Essential Apps to Download Before You Travel to China (2026)

Quick answer: Before you fly, install Amap (maps), DiDi (taxis), WeChat and Alipay (payments), Trip.com or 12306 (trains), Dianping (restaurants) and a translation app like Baidu Translate — plus a VPN or international eSIM, since Western apps are blocked and many Chinese app stores are unreachable once you arrive.

China runs on smartphones. From hailing a taxi and reading a restaurant menu to buying a high-speed train ticket and paying for street food, almost everything is done through an app, and a screen of QR codes. The catch for foreign travelers is twofold: many of the Western apps you rely on at home are blocked behind the "Great Firewall," and the Chinese apps that replace them are not always installable once you are inside the country. The fix is simple but time-sensitive: download and set up the essentials before you fly.

This guide covers the apps that actually make China navigable for a first-time international visitor in 2026, why you need local alternatives, and which require a phone number or a Chinese bank account. Where a fact is changing quickly, we flag it so you can verify before you go.

Why you need local apps (and a VPN/eSIM)

Google Maps, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube are all blocked at the network level in mainland China. Google Maps is especially unreliable: even when it loads, its location data inside China is offset and routing is poor. That is why locals use Amap or Baidu Maps instead.

To reach blocked services (your home email, messaging, social media, or Google Translate), you will need a VPN or a roaming travel eSIM that routes through an overseas network. Crucially, most VPN websites and app-store listings are themselves blocked inside China, so install and test your VPN before departure. Reporting in early 2026 suggested authorities tightened enforcement against unauthorized VPN providers; reliability varies, so many travelers now pair a VPN with an international eSIM as a backup. See our guide to staying connected with an eSIM in China for the current options.

Maps, transit and getting around

For navigation, install Amap (高德地图). It now offers a full English interface, gives turn-by-turn walking and driving directions, and crucially tells you which numbered subway exit to use, which matters in stations with a dozen or more exits. Baidu Maps is a strong second option and very detailed, though its English support is weaker than Amap's. Neither requires a Chinese bank account.

For taxis and ride-hailing, DiDi is the standard. It has an English interface and lets foreigners register with an overseas phone number. You can add an international Visa or Mastercard, though card payments are most reliable in big cities; many travelers find it smoother to run DiDi as a mini-program inside Alipay so payment is handled by the wallet.

Super-apps, payments and booking

Two "super-apps" anchor daily life. WeChat (微信) is messaging plus a universe of mini-programs, and Alipay (支付宝) is the dominant payment wallet. Both now let most foreign visitors link an international Visa, Mastercard or Amex and pay almost anywhere after a passport verification, typically with small transactions fee-free and a percentage fee above a threshold. For a full walkthrough, see setting up Alipay as a foreigner, our overview of paying in China, and our guide to staying online in China.

For booking trains, flights and hotels in English, use Trip.com (the international version of Ctrip). It accepts foreign cards and flags hotels licensed to accept foreign guests. For rail specifically, the official 12306 app also has an English mode, accepts foreign passports and international cards, and charges no booking fee, though its interface is less forgiving than Trip.com's.

For finding good food, Dianping (大众点评) is China's Yelp; filter for restaurants with 100+ photo reviews to avoid tourist traps. Its English support is partial, so pair it with a translation app.

Translation: don't rely on Google

Google Translate is blocked on Chinese networks without a VPN, so download alternatives in advance. Baidu Translate has an excellent camera mode for menus and signs and works without a VPN. Microsoft Translator offers fully offline packs and live conversation mode. Pleco is the go-to dictionary for individual characters. Together these cover menus, signage and conversations. Our language barrier guide goes deeper.

Quick reference: what to download

Your download-before-you-fly checklist

Set everything up at home while you still have open internet and your home payment systems working: install your VPN and/or buy a travel eSIM; download Amap, DiDi, WeChat, Alipay, Trip.com, the 12306 app, Dianping and at least one translation app; link your international card to Alipay or WeChat and complete passport verification; and download offline map and translation packs. Do this before departure and your first day in China will be navigation, not troubleshooting. If you are still sorting out your trip basics, start with whether you even need a visa: do you need a China visa?

Common mistakes

• Waiting until you land to download apps. Most VPN sites and several app-store listings are blocked inside China, and some apps geo-restrict downloads. Install and open everything — including your VPN and eSIM — while you still have open internet at home.
• Skipping passport verification and card-linking before the trip. Alipay and WeChat need a passport check and a linked international card before they work for payments. Do this at home; on a hotel Wi-Fi on day one it is far more stressful.
• Relying on Google Maps or Google Translate. Both are blocked at the network level and even over a VPN, Google Maps' location data inside China is offset. Use Amap or Baidu Maps and download an offline pack for Baidu Translate or Microsoft Translator before you go.
• Forgetting to download offline map and translation packs. Live data needs a connection; offline packs work even with no signal in a subway or a remote area.
• Assuming a foreign card works directly everywhere. Outside big cities, card payments in DiDi and similar apps can fail — running them as mini-programs inside Alipay is usually smoother.

Who this is for

This guide is for first-time international visitors to mainland China who want their phone working from day one — for navigation, taxis, QR-code payments, trains and translation — without scrambling on arrival.

Skip this if… you are a long-term resident who already has a Chinese phone number and bank account, you are only transiting through an airport without leaving the secure zone, or you are visiting Hong Kong or Macau, where Google services, Western apps and overseas cards generally work as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

What apps should I download before going to China? Set up the essentials at home: Amap or Baidu Maps for navigation, DiDi for taxis, WeChat and Alipay for payment, Trip.com or the 12306 app for trains, Dianping for restaurants, and at least one translation app such as Baidu Translate or Microsoft Translator. Many app stores and websites become unreachable once you are inside the country, so download and configure everything before you fly.

Does Google Maps work in China? Not reliably. Google Maps is blocked at the network level, and even when it loads over a VPN, its location data inside China is offset and routing is poor. Locals use Amap (高德地图) or Baidu Maps instead, which give walking and driving directions and tell you which numbered subway exit to use. Neither requires a Chinese bank account.

Do I need a VPN for China? Only if you want to reach blocked Western services such as Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, or YouTube. The local apps recommended here work without one. If you do want a VPN, install and test it before departure, because most VPN websites are themselves blocked inside China; reporting in early 2026 suggested tighter enforcement, so many travelers pair a VPN with an international eSIM as backup. See our eSIM and internet guide.

How do I pay for things in China as a tourist? Most foreign visitors now link an international Visa, Mastercard, or Amex card to WeChat or Alipay and pay by QR code almost everywhere after a passport verification. Small transactions are typically fee-free, with a percentage fee above a threshold. For the step-by-step setup, see setting up Alipay as a foreigner and our overview of paying in China.

Does Google Translate work in China? Not reliably — it is blocked on Chinese networks without a VPN, so download alternatives in advance. Baidu Translate has an excellent camera mode and works without a VPN, Microsoft Translator offers fully offline packs and a live conversation mode, and Pleco is the go-to dictionary for individual characters. Together they cover menus, signage, and conversations.