Whether you are a traveller or expat in China, there are a few apps you’ll need to get to enhance your experience in China (and when we say enhance, we mean really enhance). China is the world’s most advance country when it comes to apps (and all things mobile related in general), and this is reflected in the daily life here. There are apps for virtually everything. It is slightly ironic that the Chinese are not really known for more conventional internet-related aspects (like email or websites), but when it comes to mobile life, and especially apps, China is a country mile ahead of the rest of the rest. This list is most certainly not exhaustive, and is should be considered as a bit of a “starter pack”. So without further delay, here are some of our top suggestions for apps in China.
- Social Network/messaging app
- Available in multiple languages
This is an absolute must if you’re coming to live in China, if you are here for an extended period, or if you want to communicate with pretty much anyone in China (so basically get it). WeChat is one of China’s social media’s platforms, and you will be hard pushed to find someone in China that doesn’t use it (virtually everyone with a phone in China has WeChat). In fact, there are now more than one billion people who use WeChat on a daily basis. WeChat is China’s most popular messaging app: it is like a combination of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and more. You can use WeChat to do almost everything, such as sending text, audio and video messages, sharing pictures and videos. But WeChat isn’t just a messaging app. You can use it for a whole bunch of things to organize your life, like paying for dinner, hailing taxis, playing games, as well as buying train, plane, and movie tickets. WeChat is by far the most useful and popular app in China – and it’s very much ingrained in the Chinese way of life. WeChat is life.
One of the best features about WeChat for foreigners is the translation in the messaging system. All the messages sent through WeChat can be translated into Chinese and English. You can’t live in China without this app, so if you’re staying for longer than a month you will most definitely need to get it. When you meet someone in China, it’s customary to add them to WeChat. And even when doing business, Chinese people prefer WeChat over email (email is a pretty redundant medium in China).
One of the greatest aspects of WeChat is WeChat Pay. China is virtually a cashless society, and you can literally pay for anything (and any amount, even micro cents – if that exists) with your phone. The cashless drive of China is so advanced that it is becoming increasingly difficult to pay with cash. If you live in China, WeChat Pay is extremely easy to set up with your Chinese bank card.
AliPay
- Available in English
- Foreign equivalent: PayPal (and so much more)
As mentioned, China is moving away from cash at lightning speed, and most shops don’t like accepting cash at all. Hence, the essentiality of AliPay. This Chinese app allows you to pay for practically anything in the country. From paying for airline tickets and transferring money to your landlord to buying street food in China with a quick scan of your phone, you can do it all with AliPay. The cashiers just scan the QR-code on your phone and that’s it: it is honestly too simple. After living (or visiting) China and getting accustomed to the cashless thing, it is pretty hard to go back (I need to swipe a credit card, really?).
You can get an English version of the app. This means foreigners traveling in China can use it to pay for everyday stuff. All you need to do is upload your passport pic, and you’re good to go! One excellent bit of news foreigners received lately was that AliPay is open to foreign bank accounts, meaning anyone can connect their bank card (whatever the country) and pay for things in China, cashless. Also worth mentioning, is that AliPay can be used for so many things besides just cash payments. The list of features and usability is immense, and is constantly being improved. You will need (and want) AliPay.
DiDi
- Chinese Uber
- Can also use for bike sharing
- Available in English
If you’re stuck somewhere with no taxis in sight, then DiDi is the taxi hailing service app of choice. It’s pretty much the Chinese version of Uber (but way better and more efficient), and can be a great option when the subway and buses end (or if you just plain want to ride a taxi). No matter the time of day, it’s possible to get a taxi to drive you anywhere with the DiDi. The app can automatically translate English text into Chinese and vice versa, so don’t worry about communicating with your driver. DiDi is ridiculously safe to use (for example, if you do not get dropped off at your exact drop off point, or if you are over the estimated time, a DiDi representative will call you to make sure everything is ok). The DiDi app is also amazingly affordable, and after using it you will be left wondering why Uber is so expensive. DiDi cars are exceptionally clean and drivers are routinely rated on quality and punctuality. Using DiDi in the city or rural areas is never an issue, and this makes it a must have in China.
Baidu
- Foreign equivalent: Google
Baidu is one of the top apps in China. It’s China’s version of Google, and has almost every Google alternative, including Maps, Translate and Adwords. A staggering 90% of online search queries done in China are done through Baidu. This amounts to billions of searches per month! Baidu is very diversified. It’s also in the AI space and is testing self-driving cars.
Also worth a very heavy mention is Baidu Maps. Baidu Maps is China’s version of Google Maps, and is an extremely accurate, up-to-date and reliable app for traveling the whole country. Baidu Maps will show you the routes to get you where you need to be, can also send location information, and it generally has better, quicker, and more features than Google Maps (click here for a quick crash course). That being said, Baidu Maps does not support an English version. Many of the names will appear in Chinese, however, you can search for areas in English without issues. Baidu Maps really is easy to use, but if you feel like you may have issues, we suggest having English map app alternatives (ie Google, or even better, Apple Maps).
iQIYI
- Available in English
- Foreign equivalent: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime
iQIYI is a fast-growing video streaming platform that offers a huge number of movies and television shows for free. Unlike Netflix, iQIYI makes most of its money from advertisements and content license purchases, that’s why most of their audience can watch without paying a cent. Not all of the content on this site is free however, which is why paid subscriptions are slowly increasing. iQIYI subscription is incredibly cheap(like a couple dollars cheap), and after iQIYI, forking out on Netflix will become just that little bit harder. Like all of the other video streaming sites out there, you can use it on your phone or computer as well.
