All the Apps You Need to Download When Moving

Moving can be one of the most stressful life events. The process involves organizing, packing, coordinating logistics, heavy lifting, unpacking, and setting up a new home.

Fortunately, technology is here for us to help simplify the transition, making moving a slightly less terrible experience. Many of the tools you need to master the moving process exist in your phone’s app store.

Below are the best moving apps and other must-have apps for Apple and Android devices you can download before your moving date to help you stay organized, sell or donate unwanted items, set up utilities and services, and stay entertained and connected during your move.

Organizational Apps

Staying organized is crucial when moving. These moving planner apps can help you keep track of your moving tasks and home inventory, and plan logistics efficiently.

Moving Checklist Apps

Moving checklist apps provide detailed task lists and timelines, ensuring you don't miss any important steps.

• MoveAdvisor: Offers a comprehensive checklist and helps you find moving companies.
• Moving Planner: Features pre-populated checklists and the ability to add custom tasks.
• Sortly: Allows you to create custom checklists and reminders.

Inventory Apps

Inventory apps help you catalog your belongings, making it easier to manage packing and unpacking.

• Sortly: This lets you create a visual inventory with photos and QR labels.
• Magic Home Inventory: Provides a detailed inventory list and tracks the value of items.
• Encircle: Designed for home inventory and insurance purposes, but useful for moving.

Planning and Logistics Apps

These apps assist in planning the logistics of your move, including timelines, budgeting, and finding the right handyman or moving services to fit your needs and schedule.

• TaskRabbit: Connects you with local help for packing, moving, and other tasks like mounting TVs, assembling furniture, or hanging wall art.
• MoveAdvisor: In addition to checklists, this app offers space and moving cost calculators.
• ProMover: Helps you plan and coordinate every aspect of your move.

Moving Company Apps

Put down that dolly and relax. Moving company apps streamline the process of hiring professional movers to do the heavy lifting for you. Some of these moving apps have unique features, like tracking your move.

• U-Haul: Book moving trucks, dollies, and storage units, and find moving supplies.
• Mayflower: Provides full-service moving options and a moving cost estimator.

Space Planning Apps

A new home is like a blank canvas — an exciting opportunity to showcase your style and create a space that makes you happy. Space planning apps help you visualize your new home and plan where your furniture and belongings will go.

• Room Planner: This allows you to create 3D models of your rooms and arrange furniture.
• MagicPlan: Create floor plans using your phone's camera.
• Planner 5D: Offers 2D and 3D design tools for room and home planning.

Selling and Donating Apps

Don’t bring clutter into your new home. Moving presents a perfect opportunity to get rid of those things you’ve been holding onto for too long. These apps make it easy to sell or donate items you no longer need, giving them a second life and contributing to sustainable consumerism.

Marketplace Apps

Marketplace apps enable you to sell unwanted items quickly and easily.

• Facebook Marketplace: Sell to people in your local area or ship to them anywhere through Facebook.
• OfferUp: Message and sell to local buyers through a simple platform for selling a variety of items.
• eBay: Reach a wider audience for selling your more unique or valuable items.

Donation Apps

Donation apps help you find places to donate items you don’t need, benefiting others while giving you more space.

• Goodwill: Find nearby Goodwill donation centers and track donations for tax purposes.
• ThredUp: Donate clothes by sending them in a free clean-out kit.
• Freecycle: Connects you with people in your community who need the items you want to give away.

Utility and Service Setup Apps

Setting up utilities and services in your new home can be a hassle. If you’re planning an upcoming home or apartment move, these apps help make the process of transitioning services and finding the right providers much smoother.

Internet and Cable Services Apps

Use SmartMove to help you find the right TV and Internet providers in your new area. Whichever provider you choose likely has its own mobile app, which allows you to manage your service, monitor your account, and more.

Smart Home Setup Apps

Smart home setup apps assist in configuring your smart devices in your new home.

• Google Home: Set up and control Google smart home devices.
• Amazon Alexa: Manage your Alexa-enabled devices and smart home ecosystem.
• Samsung SmartThings: Connect and control a variety of smart devices from different brands.

Entertainment On the Go

Moving can be tedious, but entertainment apps allow you to take entertainment with you during the often stressful process of moving.

Cable TV Anywhere Apps

These apps allow you to watch your favorite TV shows and movies from any device, whether it’s before the big move or while you’re unpacking in your new home.

• Xfinity Stream: Watch live TV and on-demand content from anywhere.
• Spectrum TV: Access your Spectrum TV subscription from your mobile device.
• Cox Contour: Stream live TV and on-demand content from Cox.

Connectivity Apps

Staying connected is essential during a move. These apps help you find WiFi and stay online.

WiFi Finder Apps

If you’re stuck in limbo for a few days without home WiFi, these WiFi finder apps help you locate nearby free WiFi hotspots, ensuring you stay connected during your move.

• WiFi Map: Find free WiFi hotspots around the world.
• Instabridge: Access a database of WiFi passwords shared by users.
• Wiffinity: Locate free and open WiFi networks near you.

Mobile Hotspot Apps

Did you know you can turn your smartphone into a mobile WiFi hotspot, providing Internet access for your other devices wherever you go? Check out mobile hotspot options from the following providers:

• Xfinity Mobile: Xfinity Mobile offers a By the Gig data plan and an unlimited mobile hotspot data plan. Both mobile hotspot plans include 5G and 4G LTE access (where available) and 600 kbps personal hotspots. The By the Gig plan supports data sharing between multiple lines (up to 10GB).
• Optimum Mobile: If you’re an Optimum Internet customer, you have nationwide access to millions of WiFi networks. Optimum mobile hotspots allow users to experience the same fast Internet speeds they enjoy at home. Using Optimum mobile hotspots only requires customers to enter their Optimum login credentials when connecting to an available mobile hotspot.
• Spectrum Mobile: Individuals who are already Spectrum mobile or Internet customers automatically get free unlimited mobile hotspot access where available. If you’re not yet a Spectrum customer, you can sign up for the “Spectrum Free Trial” to test out its mobile hotspot for up to 30 minutes.

How SmartMove Can Help You Stay Connected When You Move

SmartMove is here to support you throughout the moving process. With SmartMove, you can compare plans, schedule installations, and transfer services with ease. This streamlined approach helps reduce the stress of moving and ensures you have access to essential services as soon as you arrive. We can even help you focus on settling into your new home without worrying about the hassle of setting up connectivity.

Get started by entering your address below so SmartMove can connect you with the top TV, phone, and Internet providers in your area.