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Amap

Amap

高德地图

Google PlayApp Store

Amap (高德地图) is the profile for China travelers: start with the official AMap Global download, switch to a supported language, and use Chinese names or pinyin when a place is hard to find.

At a glanceFree appNeeds internetNo foreign cardSet up before flyingEnglish UINo VPN

Before you install — hard prerequisites

This page is the Amap (高德地图 / Gaode) profile: official AMap Global download, language setup, and the login or ride boundary. It is not a Baidu comparison and not a payment or metro-ticket guide.

Before you start

  • Mobile number that receives SMS
  • Alipay or WeChat Pay already set up (only for ride-hailing)optional
  • Internet / eSIM or roaming
  • Chinese names of your hotel and top destinations saved as textoptional
A

Phone number — by country

  • A mobile number that receives text messages, if you intend to book rides from inside the map.
  • AMap supports one-tap login with mobile numbers from 65 countries and regions.
  • Some overseas numbers are still reported as blocked at login; keep the wallet route as a fallback.
B

Passport and identity

  • AMap itself does not require passport verification for navigation or route planning.
  • Logging in matters when you want to book a ride or save places.
C

Wallets — what works, what gets rejected

  • Best optionAlipay or WeChat Pay already set up — this is what settles the fare when you book a car.
  • Backupthe map and ride-hailing entries inside Alipay and WeChat need no separate install or login.
  • Navigation itself costs nothing; no wallet is needed just to look at the map.
D

Network access

  • Roaming or an eSIM. Real-time traffic, live transit times and ride-hailing all need a connection.
  • There is no complete offline mode; downloaded city maps are a parachute, not a plan.
E

Country and region tips

US / UK / EU / AU
Google Maps and Apple Maps muscle memory transfers directly — search, mode, route, turn-by-turn. Two differences: your usual map cannot route you here at all, and this one has a ride-hailing button built into the same screen.
Japan / Korea
Closer to Yahoo!乗換案内, NAVITIME, Naver Map or KakaoMap than to a pure driving app — transfers, exit numbers and live departures are the parts you will use most. Both languages were added in the multilingual release.
France / Germany / Spain
Think Waze or Citymapper with the traffic layer built in — green and red on the route line, plus a countdown at the lights. All three languages were added on top of the English build.

Step-by-step setup

Before you fly — checklist

  1. Install AMap Global before you fly
  2. Set your language in the app settings
  3. Download offline city maps as a backup
  4. Save Chinese names of your hotel and top destinations
  5. Link Alipay or WeChat Pay if you plan to book rides

Start with the official listing. Search AMap Global, not a generic “Amap” result and not the in-car build.

1Install the right app before you fly

iOS: App Store → search AMap Global → listing id461703208 whose seller is AutoNavi Information Technology Co. Ltd.

Android: Google Play → the entry whose package is com.autonavi.minimap. Avoid: the in-car build com.autonavi.amapauto, and any re-hosted APK from a download site. Neither is the traveler app, and the second one is a security risk you do not need.

2Set the language

Open the settings screen → find the language row → pick your language. English arrived in January 2025; a multilingual release on 9 July 2025 added 14 more languages including French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Korean.

3Try a route before you log in

Type a destination, pick driving, transit, walking or cycling, and read the estimated arrival time. This usually works with no account at all.

4Log in and link a wallet only when you need a car

Profile → phone login → pick your country code → enter the SMS code. Then link Alipay or WeChat Pay before your first ride, rather than while a driver is waiting.

Costs & limits

Navigation and route planning
Free
In-app ride
Estimated per ride; paid via Alipay or WeChat Pay

Daily use — real scenarios

What you can do with itFind your way without reading ChineseSearch places by Chinese name or pinyinCompare driving, transit, walking and cycling routesBook a ride without leaving the mapPlan a metro trip and know which exit to use

Search a place

The destination may have an English name in your guidebook and a Chinese name in the map index. Search the Chinese name first, pinyin second; translated English names often return nothing.

Choose how you travel

Driving, public transport, walking and cycling are all open to overseas users.

Read the traffic and follow guidance

The route line is green for smooth, red for heavy; lane-level guidance, traffic-light countdowns and tunnel navigation carry over from the Chinese build.

Book a ride on the same screen

Enter where you are and where you are going; one tap reaches vehicles across multiple platforms, with the pickup point and fare shown before you confirm.

Take the metro with a wallet

Amap plans the transfer and names the exit; the QR that opens the gate comes from Alipay or WeChat.

