The best navigation and transit apps.

Waze Navigation & Live Traffic is the top pick for daily drivers who want live police, accident, and traffic alerts sourced from other drivers in real time. It's the closest thing here to a general-purpose navigation app. If you mainly ride trains or buses instead of driving, skip Waze and look at Citymapper or the transit-specific apps below instead, since Waze does nothing for schedules or platforms.

The filter. Every app here is rated 4.2 or better, has been updated in the last eighteen months, and has no significant number of reviewers reporting it broken. Price is not the rule on this list — some are free, some are not.

Top pick

Waze Navigation & Live Traffic

Waze Inc.

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Free4.8★ (3,190,566)Updated Aug 31, 2026unverified

Verdict

Waze leans on crowdsourced driver reports for real-time hazard and traffic alerts, which is its main draw, but a recurring group of reviewers complain about battery drain and background location tracking tied to ads.

Best for

A daily commuter who wants live police, accident, and slowdown alerts from other drivers and doesn't mind keeping the app's location tracking active.

The catch

Multiple reviewers report the app draining battery fast unless you manually enable Sleep Mode each time, and others describe address search freezing or the app falsely claiming it's offline even with a connection.

Native app

MTA TrainTime

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

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Free4.9★ (211,098)Updated Sep 2, 2026unverified

Verdict

This is a ticketing and schedule app for LIRR and Metro-North riders, not a general navigation tool. Most reviewers find it easy to use, but there's a real undercurrent of complaints about location tracking, harsh account penalties, and unhelpful support.

Best for

Regular LIRR or Metro-North commuters who want train times and mobile tickets in one place and are comfortable with an app that tracks their location and ticket usage closely.

The catch

Some riders report being penalized or suspended over ticket-timing rules with little warning, and getting dismissive customer service when they try to dispute it, on top of complaints about the app tracking location more than users expect.

Native app

NJ TRANSIT

NEW JERSEY TRANSIT CORPORATION

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Free4.8★ (269,545)Updated Sep 9, 2026unverified

Verdict

This is the official NJ Transit app, and recent reviewers say a recent redesign made it harder to use, not easier — confusing navigation, slow loading, and missing alerts are recurring complaints despite the app's overall high rating.

Best for

Someone who already knows NJ Transit's routes and mainly needs live bus/train tracking, not a first-time rider trying to figure out the system from scratch.

The catch

Multiple recent reviewers report the app became confusing and unstable after an update, with missed push notifications, buses disappearing from tracking without warning, and slow load times — problems serious enough that some say the older version worked better.

Native app

Citymapper: All Live Transit

Citymapper Limited

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Free4.9★ (107,900)Updated Sep 14, 2026unverified

Verdict

Citymapper focuses on real-time public transit: live tracking, disruption alerts, and which-car-to-board tips, with users consistently praising its accuracy over other transit apps. A small number of reviewers report the app crashing outright.

Best for

City dwellers who ride buses and trains daily and want live disruption alerts and boarding tips, not drivers looking for turn-by-turn car navigation.

The catch

A handful of reviewers report the app crashing every time they open it, and there's an optional subscription layered on top of the free base app.

Native app

Who should skip this entirely.

If you rarely drive and only need occasional directions on foot, your phone's built-in maps app is enough — you don't need a dedicated navigation app at all. Regular commuters on a single fixed rail line should also think twice before installing anything here: the transit apps on this list track location closely and, in at least one case, can penalize you over ticket-timing rules with little recourse. If that trade-off bothers you, buy paper tickets or use the transit agency's website instead of the app.

Questions.

What's the best app for everyday driving with traffic alerts?Waze is built for this. It uses reports from other drivers to flag police, accidents, and slowdowns in real time, though it does keep location tracking active in the background.

Is there a good app for NYC subway and bus riders?Citymapper is the strongest pick for city transit, with live tracking and disruption alerts. MTA TrainTime covers LIRR and Metro-North specifically if you need mobile tickets rather than subway directions.

Which app works best for New Jersey commuters?NJ TRANSIT is the official app, but a recent redesign has made it harder to use for people unfamiliar with the routes. It's better suited to riders who already know their lines and just want live tracking.

Do any of these apps drain the battery a lot?Waze is the one most reviewers flag for this, especially if you forget to manually enable its Sleep Mode. The transit apps don't show this complaint as often.