Best Apps for Indonesia Travel: The Ones You Actually Need in 2026
Short answer
Install these before you fly: All Indonesia (arrival card), Love Bali if you visit Bali (levy), Grab and Gojek (rides and food), WhatsApp (everyone in Indonesia uses it), and Google Maps with offline areas. Add DANA if you want to pay QRIS codes, Access by KAI or C-Access for trains, and Ferizy for public ferries.
- Entry
- All Indonesia, Love Bali
- Rides
- Grab, Gojek
- Pay QR codes
- DANA (foreign account)
- Trains / ferries
- Access by KAI, C-Access / Ferizy
The short list
| App | What for | Install when |
|---|---|---|
| All Indonesia | Mandatory arrival card, free | Before you fly — submit in the 3 days before arrival |
| Love Bali | Bali tourist levy, Rp150,000 | Before you fly to Bali |
| Grab | Cars, bike taxis, food delivery | At home, while your number can receive SMS |
| Gojek | Cars, bike taxis, GoBluebird taxis, food | At home |
| Hotels, drivers, boat operators, restaurants — all on WhatsApp | Already on your phone | |
| Google Maps | Navigation, opening hours, reviews; download offline areas | At home |
| Your eSIM provider | Data from the moment you land | At home — comparison |
Useful depending on your trip
| App | What for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DANA | Paying any QRIS code without an Indonesian bank | Foreign Account with a foreign number and international card — QRIS guide |
| Access by KAI | Long-distance trains and airport trains | Foreigners register with a passport number |
| C-Access | KAI Commuter: Jakarta and Yogyakarta airport trains, KRL commuter trains | Since September 2026 also sells the Yogyakarta airport train |
| Ferizy | Public car ferries (ASDP), e.g. Bali–Java, Bali–Lombok | Only way to buy; no tickets at ports; cannot buy once you are at the port |
| PELNI Mobile | Long-distance passenger ships | Tickets online only since November 2023 |
| MyBluebird | Bluebird taxis directly | Also available as GoBluebird inside Gojek |
| Maxim | Cheaper ride-hailing in some cities | Fewer cars in tourist areas |
| Traveloka, tiket.com | Domestic flights, hotels, trains, some ferries | Local prices, often local payment methods |
| Google Translate | Bahasa Indonesia camera translation for menus and signs | Download the offline language pack |
Apps you can skip
- M-Paspor is for Indonesian citizens’ passports. Visitors do not need it.
- GoPay and OVO wallets usually need an Indonesian number for full verification; DANA’s foreign account is the realistic option for tourists.
- Separate airport taxi apps. At Bali airport, Grab, Gojek, MyBluebird and the official counter cover every need — see the airport guide.
Set up before you leave
- Register Grab and Gojek and add a card while your home SIM can receive verification codes.
- Submit the arrival card in All Indonesia once you are inside the 3-day window, and screenshot the QR code.
- Pay the Bali levy in Love Bali and save the voucher.
- Download Google Maps offline areas for where you are going — mobile data is patchy on boats and in the hills.
- Save your hotel’s WhatsApp number and your insurer’s emergency number.
Sources
- Immigration — All Indonesia app
- Love Bali — official FAQ
- Grab Indonesia — transport
- Gojek Help — card payments
- DANA — can tourists use QRIS in Indonesia?
- RCTI+ — KAI Commuter takes over the YIA airport train — 17 September 2026
- KAI Commuter — airport train booking
- Ferizy — ASDP ferry tickets
- Bisnis — PELNI tickets online only