Mobile apps can make your visit to or life in Seattle a whole lot easier. Find out how traffic is looking before your hit the morning commute, figure out which bus you should take, find a happy hour, or keep up with the Seahawks or Mariners.
Read on for some of Seattle’s best apps for finding restaurants, getting around, keeping up with the news, finding things to do and sports.
Zagat
The Zagat app isn’t Seattle-specific, but Seattle is one of many cities you can take a look through in the app. Look for restaurants by cuisine type, location and save places you’d like to try out.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Happy Hours
Happy hours are a quintessential part of the Seattle dining scene. Great food. Great drinks. Good prices. What else could you need? Answer: An app to help you find happy hours near you, as well as price information and user ratings of the happy hour. Also has happy hours for Tacoma and Olympia if you’ll be in the South Sound.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Mobile Web
Cocktail Compass
Because one happy hour app isn’t enough! Cocktail Compass lists happy hours and so much more. The app also has a happy hour countdown, so you’ll know just how long you have to make it (or remain at) any given happy hour. There are photos and reviews of each bar or restaurant, and one-touch cab calling if you’ve had a bit too much. Another bonus—the app is designed for clumsy, drunk fingers and easy to use.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Yelp
For a little bit of everything, Yelp is a fine way to go. Find restaurants, get directions, view pictures of food, read reviews and even search for happy hours all in one place.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Kindle, Windows Phone
Puget Sound Trip Planner
In Seattle or in the wider Puget Sound area, the Puget Sound Trip Planner offers directions, fares, walking distances, route schedules and more across all the transit agencies in the area, including Seattle’s Metro Transit.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Metro Transit Trip Planner
If you’re looking for Metro Transit specifically, the Metro Transit Trip Planner allows you to figure out which routes will take you where you’re going, check schedules, departures, and find stops near you. You can also do this on Metro Transit’s website.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android
OneBusAway
Another option for help with bus travel is OneBusAway, which gets you access to bus routes, schedules and nearby bus stops. If you forget where you’ve come from, there’s also a recent stop history feature that helps you out!
Available for: iPhone, Android, WP 8, Windows 8
Google Maps
Google Maps for mobile also includes bus stops and trip planning abilities, but has the added bonus of traffic maps so you can see what your drive will look like. This is excellent for Seattle-area natives who want to seek out other routes or wait out the traffic, or for new residents seeking to learn traffic patterns.
Available for: Mobile web, Blackberry, iPhone, Android
Pay by Phone
Make parking in Seattle easier. You can pay via the app and not have to worry about putting a parking sticker on your window, extend your parking without having to run back to your car and manage vehicles you add to your account.
Available for: iPhone, Android and Blackberry
Seattle Times Mobile
One of Seattle’s main printed news sources is the Seattle Times, and you can carry it with you on your device rather than carrying a printed copy. Keep up with news, entertainment, sports and more.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Kindle, Nook
King5
King5 is Seattle’s NBC affiliate and a major news source in the region. With the app, you can follow the latest news, weather, sports, traffic and video clips as well as share them directly to your social media.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
Groupon and Living Social
Groupon and Living Social are both daily deal/coupon sites that are equally as useful for Seattle visitors and residents. Check out which restaurants, attractions and venues have deals. It’s a great way to save some money as well as discover new places. Both cycle in new deals frequently.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Live at Seattle Center
Seattle Center is filled with not only iconic Seattle sights like the Space Needle, but also several venues and restaurants. This app is especially handy for visitors making rounds to popular sights who want to make the most of their time at Seattle Center. You’ll get maps, a virtual tour of the complex, guest services numbers as well as event information.
Available for: iPhone, Android
City Guides
If you’re set to be offline and want to ensure you’ll still have access to maps or lists of things to do, City Guides produces guides for all kinds of cities—including Seattle. Along with maps and things to do, you can also look up restaurants, and when you’re online you can book hotels.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Kindle
Top 25 Seattle
If you’re new to Seattle and aren’t sure what to see and do first, Top 25 can help. This app picks the top 25 sites in town and then also includes reviews and more details about each. Great if you’re in town for a short time.
Available for: iPhone, Android
If you want to keep up with Seattle sports, you’ve got options for all the major league teams. Not all are free, though.
Seahawks– You’ll get video clips, news, photos, social media feeds, team and Sea Gals rosters, stats and schedules.
Mariners – You’ve got a few options for baseball apps, the best of which is MLB’s At Bat, which allows you to get live gameday audio, game highlights, MLB.tv archives and more. Fee.
Sounders – Audio, MatchPass integration, schedules, news, and more. Free.
