Useful Apps for Living in Egypt, What Works in 2026

Taxis and rides

App taxis are easier than street cabs: the price is known in advance and the route is recorded. Read about the metro, minibuses and taxi safety in transport in Cairo.

• Uber and Careem. The price is shown before you order, and you can pay by card or cash.
• inDrive. The passenger offers a price, and the driver accepts it or suggests their own.
• Uber and Careem also work in Hurghada and other resort towns, but there are fewer cars on the outskirts and in remote compounds.
• DiDi. Another popular taxi app, working in Cairo and Alexandria.
• Swvl. Book a seat on a bus on a fixed route, including from Cairo to other cities.

Food and grocery delivery

Delivery in Egypt is well developed, but the service area depends on the city and district, so check your address in the app first. You can usually pay by card or in cash to the courier. Keep small notes, the courier may not have change.

• Talabat. The best known app for restaurant delivery, with a grocery section called Talabat Mart.
• Breadfast. An Egyptian service delivering groceries, bakery goods and household items. In September 2026 it added restaurant delivery.
• Rabbit. Fast delivery of groceries and everyday goods in Cairo.
• Amazon.eg. An online store for electronics, household items and almost everything else, with delivery across Egypt.

Payments and transfers

InstaPay is the instant transfer system launched by the Central Bank of Egypt. Landlords, repairmen and sellers are paid through it by phone number. But InstaPay requires an account at an Egyptian bank, a card from that bank and an Egyptian phone number registered with the bank. Without an account in Egypt the app will not work.

Operators' mobile wallets such as Vodafone Cash are popular, but registration requires an Egyptian ID card. How to open an account and receive transfers from home is explained in money in Egypt.

Government services and documents

«Digital Egypt» (the digital.gov.eg website and app) is the state platform for traffic fines, car papers, certificates and other services. But registration requires a 14 digit Egyptian national ID number and a phone line registered to it. So most foreigners without an Egyptian ID cannot use the platform.

If you brought a phone from abroad, you will need the official Telephony app to register it and pay the duty. Since 21 January 2026 the exemption for passengers' phones has been cancelled, and you have 90 days to pay. More in phones in Egypt and IMEI.

Iqama and visa matters are handled by the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration of the Egyptian Interior Ministry. Install only official apps and never enter passport details through links from chats.

Maps and navigation

Google Maps works well in Egyptian cities and on highways. You can plan routes by car, on foot and by public transport, and see metro lines.

Save your home location and send the driver a pin on the map instead of describing the address in words, it is easier for both of you.

There are unofficial metro apps with routes and ticket prices. They are handy, but they are not government apps, so check prices at the ticket office. Before a trip out of town, download an offline map of the area if the app offers it, as mobile coverage between cities can be weak.

Translation and Arabic

Google Translate works to and from Arabic, including text from the phone camera: menus, signs, labels on medicine packs. For conversations there is a dialogue mode.

Keep in mind that spoken Egyptian Arabic differs from standard Arabic, so translations of live speech can be inaccurate. Learn at least the numbers and simple phrases, it helps both at the market and in a taxi. It also helps to add an Arabic keyboard so you can search for addresses and products in Arabic.

Tickets to museums and monuments

The Experience Egypt app of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the egymonuments.gov.eg website sell e-tickets to museums and archaeological sites, such as the Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Major sites take card payments. Buy tickets only in the official app or on the official website, not on random sites with similar names where the price can be higher.

How to use apps safely

• Download apps only from the App Store and Google Play and check who the developer is.
• Never share SMS codes with anyone, even if the caller says they are from the bank.
• Turn on two step verification in WhatsApp and Telegram: scammers try to hijack accounts to ask your friends for money.
• Register the phone number linked to your bank and messengers in your own passport.
• If a driver asks you to cancel the order and pay cash outside the app, refuse.

Tullab on your phone

Tullab is also handy on a phone: Russian speaking residents of Egypt sell things, rent out flats and offer services here. You can add the site to your home screen, and it will open like an app. Listings for the capital are collected on the Cairo page.

Need something or a service? Search the listings or post your own for free.