The apps you actually need, tested by someone who lives here. No affiliate links. No 15-app lists. Just what works.
๐ The Big Two
Set up before you land.
These two apps cover 90% of what you'll need. Everything else is optional.
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#1 โ The only app you actually need
Alipayๆฏไปๅฎ
Alipay isn't just a payment app โ for foreign visitors, it's your entire phone in China. Payments, taxi, train tickets, metro, food delivery, bike rental, currency exchange โ all in one app. You link your Visa or Mastercard once and pay at 95% of merchants in the country.
Bao's tip
Don't overthink the rest. Set up Alipay on the plane and it handles the basics. Taxi? Alipay. Train? Alipay. Lunch? Alipay. Metro? Alipay. The other apps can wait until Day 2.
Alipay handles payments. WeChat handles people. Nobody in China uses WhatsApp, iMessage, or SMS โ if someone asks for your contact, they mean your WeChat. Your hotel, your tour guide, the friend picking you up, everyone will ask "What's your WeChat?"
Bao's tip
Add your hotel's WeChat before you arrive. Most hotels have one. If anything comes up โ finding the entrance, asking for late checkout, retrieving something from the room โ message them on WeChat. Faster than calling and easier across a language barrier.
These handle what no payment app can: finding where to go, and what's worth going to.
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#3 โ Your real map in China
Amap้ซๅพทๅฐๅพ
Google Maps shows Chinese roads in the wrong positions (known GPS offset issue) and can't plan metro routes. Apple Maps sort of works but misses a lot. Amap is what 800 million Chinese people actually use โ accurate walking directions, real-time metro schedules with exit numbers, bus routes, and indoor maps for malls and airports.
Bao's tip
Save your hotel address in Chinese in Amap before you leave for the day. If you need a taxi back, just show the driver your screen. Also save "nearest metro station" โ useful many times a day.
How do you find good food in a country where you can't read the signs? Dianping. It's China's Yelp + TripAdvisor combined โ restaurants, cafรฉs, bars, spas, attractions, all with ratings, photos, prices, and user reviews. You don't need to read Chinese: sort by photos, filter by rating above 4.0, and let the pictures tell you if it's worth visiting.
Bao's tip
Spend 30 seconds on Dianping before choosing a restaurant. Filter by ่ฏๅๆๅบ (sort by rating) and look at what people are eating in the photos. Above 4.0 stars with good-looking food photos is usually a safe pick.
None of the apps above matter if you can't get data. Here's what you actually need โ and it's probably not what you've read elsewhere.
Do you actually need a VPN?
Most travelers don't. Run through these four questions honestly:
Can you survive one week without Instagram, Google services, and WhatsApp?
Are you fine using Alipay and WeChat for most things?
Do you use Apple services (iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud)?
Are your banking apps on your home phone's standard network?
4 yes answers โ You need an eSIM, not a VPN. That's most travelers. Can't live without Google/Instagram โ You need a VPN with active obfuscation. Install before you fly.
๐ถ
Recommended for most travelers
eSIMAiralo / Nomad / Holafly
An eSIM routes your traffic through an international data connection, not a Chinese local network โ so your phone behaves like it's still in your home country. Install before you fly, works the moment you land, no scrambling at the airport. Keep your home SIM active for SMS/calls; eSIM handles data only.
Bao's tip
Different eSIM providers route traffic differently. Some let you use TikTok and ChatGPT; some block them on their China routes because those apps restrict Hong Kong IPs (where many eSIM routes land). Check each provider's app compatibility list before you buy. Also: 2 GB/day is usually plenty โ 3 GB plans are only needed for remote work.
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Fallback only โ not default
VPNWith active obfuscation
If an eSIM doesn't fit โ you're staying more than a month, need a Chinese phone number alongside blocked apps, or burn through data fast โ a VPN is the fallback. Three rules: most regular VPNs don't work (the firewall detects standard protocols), install before you fly (VPN websites are blocked inside China), and have a backup (servers get blocked, providers fail โ don't rely on one).
Bao's tip
No specific brand recommendations here โ VPN reliability changes quickly. Do your own research, read reviews under 6 months old, and test whatever you pick before you fly.
โ Don't Download
These are already inside Alipay.
Most of these apps live inside Alipay as mini-programs, so a separate download isn't needed.
Open Alipay โ tap the search bar โ type the name below in English. No separate app, no second account, no extra setup.