Read on for some of Seattle’s best apps for finding restaurants, getting around, keeping up with the news, finding things to do and sports.
1. Food
Zagat
The Zagat app isn’t Seattle-specific, but Seattle is one of many cities you can take a look through in the app. Look for restaurants by cuisine type, location and save places you’d like to try out.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Happy Hours
Happy hours are a quintessential part of the Seattle dining scene. Great food. Great drinks. Good prices. What else could you need? Answer: An app to help you find happy hours near you, as well as price information and user ratings of the happy hour. Also has happy hours for Tacoma and Olympia if you’ll be in the South Sound.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Mobile Web
Cocktail Compass
Because one happy hour app isn’t enough! Cocktail Compass lists happy hours and so much more. The app also has a happy hour countdown, so you’ll know just how long you have to make it (or remain at) any given happy hour. There are photos and reviews of each bar or restaurant, and one-touch cab calling if you’ve had a bit too much. Another bonus—the app is designed for clumsy, drunk fingers and easy to use.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Yelp
For a little bit of everything, Yelp is a fine way to go. Find restaurants, get directions, view pictures of food, read reviews and even search for happy hours all in one place.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Kindle, Windows Phone
2. Transportation
Puget Sound Trip Planner
In Seattle or in the wider Puget Sound area, the Puget Sound Trip Planner offers directions, fares, walking distances, route schedules and more across all the transit agencies in the area, including Seattle’s Metro Transit.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Metro Transit Trip Planner
If you’re looking for Metro Transit specifically, the Metro Transit Trip Planner allows you to figure out which routes will take you where you’re going, check schedules, departures, and find stops near you. You can also do this on Metro Transit’s website.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android
OneBusAway
Another option for help with bus travel is OneBusAway, which gets you access to bus routes, schedules and nearby bus stops. If you forget where you’ve come from, there’s also a recent stop history feature that helps you out!
Available for: iPhone, Android, WP 8, Windows 8
Google Maps
Google Maps for mobile also includes bus stops and trip planning abilities, but has the added bonus of traffic maps so you can see what your drive will look like. This is excellent for Seattle-area natives who want to seek out other routes or wait out the traffic, or for new residents seeking to learn traffic patterns.
Available for: Mobile web, Blackberry, iPhone, Android
Pay by Phone
Make parking in Seattle easier. You can pay via the app and not have to worry about putting a parking sticker on your window, extend your parking without having to run back to your car and manage vehicles you add to your account.
Available for: iPhone, Android and Blackberry
3. Keeping up with the News
Seattle Times Mobile
One of Seattle’s main printed news sources is the Seattle Times, and you can carry it with you on your device rather than carrying a printed copy. Keep up with news, entertainment, sports and more.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Kindle, Nook
King5
King5 is Seattle’s NBC affiliate and a major news source in the region. With the app, you can follow the latest news, weather, sports, traffic and video clips as well as share them directly to your social media.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
4. Things to do
Groupon and Living Social
Groupon and Living Social are both daily deal/coupon sites that are equally as useful for Seattle visitors and residents. Check out which restaurants, attractions and venues have deals. It’s a great way to save some money as well as discover new places. Both cycle in new deals frequently.
Available for: iPhone, Android
Live at Seattle Center
Seattle Center is filled with not only iconic Seattle sights like the Space Needle, but also several venues and restaurants. This app is especially handy for visitors making rounds to popular sights who want to make the most of their time at Seattle Center. You’ll get maps, a virtual tour of the complex, guest services numbers as well as event information.
Available for: iPhone, Android
City Guides
If you’re set to be offline and want to ensure you’ll still have access to maps or lists of things to do, City Guides produces guides for all kinds of cities—including Seattle. Along with maps and things to do, you can also look up restaurants, and when you’re online you can book hotels.
Available for: iPhone, Android, Kindle
Top 25 Seattle
If you’re new to Seattle and aren’t sure what to see and do first, Top 25 can help. This app picks the top 25 sites in town and then also includes reviews and more details about each. Great if you’re in town for a short time.
Available for: iPhone, Android
5. Sports
If you want to keep up with Seattle sports, you’ve got options for all the major league teams. Not all are free, though.
Seahawks– You’ll get video clips, news, photos, social media feeds, team and Sea Gals rosters, stats and schedules.
Mariners – You’ve got a few options for baseball apps, the best of which is MLB’s At Bat, which allows you to get live gameday audio, game highlights, MLB.tv archives and more. Fee.
Sounders – Audio, MatchPass integration, schedules, news, and more. Free.