RHUL Mobile vs the Official Royal Holloway App
Last updated: 2026-05-27
Royal Holloway, University of London students have two apps that both call themselves "the Royal Holloway app". They do different jobs. Here's what each is for and how to pick.
By Hasseeb Hussain, founder of RHUL Mobile. This is obviously a comparison from one side of it. The official app's own listing is on the App Store if you want the other side.
The short version
The official Royal Holloway app is a digital prospectus and welcome guide built on Guidebook, the same platform Royal Holloway uses for open days. It's good for prospective students and freshers in their first two weeks. It doesn't do live bus times, laundry or walking directions on campus.
RHUL Mobile is the day-to-day app for students already on campus. Live bus times, live laundry, the campus map, the marketplace, the deals tab. It doesn't do prospectus content or freshers handbooks. It's independent of the university.
Most students who try both keep RHUL Mobile and uninstall the official app once freshers is over. Most students who only install one go for RHUL Mobile.
Feature comparison
| RHUL Mobile | Official RHUL App (Guidebook) | |
|---|---|---|
| Live 441 / 441A bus times | Yes | No |
| Live RHU shuttle tracking | Yes | No |
| Live laundry machine availability | Yes | No |
| Interactive campus map with walking directions | Yes | No (PDF maps only) |
| SU events calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Societies and sports clubs directory | Yes | Yes |
| Student marketplace (buy / sell) | Yes | No |
| Deals from local Egham businesses | Yes | No |
| Food outlet opening hours | Yes | No |
| News from the university and SU | Yes | Yes |
| Welcome / orientation guide for new students | No | Yes |
| Living in Halls handbook | No | Yes |
| International student support pages | No | Yes |
| Account required | No (optional sign-in) | Some sections |
| Built by | A Royal Holloway student | Royal Holloway on the Guidebook platform |
Install the official Royal Holloway app if
- You are a prospective student, applicant or international student before arrival.
- You are a fresher in your first two weeks and want a one-stop welcome handbook.
- You specifically want the university's first-party "Living in Halls" or "International Student Support" content.
- You want something that the university itself has published and updates.
Install RHUL Mobile if
- You need to check the next 441 or RHU shuttle before leaving your room.
- You live in halls and want to see free washers and dryers without walking to the laundry room.
- You are getting lost between the Davison, Bedford and Moore buildings and want a campus map that does walking directions.
- You want a student marketplace for second-hand textbooks, furniture or tickets.
- You want to see what deals local Egham businesses are running this week.
Why is there an unofficial app at all?
The official app is built on Guidebook, a platform Royal Holloway also uses for open days and events. Guidebook is sold to admin and communications teams, not to students directly. It is excellent for the job it is sold for, which is publishing structured content to prospective and incoming students. It is not a platform for daily-use utility features like live transport feeds or laundry status.
RHUL Mobile filled the gap. The first version shipped in 2020 with one feature: live 441 bus times, because the official app did not have them and the intranet only had a PDF. Then laundry, then the campus map. The pattern was the same each time: a thing students did every day that the official app did not cover.
Are the two apps related?
No. They are separate apps from separate developers. RHUL Mobile is independent of Royal Holloway and the Students' Union. It is built and run by a Royal Holloway student, through a small company called Shacksolutions Ltd. The official app is published by Royal Holloway under the developer "Royal Holloway" on the App Store.
Can I use both?
Yes. Many students install both, use the official app for prospectus and orientation content during freshers week, then keep RHUL Mobile installed long term for the daily features. The two do not share data and do not compete for the same slot on your home screen.
Where to download each
RHUL Mobile: App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android).
Official Royal Holloway App: App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android).