10 Must Have Apps for China Travel Before Arriving

You’re all set to travel to China, but there’s one thing that catches many first-time visitors by surprise: your phone won’t work the way it does back home. Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, and even Gmail are blocked the moment you land, and cash is hardly used in most cities anymore. So how do you order food, hail a ride, or find your way to your hotel?

The answer is simple: you download a handful of Chinese apps before you leave, and you learn how to use them. It sounds intimidating at first, but once you've got the right lineup on your phone, getting around China is actually easier than in a lot of other countries. Every restaurant, taxi, and museum ticket is just a few taps away.

This guide walks you through the apps to use in China for foreigners, why each one matters, and how to set them up before your trip even starts. Think of it as your pre-flight checklist. Here’s a tip: It’s best to download and set up these apps before you leave. Since some apps require SMS verification, you might not have internet access or a signal when you first arrive in China. So it’s crucial to set them up in advance.

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What Apps Do You Need for China?

So, what apps do you need for China? Below are the ten that matter most, based on what actually gets used by travelers and locals every single day.

China apps

Alipay

If I had to choose one app that you absolutely must install, Alipay is the one I’d recommend the most. This is a Chinese-led mobile payment platform that covers just about everything, from restaurant bills and taxi fares to museum tickets, convenience store snacks, and even purchases from street vendors. Cash is still in use, but many small shops don’t carry much cash on hand and may prefer not to handle it.

Alipay works by linking a debit or credit card and generating a QR code that shops scan at checkout. Foreign visitors can now connect an international Visa or Mastercard through Alipay's Tour Pass feature, which was built specifically to make the app usable for people without a Chinese bank account. Set this up before you fly, since the registration process runs more smoothly with a reliable internet connection and can take a little patience.

One quirk worth knowing: transactions above 200 yuan sometimes carry a small service fee, so don't be surprised if a shopkeeper suggests splitting a bigger purchase into two payments. It's a normal workaround, not a sign anything's wrong.

alipay

Knowing how to get a transit QR code through Alipay is essential for first-time visitors to China. You no longer need to spend time buying tickets. First, open Alipay and tap the Transport button, then select “Get Transit Card.” You’ll need to enter your payment method and password. Once completed, a QR code will be generated; simply scan it when entering and exiting the station. Please note that transit cards are typically divided into two types: bus and subway.

Alipay also tends to surface small perks you wouldn't expect: discount coupons for attractions, cashback promotions at chain restaurants, and occasional deals tied to specific neighborhoods. It's worth a quick browse through the app's home screen before you head out for the day, since some of these offers only show up if you're near the participating location.

Alipay also has a dedicated translation feature if you need to communicate with locals. You can simply search for “translation” in the search bar. Similarly, you can hail a ride, order takeout, and use QR codes to ride buses and subways—it’s an all-in-one app.

WeChat

WeChat is the primary communication tool in China, similar to WhatsApp, and locals use it to message friends, pay for lunch, book rides, follow businesses, and read the news, all within a single interface. If you’re traveling with a tour group or booking activities directly through a local operator, WeChat will likely be your main way of communicating with them.

Set your account up with your real name and phone number ahead of time; registration can be glitchy, and it sometimes takes a few tries to get everything verified, especially depending on which bank issued your card. Give yourself a few days of buffer before departure rather than trying to sort it out at the airport.

Restaurants across the country have largely moved to QR-code ordering, and WeChat is usually the app that scans it. Sit down, tap the “+” icon on the WeChat screen, scan the code taped to your table, and a digital menu pops up, often with photos next to each dish. Use your regular camera app instead of WeChat's scanner, and there's a good chance nothing happens at all, so make a habit of opening WeChat first. Using the same feature, WeChat can also translate photos.

Amap

Google Maps simply doesn't function properly inside mainland China, and even routes that do load are often years out of date. Amap (sometimes still called Gaode) has become the go-to replacement, and it now offers an English-language interface, which makes it far friendlier for visitors than it used to be.

You’ll use Amap to get walking directions and public transportation routes, and you can also use it to hail a ride. It’s actually very accurate; after using it for a day or two, you’ll no longer feel stressed when navigating unfamiliar neighborhoods. If you have an iPhone, Apple Maps also works quite well in Chinese cities, but no matter what device you have, it’s a good idea to have Amap as a backup.

Metro navigation is where Amap really earns its spot on your home screen. Type in your destination and it lays out which line to take, which exit to use, and roughly how long the walk from the station will be.

Didi

Didi is essentially China's version of Uber, and it's the easiest way to get a car without knowing a word of Mandarin. The app has an English setting, lets you type your destination in English or Chinese, and includes a built-in translation feature so you can message your driver directly through the app. First-time visitors to China will find that taking a taxi here is very affordable; city rides usually cost between 10 and 30 yuan.

If you don't want to download the app, that's okay; you can use Didi's mini-programs on both Alipay and WeChat.

