01 · Payments
Alipay 支付宝
The easiest all-round newcomer app: payments, transport QR codes, and mini apps. No Chinese bank account required to start.
Apps Guide · Last checked August 2026
The apps you actually need in Shanghai — and what to set up before you land
You don't need dozens of apps to get started. A handful cover most of what you need: payments, messaging, transport, navigation, translation, and everyday services. Not every popular Chinese app is equally easy for international users — here's which ones are, which work in English, which take a foreign card, and what to skip until later.
Start here
If you only download six apps
This is the shortlist for someone arriving tomorrow. Everything else in this guide can wait.
02 · Communication
WeChat 微信
How much of China communicates — messages, contacts, landlords, schools, and increasingly payments. Verify your account before you fly.
03 · Navigation
Amap 高德地图
Better than an overseas maps app for Chinese addresses, compound gates, and metro routing. Start here rather than downloading two map apps.
04 · Transport
SH MaaS 随申行
Shanghai's official all-in-one transport app — metro, buses, ferries, and transport QR codes. Use Amap to find the route, SH MaaS to travel it.
05 · Translation
A translation setup
Not one app — a combination. Pleco for dictionary lookups, plus a China-accessible photo/voice translator. Google Translate is a backup, not a plan.
06 · Connectivity
A VPN
Most Western apps and sites — Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, most news sites — are blocked in mainland China. Buy and install a VPN before you fly; providers are hard to reach once you land.
Setup timeline
What to install, and when
1
Before you fly
Get set up
Install and verify these before you leave — some verification steps are easier with a stable home connection.
2
Once you land
Get moving
Add these once you're on the ground and need to get around.
3
Once you know your address
Get fed
Delivery apps need a real, detailed address to work properly.
4
Once you're settled
Get comfortable
Add these once your basics are working and you're exploring more.
Five things to do before you fly
-
01
Set up payments
Verify Alipay and WeChat, and add your international card where supported.
-
02
Sort out connectivity
Arrange your VPN before entering mainland China — not after.
-
03
Download translation tools
Include offline dictionary data so menus and signs work without signal.
-
04
Save addresses in Chinese
Keep Chinese text and screenshots for your hotel, home, workplace, and school.
-
05
Use a phone number you can keep accessing
Verification codes are a real problem if you later lose access to that number.
Take it with you
Essential Apps Quick Guide
The two-page version of this guide for your phone, flight, or arrival day.
Download PDF
No email required.
Payments & communication
WeChat and Alipay
WeChat 微信
Best for: CommunicationWeChat is how much of China communicates — messages, contacts, schools, landlords, businesses, mini programs, and increasingly payments. Verify your account before you land; it's easier with a stable connection and a contact who already uses WeChat. International cards cover many payments, but transfers and red packets usually need a Chinese bank card.
Alipay 支付宝
Best for: Payments + transport + mini appsThe easiest all-round newcomer app — shop and restaurant payments, transport QR codes, and a wide range of city-service mini apps. No Chinese bank account needed to start. Link a supported overseas card and verify with your passport before you arrive to avoid interruptions and raise your limits. Full setup: Alipay guide · mobile payments guide.
Do I need both WeChat and Alipay?
WeChat — best for
Communication, contacts, groups, mini programs, social ecosystem.
Alipay — best for
Payments, transport, city services, newcomer setup.
Good to know
Yes — get both. Both support international cards for many everyday payments, but some functions restricted to Chinese-bank-account holders won't be available. They overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
Getting around
Maps, transport, rides, and translation
Amap vs Baidu Maps
Amap — choose this if
You want English navigation and the easiest starting point for international users.
Baidu Maps — choose this if
You're comfortable with more Chinese and want a second comprehensive local map.
Our pick
Start with Amap. Most newcomers do not need both.
Amap 高德地图
Best for: NavigationThe primary mapping pick for newcomers — better than an overseas maps app for Chinese addresses, compound entrances, walking routes, and metro journeys, with English-language navigation.
SH MaaS 随申行
Best for: Shanghai public transportShanghai's official all-in-one transport app — metro, buses, ferries, transport QR codes, and passes, with English options in the core booking flow. Use Amap to find the route, SH MaaS to travel it. Full detail: Metro guide · getting around Shanghai.
MetroMan still works as a lighter, optional route planner for line names and last-train times.
DiDi 滴滴出行
Best for: Taxis and ride-hailingEnglish-language functionality lets you enter a destination directly, instead of explaining an address to a driver out loud. Full guide: DiDi and airport transfers.
Don't need another app?
DiDi can also be accessed through the wider WeChat / Alipay ecosystem. Download the standalone app only if you use taxis often or prefer a dedicated interface.