Troubleshooting — common problems and what to do

Common problems foreign visitors may run into

"Search finds nothing for a place I know exists"
— The index is keyed to Chinese names. Paste the Chinese name or type the pinyin; you can also long-press the spot on the map and route to the pin.
"Part of the screen reverts to Chinese"
— Translation coverage is not complete on every deep page. Back out to the main map, which stays in your language.
"No login code arrives"
— Roaming SMS may be held by your carrier, or a VPN may interfere. Turn the VPN off, switch to mobile data, and request the code again.
"The app asks for payment before a ride"
— No wallet is linked yet. Link Alipay or WeChat Pay from the payment screen, or book the same car from inside your wallet app.
"Navigation stops when the signal drops"
— Offline data is a backup, not a full offline mode. Reconnect, reload the route, and screenshot the route and exit number while you still have signal.
"The metro gate will not open with anything on the map screen"
— The map plans routes; it is not a ticket. Open the transport QR in Alipay or WeChat, or buy a single-journey token at the counter with cash.

Need to talk to a real person?

ProfileHelp & feedbackdescribe the problem. (In-app entry only; no claim on this UI path.)
  • Open the App Store or Google Play listing for AMap Global.
  • The developer contact (AutoNavi Information Technology Co. Ltd.) is on the store page.
keep a screenshot of the error message and your app version before you start the chat.

Your backup plan

AlipayPrimary
WeChatBackup

the map and ride-hailing entries inside Alipay and WeChat need no separate install and no separate login.

Frequently asked questions about Amap

Which Amap do I install?
AMap Global — id461703208 on iOS, com.autonavi.minimap on Android, published by AutoNavi.
Is there an interface in my language?
English arrived first, in January 2025; on 9 July 2025 the multilingual release added 14 more languages including French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Korean.
Do I need a Chinese phone number?
No. AMap supports one-tap login with mobile numbers from 65 countries and regions.
Do I have to log in at all?
Not to look at the map or plan a route — logging in matters when you want to book a ride or save places.
Can I get around without a Chinese bank account?
Yes for navigation, which costs nothing. For rides you will want Alipay or WeChat Pay linked.
Does it cover public transport, or only driving?
Driving, walking, cycling and public transport are all open to overseas users, same as for locals.
Can I call a taxi from inside the map?
Yes — enter where you are and where you are going, and it books the car. One tap reaches vehicles across multiple platforms, with pickup point and fare shown.
Does it work offline?
Not fully. You can download regional map data as a backup, but real-time traffic, live transit and ride-hailing all need a connection.
Why can it not find my hotel?
Search the Chinese name. Pinyin also works; translated English names often do not.
Do I need a VPN for it?
No — this is a domestic app and it works normally inside mainland China, unlike the map you use at home.
Can I use it as a metro ticket?
No. It plans the transfer and names the exit; the gate reads a transport QR from Alipay or WeChat.
How do I know a route is going to be slow?
The route line is colour-coded to live traffic — green for smooth, red for heavy congestion.

Sources

  • Traveler report Wallet apps carry map and ride entries as a backup
  • Official AMap Global is the international build, with its store identifiers · SRC-AM-001 + SRC-AM-002
  • Official English version Jan 2025, 14 more languages from 9 Jul 2025 · SRC-AM-005 + SRC-AM-006
  • Official Driving, walking, cycling and transit open to overseas users · SRC-AM-006
  • Official Ride-hailing live, one-tap login from 65 countries and regions · SRC-AM-007 + SRC-AM-008
  • Official guide Government portal lists AMap Global with multi-mode routes and ETAs · SRC-AM-004
  • Official guide Route colouring: green smooth, red congested · SRC-AM-004
  • Official guide Taxi can be booked from inside the map · SRC-AM-004
  • Field note Browsing and routing generally work before login · SRC-AM-004 + SRC-AM-007
  • Traveler report Some overseas numbers still reported as blocked at login · SRC-AM-012
  • Traveler report Deep pages may stay in Chinese · SRC-AM-010 + SRC-AM-013
  • Traveler report Pinyin supported; Chinese names search more reliably · SRC-AM-010 + SRC-AM-011
  • Field note No complete offline mode; regional data is a backup only · SRC-AM-010 + SRC-AM-004
  • Traveler report Rides usually settle through Alipay or WeChat Pay · SRC-AM-010
  • Traveler report Works in mainland China without a VPN · SRC-AM-010
  • Official Store metadata: AutoNavi, bundle id, version and update date · SRC-AM-003
  • Field note Gate QR comes from a wallet app, not from the map · + SRC-AM-004
  • Official One tap books across multiple platforms, fare shown up front · SRC-AM-006 + SRC-AM-005
  • Official Lane-level guidance, light countdowns and tunnel navigation · SRC-AM-008

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