12 Must-Have Apps for China 2026 (What to Install Before You Fly)2026 中国必装 12 个 App（出发前装好）

1 The short answer: install these before you fly 一句话结论：出发前装好这些

Install the 12 apps in this list at home on normal Wi-Fi, link a card to Alipay and WeChat Pay, download AMap and Baidu Maps, set up DiDi, and pre load a translation app. With those done before you board the plane, the first day in China feels calm rather than chaotic, because every tap works the moment you land.在家里、用正常 Wi-Fi 装好这 12 个 App：把卡绑到支付宝和微信支付，下好高德和百度地图，设好滴滴，再预载一款翻译 App。登机前把这些做完，抵达中国的第一天就从慌张变成从容，因为你一落地，每个点按都能用。

These are the apps we tell every first timer to set up. They cover the four jobs a visitor does all the time: paying for things, getting around, talking to people, and finding food or a place to stay. Skip the shiny extras until you have these working, and the rest of your trip is mostly easy.这些是我们告诉每位首访者要装好的 App。它们覆盖游客整天做的四件事：付钱、出行、跟人沟通、找吃住。先把这四件事的工具跑通，再去玩别的花哨 App，行程剩下的部分就基本不难了。

• At home.在家里做。 Install everything on Wi-Fi and link a card before you fly, so each app is ready on arrival.
• The four jobs.四件事。 Paying, getting around, translating, and finding food or a place to stay are the core needs.
• Skip extras.先跳过花哨的。 Get these 12 working first, then add social or niche apps once you are settled.

If you are still choosing how to get online so these apps load, our internet connectivity guide联网指南 explains the data side.如果你还在挑怎么上网、好让这些 App 能加载，我们的「联网指南」会讲流量那一侧。

2 Payments: Alipay and WeChat Pay 支付：支付宝和微信支付

Alipay and WeChat Pay are the two apps that make modern China feel easy. Once you link an international card, you can pay at most shops, restaurants, and ride apps by scanning a QR code, no cash, no card swipe, no awkward handoff at the register. They are free, they run in English, and they take Visa, Mastercard, and other major networks.支付宝和微信支付是让现代中国显得轻松的两款 App。绑好外卡后，你扫一下二维码就能在绝大多数商店、餐厅和打车 App 里付钱——不收现金、不刷卡、也不在收银台尴尬地递卡。它们都是免费的、有英文界面，且支持 Visa、Mastercard 等主流卡组织。

The numbers explain why: by the end of 2025, China had 1.017 billion online-payment users (90.3% of all internet users) with an 86% mobile-payment penetration rate. WeChat Pay holds about 59.7% of the mobile-payment market and Alipay about 36.2% (People's Bank of China / iResearch / Analysys, 2025).数字最能说明问题：截至 2025 年，中国网络支付用户达 10.17 亿（占网民 90.3%），移动支付渗透率 86%；微信支付约占移动支付的 59.7%、支付宝约 36.2%（中国人民银行 / 艾瑞咨询 / 易观分析，2025）。

WeChat is the second must install. Beyond messaging and voice notes, it bundles WeChat Pay for the same QR payments, plus ride hailing and a built in translator. If you have friends in China, they already live in WeChat, so installing it makes every chat work the moment you arrive.微信是第二个必装。它除了聊天和语音，还把微信支付打包进来，能扫同样的二维码付款，也能叫车、还有内嵌翻译。如果你在国内有朋友，他们本身就在微信里，所以装好它让你一落地就能顺畅联系。

• Alipay.支付宝。 QR payments, ride hailing, mini programs, the widest reach for visitors.
• WeChat.微信。 Messaging, voice notes, WeChat Pay, and built in ride hailing, the app locals live in.
• Link a card.绑一张卡。 Both apps accept major international cards, so set the link at home before you fly.

