The apps that actually make China easier (and the ones that do not)

You do not need twenty apps for China. You need five that work, two backups, and the discipline to install them before you land.

The core five

Alipay — payments, metro codes, ride-hailing, shared bikes, some attraction bookings. It is the closest thing to a single travel OS. Link a foreign card and verify your passport before departure.

WeChat — messaging, payments, and the app many hotels and guides use to communicate. Even if you pay with Alipay, set up WeChat for messages.

Amap (Gaode Maps) — the most accurate navigation app in China, with real-time traffic, metro routes and English place names in the international version. Apple Maps also works well in China because it uses local map data. Google Maps is unreliable and often blocked.

DiDi — China’s ride-hailing app. You can use it as a standalone app or through the Alipay mini-program. It shows the fare upfront and avoids taxi language problems. Airport pickup points are signed; follow the app’s guidance.

Trip.com or 12306 — trains, flights and some hotels. 12306 is the official railway app and cheaper; Trip.com is easier for foreign cards and support. Pick one for booking and keep the other as a backup.

The useful second layer

Google Translate with offline Chinese downloaded. The camera mode is excellent for menus and signs. Microsoft Translator is a good backup. Pleco is the serious dictionary if you want to learn characters.

Dianping and Meituan are the Chinese equivalents of Yelp and DoorDash. The interfaces are mostly Chinese, but the ratings and photos are useful. Meituan is how you order delivery; Dianping is how you find restaurants. Both often need a Chinese phone number, so treat them as bonus apps, not essentials.

A VPN if you are using a local SIM or hotel Wi-Fi and need Google, WhatsApp, Instagram or YouTube. Install and test it before you fly. A travel eSIM with outside routing may make this unnecessary.

Your airline’s app and a screenshot of your bookings. Airlines in China sometimes send gate changes only in Chinese.

What does not work well

Google Maps — blocked, unreliable, and missing local transit details. Do not plan around it. Download offline maps in Amap or Apple Maps instead.

Uber — not available in mainland China. DiDi is the replacement.

WhatsApp, Instagram, Google — blocked on local networks. They work on a properly routed travel eSIM or with a VPN.

Western banking apps — may work on hotel Wi-Fi with a VPN, but do not rely on them for time-sensitive payments.

Set up before you fly

1. Install Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi and your train app.
2. Verify your passport in Alipay and link a card.
3. Add a second card to WeChat.
4. Download offline Chinese in Google Translate and offline maps for each city.
5. Install and test your VPN or eSIM.
6. Save your hotel address in Chinese and English.
7. Turn on two-factor authentication for your email and banking apps.

A note on phone numbers

Many Chinese apps ask for a +86 number. A travel eSIM usually gives you data only, which is fine for Alipay, WeChat, Amap and DiDi. Restaurant queues, delivery and some bookings may require a local number. If those matter to you, buy a local SIM at the airport or a carrier store with your passport.

The home-screen test

Before you leave the hotel, check that you can:

• Open Alipay and show a payment code.
• Open Amap and route to your next stop.
• Call a DiDi with the destination in Chinese.
• Show your train ticket and passport.
• Translate a menu with the camera.

If all five work, you are ready for the day. If one fails, fix it before you leave; standing on a street corner with no data is a bad time to debug.