Category: Apps

‘Flat’ is a new real estate app that just recently launched and unlike most new real estate projects, this one is starting off with a large selection of ads, over 1,500 at the time of this post.

Visually the app is decent looking but I found navigating through the listings a bit inefficient since at any one point you can only see two listings at a time while scrolling. One cool feature I did like though was the ability to find apartments available around you. Say you’re in an area you like, you can just launch the app and click on the “Nearby” option and the app will find apartments available in your vicinity.

Flat is free and available for both iOS and Android devices and you can download them using the following links: [Apple iOS] [Android]

You can also visit their website [Here]

Someone suggested I put together a list of all the local apps I use so I’ve listed them below. Any local app I should be using which isn’t on the list? Let me know!

NBK: They’re my bank and so I don’t have an option except to use their app but it’s actually a pretty good one. Quick to login with just my fingerprint, the app looks good and I can perform all my banking from within it. The only thing I can’t do is add new beneficiaries for money transfers. I still need to login to their website and add it from there the old fashioned way.

Talabat: Not a big fan of talabat, not a big fan of their app either. I literally have it installed and use it just so I could order from CHKN. That’s it.

Carriage: Although they charge a KD1 delivery charge, it’s the only way to order from some of my favorite places like JOA and DOH! Plus you can track the status of your order and watch the delivery guy get lost on your way to your house via GPS tracking.

MyFatoorah: I use this app to invoice clients and sometimes friends. Easier than having people add me as a beneficiary to their bank account, they can just transfer money to me by paying me with Knet.

Xcite: I don’t use the app to shop from, but more as tool whenever I am trying to find out the price of an item locally.

4Sale: Worst app design but also the only way to access the best classifieds website in Kuwait. I tend to just use it to flip through the cars category always looking for something interesting on sale.

Klean: It’s a laundry service app but they also clean sneakers so I only tend to use this app when I need my sneakers cleaned.

Alive Yoga: Since I’m a member at Alive, I use the app to check the schedule of classes and to sign up. It’s pretty good plus once you sign up, the app can add your class to your phone calendar so you don’t forget.

Other Notable Mentions:

SnappCard: Used to be one of my favorite apps but after their last update, they now force you to review your previous order before you can use the app again. Imagine if Talabat did this, forced you to review a restaurant every time after placing an order and not allowing you to use the app until you do. I deleted the app obviously.

Burgan Bank: Also my bank, terrible app, looks like something from the 90s. Very limited with what I can do in the app but thankfully they recently added fingerprint login and so one positive thing about it.

Go Tap: I used to use this app to buy iTunes cards from before I connected my iTunes account directly to my US credit card.

iBadala: A phone directory app, rarely use it anymore since I just google things but it’s still on my phone just in case.

This is kinda related to my previous post, Portarage is a local roadside assistance app that allows you to request help if you run into car problems. The app has four different kinds of assistance you could call for:

– Tow Truck
– Flat Tire
– Petrol
– Battery

A couple of years back I had posted about a similar app called Winch but that’s no longer available or working and was only for calling a tow truck. Portarage should be a better alternative since not only can you request a tow truck but you could request a jump start, help fixing a flat tire or call for fuel in case you run out.

The app is available for both [iOS] and [Android] and is free to download.

I usually like to call my salon and book an appointment over the phone but if you would rather use an app then I’m aware of three local salon and spa booking apps. From the three, two cater to women and one caters to both men and women. I’ve listed the apps below, in case there is another app I’m not aware of let me know.

Bookr – Men & Women (Android & iOS)
Salony – Only Women (Android & iOS)
The Pretty Book – Only Women (iOS Only)
Zeena – Only Women (Android & iOS)

Update: Added The Pretty Book

Haven’t tried using this app yet but hopefully it’s more reliable than the other taxi app I’ve tried using before, Q8 Taxi. I tried ordering a cab with Q8 Taxi when I had to drop off my car for detailing and the drivers kept canceling my taxi request. Whats taking Uber so long to launch in Kuwait??