Do the card linking at home on Wi-Fi, with your passport ready for the photo step some apps require. Our how-to-pay guide中国支付指南 has the full setup walkthrough for both apps.在家里、用 Wi-Fi 绑卡，备好护照，因为有些 App 步骤要拍照。我们的「中国支付指南」有这两个 App 的完整设置步骤。

3 Maps and transport: AMap, DiDi, and rail apps 地图与交通：高德、滴滴、铁路 App

Gaode (AMap) is the best map for daily navigation in China. It shows metro exits, addresses, and ride hailing in one screen, and it understands Chinese place names that English search misses. Baidu Maps is a sharp second, useful when AMap shows a gap. Install both at home, pre load the map for your destinations, and pin your hotel so a ride is two taps on arrival.高德（AMap）是在中国日常导航的最佳地图。它在一个界面里显示地铁出口、地址和打车入口，而且它读得懂英文搜不到的中文地名。百度地图是扎实的第二选择，高德显示空白时它能补上。在家里装好两款、预载目的地的地图、钉好酒店，落地叫车只需两步。

DiDi is the ride hailing app every visitor should set up. It runs inside WeChat and Alipay, so you do not install a separate app, and the same card you linked for payments charges the fare. Use DiDi for airport runs, late nights, rain, language barriers, and luggage. The subway is cheaper for in city hops with light bags.滴滴是每位游客都该装好的打车 App。它跑在微信和支付宝里，所以你不用单独装，且你绑的同一张支付卡就用来付车费。机场接送、深夜、下雨、语言障碍、拖行李时用滴滴；背着轻包做市内短途，地铁更便宜。

Railway 12306 is the official app for train tickets across China, including the high speed network. If you will travel between cities, install it and set up an account before you fly, since first time registration wants a passport scan. Trip.com is a simpler alternative for visitors, with English booking and a familiar checkout.「铁路 12306」是中国火车票的官方 App，包括高铁网络。如果你要在城市间移动，出发前装好它并注册账号，因为首次注册要扫描护照。Trip.com 是对游客更简单的替代，英文订票、结账流程熟悉。

• AMap + Baidu.高德 + 百度。 Two local maps cover each other gaps, the default for getting around.
• DiDi.滴滴。 Ride hailing for door-to-door trips, late nights, rain, language gaps and luggage.
• 12306 or Trip.com.12306 或 Trip.com。 Book trains and flights; 12306 is official, Trip.com is easier for visitors.

For the full breakdown of map apps, see our maps guide地图指南, and for DiDi in depth, the DiDi guide滴滴指南.地图 App 的完整拆解，见我们的「地图指南」；滴滴的细节，看「滴滴指南」。

4 Translation and communication 翻译与沟通

Google Translate works in China with a workaround, but Baidu Translate and Microsoft Translator are smoother locally, with offline packs you can download at home so the app still translates when signal is weak. Both let you point the camera at a menu or a sign and see the English overlay, which saves many confused conversations.谷歌翻译在中国可用但要办法，而百度翻译和微软翻译在本地更顺，可以在家下载离线包，让信号弱时仍能翻译。两者都支持把摄像头对准菜单或招牌，叠加显示英文，省下许多犯迷糊的对话。

Pleco is the dictionary app travelers swear by. Download the offline Chinese English dictionary before you fly, and you can look up any character you see on a sign or a menu in seconds, without needing a connection. It is free to install with paid add ons, and it handles handwriting and voice lookup too.Pleco 是旅行者最爱的词典 App。出发前下载它的中英离线词典，看到招牌或菜单上的任何汉字，几秒钟就能查到，不用联网。它免费安装、有付费扩展，支持手写和语音查词。

WeChat doubles as your communication hub. Voice notes translate naturally, group chats make splitting dinner easy, and the in app translate feature handles short sentences when you message a taxi driver or a hotel.微信同时是你的沟通中枢。语音条自然翻译，群聊让分摊餐费变简单，App 内的翻译功能在给司机或酒店发短句时也好用。

• Baidu Translate.百度翻译。 Offline packs, camera overlay, the smoothest local translator.
• Pleco.Pleco。 Offline Chinese English dictionary, the most reliable word lookup on the road.
• WeChat.微信。 Voice notes, group chats, and an in app translate button for short sentences.

