Top-10 best New York subway apps for Android and iOS

In fact, it's quite easy to get lost in big cities and it'll be pretty difficult to go without a navigation app or subway map. The New York subway can seem very confusing at the beginning. You'll have to spend time trying to figure out which line is the one you have to transfer at and which variant is the most favourable for you. In this review you will find the top iPhone and Android mobile apps for navigating the New York subway. Also in this publication you will find out how to get somewhere in New York by subway fast and conveniently.

Citymapper app

Citymapper is a guide around NYC subway and a navigation app.

Its main features:

• Integration with other transport services - this will help to create combined routes such as subway + bus or subway + cab, etc.
• Recommendations for choosing a train car. This will help to reduce the transfer time and avoid inconveniences when getting off the train.
• Showing a map of a station in order to exit right to your destination.
• Working offline (no need to connect to Wi-Fi to create a route)
• Detailed subway map for Manhattan/Brooklyn area, bus and other public transportation timetables.
• Transferring between NYC subway stations.
• Just-in-time notification of events: endings or changes of routes, transfers, emergencies, subway line disruptions, and train delays.
• Scheduling an appointment with someone at a particular subway exit.

Advantages:

• Using it in the background mode.
• Automatic updates if any changes are made to the subway map.

You can download the app: Android | iPhone

MyTransit NYC Subway

MyTransit NYC Subway allows to:

• build the most convenient route by subway;
• calculate the approximate time spent on the road (taking into account transfer stops and transitions through tunnels);
• receive information on the stations or transition tunnels between stations closed for renovation;
• choose the most suitable exits to the needed streets;
• figure out the number of transfers you'll have to make;
• pay travel fare, deposit funds to transport cards.

You can install MyTransit NYC Subway for free: Android | iOS

NYC subway Map MTA

Functions:

• Search optimal routes based on your current location and final destination
• Easy route planner using the official NYC subway map
• Notifications about important events: changes in train schedule, train delays, repair works
• An offline app that does not require an internet connection for subway navigation
• Creating complex routes with transfers to other modes of transport

How to use the app:

1. First of all, download the app;
2. Open NYC subway Map MTA subway time;
3. Tap the settings icon looking like a gear;
4. Select a city from the list (New York) by ticking it;
5. Tap the arrow and go back;
6. Specify the "Where from" and "Where to" points and then the route should be built with all the required data provided;
7. For convenience and time saving reasons, you can configure the filling of "From" and "To" by tapping a station in the settings. In order to do this, enable the "Select stations by touch" feature.

In order to show route details open the "Details" link at the bottom. The information on a route via subway includes:

• data on time spent travelling;
• transferring option;
• tips on choosing a particular train car in order to save time, as well as alternative variants (f.ex. taxi) for faster transportation

Advantages:

• Accessibility – it can be used by people with visual impairments.
• The interactive NYC subway map is adapted for TalkBack mode.

Disadvantages:

• Some Play Market users note the presence of advertising content.

Moovit

The official NYC subway map. This app will help you understand NYC subway navigation, show train departure times, and create the best route based on the situation. According to independent ratings, Moovit has been the best apps for new yorkers for 5 years.

Moovit best features:

• Building the necessary route across NYC and its regions.
• Up-to-date information on the changes in the subway working schedule and stations closed for repair work.
• Calculating the approximate travel fare.
• Staying aware of all unexpectedly popped-up issues on your way in real time.

How to use the Moovit app:

1. Launch the app. The main features, including notifications (shown at the bottom of the screen) will be displayed on the screen of your device.
2. The subway map can be zoomed in via the movements of two fingers.
3. Specify the departure ("From") and destination ("To") points. The subway map will show the route. If more than one option is available, all of them will be displayed with the difference in travel time shown.
4. You can also specify the departure and destination points by tapping "From" – "To" correspondingly above the name of the selected stations.
5. Along with the route itself, additional information will be displayed, including the availability of parking lots and the number of free spaces there, as well as the numbers of suitable land transport for travelling around the city.
6. If you tap the "i" letter next to the station name, the app will display its historical data.