Dianping

Dianping is like a more feature-rich version of Yelp and Google Reviews, where you can see real customer photos, price ranges, and rankings for everything from noodle shops to rooftop bars. In addition to searching for restaurants and bars that interest you, the app also offers features for joining online waitlists and making reservations, which is very convenient.

dianping

This app is primarily in Chinese, but it has an English mode and includes a built-in translation button for one-tap translation. It’s worth noting that many restaurants list discount coupons or meal deal coupons directly in the app, so it’s a good idea to check before you sit down.

Meituan

Meituan is similar to Dianping, but it is a one-stop platform for ordering takeout, booking hotels, and purchasing attraction tickets.

One practical note: food delivery in China typically requires a local phone number. If you're relying on an international SIM or eSIM without a Chinese number, your hotel's front desk can usually help place the order using the property's own contact number; this is common enough that most reception staff won't blink at the request.

meituan

Taobao

Taobao is China's massive online shopping marketplace, and while it's aimed primarily at residents, travelers use it too, particularly for picking up affordable extras like phone chargers, snacks, or last-minute clothing items. The interface is almost entirely in Chinese, but the barcode scanner and image search tools make browsing manageable even if you can't read the text.

You'll need Alipay or WeChat Pay linked before you can check out, so treat this as one of the later apps you set up rather than your first stop. If you want to shop on Taobao, I recommend making sure you have plenty of time during your trip, because even though shipping in China is fast, it still takes some time. Alternatively, you can place your order before you leave and have it shipped to your hotel. But please don’t order too many packages, as this can be a burden on the hotel staff.

Xiaohongshu

This is one of the apps most commonly used by locals. Known as "Little Red Book" in English, Xiaohongshu blends the visual style of Instagram with the practical usefulness of a review site. Locals post first-hand recommendations for everything from hidden cafes to lesser-known hiking trails, often with exact directions and honest opinions in the captions.

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This is where you'll find spots that never make it into standard travel write-ups. Search by city name or a specific interest, coffee, hiking, night markets- and you'll get a feed of recent, genuinely useful posts. Because posts are usually recent, Xiaohongshu tends to reflect what's open and popular right now rather than what a guidebook said two years ago. That matters in a country where restaurants, pop-up shops, and seasonal attractions change fast. If you're heading somewhere less mainstream, like a mountain town or a smaller provincial city, this app is often more reliable than a standard search engine for figuring out logistics like which entrance to use or when a site tends to get crowded.

You don't need to worry about language barriers either; Xiaohongshu's translation is very accurate, allowing you to use the app with ease.

12306

Planning to ride China's high-speed rail network between cities? 12306 is the official train booking platform, and it's the only reliable way to purchase tickets for routes connecting major hubs like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an at speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour.

Registration requires a passport number, so have that ready when you create your account. Once you're set up, you can compare seat classes, check real-time availability, and pay directly through Alipay or WeChat Pay. Second class seating is comfortable and considerably cheaper than first class, so don't feel like you need to upgrade for a smooth ride.

12306

Popular routes between cities like Beijing and Shanghai sell out during holidays and weekends faster than you'd expect, so book a few days ahead whenever your schedule allows it. At the station, you'll need your passport again to pass through the ticket gates, since tickets in China are tied directly to your identity document rather than a printed barcode alone.

VPN

I know this isn't a Chinese app. But if you need to access Gmail, Instagram, WhatsApp, or other blocked platforms while traveling, a VPN will reroute your connection so you can continue using the apps you rely on back home.

The catch is timing: VPN provider websites are themselves blocked inside China, so you have to download and configure everything before you land. If you'd rather skip this step altogether, a travel eSIM with built-in VPN access is a solid workaround — it gets you connected the moment you land without any extra setup on Chinese soil.

FAQ

What American apps can I use in China?

Most major American apps, Google services, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Gmail among them, are blocked without a VPN. Once you're connected through a VPN or a VPN-enabled eSIM, these apps generally work the same way they do at home, though connection speeds can be a bit slower depending on the server you're routed through. Apps that aren't blocked, like Netflix or Spotify (availability permitting) and most banking apps, tend to work fine using regular mobile data, though performance still varies by location and carrier.

Can Americans use WeChat?

Yes. American travelers can download WeChat from either app store before their trip and register with a US phone number. Setting it up ahead of time is far easier than trying to do it after landing, since verification can be finicky and customer support is limited once you're already in the country. Some travelers find certain banks work better than others when linking a card, so if one doesn't go through, it's worth trying an alternative before giving up.

How to avoid 3% fee on WeChat Pay?

WeChat Pay charges a service fee, typically around 3%, on transactions above 200 yuan when paying with an international card. There isn't an official way to waive this fee entirely, but a few practical workarounds can reduce how often you pay it. Splitting a larger purchase into smaller individual payments, each under the 200 yuan threshold, is a common approach many vendors are already familiar with. Using Alipay instead for certain transactions can also help, since fee structures between the two apps sometimes differ depending on your card issuer. For everyday spending like meals and taxis, the fee usually amounts to a small fraction of your total trip budget, so most travelers find it's not worth stressing over.