Set the keyboard to a Chinese input option even if you do not type Chinese, because the candidates help when you paste a name and want to pick the right characters.把键盘设成中文输入法选项，即便你不打中文，候选词也能在粘名字、想选对汉字时帮上忙。

5 Food, social, and everyday life 美食、社交与日常生活

Meituan is the app locals use for food delivery, services, and local deals, and it accepts Alipay or WeChat Pay at checkout. Order lunch to your hotel, find a nearby restaurant, or book a spa session in a single app. The English version is decent, and the map view makes pickup logistics obvious.美团是本地人用来叫外卖、找服务和本地优惠的 App，结账时也支持支付宝或微信支付。在同一个 App 里给酒店点午餐、找附近餐厅、或预约一次 SPA。英文版还不错，地图视图让取送餐的流程一目了然。

Xiaohongshu (RED) is the social app that doubles as a travel research tool. Search a city or a sight and you get thousands of recent local photos and tips, often more honest than a guide book. It is in Chinese, but the photo heavy layout makes it browsable with a translator side by side.小红书（RED）是兼具旅行研究功能的社交 App。搜一个城市或景点，你会看到几千张最新的本地照片和攻略，常常比旅游指南更真实。它是中文界面，但图片为主的布局，让你开个翻译器就能浏览。

Trip.com rounds out the travel booking side. It handles hotels, flights, and trains in one app, with English checkout and a familiar interface. Pair it with 12306 for official rail tickets and you can compare prices and schedules in a minute.Trip.com 补齐旅行预订这一环。它在一个 App 里管酒店、机票和火车票，英文结账、界面熟悉。把它和 12306 搭配，你一分钟内就能比价、看时刻表。

• Meituan.美团。 Food delivery and local services, paid by Alipay or WeChat Pay at checkout.
• Xiaohongshu.小红书。 Recent local photos and tips, the most honest travel research tool.
• Trip.com.Trip.com。 Hotels, flights, and trains in one app, the easiest booking flow for visitors.

These three apps cover the everyday side of your trip: feeding yourself, finding what is good, and booking the next night.这三个 App 覆盖了你行程的日常一面：喂饱自己、找到好地方、订下一晚的住处。

6 Internet and staying connected 联网与保持在线

Every app in this list needs an internet connection, so sort your data before you fly. A local SIM card or an eSIM gives you a Chinese phone number and cheap data, while your home carrier's roaming keeps your home number active at a higher cost. For most visitors, a local SIM or eSIM is the simplest choice and the cheapest per gigabyte.这张清单里的每个 App 都需要联网，所以出发前先把流量搞定。本地 SIM 卡或 eSIM 给你一个中国手机号和便宜流量，本国运营商的漫游则以更高价格让本国号码保持可用。对大多数游客来说，本地 SIM 或 eSIM 是最简单的选择，也是每 GB 最便宜的。

Buy the SIM at an airport counter or city carrier store from China Mobile, China Unicom, or China Telecom, where registration by passport takes only a few minutes and activation is immediate. An eSIM is the same data without a physical card, but you must install it before you fly since setup needs internet.在机场柜台或市区门店找中国移动、中国联通或中国电信买 SIM，凭护照的注册只需几分钟、开通即时。eSIM 是同样的流量、却不用实体卡，但你得在出发前装好，因为设置需要联网。

Keep a backup connection in case the primary fails. Download offline maps for your cities before you fly, save key routes as screenshots, and keep a battery pack with you, because a dead phone is the one thing no app can fix.留一个备用连接，以防主用线路出问题。出发前下载目的城市的离线地图，截好关键路线，并随身带个充电宝，因为没电的手机再好的 App 也救不了。

• Local SIM.本地 SIM。 Cheap data and a Chinese number, register at an airport or city carrier counter by passport.
• eSIM.eSIM。 Same data without a physical card, install at home before you fly if your phone supports it.
• Roaming backup.漫游作后备。 Your home carrier roaming keeps your number active, more expensive but no setup needed.

