Which apps should I download before visiting China?

The core set is Alipay or WeChat Pay for payments, Amap (Gaode) for navigation and taxis, DiDi for ride-hailing, and Trip.com for trains and hotels. Add a translation app like Google Translate with the Chinese pack downloaded for offline use. Install and log into all of them at home, since some need SMS verification that is harder to complete on arrival.

What is the best translation app for China?

Google Translate works well if you download the Chinese language pack for offline use and connect through an eSIM, and its camera mode reads menus and signs instantly. Many travelers also keep Baidu Translate or Pleco as a backup, since they run on the local internet without a VPN. Save key phrases and your hotel name in Chinese characters so you can show them to drivers and staff.

Can I use DiDi ride-hailing in English in China?

Yes. DiDi has a full English interface and accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard as well as Alipay and WeChat Pay, so you can hail a car without speaking Chinese. Enter your destination in the app and the driver gets it in Chinese automatically, which avoids language problems with taxis. Have a working data connection through your eSIM, since you need to be online to book and track the ride.

Best Apps for China Travel

China runs on your phone more than almost anywhere else, so the apps you install matter as much as your passport. The good news for first-time visitors is that the daily-driver apps now have English interfaces and accept foreign Visa and Mastercard cards. The catch is that most of the Western apps you rely on at home are blocked, and the Chinese apps you actually need work best when you set them up before you land. Sort your phone out at home and the trip gets dramatically easier.

Think in five categories. Payments come first, because almost nobody takes cash or foreign credit cards in person. Alipay and WeChat both let foreigners link a card with just a passport and pay by QR code, which covers taxis, restaurants, shops, and ticket machines. Maps come second: Google Maps is blocked and unreliable inside China, so use Amap, which now has a full English interface and excellent metro directions. Ride-hailing is third, and DiDi is the standard, easiest to run from inside Alipay. Translation is fourth, for menus, signs, and conversations. Rail and travel booking is fifth, where Trip.com lets you buy high-speed train tickets and flights with a foreign card in English.

Now the connectivity rule, because it trips people up. Anything from Google, including Google Translate and Google Maps, plus most Western social and messaging apps, is blocked on normal Chinese networks. To use them you need either a roaming eSIM that routes your data through your home country, or a VPN installed and tested before arrival. A roaming eSIM is the simpler, more reliable choice for most visitors and keeps your familiar apps working without any extra software.

Set up in this order before you fly: install and verify Alipay and WeChat and link a card while you still have stable internet; download Amap and switch it to English; install DiDi and Trip.com; and download offline language packs in Pleco and Google Translate, plus offline city maps in MetroMan for when you are underground with no signal. Do this at home and you arrive ready to pay, navigate, and get around from the airport onward.

Alipay

Payments

Your primary way to pay almost anywhere in China by QR code; since late 2023 it lets foreigners link a Visa or Mastercard directly with just a passport, no Chinese bank account needed.

iOS, Android
Free to download and use. Payments under 200 CNY have no service fee; a roughly 3% fee applies to larger amounts. American Express is not supported.
Works on local data

WeChat (Weixin)

Messaging

The all-in-one messaging app locals use to contact you, and a backup wallet that now lets foreigners link a Visa, Mastercard, or JCB card directly for QR payments when Alipay is declined.

iOS, Android, Web
Free. Linked-card payments under 200 CNY have no service fee; about 3% applies above that, with a per-transaction cap (around 2,000 CNY) on foreign cards.
Works on local data

Amap (Gaode Maps)

Maps

The map foreigners should actually use in China; it added a full English interface in 2025, has accurate metro directions down to which train door to use, and works in guest mode with no Chinese number.

iOS, Android
Free. Download before arrival and switch to English in settings; small local shops may only be listed under their Chinese names.
Works on local data

DiDi

Transport

China's main ride-hailing app, with an English interface; foreigners can register with a home-country phone number and pay through Alipay, which is the most reliable option.

iOS, Android
Free app, pay per ride. Easiest setup is to open DiDi inside Alipay; linking a foreign card directly works mainly in big cities and can be blocked by bank fraud checks.
Works on local data

Trip.com

Booking

English-language booking app for China's high-speed trains, domestic flights, and hotels, and it accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard payments, which most local booking sites do not.

iOS, Android, Web
Free app; pay per booking with a foreign card. Small service or delivery fees may apply on some train tickets.
Works on local data

Pleco

Language

The best offline Chinese-English dictionary for travelers; point its camera at a menu or sign and it reads the characters and pronunciation without any internet connection.

iOS, Android
Free core dictionary and offline mode; optional paid add-ons for OCR and audio. No VPN needed.
Works on local data

Google Translate

Language

Familiar text, voice, and camera translation for English speakers, but it is blocked on Chinese networks, so download the offline English-Chinese pack before your flight or run it on a roaming eSIM.

iOS, Android, Web
Free. Works on a foreign eSIM or VPN; offline text mode works once the language pack is downloaded, but camera mode still needs internet.
Needs a VPN or roaming eSIM

MetroMan

Transport

A clean offline subway map and route planner for Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and other Chinese cities, useful when you are underground with no signal and want station names in English.

iOS, Android
Free with ads; works fully offline so no data or VPN is required underground.
Works on local data

Frequently asked questions

Which apps should I download before visiting China?: The core set is Alipay or WeChat Pay for payments, Amap (Gaode) for navigation and taxis, DiDi for ride-hailing, and Trip.com for trains and hotels. Add a translation app like Google Translate with the Chinese pack downloaded for offline use. Install and log into all of them at home, since some need SMS verification that is harder to complete on arrival.
What is the best translation app for China?: Google Translate works well if you download the Chinese language pack for offline use and connect through an eSIM, and its camera mode reads menus and signs instantly. Many travelers also keep Baidu Translate or Pleco as a backup, since they run on the local internet without a VPN. Save key phrases and your hotel name in Chinese characters so you can show them to drivers and staff.
Can I use DiDi ride-hailing in English in China?: Yes. DiDi has a full English interface and accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard as well as Alipay and WeChat Pay, so you can hail a car without speaking Chinese. Enter your destination in the app and the driver gets it in Chinese automatically, which avoids language problems with taxis. Have a working data connection through your eSIM, since you need to be online to book and track the ride.