User Guide

Master your commute with SG Bus. Learn how to find your stop, keep the ones you use close at hand, and navigate Singapore like a pro.

Prefer to watch? Most sections below link to a short video, and all of them are on our How-To Videos page.

Getting Around

SG Bus has three tabs:

  • Nearby: the bus stops around you, on the map or as a list.
  • Bookmarks: your saved stops, and the ones you opened recently.
  • MRT/LRT Lines: every train line, the MRT map, and train service status.

The search button sits at the top of every tab, beside the graduation-cap button that opens the NUS and NTU campus shuttles.

The first time you open SG Bus, every setup step is optional: location only finds the stops near you (search works without it), and notifications can wait.

▶ Watch: Setting up SG Bus: every step is optional

Getting Started

Finding Nearby Bus Stops

Never wander looking for a stop again.

  • Open the Nearby tab: it opens on the Map the first time, then on whichever view you used last, with every bus stop within 500 m of you marked with its name and stop code. Zoom in and the buses heading to the nearest stops show live.
  • Prefer a list? Switch to Stops to see the same stops road by road: the closest road first, and each road’s stops by distance.
  • Reading a row: each stop shows its name (Opp = opposite, Aft = after, Stn = station), its five-digit code (the same number as on the bus stop pole), how far it is, and an MRT logo when a train station is nearby.
  • Tap a stop to view its live arrival timings.
  • Tap an MRT station on the map to open its exits and amenities.
  • Pro-Tip: Make sure Location Services are set to “Only while using the app” for the best experience.
  • Nearby can’t find you? Location may be blocked for SG Bus. Nearby tells you so: tap Open Settings, then Location, and choose While Using the App (on Android, Permissions › Location, then Allow only while using the app).

▶ Watch: Find the nearest bus stop · How to read the bus stop list · Nearby can’t find you? Unblock location

Reading the Bus Arrivals Screen

Each bus stop has two lists:

  • Bus Arrivals: the services with a bus on the way, with the time to each of the next buses, bus type and how full it is.
  • NOT Available: the services at this stop that have no bus coming right now. FIRST & LAST means it runs today, just not now; ONLY RUNS ON and NOT RUNNING tell you which days.

On each card:

  • The times: top left is the bus number, then the minutes to the next buses. Arr means the bus is under a minute away: step up and wave, as in Singapore you wave to stop the bus.
  • The line is the whole day: the green part runs from the first bus to the last, and the dot is now, so you can see at a glance whether you’ll make the last bus.
  • SCHEDULED (yellow): the bus isn’t tracked live, and its time comes from the timetable.
  • How full: the person icon is green for seats, amber for standing room, red for very full and grey for no data. Wait for the emptier bus if you’d rather sit.
  • Bus type: the bus icon shows single deck, double deck or bendy. The MRT logo means the bus calls at train stations later on, in their lines’ colours. There’s no wheelchair icon because every public bus in Singapore is wheelchair-accessible.
  • How fresh: the chip at the bottom says when the times last updated. Pull down to refresh. Times are estimates, so use them as a guide.

▶ Watch: What a bus arrival card tells you · What the icons mean · How fresh are the bus times? · Bus missing from the list? · Flag your bus early · Want a seat? · Will you make the last bus?

Customizing Your Arrival Screen

Your commute, your view. Tap the ⋮ (more) button at the top of the Bus Arrivals screen:

  • Switch UI Modes: choose List view for a traditional feel, or switch back to the sleek Grid view.
  • 2 vs 3 Bus Timings: choose Show 2 timings or Show 3 timings to see either the next two buses or the next three-perfect for planning your departure.
  • Adjust Text Size: tap one of the three Aa sizes on the last row of the same menu for comfortable reading; the whole app grows with it. On a tablet, the sizes are at the bottom of the side bar.

▶ Watch: See 3 bus timings, or switch to list view · Make the text bigger

Live Bus Map (New)

See where your bus is, not just when it comes.

