The new BC Hydro app makes it easier than ever to manage your home's electricity use and earn Power Smart rewards.
There's an app for that — B.C. edition
Smartphones have become our maps, guidebooks, weather stations, field guides, and daily planners all in one. The best apps help us save time, stay connected, discover new places, and make smarter decisions in our day-to-day lives.
Living in British Columbia comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges, from navigating busy commutes and tracking power outages to finding your way on remote trails and spotting wildlife in the backyard. Fortunately, there's an app for just about all of it.
Some apps feel tailor-made for life in B.C. Here are a few that can help you save time, stay informed, explore the outdoors, and get more from your energy use.
BC Hydro at your fingertips: Energy insights, outage updates, and rewards
The new BC Hydro app puts your electricity account in your pocket. From tracking your energy use and earning rewards through Team Power Smart and Peak Saver to receiving personalized outage updates, it's the easiest way to stay connected to your home's electricity use wherever you are.
Download it now on the App Store or get it on Google Play.
Depending on which smartphone you have, you can set up face ID for super easy access. And once you're in, you’re ready to not only keep tabs on your bills, but to see how much electricity you’re using — right down to the hour — participate in energy-saving challenges to earn Power Smart rewards, and stay informed when outages occur.
Here's what's waiting for you on the app:
- Seamless login with your My Hydro profile
- Current and recent bills, plus usage data down to the hour
- Rewards through Peak Saver and Team Power Smart
- Up to date power outage information, automatically mapped to your home
- Contests and special offers. You can visit every day in November and December for daily prizes and seasonal surprises.
- The ability to quickly toggle from one residential account to another.
The app was launched in Fall 2026 with the initial set of features above, and we’ll continue to add new capabilities over time.
Hike, bike and ski: AllTrails, Trailforks and Granite
Whether you're heading out for a casual hike, a mountain bike ride, or a backcountry adventure, there's an app to help you find your way. For everyday hikers, AllTrails offers trail maps, route information, and reviews from fellow outdoor enthusiasts, with both free and premium features available. Trailforks has become the go-to app for mountain bikers, with detailed trail maps, conditions, and route planning tools.
For serious hikers, ski tourers, and year-round backcountry explorers, Granite is a homegrown B.C. success story. Developed by outdoor enthusiasts from Squamish and Revelstoke, the app has gained a loyal following for its detailed mapping and backcountry navigation features. Following the closure of FATMAP in 2024, Granite has become a popular alternative for alpine and winter recreationists, thanks in part to its integration with Avalanche Canada forecasts and conditions.
Planning a winter outing? These apps can help you navigate the terrain, but they're only one part of a safe adventure. Before heading into the backcountry, brush up on avalanche awareness, trip planning, and essential gear with our guide to winter backcountry safety. It also covers what to do if you encounter a downed, damaged, or low-hanging power line: stay at least 10 metres (33 feet) away and call 9-1-1. Even if a line isn't sparking or making a sound, always assume it's live and dangerous.
This app is for the birds: Merlin Bird ID
Ever heard a bird singing in the trees and wondered what it was? Merlin Bird ID can help. Developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the free app acts like a pocket birding guide, making it easy for beginners and experienced birders alike to identify the birds around them.
Merlin offers three ways to identify a bird: live Sound ID, which listens to and identifies birds by their songs and calls; Photo ID, which analyzes uploaded images; and a simple five-question identification tool based on what you observed, such as size, colour, and location.
Look up in wonder: Sky Guide, Sky Tonight, My Aurora
British Columbia's dark skies offer incredible opportunities for stargazing, meteor watching, and even catching the Northern Lights. The right app can help you make the most of the experience.
For Apple users, Sky Guide remains one of the most popular stargazing apps thanks to its intuitive point-and-identify interface. The free version helps you locate constellations, planets, and more than 170,000 stars, while the premium version unlocks additional constellations, millions of additional stars, and enhanced zoom capabilities.
Android users often turn to Sky Tonight, which earns high marks for its accurate point-and-aim identification feature. The app also tracks meteor showers, displays real-time celestial events, and lets you set reminders so you never miss a noteworthy event in the night sky.
And if the Northern Lights are on your bucket list, My Aurora is a must-have. The app provides aurora forecasts, alerts when viewing conditions are favourable, and guidance on the best nearby locations to catch nature's light show.
Getting around B.C.: apps for every journey
Whether you're commuting across town, planning a road trip, or driving an electric vehicle, a few apps can help make getting around B.C. a whole lot easier.
For transit riders, Transit has become the go-to app for live bus tracking, route planning, and service updates in communities across the province. It even offers a handy "Leave Now" alert, which sends a reminder to your phone when it's time to head out the door. While Umo remains the official app for paying fares and storing passes in many communities, Transit shines when it comes to real-time travel information.
If you're hitting the road, DriveBC is an essential companion. The app provides up-to-date information on road conditions, traffic incidents, construction, webcams, and weather-related closures, helping drivers plan ahead and avoid surprises, especially during the winter months.
For electric vehicle owners, the BC Hydro EV app makes charging on the go simple. Drivers can locate nearby charging stations, check charger availability in real time, start and stop charging sessions, and track charging history, making it easier to plan everything from daily commutes to longer road trips.
Planning a winter getaway? These apps can help you get there safely, but preparation matters too. Before setting out, check out our guide to winter driving tips for road trips, including advice on route planning, emergency kits, charging in cold weather, and staying safe when conditions change unexpectedly.
Did you know? Metro Vancouver transit riders automatically receive a free upgrade to Transit Royale, the app's premium subscription service, courtesy of TransLink