Chinese app equivalents
Uber → DiDi. Google Maps → Amap. WhatsApp → WeChat. Yelp → Dianping. Most of the apps you rely on are blocked in China, but there's a local equivalent for nearly every one — and a few of them work perfectly well in English.
The 6 to actually install
You don't need a Chinese version of everything. These cover paying, moving, navigating and eating — set them up before you fly, while the app stores and verification pages are still reachable.
Alipay
支付宝English: goodThe payment app most foreigners find easiest. Full English mode, links an international Visa/Mastercard, and bundles mini-programs for metro QR tickets, DiDi rides and train tickets.
China's everything-app: messaging, payments, and mini-programs that book tickets and order food. How people swap contacts — nobody asks for a phone number. The interface has English; most content won't. A new account now needs an existing user (6+ months old) to scan and vouch for you, so add a contact before you fly.
DiDi
滴滴出行English: goodChina's Uber, and the easiest way to get a car. Set the app to English, type your destination, pay automatically. Also runs inside Alipay and WeChat if you'd rather not install it.
Amap
高德地图English: goodThe navigation app locals use, with accurate transit, walking and driving directions. Install "AMap Global" — the separate English-language build on foreign app stores — as the Google Maps replacement before you fly.
Trip.com
携程English: goodThe international face of Ctrip: trains, flights, hotels, attraction tickets and travel eSIMs in English, accepting foreign cards. The default booking app for visitors.
Pleco
English: goodThe offline Chinese dictionary every learner and traveller keeps. Works with no signal, reads characters through your camera, and is genuinely built for English speakers.
The full list: what replaces what
55 apps and their Chinese counterparts. Tap any Western app for its full status page.
Messaging
Social
Search & email
Maps & navigation
Streaming & music
Shopping & food
Travel booking
Payments
Work & files
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese version of Uber?
DiDi (滴滴出行). Uber sold its China business to DiDi in 2016 and no longer operates there. DiDi has an English interface, and you can also hail a car through mini-programs inside Alipay or WeChat without installing anything extra.
What do Chinese people use instead of Google Maps?
Amap (高德地图) is the most used, and it has an English mode; Baidu Maps is the other major option but is Chinese-only. Apple Maps also works properly in mainland China. Google Maps is blocked and, even via a VPN, suffers from China's mandated coordinate offset, so pins can be hundreds of metres out.
What is the Chinese equivalent of WhatsApp?
WeChat (微信). It is far more than a messenger — it also handles payments, mini-programs for tickets and food, and is how people exchange contacts instead of phone numbers. The interface is available in English.
Which Chinese apps can I use in English?
Alipay, DiDi, Trip.com, WPS Office and Pleco all have solid English support. WeChat, Amap, Xiaohongshu and DingTalk have partial English — usable interface, mostly Chinese content. Dianping, Meituan, Taobao, Baidu and Douyin are effectively Chinese-only.
Which apps should I install before travelling to China?
Alipay or WeChat for payments, DiDi for taxis, Amap or Apple Maps for navigation, Trip.com for trains and hotels, and Pleco as an offline dictionary. Install and register them before you fly — app stores and verification are much harder once you have landed.
Still want your own apps to work?
You don't have to switch to Chinese apps at all. A travel eSIM bought before you fly routes your data through a foreign carrier, so WhatsApp, Google Maps and Instagram generally just work — get a China eSIM on Trip.com ↗. Affiliate link: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Got a follow-up question?
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China TravelPal publishes travel information, not technical advice. App availability and English support change without notice — cross-check anything critical with a live tracker such as GreatFire.org (live censorship tracker) ↗. Covering 33 Chinese apps. Last checked July 2026.