Shanghai tip
Save your home, hotel, and workplace addresses in Chinese before your first DiDi ride. Drivers sometimes call when they arrive.
A translation setup 翻译工具
Best for: Getting through daily lifeDon't rely on a single app. Use Pleco as a proper Chinese dictionary — words, characters, menus, signs — paired with Baidu Translate or another China-accessible photo/voice translator. Keep Google Translate as an offline backup only; normal online Google functionality isn't guaranteed on a standard mainland China connection.
Food & everyday life
Delivery, once you have an address
Taobao Flash Shopping 淘宝闪购
Best for: Fast local deliveryMeals, groceries, drinks, convenience items, and rapid local delivery. The same detailed-address rule as Meituan applies.
Dianping 大众点评
Best for: Discovering restaurants and local placesRestaurant discovery, local reviews, photos, and deals — genuinely useful once you start exploring your neighbourhood. Worth downloading day one? No. Once you live here? Yes.
Shanghai tip
Your delivery address needs more than your compound name. Include:
- Road
- Compound
- Building
- Floor / apartment
- Phone number
Good to know
Older guides may still refer to Ele.me — its services have moved into Taobao Flash Shopping's branding. You don't need both Meituan and Taobao Flash Shopping immediately; start with one.
Shopping
Taobao, once you're ready
Skip for now
You don't need Taobao on arrival day. Wait until digital payments, a reliable Chinese address, a working phone number, and some translation-tool confidence are all in place — it's far easier to navigate once those basics are set.
Travel beyond Shanghai
Trip.com and 12306
Railway 12306 铁路12306
Best for: Booking Chinese trains directlyChina's official railway booking platform. Foreign travellers can register with passport details and book trains directly, without a booking-fee markup. Search "铁路12306" or "Railway 12306" in your app store.
Trip.com — choose this if
Convenience and English support matter most.
12306 — choose this if
You're comfortable booking directly through China's official system.
Good to know
You don't need both immediately.
New / worth knowing
Nihao China bundles payments, transport, and travel features for international visitors — useful for short stays. If you're actually living in Shanghai, WeChat and Alipay still matter far more.
Newcomer rules
Three rules that save a lot of frustration
None of these are about any single app — they're about how you set the others up.
-
01
Use one stable phone number
Keep your payment, travel, delivery, and transport accounts connected to a number you can reliably access — verification codes get complicated fast otherwise.
-
02
Keep Chinese addresses ready
Save your important locations as copyable Chinese text and as screenshots. Don't rely entirely on English place names.
-
03
Don't try to master every app
WeChat and Alipay's mini-program ecosystem already gives you access to many services. You rarely need the standalone version of everything right away.
Quick answer
What do I actually need?
Start with Alipay, WeChat, Amap, SH MaaS, a reliable translation setup, and a VPN. Add Meituan once you know your delivery address. Add Taobao once you're comfortable shopping locally. Add Trip.com or 12306 when you start travelling around China. Everything else can wait.
Frequently asked questions
Essential apps questions for foreigners
Do I need both WeChat and Alipay?
Yes. Use WeChat for communication, contacts, and groups. Use Alipay for payments, transport, and city services. They overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
Do I need to download the DiDi app separately?
Not necessarily. Ride-hailing is also available inside Alipay and WeChat. Download the standalone DiDi app only if you use taxis often or prefer a dedicated interface.
Should I use Amap or Baidu Maps?
Start with Amap. It's the more international-user-friendly option and covers Chinese addresses, metro routing, and walking directions well. Add Baidu Maps later only if you want a second option.
Do I need both Meituan and Taobao Flash Shopping?
No, not immediately. Start with one for food and convenience delivery, then add the other later if you want more choice.
When should I start using Taobao?
Wait until your payments, address, and phone number are working reliably, and you have some confidence using translation tools.
Should I book travel with Trip.com or 12306?
Start with Trip.com if English support and convenience matter most. Use 12306 once you're comfortable booking directly through China's official railway system.
Is Nihao China worth downloading?
It can be useful for short visits, since it bundles payments, transport, and travel features for international users. If you're living in Shanghai, WeChat and Alipay matter far more.
What's the biggest app mistake newcomers make?
Downloading a standalone app for every service. WeChat and Alipay already give access to many services through mini programs, so you rarely need the separate app right away.
Last checked: August 2026. Recommendations are reviewed against current official Shanghai guidance and updated as services change.
Next step
New to Shanghai? Start with the essentials
Set up payments, apps, and transport with the Shanghai starter guides, then explore neighbourhoods and daily life at your own pace.