17 Essential Apps for Your China Trip (And 5 to Skip) (2026)

There is a specific kind of panic that hits when you land in a country where every app you rely on is blocked, every payment system is foreign, and you cannot read the menu outside the airport convenience store. I have seen it happen to travellers who assumed their Western digital life would port seamlessly across borders.

It will not. But with thirty minutes of preparation before you leave, you can sidestep the entire problem.

The golden rule is simple and non-negotiable: install everything at home, over your normal internet connection. China’s app stores are a different universe. Many essential apps are simply not available once you cross the border, and some require a Chinese phone number you will not have until you arrive.

Here is exactly what you need and when to install it.

Part One: Install Before You Leave

These apps cannot be reliably downloaded inside China. Some are blocked, some are region-restricted, and some will vanish from your home screen during an automatic update because the Chinese App Store does not carry them.

1. Alipay

Alipay is not optional. It is the closest thing China has to a universal payment system, and it is accepted everywhere — from luxury hotels to street food carts. You will use it to pay for meals, taxis, train tickets, and groceries. It also contains mini-apps for ride-hailing (Didi), restaurant reviews (Dianping), and food delivery.

Before you leave: Download the app, create an account, link an international credit card (Visa or Mastercard), and complete identity verification. Do this at home with stable internet, not hunched over a suitcase in the airport arrival hall. Link two cards if you can — banks sometimes flag the first China transaction as suspicious.

2. WeChat

WeChat is China’s operating system. It is messaging, social media, payments, news, and customer service rolled into one. You will use it to communicate with hotels, tour guides, and anyone you meet. Many businesses operate exclusively through WeChat official accounts.

Before you leave: Download and register. Add a payment method (same cards as Alipay). Having both Alipay and WeChat Pay covers you for the rare merchant that accepts only one.

3. Your VPN Client

This is the key that unlocks everything else. Download and install your VPN client on every device, log in, and test the connection. Do this before you fly. VPN apps and websites are blocked inside China.

I recommend two VPNs — a primary and a backup. The full breakdown is in my Best VPNs for China guide.

4. Google Maps (Offline)

Google Maps is blocked in China, but its offline mode still works. Before you leave, download offline maps of every city you plan to visit. The offline map will show your location, nearby streets, and saved places even when the live service is unreachable.

Reality check: Google Maps uses government-shifted coordinates in China, so your location pin may be 50-100 metres off. Use it for orientation and saved pins, not turn-by-turn navigation. Apple Maps (which uses local Chinese map data) or Gaode Map are more accurate for driving and walking directions.

5. DeepL or Google Translate (Offline Packs)

English is not widely spoken outside Beijing, Shanghai, and major tourist attractions. You will need translation for menus, signs, pharmacy labels, and conversations.

DeepL produces noticeably better Chinese-to-English translations than Google Translate, especially for longer or more nuanced text. Google Translate’s camera mode is better for real-time menu scanning. Install both, and download the Chinese language pack for offline use. Offline mode is critical when your data connection is slow or your VPN is being temperamental.

6. Trip.com

This is the most foreigner-friendly app for booking trains, flights, and hotels in China. It works entirely in English, accepts international credit cards, and has responsive customer support. It also sells Hong Kong-routed eSIMs that bypass the Great Firewall without a VPN.

7. Your eSIM Provider’s App

If you are using an eSIM — which you should be, for the reasons laid out in my eSIM vs Physical SIM comparison — download the provider’s app before you leave. Purchase your plan and, where possible, install the eSIM profile in advance. Some profiles activate automatically upon landing.

8. WhatsApp and Telegram

These are how most of the world communicates. Both are blocked in China. Install them, set them up, and confirm they work through your VPN before you leave.

9. A Password Manager with Offline Access

You will be logging into services from unfamiliar networks across multiple devices. Make sure your password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, iCloud Keychain) has offline access to your credentials. Cloud sync may be unreliable from inside China.

Part Two: Install After Arrival

These apps are available in Chinese app stores or as mini-apps inside Alipay. You can download them once you are on the ground.

10. Gaode Map (Amap)

This is the map app that Chinese people actually use. It provides accurate GPS navigation, real-time public transit directions, live traffic data, and taxi booking. It is significantly more accurate than Google Maps because it uses the official government coordinate system.

How to get it: The iOS version requires a Chinese Apple ID, or you can access a stripped-down version through the Alipay mini-app store. On Android, you can find the APK on Chinese app stores.

11. Didi (via Alipay)

Didi is China’s Uber. You do not actually need the standalone app — open Alipay, search for the “Didi” mini-app, and you can book taxis and private cars directly. This avoids the Chinese phone number problem entirely.

12. Meituan

Meituan is Yelp, Uber Eats, and GroupUp rolled into one. Restaurant reviews, food delivery, movie tickets, local services. The standalone app requires a Chinese phone number, but the Alipay mini-app works without one.

13. Dianping

This is the restaurant review platform that actually matters in China. Real customer reviews, photos of dishes, and rankings. Again, accessible through the Alipay mini-app.

14. Railway 12306

The official app for China’s high-speed rail network. You can book trains through Trip.com in English, but 12306 gives you direct access to seat selection and last-minute booking. It is famously buggy with foreign passports. Use Trip.com unless you have patience and a Chinese number.

15. Pleco

The best Chinese-English dictionary app bar none. It works entirely offline, supports handwriting recognition, and can read text from your camera. If you are trying to decipher a handwritten menu or a street sign, Pleco is your only friend.

Part Three: Save Your Storage — Skip These

Skip 1: Uber

Uber sold its China operations to Didi years ago. The Uber app does not work in China. Open the Didi mini-app inside Alipay instead.

Skip 2: Airbnb

Airbnb has drastically reduced its China footprint. The listings that remain are overpriced and thin. Trip.com and Fliggy offer better selection and pricing.

Skip 3: Google Pay and Apple Pay (for in-store)

QR codes are the universal payment method. Nobody taps their phone at a terminal. Add your cards to Apple Wallet for transit passes in Beijing and Shanghai if you want, but do not expect widespread acceptance.

Skip 4: Facebook and Instagram (standalone apps)

Both are blocked, and even through a VPN they are data-hungry battery drainers. Access them through your phone’s browser if you need to check in.

Skip 5: Any “Free WiFi Finder” App

These are uniformly either scams or data collection tools. Free WiFi in China requires SMS verification through a Chinese number anyway. An eSIM is cheaper, faster, and infinitely more secure.

The Thirty-Minute Pre-Departure Checklist

Take half an hour before your flight and run through this:

• [ ] Alipay: download, register, link card, verify identity
• [ ] WeChat: download, register, set up WeChat Pay
• [ ] Two VPNs: installed, logged in, tested on every device
• [ ] Offline maps: download cities in Google Maps
• [ ] Offline translation: download Chinese packs in DeepL and/or Google Translate
• [ ] eSIM: purchase plan and install profile
• [ ] Trip.com: download, create account, link payment
• [ ] Screenshots: hotel addresses and key locations written in Chinese
• [ ] Passport photo: saved to phone and cloud
• [ ] CCC-certified power bank: packed in carry-on

The travellers who struggle are the ones who assume their Western apps will work. They will not. Install everything at home, test it before you go, and you will hit the ground running rather than standing in the airport terminal wondering why Google Maps is a blank screen.