Our SIM card guideSIM 卡指南 and eSIM vs SIM vs roaming guideeSIM、SIM 卡与漫游对比指南 cover the options in detail.我们的「SIM 卡指南」和「eSIM、SIM 卡与漫游对比指南」详细讲了各种选项。

7 Before you fly: three setups that make China easy 出发前：让中国行变轻松的三件事

The 12 apps in this list are the day to day tools, and three pre-trip setups make them all work the moment you land. Confirm your entry paperwork, link a card to Alipay and WeChat Pay so every app can charge it, and sort your internet, because without data none of these apps load and Google Maps is filtered on local networks.这张清单里的 12 个 App 是日常工具，而三件出发前的准备让它们一落地就能跑。确认好入境手续，把卡绑到支付宝和微信支付让每个 App 都能扣款，再把上网搞定——没流量这些 App 加载不出来，且本地网络上谷歌地图是被过滤的。

• Visa.签证。 Before anything else, confirm your China visa guide and arrival rules.
• Payments.支付。 Link a card to Alipay and WeChat Pay so every app can charge it.
• Connectivity.联网。 Read our eSIM vs SIM vs roaming guide so every app loads on arrival.

Do these three at home and the rest runs on autopilot: scan to pay, tap to navigate, type to translate. The 12 apps above cover paying, getting around, talking to people, and finding food or a place to stay, and they all assume these three setups are already in place.这三件在家里搞定，剩下的就自动运转了：扫一下付钱、点一下导航、打一下就翻译。上述 12 个 App 覆盖付钱、出行、沟通、找吃住，它们都假设这三件已经做好。

If you want the broad view, our first 24 hours guide「抵达后 24 小时」指南 has the moment by moment checklist for when you land, and the internet connectivity guide联网指南 explains the data side.如果你想要全貌，我们的「抵达后 24 小时」指南有落地那一刻起的分步清单，「联网指南」则讲流量那一侧。

8 Final tips 最后提醒

Install everything on Wi-Fi at home, not in a taxi with one bar of signal. Link a card to Alipay and WeChat Pay with your passport ready, download offline maps and translation packs, and keep a battery pack with you through the day. With the 12 apps set up and the three pre-trip setups done, your phone becomes the only tool you actually need in China.在家里、用 Wi-Fi 把一切装好，而不是在只剩一格信号的出租车里。备好护照把卡绑到支付宝和微信支付，下载离线地图和翻译包，并随身带个充电宝。12 个 App 装好、三件出发前的事搞定，你的手机就成了你在中国唯一真正需要的工具。

Skip the extras until the basics work. The 12 in this list cover what visitors actually use day to day, and adding social or niche apps is fine once you are settled. Charge your phone every night, keep a backup of key screenshots, and the rest is just showing up.先把基础跑通，再去玩别的。这 12 个覆盖游客日常真正用到的，等你安顿下来再加社交或冷门 App。每天晚上把手机充满，存好关键截图的备份，剩下的就是人到即可。

• Wi-Fi at home.家里用 Wi-Fi。 Install every app and download offline packs before you fly.
• Charge nightly.每晚充电。 A dead phone beats any app, so keep a battery buffer through the day.
• Start small.从小处开始。 Run the four core jobs (pay, navigate, translate, find food) before adding niche ones.

For the full pre-trip checklist, our first 24 hours guide「抵达后 24 小时」指南 and the broader high-speed rail guide高铁指南 cover everything else.关于完整的出发前清单，我们的「抵达后 24 小时」指南和更全面的「出行指南」会讲其余内容。

Frequently asked questions常见问题