convert currency

Currency conversion calculators can be useful for reminding you of exactly how much you’re spending abroad when using a different currency. There are also sites you can order foreign cash from – including some that offer secure cash pickup locations around the world. 

Check the weather

From checking snow reports at a ski resort to checking wind speeds before climbing a mountain, there are many reasons you may want to check the weather while traveling – and you can do this instantly at any time with your phone. Download the right apps to receive the most accurate weather reports. 

Translate foreign text

Need to translate a sign or a menu? You can use your phone to quickly type the text into Google Translate. Alternatively, you can use Google Lens to view the sign or menu with your camera and then select the ‘Translate’ feature. This can be a very handy feature for navigating a foreign country when you don’t speak the lingo. 

Translate voices

There are also a number of incredible voice translator apps that can also help you to communicate with people in a foreign language. Many of these use text-to-speech technology – simply get the person you’re communicating with to speak and hit record, and the app will translate what they’re saying for you. Alternatively, you can translate your own speech into another language for a local to understand.

Use as a flashlight

If you find yourself somewhere with no street lighting or decide to go wild camping, you can use your smartphone as a flashlight. For a DIY lantern, tape your smartphone with the flashlight on to a bottle of water – the whole bottle will glow!

Set up a hotspot

Here’s a handy tip for digital nomads! If you need to work from your laptop but can’t connect to local wi-fi, consider using your smartphone as a hotspot. This will use up your data fast, but if you’ve got a high or unlimited data plan this shouldn’t be an issue. 

Listen to music

Being able to listen to your favorite music on the go can be convenient. Using a music streaming app and headphones you can do just this. Many of these apps have functions for listening to playlists offline, which can be useful on a plane or in an area with no internet signal. 

Watch movies/TV shows

You can also continue to catch up on your favorite TV series or watch movies on the go using your smartphone. Some streaming services don’t allow you to continue using their services abroad, however you can often get around this by using a VPN.

Play games

There are so many mobile games that you can also use to occupy your time while traveling. This includes modern games, and also traditional games like spider solitaire or chess. And many of these sites and apps are free!

Send other people your location

Several apps allow you to send people your location. If you’re traveling with someone and you’ve lost them, this can be a useful function for helping to find them. Alternatively, you can allow family or friends to track your location from back home, making sure that you are safe at all times. 

Track your suitcase

Using smart suitcase tags and an app, you can also track your suitcase. If your luggage gets lost, you can then easily relocate it. If you’ve ever had an experience where someone has taken your luggage or you’ve lost a suitcase, this function could provide peace of mind. 

Look up first aid information

In a medical emergency, you can also use your phone to quickly look up first aid information. There are first aid apps that can allow you to view this information offline that are useful when exploring rural areas like mountains or deserts. 

Survey your home

Got a video doorbell? Using your smartphone, you can monitor the outside of your home from anywhere in the world. You can also accept packages or tell visitors that you’re away.

Identify landmarks

The likes of Google Lens can be used to identify all kinds of objects including various landmarks. If you’re exploring a foreign city and want to know more about a strange building or monument, simply use this feature and you’ll instantly get access to information on it.

Pay using your e-wallet

If you’re worried about cards getting lost, it could be worth setting up digital payments on your phone. You can then use your phone to pay instead. Most e-wallets allow you to store multiple cards.

Stay in contact with loved ones

Finally, there’s the most traditional use for a phone – to stay in contact with people back home. If you don’t want to pay extra fees for overseas phone calls, you can use digital voice call services like WhatsApp. Video calling is also an option for speaking face-to-face.