Bathroom Scout Good to know
Reviews, history and answers.
15 years of Bathroom Scout in the press, the key milestones since 2011 – and the questions we hear most often.
Press mentions since 2011
In reverse chronological order – from the latest test win back to the first mention. German quotes are translated.
"Bathroom Scout is the winner of our app comparison – it has the largest database by far, plus several filter options."DeinHandy.de, 2025 – test winner among toilet finder apps
“…apps like Bathroom Scout can help you find more than 2.7 million bathrooms and restrooms worldwide.”healthdigest.com, 2023 – recommended for people with Crohn's disease
"Away from the highways, the Bathroom Scout app (iOS, Android) also finds public toilets, or restaurants and other facilities with accessible restrooms."Merkur, 2021
The "useful app with proximity search" – recommended among helpful smartphone apps for seniors.Bayerischer Rundfunk (German public broadcaster), 2020
"Hygiene for people and cars": Bathroom Scout helps when nature calls and no rest stop is in sight.inside-digital.de, 2020
Finds "a quiet little place nearby in no time".Das Neue (magazine), issue 02/2020
“Confidently find nearby bathrooms. Answer nature's call wherever your travels take you” – a must-have for travelers.Appliv, 2016
"For many older people it is important to be able to find the restroom quickly. […] there is this useful app: Bathroom Scout."Verlage der Zukunft, 2016
Featured positively on the US podcast “Planet of the Apps” by radio legend Rick Dees.rick.com, 2013
"Mega useful and worth every cent."planetradio.de / danis appscan, 2013
"Warmly recommended" – and listed among the most popular travel & local apps by Chip.dasgutscheinblog.de & Chip, 2013
"Very good" test verdict for usability, security, design, functionality and information.PC-Welt, 2012
Among the top 7 free apps for drivers – an app that can "get you out of a fix in urgent situations".ZDNet, 2011
Awarded "Cool App" in the catalog of successful German-language apps.telefon.de
Our history
From a beta with 390,000 locations to the largest toilet database in test – growth that tells a story of trust.
- 2011
GoToilet launches as an Android beta – with 390,000 toilets worldwide. ZDNet counts the app among the top 7 for drivers in the same year.
- 2012
"Very good" in the PC-Welt test. The database grows past 600,000 locations.
- 2013
Bathroom Scout arrives on iPhone and iPad. Press coverage from Germany to the USA.
- 2015
B2B business begins: companies integrate our toilet data into their own apps.
- 2016
After a data center outage we build redundancy across country and provider borders – no outage since.
- 2018
Destination search and new filters (public, wheelchair accessible). Over 2 million locations.
- 2020
2.5 million locations. Recommendations from Bavarian public broadcasting to inside-digital.
- 2023
Ten years of Bathroom Scout on iOS – with over 2.7 million entries.
- 2025
Test winner in DeinHandy.de's comparison of toilet finder apps.
- Today
Over 3.4 million locations worldwide – maintained by the community, open data sources and a growing number of municipalities.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the data in Bathroom Scout come from?
From three sources: an active community that has been adding, rating and reporting toilets since 2011; curated open data sources such as OpenStreetMap; and direct data feeds from municipalities. That's how over 3.4 million locations worldwide have come together.
Technically, a JSON web service answers every search in milliseconds – backed by two independent server locations, so the app keeps working even if a data center goes down.
How much does the app cost?
Bathroom Scout is available as a Pro version only – no ads, with satellite view and all features. The App Store or Google Play shows you the current price for your country.
Does the app work offline?
No, by design: the data comes live from the server so you always see the current state – new toilets, current ratings, reported closures. An offline dataset would quickly become outdated.
Can I transfer the toilet data to my navigation device?
Yes, via the app's GPX export: open the menu, choose the radius you want and download the data.
GPX is an open standard format for waypoints. Outdoor, cycling and RV navigation devices (Garmin, for example) can read it, as can map apps such as OsmAnd or Locus Map. The toilets then show up there as individual waypoints.
Who is the app especially helpful for?
For everyone on the go – and especially for families with children, travelers and drivers, seniors, and people with Crohn's disease, IBS or incontinence, for whom planning ahead isn't a luxury but a necessity.
How do I report or correct a toilet?
Right in the app: every toilet can be rated, reported as missing or newly added. Your contribution helps all other users – so, from us: thank you!
How do my city's public toilets get into the app?
Municipalities publish their data live on the internet (e.g. as CSV or API) and send us an email with the link – we connect and sync the source free of charge. All details: For municipalities.
Can I use the toilet data commercially?
Yes. Since 2015, companies have been integrating our data into their own products via JSON API or as a fully customizable white-label web application. All details: For business.
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