The apps to install before you fly to China

Why install before you fly

Three separate problems make last-minute installation a bad idea.

• Verification is not instant. Alipay and WeChat both want passport details and a selfie, and WeChat accounts created abroad sometimes need an existing user to confirm them. That is not something you can arrange standing in an arrivals hall.
• App stores are region-dependent. Some apps are absent or differently versioned depending on your App Store region, and network conditions inside China make downloads unreliable.
• You need a working data connection to download apps. That is exactly the thing you may not have on landing.

The short list

Alipay

Alipay is the single most useful app you will install. It is a payment app first — you bind a foreign Visa or Mastercard and pay by QR code, no Chinese bank account needed — but the mini-programs inside it are what make it indispensable. Metro tickets, attraction bookings, ride-hailing, translation and tourist services all run inside Alipay without a separate download.

Register with a phone number that can receive SMS, complete passport verification, and add your card. The verification step is what unlocks foreign-card payments, so do not skip it. Test it once with a small purchase before you rely on it.

If you only install one app, install this one.

WeChat

WeChat is two products in one: a payment wallet and the messaging app that China actually uses. Restaurants, guides, hosts and new acquaintances will ask for your WeChat, not your phone number.

For payments, bind an international card under Me → Services → Wallet → Bank Cards. The setup is comparable to Alipay's, with one extra wrinkle: accounts created from outside China sometimes require an existing WeChat user to confirm you. If you know anyone with a WeChat account, ask them before you travel.

WeChat Pay and Alipay are not interchangeable in practice. You will meet merchants that take only one, so having both costs you nothing and saves you the awkward moment.

Amap — and why Google Maps is not an option

Google Maps does not work in mainland China. It is not slow or degraded; it does not load. Amap (高德地图, also written Gaode Maps) is the local equivalent, has an English interface, and supports offline maps.

Two habits make Amap work well for a visitor:

• Download the offline map for the cities you are visiting before you leave your hotel Wi-Fi.
• Copy addresses in Chinese. Amap's search handles English place names inconsistently. Get the Chinese name of your hotel from the front desk and paste it in.

If your data goes through a travel eSIM or a VPN, Google Maps will work as a backup — but do not build your trip around that.

Didi

Didi is China's ride-hailing app, and unlike most local services it is genuinely usable in English with foreign cards attached. It has an English-language interface and international card support, and it removes the two hardest parts of taking a taxi in China: explaining where you are going and agreeing a price.

It is also available as a mini-program inside Alipay, so you can hail a car without a separate install. The standalone app is slightly more capable. Either way, set it up and add a payment method before you need a car at 11pm.

12306

12306 is the official railway booking platform, and it has an English version. It is the primary source for high-speed train tickets, no booking fee, no markup, and the real inventory rather than a reseller's view of it.

Registering requires passport details, and your passport is your ticket: you scan it at the gate rather than collecting a paper one. Popular routes on peak dates sell out well in advance, so if you have a fixed travel date, book as early as the window allows rather than assuming you will buy on the day.

Third-party booking sites can be more forgiving for first-timers, but they add fees for something you can do directly.

Translation

Google Translate does not work in China. You need an alternative installed before you fly, and you should assume it may only work offline.

What matters in a translation app, in order:

• Camera translation for menus, signs and labels, the single most-used feature.
• Downloaded offline language packs so it still works without data.
• Voice or conversation mode for talking to drivers and shop staff.

Several major translation apps offer Chinese offline packs; pick one you already trust and download the pack at home. Alipay also carries translation mini-programs, which is a reasonable fallback rather than a primary tool.

What will not work, and what will

Hotel Wi-Fi is filtered the same way as mobile data. A travel eSIM routes your traffic through a foreign carrier and gets around this without any extra software, see the connectivity guide linked below.

Before-you-fly checklist

1. Install Alipay and verify your identityPassport plus selfie. This is what unlocks foreign-card payments.
2. Install WeChat and bind a cardArrange a confirmation from an existing user if your signup asks for one.
3. Install Amap and download offline city mapsAlso save your hotel's name in Chinese characters.
4. Install Didi and add a payment methodOr confirm the Alipay mini-program version works for you.
5. Install 12306 if you plan to take trainsRegister with passport details before seats get scarce.
6. Install a translation app with an offline Chinese packTest the camera feature on a book cover to confirm it works.
7. Sort out data before you landAn eSIM or roaming plan, installed and tested while you still have home internet.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

App availability, interfaces and verification requirements change frequently. Confirm current behaviour in the app itself before you travel, and check the official railway and immigration channels for booking and entry rules.