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Apps to download before travelling to China

You need about six: a payment app (Alipay), a messaging app (WeChat), a local map app, a translator with offline packs, a train or travel booking app, and a ride-hailing option, which is often built into Alipay. Install and log in to all of them before you leave.

The set

  1. Payments: Alipay, with a foreign card linked. WeChat Pay as a backup.
  2. Messaging: WeChat. Hotels, guides and drivers will ask to add you.
  3. Maps: a local map app for transit and walking; download an offline map too.
  4. Translation: any translator with camera mode and an offline Chinese pack.
  5. Trains and hotels: the official 12306 app for trains, or an international travel app.
  6. Taxis: ride-hailing inside Alipay or WeChat, so you do not have to explain the address.

Before you fly

  1. Log in to every app and complete identity verification.
  2. Allow notifications, so verification codes are not missed.
  3. Put them on your home screen. You will open them dozens of times a day.

What goes wrong

Downloading on arrival. App stores and verification texts are unreliable without working data.
Skipping WeChat. Many small bookings and all your new contacts live there.

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Quick questions

Will my usual apps work?

Not on local networks. With a roaming travel eSIM, most of them do.

Do these apps have English?

Alipay and WeChat do. Local map apps are improving but are partly in Chinese; a screenshot translator helps.

More answers

Can I use Visa or Mastercard in China?How to set up Alipay or WeChat Pay as a foreignerDoes Google Maps work in China? Internet, eSIM and blocked appsHow to buy train tickets in China as a foreignerTerracotta Army tickets: how to book and how to get there

Last reviewed 2026-11. Payment, ticketing and entry rules in China change often; confirm details with the official app or site before you travel. This page is general travel information, not professional advice.