Before you go
Which apps should I install before flying to China?
Short answer
Install and verify a payment wallet, a local map, the rail app, a ride-hailing option and an offline translation pack before you fly. Everything that needs identity verification or an SMS code should be finished at home — those are the steps that fail at the airport.
The short list
- Alipay or WeChat — payments, and the transport code for every metro
- Amap — street-level maps and directions
- 12306 — high-speed rail booking with a passport
- DiDi, or the ride-hailing mini-program inside your wallet
- An offline translation pack that works without signal
Finish these at home, not at the airport
- Bind your card and complete passport verification — both may need an SMS
- Install a travel eSIM and confirm the phone is unlocked
- Activate the metro code for your first city
- Download offline maps and the phrase pack
Install sources
Use your home app store before departure where possible, since some regional stores do not carry these apps. The ChinaPass app lists reliable install sources for each one.
Related questions
Do I need a Chinese app store account?
No. All of the essentials install from a normal international store, or run as mini-programs inside the wallet you already set up.
Should I install everything, or just payments?
Payments first, then maps. The rest can wait until you are online in China.
What about a VPN?
Plan around it rather than depending on it: download offline content before you fly and keep the essentials working without a connection.
Related guides
Verified 2026-09-11. Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.
Get ChinaPass — these answers offline, with the phrase cards that work at the counter when your data does not.