Advantages:

• the presence of fare calculator;
• the opportunity to find out more about the sightseeing points of the city and build a route to and from them;
• accessibility for people with mobile impairments;
• no advertising content.

The Moovit app is available for download for Android | iOS

Transit

(free; iPhone, Android)

Transit is an app with a user-friendly UI. It combines several modes of transport, including subways, buses, and other ground transportation.

Useful features:

• Detailed map with subway lines, transfer hubs, bus routes, and cab stops
• Display of the user's location, as well as real-time transport tracking along the route (for buses and other ground transportation types)
• Customising the display of only necessary information in the app, disabling unnecessary types of transport
• Search for the nearest transport that will take you to your destination
• Easy-to-use trip planner with optimal or fastest route
• More information on rental vehicles, bicycles, etc.
• You can check the departure and arrival times at the desired station.

Transit will not only help you calculate the travel time, but also suggest which mode of transport will be the best option. This way you can avoid the unpleasant situation when it is easier to transfer to the subway than to take the bus and be late for work.

Download: Android | iOS

New York Subway

This app has several basic features, but we will note only the key ones:

• View full MTA map - all locations are available.
• The route planner - so you don't get lost on the New York Subway.
• The Countdown Clocks - train timetable for each station.
• The route planner with transfers
• Distance from point A to point B
• Save your favourite routes

In short, this is an indispensable assistant for navigating the NY subway, which will be useful to both locals and tourists new to the metropolis.

Download: Android | iOS

Map of NYC Subway

(free; Android)

Some of the apps in this review don't work without the Internet. Map of NYC Subway is a completely offline app that will help you navigate NYC Subway under any circumstances.

It will be useful for:

• New York Subway map,
• the Long Island Railroad
• (LIRR) network map and the night subway map.

The app is very easy to use, and the map can be zoomed in to see stops and routes better.

The app also includes Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn bus maps.

The last Map of NYC Subway update was released in 2021.

Download: Android

Google Maps

Google Maps is a mobile guide around NYC subway. With its help you can get information on:

• the history of NYC subway construction;
• the way its stations looked initially;
• various interesting facts,
• view many photos from different periods of NYC subway history.

Advantages:

• the opportunity to turn an ordinary trip by subway into an interesting excursion;
• simple and intuitive interface.

How to use the Google Maps app:

1. Download the app from Google Play by tapping the link below.
2. Grant the utility the access to your device.
3. The app may show a notification warning against its large size and suggest using Wi-Fi for the download. We recommend accepting the suggestion in order to save your mobile Internet traffic.
4. Launch the app.

Download: Android | iOS

mTRO NYC

A minimalistic navigation app which has the subway maps of more than a hundred different cities, including NYC. The app supports the following features:

1. Helping with the navigation in a subway.
2. Building the shortest route to your destination.
3. Calculating the time spent on the road.
4. Showing the maps of stations and general plan of the subway.
5. Providing the capability to select the waiting time of a train (f. ex. a day or night).

Advantages:

• no advertising content;
• 3D layouts of most stations;
• capability to create custom routes;
• handbook with land transport timetables;
• multilingual interface.

The fact that the service is only available for Android 4.1 and above can be called its main disadvantage. Moreover, the app is unable to count the time for fast trains, so the travel time estimated by the app may differ from the real one.

Download mTRO NYC: Android | iPhone

NYC Transit

1. Download NYC Transit and open the app;
2. In order to select a map, you have to specify its name in the search bar or manually find it in the list.
3. The first finger tap on the map will set your departure station, when the second – the arrival station. All subsequent taps will change the destination station.
4. In order to change the initial station, you have to tap an empty space or change the parameter via the app settings menu (the command is called "Clear").
5. You can also set the start station via the context menu.
6. You can find a station by its name by typing it in the search bar.
7. The "Show time" command will calculate the journey time from and to each station.