  • Open it: tap the map button at the top of any bus arrivals screen, or the ⋮ button on a bookmarked stop and choose Show live buses.
  • Find your stop: blue rings pulse around the stop for the first few seconds, until you touch the map.
  • Your services first: at a stop with bookmarked services, the map shows those. Tap the card at the top (Bookmarked services only) to see every service, and again to go back.
  • Zoom in to see the buses: buses show from a street-level zoom; further out, tap Zoom in to see the buses.
  • Reading a bus: its number is its service, its colour shows who runs it (purple for SBS Transit, red for SMRT, green for Tower Transit and Go-Ahead, and each campus’s own colour for the NUS and NTU shuttles), and its shape is single deck, double deck or bendy. The arrow on its roof points where it’s heading, coloured by how full it is: green for seats, amber for standing room, red for very full.
  • Tap a bus to see when it and the next one of its service arrive, and where it is going.
  • Buses off the screen: labels at the edge, such as 190: 6m, point the way to the next bus of each service; tap one to bring it into view. Show the next bus at the foot of the map does the same for the bus due soonest.
  • How fresh it is: positions come from LTA (and from each campus for the NUS and NTU shuttles). The stop’s map updates every 10 seconds, route and Nearby maps every 15; in between, each bus moves along its road at the pace that gets it there on time. A bus not heard from for a minute fades.
  • On routes and Nearby: a route’s Route Map shows its buses moving along it, and its stop list places them between the stops; the Nearby map shows the buses heading to the stops around you.

▶ Watch: Where’s your bus right now? · What a bus on the live map tells you

Bookmarks & Recent Stops

Bookmarking a Stop

Keep your most-used stops organized.

  • Add a Bookmark: Tap the bookmark button at the top of any bus arrivals screen and choose the services you want to save.
  • See them at a glance: The Bookmarks tab shows the live arrivals of every stop you saved.
  • Just the stops: Tap the arrows to hide the bus times and see only your stops; tap them again to bring the times back.

▶ Watch: How to save your bus stop · Show or hide bus times in your Bookmarks

Recent Stops

Checked a stop once and want it again? No need to bookmark it.

  • Open the Bookmarks tab and switch to Recent.
  • The last 10 bus stops you opened are listed there, latest first, each with how far away it is.
  • Tap any of them to jump straight back to its live arrivals.

▶ Watch: Back to a bus stop you checked earlier

Renaming, Pinning and Removing

  • Rename Your Stops: Tap the pencil button beside the stop’s name on its arrivals screen, or tap the ⋮ button on a bookmarked stop and select “Rename bus stop.” Label them “Home,” “Office,” or “Gym” for instant recognition.
  • Pin to Top: On the Bookmarks tab, tap the ⋮ button on a stop and select “Pin to top.” Pinned stops always appear at the top of your bookmarks for instant access.
  • Unpin: Tap the ⋮ button on a pinned stop and select “Unpin.” The stop will return to its normal position in your bookmarks list.
  • Remove: Tap the ⋮ button on a stop and select “Remove.” You can add it back any time from its stop page.

▶ Watch: Rename your bus stop to “Home” · Pin your daily bus stop to the top

Bus Routes

Tap any bus service number to see where it goes.

  • List or Map: Switch between Bus Routes for every stop in order (Int = bus interchange), and Route Map to see the whole route drawn on the map, with its buses moving along it. On the list, each bus sits between the stops it is travelling between.
  • Where it came from: The stops before yours are tucked away at the top of the list; tap to show them. Tap any stop on the route to see its buses.
  • Other Direction: Use the direction button on the route’s header to flip to the other direction.
  • Transfers: Stops that connect to MRT stations are marked, so you can see where to change.

▶ Watch: See every stop your bus makes · Where does your bus come from?

NUS & NTU Shuttles (New: NTU)

The NUS Internal Shuttle Bus and NTU’s campus loops, in the same app as your public buses.

