ByChow.
Independent China travel checklist · Item 1/6

Apps to download

In China, many familiar apps like Google Maps, Gmail and Facebook don't work on the local network. Install the apps below while you're still in Vietnam, and sign up and log in ahead of time.

ChowWritten by Chow · Updated 11/2026 · 2 min read
The China travel apps folder on iPhone: Amap, Trip.com, Alipay, WeChat, Rednote, Translate, Google Translate
The folder of China travel apps on my phone
7 apps

You only need these 7 apps

Install before you fly
  1. 1
    Trip.com: book everything, from flights, hotels, train tickets and attraction tickets to airport transfers and eSIMs… Trip.com covers everything you can book ahead. Once you arrive, you only need the other apps to find your way, get rides and pay.
  2. 2
    Alipay (支付宝): the most important app. Besides paying almost everywhere, you can call a DiDi ride, open the metro ride code, scan to unlock shared bikes, and order Meituan food, all built in.
    Alipay: scan to pay, call DiDi, ride the metro, order Meituan food
    In Alipay: scan codes to pay and book tickets, call DiDi, ride the metro, order Meituan food
  3. 3
    WeChat (微信): for messaging hotels. Many places also let you scan a code to see the menu and pay with WeChat Pay.
  4. 4
    Amap (高德地图): maps and directions in China.
  5. 5
    Translation app: iPhone has the built-in Translate app; if you don't use an iPhone, download Google Translate.
  6. 6
    AI apps like ChatGPT and Claude: great for translating menus. Instead of taking a photo and asking a translation app, send the menu photo to the AI. It translates much more accurately and closer to the meaning. These AI apps need an unblocked connection, for example an eSIM that works with ChatGPT (see the Internet & SIM item).
  7. 7
    Rednote (小红书, Xiaohongshu): find fun places and restaurants that young Chinese people use, like using Instagram in Vietnam.
Notes
  • Sign up for Alipay and WeChat with a Vietnamese phone number while you're still at home, so you can receive the OTP code.
  • WeChat is harder to sign up for than Alipay: it needs someone who has used WeChat for over 6 months to scan a confirmation code for you, and that person must not have confirmed anyone else in the past 2 months.
  • Update all your apps to the latest version before your flight.

Chow's note: the most useful app is Alipay, one app that handles almost everything in China. Book everything ahead on Trip.com, and you'll have a lot more free hands when you arrive.

ByChow.
Checklist · Item 1/6

Apps to download

In China, many familiar apps like Google Maps, Gmail and Facebook don't work on the local network. Install the apps below while you're still in Vietnam, and sign up and log in ahead of time.

ChowWritten by Chow · Updated 11/2026 · 2 min read
The China travel apps folder on iPhone: Amap, Trip.com, Alipay, WeChat, Rednote, Translate, Google Translate
The folder of China travel apps on my phone
7 appsInstall before you fly

You only need these 7 apps

  1. 1
    Trip.com: book everything, from flights, hotels, train tickets and attraction tickets to airport transfers and eSIMs… Trip.com covers everything you can book ahead. Once you arrive, you only need the other apps to find your way, get rides and pay.
  2. 2
    Alipay (支付宝): the most important app. Besides paying almost everywhere, you can call a DiDi ride, open the metro ride code, scan to unlock shared bikes, and order Meituan food, all built in.
    Alipay: scan to pay, call DiDi, ride the metro, order Meituan food
    In Alipay: scan codes to pay and book tickets, call DiDi, ride the metro, order Meituan food
  3. 3
    WeChat (微信): for messaging hotels. Many places also let you scan a code to see the menu and pay with WeChat Pay.
  4. 4
    Amap (高德地图): maps and directions in China.
  5. 5
    Translation app: iPhone has the built-in Translate app; if you don't use an iPhone, download Google Translate.
  6. 6
    AI apps like ChatGPT and Claude: great for translating menus. Instead of taking a photo and asking a translation app, send the menu photo to the AI. It translates much more accurately and closer to the meaning. These AI apps need an unblocked connection, for example an eSIM that works with ChatGPT (see the Internet & SIM item).
  7. 7
    Rednote (小红书, Xiaohongshu): find fun places and restaurants that young Chinese people use, like using Instagram in Vietnam.
Notes
  • Sign up for Alipay and WeChat with a Vietnamese phone number while you're still at home, so you can receive the OTP code.
  • WeChat is harder to sign up for than Alipay: it needs someone who has used WeChat for over 6 months to scan a confirmation code for you, and that person must not have confirmed anyone else in the past 2 months.
  • Update all your apps to the latest version before your flight.

Chow's note: the most useful app is Alipay, one app that handles almost everything in China. Book everything ahead on Trip.com, and you'll have a lot more free hands when you arrive.