Checked on 29 October 2026.
A phone with working data does most of the heavy lifting on a trip to China. You use it to pay, to find your way, to call a car, to translate a menu and to show your train ticket. This guide covers getting connected and the apps to install, all of which is easiest to do at home before you leave.
Getting data on your phone
There are three ways to get mobile data, and each one behaves differently.
Roaming on your home plan. The simplest option. Your phone keeps your own number, so bank texts and app verification codes still arrive. Because roaming traffic is routed through your home carrier, services such as Google and WhatsApp generally keep working. The catch is cost: check your carrier’s China daily rate or travel pass before you go, as prices vary widely.
A travel eSIM. Bought online before departure from an international eSIM seller and installed by QR code. Choose a plan that names mainland China, not only Hong Kong. Some eSIMs route data through Hong Kong or Singapore, which keeps foreign apps working; others use local routing, which does not. The product page usually says which. Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked.
A Chinese SIM. Sold at the main international airports and at China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom shops. You need your original passport, and the shop registers the SIM in your name, often with a photo taken on the spot. It gives you a local number, which a few services require, but foreign apps will not load on it.
For a trip of two or three weeks, most visitors are well served by roaming or a travel eSIM. Keep your home SIM active either way, since your bank may text you a code when you link a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay.
What does not load locally
On Chinese mobile networks and on hotel and cafe Wi-Fi, many foreign services do not load. These include Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram.
Some familiar services do work, including Apple iMessage and FaceTime, Microsoft Bing and Outlook, and Apple Maps.
If you rely on a Google account for email or photos, set up a fallback before you go. Forward important mail to an address that loads in China, download offline copies of booking confirmations, and save your hotel addresses in Chinese characters as screenshots. Give family a way to reach you that works there, such as iMessage, FaceTime or WeChat.
Visitors often ask about VPNs. Rules on their use are set by Chinese law and are beyond the scope of a travel guide; we recommend that you check current official guidance and decide for yourself.
Apps to install at home
Install and sign in to these before you fly. App store access and SMS codes are simplest from home.
- Alipay. Payments, plus English-language services for taxis, hotel booking, tickets and transit, and a 12306 mini program for trains. Our paying in China guide covers linking a card.
- WeChat. Messaging and WeChat Pay. In China it is the usual way to message people, including many hotels and guides.
- Amap (Gaode Maps). The most detailed map of China. Since July 2025 it has offered English and 14 other languages, with walking, transit and driving directions, and a ride-hailing page that compares several car services with fare estimates.
- DiDi. China’s main ride-hailing app. You can sign in with a foreign number, switch the interface to English, and pay with a foreign card, Alipay or WeChat Pay. DiDi also runs as a mini program inside Alipay and WeChat.
- Railway 12306. The official China Railway app, with an English interface. Register with your passport and email, and allow time for identity checks. See our high-speed trains guide.
- A translation app. Any app with camera translation and offline Chinese helps with menus and signs. Download the offline Chinese pack before you go, in case your connection drops.
Apple Maps on an iPhone works without extra setup, which makes it a reasonable backup to Amap.
Getting around with your phone
The metro is usually the quickest way across Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Chengdu. In Beijing, every station has accepted foreign Visa and Mastercard cards since September 2024, at ticket machines or tapped at the gate. In Shanghai, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay cards have worked at the gates since June 2025. In Xi’an and Chengdu, check the payment options at the station when you arrive.
For taxis, show the driver your destination in Chinese characters on your screen. When you book through DiDi, check that the car’s plate matches the one in the app before you get in.
Practical tips
- Save your hotel’s name and address in Chinese as a phone screenshot and a photo. It helps with taxis and with asking directions.
- Turn on two-factor sign-in methods that do not need a text, such as an authenticator app, for accounts you might need abroad.
- Fill in the arrival card online before you fly through the National Immigration Administration’s NIA 12367 app or website, or a WeChat or Alipay mini program.
- Carry a power bank. Maps, payments and train codes all depend on a charged phone. Check your airline’s rules on carrying one.
Rules on networks and apps change, so check your carrier’s current China terms, and the eSIM provider’s description of how its plan routes data, close to your departure date.
