Two months into the Korea adventure and I’m finally starting to feel settled. I know the bus routes, can get to the supermarket with my eyes closed, and finally got a cell phone! Because of the language barrier, I spent a month and half trying to find the elusive English-speaking  store all the foreigners here go to. Now that I have my phone , I’ve been putting it to good use. Here are the 5 apps that have made the transition to life in Korea so much easier.

Translator With Speech

Any old translator app will do but using this one is as simple as typing and clicking. Just type in your native language and the app will translate it and say it out loud if you desire. No lie-I use it every time I leave the house.

Retro Camera

This apps has different camera settings and filters to make perfect pictures. There are different settings for close-ups, panoramas, portraits, and any other type o f picture you can think of. 

Learn Korean

I use this when I’m waiting on the bus. It’s an easy and simple way to pick up basic vocabulary quickly. The categories range from essential sayings to travel to numbers ( the hardest part of the Korean language in my opinion)  . The only problem I have so far is that some of the sayings don’t  match with the Korean phrases I pick up living here. Either I’m learning the slang or the Learn Korean sayings are very formal and possibly outdated.

OTO-International 

Everyone in Korea is obsessed with the app  Kakao Talk. The app allows for free texting and calling as long as both users download the service. I use it all the time but OTO-International trumps it in one major way: You can make free international calls to both cell phones and landlines. I love this app because it makes getting in touch with my 80- year- old nana –who doesn’t use the computer- easy and , most importantly, free. The free call feature only works in certain countries. Luckily, Korea is one of them.

If your outside of Korea, you can pay for this service or use  a more mainstream app like Skype.   

* Do you know of other good apps for expats? Share below!