It is also worth mentioning that iQIYI has tonnes of Chinese films and dramas, so it’s a great way to practice your Chinese.
A bit of a side note. Although we have mentioned iQIYI specifically, the sheer volume of video streaming apps in China is heavenly. Many are free (and we say free, we mean free) and the collection of movies and TV series on some of these apps leave Western equivalents looking like a joke. Like iQIYI, some of the streaming apps have a premium feature, but the costs is always extremely low, and none of the subscriptions are binding. Close to every single Western TV show and film (older and super new) are available to stream. Check out some favourites like BiliBlli, TenCent Video, Youku or RenRen. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need Netflix in China (most likely you will end up cancelling your Netflix subscription once you get a taste of what Chinese streaming apps have to offer).
Jingdong (JD) and Taobao
- Available in English: No
- Amazon or eBay (on steroids)
You have no idea what online shopping is about until you have lived in China. Taobao, run by Alibaba, an e-commerce behemoth, is a platform you go for everything you need and want. Anything you can think of buying exists on Taobao. Taobao is China’s Amazon and it’s the biggest online marketplace in the world. You can buy anything you need or want from this site, and it’s simple to use. Compared to Taobao, JD is more generally used for high-quality or expensive products such as electronics or applications. That being said, both apps are exceptional is every way (and both are interchangeable). JD and Taobao have great return policies and unbelievable delivery speeds. The apps may be in Chinese, but they amazing search functionalities, including image recognition.
We cannot list enough superlatives to describe how good JD and Taobao are: these are apps which you will just need to explore yourself. These apps are honestly astounding. China really is too convenient (and lightyears ahead).
TanTan
- Foreign equivalent: Tinder
- Available in English
This is one for those lonely hearts of China: China’s version of Tinder. If you’re looking to meet people to practice Chinese, go on dates, or searching for the love of your life, this is the app for you. The app works quicker and more efficiently than Tinder, with a great user-friendly interface. If you have used Tinder, you will know how to use TanTan.
Cashless bike-sharing apps
- Foreign equivalent: various across different locations.
China is pushing full steam ahead (yes, that was deliberate) with its green future policy, and this is strikingly evident in the sheer volume of public bikes scattered throughout the nation. We have grouped a few different apps into this category. These apps are: Meituan (yellow bikes), DiDi bikes (green bikes), Alipay bikes (blue bikes), MoBike (orange bikes). All of these bike sharing apps can be used through the parent app, so if you don’t want to download a dedicated bike sharing app it is perfectly ok.
All of these apps make for a great way to get around the cities and towns of China. Bike sharing is a huge deal in China, and you’ll see bikes scattered across every city you visit. Signing up for any bike app is extremely easy and free: after being verified, simply find a bike, scan the QR code, unlock it and take it for a ride (remember to lock it wherever you’re done). Bike sharing is cheap too: the average cost is around 20 cents per half hour ride. Unlike some more Western equivalents, the sharing bikes in China are new, well maintained, clean and graffiti free. Happy days.
Meituan and Eleme
- Foreign equivalent: UberEats, DeliverRoo
These are the behemoths of China’s monstrous food delivery scene. Low or zero delivery fees, exceptional speed and service, guaranteed quality, insane customer support… Yes, you can have all this is a food delivery app. Meituan (yellow kangaroo) and Eleme (blue ‘e’) are the go to apps for food delivery. Both apps offer different food offering which are convenient, fast and usually cheaper than going to a restaurant ( incredible discounts and constant coupons). The apps are in Chinese, so if you can’t read Chinese characters just screen shot and translate! (Or just look at the pics, it’s not that hard if you try).
Translation apps
- Foreign equivalent: Google Translate
- Available in English
When traveling or living in a new country, the largest challenge you’ll face is the language barrier. Although the Chinese people are getting better and better at English, you cannot expect that people will speak English well. So, if you are not proficient in Chinese, a translation app will facilitate communication with the locals. For this purpose, we have a few different suggestions. Google Translate can be used in China, so this will suffice for most people. Alternatively, Pleco is a popular English-Chinese dictionary app which allows for different ways of input, including handwriting and Optical Character Recognition (that is, you can look up unknow Chinese words using your camera or via a picture). Baidu Translate and Youdao are two other exceptional alternatives (both full of every feature). Baidu Translate and Youdao offer very accurate speaking inputs, so you can pretty much communicate with anyone via these apps.
On a bit of a side note, Chinese people are ridiculously patient, so don’t be afraid to get the phone out and start translating.
We hope that you find this list somewhat useful and inspiring. Living in (or visiting) China is too easy and convenient, and the proliferation of apps here is there to facilitate this ease. So do not be overwhelmed, and have fun exploring!