Your first hour in China
- 1. Land & clear immigration
- 2. Turn on your eSIM
- 3. Open Baidu or Amap
- 4. Didi or airport metro
- 5. Pay by QR — Alipay
Build your China app kit — by what you need to do
One rule prevents most arrival headaches: the iOS App Store works in mainland China, but Google Play is blocked — so Android users must install everything before departure. Statuses below are commonly reported, not guaranteed; verify in-app on arrival.
| Task | In China | Install | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
Navigate | Google Maps: tiles may load, but search & live navigation are reported unreliable. | Apple Maps · Amap (高德) · Baidu Maps iPhone → Apple Maps works out of the box; Android → Amap has partial English. | Download offline map tiles before departure. |
Ride | Uber is not available in mainland China. | Didi (滴滴) Didi is the standard; English UI available. | Link a foreign card or pay via Alipay/WeChat — see the airport Didi pickup guide. |
Pay | Foreign cards rarely accepted in person; QR payment expected. | Alipay · WeChat Pay Alipay is more traveler-friendly with clearer English. | Finish KYC at home — see the full Alipay for foreigners guide. |
Message | WhatsApp, LINE, Telegram and Messenger are reported blocked. | WeChat WeChat is near-universal in China. | New accounts may need an existing user to verify you. |
Translate | Works — set up offline packs before you fly. | Google Translate · Microsoft Translator Download offline language packs before departure. | Camera translation works offline once the pack is installed. |
Book transport | Home travel apps may lack China rail/coach inventory. | Trip.com · Ctrip Trip.com has an English UI for trains, flights and hotels. | Passport details must match your booking exactly. |
Apps commonly reported as blocked in mainland China
Blocked at a glance: Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE — full status, evidence and workarounds in the status board below →.
Also blocked, without their own board row: Google Drive, Twitter / X, Snapchat, Dropbox, Slack.
App profiles — what each app is for, and how to set it up
One page per app: the official download, what it actually does for a visitor, the setup steps, and what to do when it fails. Every claim is sourced.
Paying for things
Booking travel and tickets
Maps and navigation
Understanding Chinese
Food delivery and shopping
Messaging, reviews and discovery
Staying connected
China App Access Status Board
A scannable reference for which apps work in mainland China, from our own verified guides — click any app for the full detail and sources.
On hotel Wi-Fi or a local Chinese SIM the statuses below apply as shown; with an international-routing eSIM or a VPN, most "No" rows work again (see the Needs-VPN column). We check each app's official docs where they exist, otherwise wide traveler and press reports — not our own live tests — and dates show when each linked guide was last updated. Verify in-app on arrival.
| App | Works in mainland China? | Needs VPN / intl-routing eSIM? | Evidence type | Guide updated | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messaging & social | |||||
| No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → | |
| No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → | |
| No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → | |
| Telegram | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Signal | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| LINE | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | See LINE in WhatsApp guide → |
| No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → | |
| iMessage / FaceTime (1:1 video) | Partial | No | Official source | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| WeChat (微信) | Yes | No | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Standard email (Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo) | Yes | No | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Google services | |||||
| Google Search | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Gmail | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Google Maps | Partial | Yes, for search/directions — Amap, Baidu Maps or Apple Maps need none | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Google Translate (app) | Partial | Only for live/camera lookup — offline text works without | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| YouTube | No | Yes | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Streaming & music | |||||
| Netflix | Not available | Yes, for the app/site — downloaded titles play offline without one | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Disney+ | Not available | Yes, for the app/site — downloaded titles play offline without one | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Spotify | Not available | Yes, for streaming — downloaded playlists play offline without one | Official source | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| AI assistant | |||||
| ChatGPT | No | Yes, but not sufficient alone — OpenAI account/region limits also apply | Widely reported | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Payments | |||||
| Alipay | Yes | No | Official source | 2026-07-18 | Full guide → |
| Apple Pay | Partial | No | Official source | 2026-07-20 | Full guide → |
| Transport | |||||
| Uber app | Not available | No — a VPN does not restore it (business exit, not a network block) | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Didi (via Alipay mini-program) | Yes | No | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Didi (standalone app) | Yes | No | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
| Official metered taxi | Yes | No | Widely reported | 2026-07-04 | Full guide → |
Map apps that work in China — setup guide
| App | Best for | Registration | English | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Maps | iOS: Pre-installed on all iPhones.Android: Not available on Android. | No account required for navigation. | English POI search supported in China — verify in-app, last checked June 2026. | Offline regions available on iOS 17+ — verify in-app. |
| Amap / 高德地图 | iOS: App Store → search "高德地图" or "Amap".Android: Google Play → install before leaving home. | Basic navigation: no Chinese phone required — verify. Some features may require sign-in. | Partial English in tourist cities; search accepts English input — verify in-app. | Offline for select regions — download in-app before departure, verify coverage. |
| Baidu Maps / 百度地图 | iOS: App Store → search "百度地图".Android: Google Play → install before leaving home. | Basic map browsing without account — verify. Search may prompt sign-in. | Primarily Chinese UI; English search for major landmarks — verify in-app. | Offline download available in-app — download before departure. |
Does Google Maps work in China?
Google Maps loads in China but search, directions, and real-time data are blocked by the Great Firewall. With an international-gateway eSIM or a VPN set up before departure, Google Maps works again — but pin positions may be offset due to the GCJ-02 coordinate system. Baidu Maps, Amap, or Apple Maps work without any workaround.
What map apps should I install before flying to China?
At minimum: Baidu Maps or Amap (Android: install from Google Play before leaving — Google Play is blocked in China). iPhone users: Apple Maps works out of the box. Download offline map tiles for your destination region in each app before departure.
Want to use blocked apps in China?
Some eSIM providers describe an international gateway or VPN-like feature on their China plans (see the eSIM comparison). YouChina does not recommend a specific VPN service.
Compare China eSIMs →How we compare providers
- We list eSIM providers that publicly advertise a China-mainland plan and either route through international gateways or document VPN-like behavior.
- Prices, data caps and validity copy come from the provider's own product page. We mark every record with a "last checked" date and re-verify before each report cycle.
- We never claim that a provider definitely bypasses China's firewall. We describe what the provider documents and what travelers consistently report. Travelers should still install a backup VPN before leaving home.
- Affiliate status is disclosed on every commercial link. We do not change provider ordering for higher commission. Provider ranking is based on price, transparency, hotspot support and traveler feedback.
Sources
- Airalo — China eSIM data plans— Airalo· Reviewed 2026-05-30
- Holafly — China eSIM (unlimited, VPN-like feature on some plans)— Holafly· Reviewed 2026-05-30
- Nomad — China eSIM (nomadesim.com)— Nomad· Reviewed 2026-05-30
- Airalo — China eSIM plans (official page)— Airalo (Airgsm Pte. Ltd.)· Reviewed 2026-07-10
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