  • Open a shuttle: tap the graduation-cap button at the top of any tab and choose NUS Shuttle or NTU Shuttle. Or search for nus or ntu and tap the shuttle at the top of the results.
  • Find a campus stop: search for its name, such as UTown or COM 3 at NUS, or Hall 2 or Nanyang Heights at NTU. On campus, campus stops also appear in Nearby, on the list and on the map.
  • Bus Stops: every campus stop, nearest first (NUS: the Kent Ridge and Bukit Timah campuses; NTU: the Yunnan Garden campus). Tap the expand button beside Bus Stops to see each stop’s live shuttle timings in place, with how crowded each bus is, or tap a stop to open it on its own.
  • Bus Services: every route (NUS: A1, A2, D1, D2, K, P, R1 and R2; NTU: Campus Loop Red, Campus Loop Blue, Campus Rider and Campus Weekend Rider) with where it runs and today’s first and last bus. Tap one to follow it stop by stop, or switch to Route Map to see it drawn on the map.
  • Which route? At NUS, only route P goes to the Bukit Timah campus, on weekdays. At NTU, Campus Loop Red and Blue go round the campus in opposite directions; Campus Rider runs to and from Pioneer MRT on weekdays, and Campus Weekend Rider takes over at weekends and on public holidays.
  • Public holidays: Bus Services follows Singapore’s public holidays, so it shows the real hours for the day; ⊗ means a route isn’t running today.
  • Bookmark a campus stop: tap the ⋮ button on a stop and choose Add to bookmarks, or the bookmark button at the top of the stop’s page. It joins your other bookmarks, and can be pinned and renamed the same way.
  • Shared stops: where a campus stop is also a public bus stop, such as Kent Ridge MRT or NTU’s Hall 2, opening the public stop shows the shuttles beside the public buses, marked with a graduation cap.

▶ Watch (NUS): When’s the next NUS shuttle? · How to read an NUS shuttle stop · Which shuttle goes to your faculty? · Which shuttle goes to Bukit Timah? · Shuttle or public bus at Kent Ridge MRT · Pin your shuttle stop · Shuttles on a public holiday

▶ Watch (NTU): When’s the next NTU shuttle? · Which NTU shuttle do you take?

MRT & LRT

Navigate the train network with ease.

  • Lines: The MRT/LRT Lines tab lists every line. Tap one to see all its stations along the track, then tap a station for its exits, amenities and nearby places.
  • Check Live Status: Switch to Train status to see if there are any disruptions, delays or planned works; only the lines affected are listed.
  • MRT Map: Tap the map button on the tab’s header to open the full Singapore MRT/LRT map. Station codes like NS24 are the line, then the station’s number.

▶ Watch: The MRT map, in your pocket · Which MRT exit should you take? · Is your MRT line down?

Advanced Tools

One bar, all the answers.

  • Search by anything: Enter a 5-digit bus stop code, a bus service number, a road name, or a bus stop name like “Parkway”.
  • Type it your way: Short forms and old spellings find the same stop: Road or Rd, Station or Stn, Tanjong, Tanjung or Tg.
  • Campus shuttles: Enter nus or ntu to open NUS or NTU Shuttle, or a campus stop’s name like “UTown” or “Hall 2”.

▶ Watch: 4 ways to find any bus or stop

Index to Roads & Operating Hours

  • Tap the signpost button at the top of a bus arrivals screen to see the roads each service at that stop travels along, and the first and last bus times for weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

▶ Watch: Which bus goes down that road?

Fare Calculator

Stay on budget.

  • Check Official Rates: On the Bus Arrivals screen, tap ⋮ (more) and select Fare calculator to open the official website for the most accurate, up-to-date fare estimates for your specific journey.

▶ Watch: How much is your bus or train fare?

Languages

SG Bus is available in 23 languages. It follows your phone’s language setting, so switch your device language to use SG Bus in English, 中文, Bahasa Indonesia, 日本語, 한국어, ไทย, Tiếng Việt and more. On iPhone, you can also pick a language just for SG Bus in the Settings app.

▶ Watch: Singapore bus & MRT app in 23 languages

Something Went Wrong?

  • Pull down to refresh first; most hiccups clear on their own.
  • Still there? Note the Ref code under the message and email it to hello@sgbus.app, with the stop, the time and what you were doing.

▶ Watch: Saw an error? Send us the Ref code