The apps you actually need in China (2026)

✅ Updated Aug 2026

You do not need dozens of apps to travel or live well in China — you need about seven, and they replace almost everything. Install these before or right after you arrive and daily life gets dramatically easier. Alipay and WeChat are the foundation. They are how you pay for everything by QR code, and both now accept foreign Visa and Mastercard for visitors. WeChat is also China's universal messenger and mini-app platform; Alipay doubles as a hub for transit cards, ride-hailing, and mini-programs. If you install only two apps, install these. For getting around, add DiDi and a map. DiDi is China's ride-hailing app and has a full English interface — you type your destination, so there is no language barrier with the driver. For maps, Apple Maps works well inside China; if you are on Android or want the most detail, use Amap (Gaode), the local standard. Avoid relying on Google Maps here, as it is not reliable on the mainland. For trains and travel, use Trip.com or the official 12306 app to book high-speed rail with your passport, and to reserve hotels that are licensed to host foreign guests. For food and daily life, Meituan and Dianping bring delivery to your door and act as the local review guide for everything around you. There is one habit worth unlearning early. At home you would reach for Google, Instagram or TripAdvisor to find a nail salon, a barber, a massage place or somewhere decent to eat nearby. In China none of those will get you far — Dianping will. It is where people here genuinely look, and it reaches well past restaurants: nail salons (美甲), haircuts (理发), massage (按摩), dentists, cinemas, karaoke, gyms. Type the Chinese word, sort by rating, and what you get is photographs taken by actual customers rather than promotional shots, at prices that will usually surprise you. That these apps run mostly in Chinese is a smaller obstacle than it appears. Open one as a mini program inside WeChat and the three dots in the top-right corner give you a translate button that converts the entire interface; Alipay offers much the same. The same Meituan account also unlocks the yellow shared bikes and the power bank stations you see on every corner, which is the other half of why it earns its place on your phone. Finally, for language, a translation app plus a good dictionary go a long way. Many travelers pair a general translator with Pleco, the well-loved Chinese dictionary, and use the camera-translate feature to read menus and signs. Combined with Alipay's and WeChat's built-in translation, you can get through almost any situation. That is the whole toolkit: two for payments and messaging (Alipay, WeChat), two for getting around (DiDi, Apple Maps or Amap), one for travel booking (Trip.com or 12306), one for food, services and discovery (Meituan/Dianping), and one for language. Set them up early and you will rarely feel stuck.

Messaging & payments

WeChat 微信

Chat, pay, mini-programs

Alipay 支付宝

Payments & city services

Getting around

Amap 高德地图

Maps & ride-hailing

Baidu Maps 百度地图

Maps & navigation

DiDi 滴滴出行

Taxi & ride-hailing

Food & local life

Meituan 美团

Food delivery & deals

Dianping 大众点评

Reviews: food & bars

Shopping

Taobao 淘宝

Everything marketplace

JD.com 京东

Fast electronics & goods

Xianyu 闲鱼

Cheap second-hand deals

Video & streaming

Bilibili 哔哩哔哩

Video, anime, live

Youku 优酷

TV shows & movies

iQIYI 爱奇艺

Dramas & variety shows

Tencent Video 腾讯视频

Movies & series

Shows & nightlife

Damai 大麦

Concert, theatre & dance-drama tickets

Dianping 大众点评

Find bars, live music & venues

Learning Chinese

Pleco

The best Chinese dictionary

1. 1

   Install Alipay and WeChat first and link an international card — these are your wallet and messenger.

2. 2

   Add DiDi for taxis (English interface) and Amap or Apple Maps for directions.

3. 3

   Use Trip.com or the 12306 app to book high-speed trains with your passport.

4. 4

   Get Meituan/Dianping — not just for delivery, but as the way to find any local service near you.

   美甲 / 理发 / 按摩 · měijiǎ / lǐfà / ànmó

5. 5

   Searching for a service? Type the Chinese word into Dianping and sort by rating, rather than searching Google or Instagram — they will not find it.

6. 6

   Add a translation app and Pleco for language, on top of the translation already built into Alipay and WeChat.