To download Abi Taxi on your iPhone just search for Abi Taxi in the app store or click [Here]

Last month I posted about the new delivery law where restaurants can no longer have a minimum delivery order or charge more than 500 fils for delivery. The law turned out to be controversial since it benefited the consumers but hurt small businesses. Now though there might be a solution for those small businesses who can’t afford their own delivery vehicles, while also being beneficial to us consumers.

Carriage is a new local service provider that delivers food from restaurants that don’t usually deliver. So if feel like pizza from Solo PN or Sweet & Sour Prawns from Peacock? You can now order from them using the app Carriage. Of course the service isn’t free, Carriage charge KD1 per order which isn’t a lot considering you don’t have a minimum order amount to pay or compared to how much some restaurants charge for delivery.

Right now they’re still in the beta testing phase so the app isn’t available yet in the Apple and Android store. They should be launching sometime later this month. If you’re interested in trying out the app before the official launch then visit their website and register for the beta program [Here]

SnappCard is a digital loyalty card app that I’ve previously posted about on the blog. They’ve been adding new restaurants since they launched but since my friend is running the app in Kuwait, there are two places I had been nagging him from the start to include in it, Elevation Burger and my favorite Döner kebab place, Slice. These were the only two places I went to that had loyalty cards and because I don’t keep the cards in my wallet, I sometimes don’t have them on me when I visit them. Since last week though Slice is now part of SnappCard and their offer is actually pretty good. Previously after 7 orders you would get a free sandwich but now all you need is 6 orders and you get a choice between a Slice box (carbs free option which is what I take), a Rice box or a combo (sandwich, fries and drink).

While we’re on the subject of SnappCard, Poêle, one of my favorite lunch spots is also in the app. If you haven’t heard of SnappCard before, check out my previous post on it [Here]

Masbagti is a new laundry app that just got released yesterday and it could be useful for some people who don’t live near a laundromat. After creating your account the process of having your clothes picked up is a fairly simple one:

– You choose a date and time you’d like your laundry picked up

– You choose if you’d like fast service (cleaned/ironed in under 4 hours) or standard service (cleaned/ironed in under 24 hours)

– You then have two more options, you either let them know what items and how many of each they will be picking up or choose to have them count the items when they come to pick up your stuff. The advantage of the first option is you’ll know how much everything will end up costing you before placing the order.

– The final step is checking out. If you chose to let them know what they will be picking up then you will be given the option to pay by cash on delivery or with knet before checking out.

I setup an account and tried the app out awhile ago and I like the whole idea plus their prices are pretty competitive even though my ghetto laundromat under the house is literally half the price. But compared to proper laundromats, their prices are supposed to be similar and in some cases cheaper.

I did have some negative comments about the app though which I already emailed the owners about. For example when I created my account I wanted to use a simple 1234 style password since it’s just a laundry app and doesn’t need any security. But the app requested I use a password with a minimum of 8 characters and also to include a number and one capital letter. Why so much drama? Another issue I had was while trying the app I accidentally placed an order and there wasn’t a way to cancel it. Within a few minutes I got a notification saying the laundromat had received my request and I was like what?? noooooooo!. Luckily I emailed them and they were able to cancel my order before they sent someone over to pick up the imaginary laundry I created for this post.

Masbagti just launched so obviously there are kinks to work out. In a couple of weeks you’ll also be able to choose which laundromat you want to use which some people would definitely like to do. If you’re interested in the app it’s available for both iOS and Android. You can find links to both on their website [Here]

Late last year Alshaya soft launched their “Privileges Club” card. The card provide a number of benefits to Alshaya shoppers including automatically entering them into their monthly prize draws and giving them access to exclusive offers amongst other benefits. Back when I posted about the card their app hadn’t been released yet but now that the app is out I figured I’d post about it because it’s actually a pretty good one.

The biggest issue I have with my Privileges Club card or any other loyalty card for that matter (like my IKEA one) is I never carry them with me since I’ve got one of those slim wallets which can only fit four cards. So I end up leaving my loyalty cards at home and forget to take them with me when I go shopping. The best feature about the Alshaya Privileges Club card app is the fact you don’t have to carry the physical card with you, instead they can just scan the card’s QR code from your screen. Other benefits of the app is that it lets you know how many entries you have in their monthly draw, what new offers are available, the ability to sign up or sign out of notifications and other helpful features. It’s a loyalty card done right surprisingly. So if you’ve got an Alshaya Privileges Club card, download the app. I’m not sure if it’s available on Android but on iPhones just search for Alshaya in the Apple App Store.

