If you travel with kids, a pregnant wife, or have the bladder of a hummingbird, you know the trials and tribulations of traveling without knowing where the next restroom might be. Thankfully, like all things in our modern world, there’s an app for that.
In a world of hyper-niche apps, the curiously named iPee Address (like “IP address” — get it?) smartphone app may be among the most niche. Its goal is simple: to point you toward the nearest public bathroom, no matter where in the world you might be traveling. It’s developer claims that it works in every city in the world. Once launched, the app uses dynamic geolocation to pinpoint where you are. The one downside? The full functionality requires a mobile data connection, so travelers who switch their phones to airplane mode while out of the country are out of luck.
Once the app has found your location, it relies on crowdsourced data to find the nearest public restroom for you. The results are displayed on a map of your surrounding area or in list format, courtesy of an extensive database of restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops. However, like all such apps, the details of each pit stop can range from spot-on to slightly out-of-date to wildly inaccurate. The app notes that it’s “for entertainment purposes only.” So, just because a particular shop shows up on the list doesn’t mean it’s open to the public or that it even exists. Beyond address data, the app is thin on additional details like wheelchair accessibility, whether a restroom offers a changing table, and whether it’s free or not (which can be an issue when traveling internationally). But, if you really have to go, any option — even an inaccurate one — is better than getting arrested for public urination.
Lest you think this sounds utterly ridiculous, the app has garnered extensive praise. 1010Wins News Radio rated it an app of the week, and it’s routinely ranked among the top 100 paid travel apps in the iTunes Store. So, it’s clear that tiny bladder travelers are not alone.
The iPhone version is available now for download from the iTunes store for just $0.99 USD. The developer has promised that an Android version is also in the works.
