Apps You Need in China: Pay, Maps, Rides, Trains

Which apps should I install before I fly?

Install these at home, in this order, and sign in to each. A traveller wrote on r/guangzhou that they bought the eSIM and payment apps before flying “cz you can’t download half of them once you’re inside China” (September 28, 2026). Google’s developer page also says devices in China do not ship with the Google Play Store.

How do I set up maps and rides?

AMap is Alibaba’s map app (App Store ID 461703208). It calls itself AMap Global in the US and UK stores. Life of Guangzhou reports an English version from January 2025, “designed specifically for international users”, with an English ride-hailing screen showing pickup points and fares. Alibaba added 14 more languages in July 2025. The iOS listing says you can compare prices across ride platforms.

How to switch language is not documented by Amap on any page we could cite. Trip.com’s guide of June 29, 2026 says “Me, Settings, General, Language, English”, and forum users on iOS report a language option in Settings, Apps, 高德地图, with some seeing “not supported”. Try both.

For rides install DiDi China: Ride Hailing (滴滴出行), not DiDi Rider. Newsgd (October 14, 2024) says the phone number “can be local or international but must be valid and capable of receiving SMS” and that foreigners can use international credit cards. Other apps named there are OnTime (如祺出行), Meituan Dache and Cao Cao. Use the AMap pickup and drop-off names in Chinese, as drivers often phone you.

How do 12306 and Trip.com differ for trains?

12306 (App Store ID 564818797) is the official rail app, in English and Chinese. Its English FAQ says “only valid foreign passports” are accepted, and changes or refunds of tickets bought outside your own 12306 account need facial verification. Sales run 05:00 to 01:00 the next day, and 05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesdays. A 2024 Shenzhen media report lists Alipay, WeChat and UnionPay as payment. The MTR High Speed Rail site says 12306 accepts international credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard.

Trip.com’s trains page (September 2026) says you can pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and that “your passport number acts as the ticket”. Whether it charges a booking fee is unclear: the trains page says none, and its own 2026 guide says a fee applies without an amount. A traveller on r/guangzhou called it a booking fee that is worth paying to avoid Alipay and WeChat (October 26, 2025). Trip.com is not in the China App Store, so install it before flying.

Which translation apps work in China?

Pick one that works offline. Apple Translate lists offline languages in Settings. Google Translate has offline packs but is not in the China App Store. Microsoft Translator has offline packs and is in the China App Store. Baidu Translate and Youdao (有道翻译官) have camera and offline modes. WeChat translates messages, and Alipay’s international version has translation and currency conversion. A traveller wrote that even with Alipay and WeChat translation, “you’re just guessing at what you’re ordering” (r/guangzhou, November 12, 2025). Treat menus as approximate.

What else is worth having?

• RedNote (小红书): 12 languages, mostly Mandarin posts, used for food and travel tips. A traveller called it “where real chinese find suggestions” (r/guangzhou, March 8, 2026).
• Guangzhou Metro app (广州地铁): Chinese listing with station exits and passenger flow. MetroMan Guangzhou is a third-party offline map in English. Contactless foreign cards work at the gates, per our metro guide.
• Meituan and Dianping (大众点评): Food delivery and reviews. Meituan lists English, but Dianping’s Google Play page says “only in China”.

Before you land, set up data too: see eSIM, VPN or local SIM and No Chinese phone number. Complete the China arrival card online as well.