6 bathroom finder apps to download when traveling
Whether you are traveling or just going around your town, and all of a sudden need to urgently do number one or number two, know that there are great apps out there to help spot a restroom near you to go. We picked 6 apps that are still in the market (as many have simply stopped working) that promise to come to your rescue in those moments of rebel bowels.
Flush Toilet Finder
If the urge to run to the bathroom comes out of nowhere and you need a handy app, Flush is the first option, especially if you are traveling, as it has a global database of restrooms. The company claims to have more than 200,000 bathrooms, loos, and WC listed. If you are in New York, it will be useful. If you are in Madrid, you won´t be disappointed. If you are in Tokyo, everything works alright. If you are in São Paulo, you won’t find the private restrooms of restaurants, for example, but the public ones for sure. Besides, it works offline, which is REALLY useful when you are traveling abroad or don´t have the normal internet connection you’re used to.
Flush uses Google Maps to guide you, has filters to spot places with access to disabled people, and if the bathroom is free, paid, or if it requires a key. You can also contribute by informing the app about not listed toilets, increasing the database, and helping other users.
Flush has two versions for iOS: Flush Toiler Finder & Map, which is a free app, and Flush Pro Restroom Finder, which costs 2,29€. For Android, it has only a free version.
Conclusion: Flush is well-designed, easy-to-use (great UX, guys!), and has a powerful global database that increases by its own users’ activity. So we definitely recommend it as an app to have when you travel.
Toilet Finder, by Be Tomorrow
This is one of the heavy-weight apps both in App Store and Google Play. It is well-rated by thousands of people and has an impressive number of toilets listed: more than 150,000 globally.
But that’s not all. Toilet Finder is easy to use and includes both public and private restrooms (bar or restaurants), with indications if it is free or not or if it has access for disabled people. Toilet Finder also allows the community to add restrooms so that no one gets without a loo when they are most needed.
San Bidet, Philippines
Yes, the moment is critical but you don´t give up a little luxury. In the Philippines, an app has gone viral for helping people find the nearest restroom with a bidet. Yes, a bidet… to make it more comfortable to poop, according to its creator Lawrence Velasco.
He had the idea when stuck out of his house, in that sweating situation of urgent need of doing number two, but with no bidet around. It took him 3 weeks to develop San Bidet, and it was an immediate success in the Philippines. Users can add new restrooms with bidets and the database is steadily growing.
San Bidet is quite simple but it does the job. It is available for iOS and Android. So, if you are going to the Philippines and find it hard to poop without the water giggles from a bidet, you already know what to download. San Bidet is free.
Toilet Rush, Hong Kong
This is the ultimate bathroom app in Hong Kong. Toilet Rush informs users about their nearest public restroom, its condition, and amenities. You can check ratings on the facilities listed and also contribute by giving feedback to the community.
Toilet Rush supports offline mode although it needs to be connected on the Internet on the first launch. It is developed in Android and iOS.
National Public Toilet Map, Australia
Incontinence issues? The National Continence Program of Australia comes to the rescue! The Australian government developed The National Public Toilet Map to show the location of more than 18,000 publicly available restrooms in the country. It includes details of accessibility, opening hours, and other features, such as sharps disposal and diaper changing facilities.
Besides the usual GPS capabilities, the app allows search filters to be toggled to show ambulant toilets, accessible parking nearby, and right or left-hand transfer information for wheelchair users. The idea is to assist the estimated 4.8 million Australians affected by continence issues and, of course, travelers.
National Public Toilet Map app is available for iOS and Android, and is free.
SitorSquat, by Charmin
This app is very well positioned online, but the truth is: it is a bit disappointing. First, it is only available in certain countries, like the United States, Canada, or Australia. If you are in Europe, it seems not to be listed in the App Store (it is listed in Google Play though). It is a free app.
The app works with a map with restrooms nearby. Each restroom has a toilet paper icon in red or green on it. The green icon indicates the toilet is safe to sit in. The red one indicates it is only for squatting. It also has filters to find only free restrooms, baby-changing tables availability or accessible restrooms.
SitorSquat is probably the oldest toilet finder app in the market. Its first version was released in 2012, by Charmin, the toilet paper brand owned by Proctor & Gamble. It has more than 1,500 reviews in Google Play store and the average opinion is not so good.