Update: It’s also available on Android.

4Sale is a local classifieds app which I have been hesitant to post about since it’s a pretty crappy app with tons of ads, terrible graphics and overall just a big mess. But, the app does have one thing going for it and that is the content. For some odd reason, the app (and their website) is super popular. It’s probably one of the most popular classifieds websites and apps in Kuwait even though they’re both horrible to use.

I hate it and it’s not just me, the App has a 2 star rating in the app store so clearly other people are facing similar issues. But like I said its about the content and you’ll find a ton of stuff for sale here. I’ve been mostly using the app to look for old cars from the 80s, a friend of mine uses it to search for vape products while another for video games. You’re bound to find something in there that interests you so you’ll end up putting up with all the flaws just like I do. To download the app search for “4sale” in the app store or click one of the following links [iPhone] [Android]

Dizly is a locally produced app that allows you to buy and send a variety of gifts to people. I’ve had the app for awhile now but they’ve recently made some changes to it that have improved the experience dramatically with the most important change being that you no longer needed to create an account just so you could browse the products.

Since Christmas is in a few days I figured now would be the best time to post about the app. They’ve also given me a promo code “Diz248am” to share with my readers which will give you a 15% discount on all the items. The app is available on iOS and Android and you can check out their website for more details [Here]

“Ghaseel” is an app that allows you to order and pay for a car wash using your phone. The way it works is fairly simple, after signing up and filling your address, you proceed to order a car wash. You choose your date and time you want them to come and wash your car and then you’ll get a list of different companies that are available at your specified time. You choose the company and package you want and then check out and pay.

It’s not a bad idea at all but there are a few things I think they can do to make it even better. Firstly the way the different carwash packages are featured is not very consistent. Some are written in Arabic, some English, some are very detailed information wise while others are very vague. It makes the app feel very amateurish. Secondly there is no rating system. So if you had a good or bad experience with one of the carwash companies there is no way of let other users know.

Still not a bad first attempt. The app is only available for iOS devices at the moment and is free to download from the App Store by searching for “Ghaseel” or by visiting their website [Here]

SnappCard the digital loyalty card app officially launched in Kuwait today. I had no idea what it was or even heard about it until a friend of mine told me of it awhile ago. SnappCard is basically an app that aims to replace those paper card loyalty cards from your favorite restaurants. The two cards I tend to use the most are my Elevation Burger and Slice cards, and I keep either losing them or forgetting to carry them with me. SnappCard is supposed to solve that by having all your points scored digitally in the app itself, it is also supposed to work with multiple restaurants and in different countries. They’re mainly focused in Bahrain and UAE right now but they launched in Kuwait today. Right now they oddly chose only to work with one restaurant here, the newly opened Rock House Sliders, but they will be adding more places soon (Elevation and Slice pretty please). The app works with iOS, Android and Blackberry, for more info check out their website [Here]

The Ministry of Public Works have an app (Android and iOS) that allows you to submit complaints directly to them. Nowhere in their app description or inside the app does it mention what kind of complaints to submit but since it’s for the Ministry of Public Works I’m assuming it’s related to infrastructure like roads, parks, sewage etc..

The app looks outdated and is poorly designed even though it just got released a few months ago. I was also wondering why they had called it Emergency 150, but then I got a hunch and dialed 150 on my phone, turns out it’s their complaint hotline number. Who knew? If you want to download it here are the links: [iOS] [Android]

Thanks Mohammad

Sanad is an iPhone and Android app that allows you to easily find a handyman in Kuwait be it a plumber or a crane operator you name it. Seriously the app has contacts for any kind of handyman you would imagine, need aluminium work? an upholstery guy? an IT guy? This app has all their contact numbers. It’s fairly easy to use, just type in the area you live in and what kind of handyman you need and the app will show you a list of people you could call.

The app is free to download so check it out. [Link]