A handful of apps cover payments, maps, translation and trains in China. Install and register them before departure — several require a working phone number to set up.
A China trip runs on a dozen apps: two payment super-apps, a map that beats Google inside the firewall, ride-hailing, train tickets, translation and food delivery. Most work inside Alipay or WeChat as mini-programs, so a Chinese app store account is rarely needed.
Install and test before you fly — app stores behave differently on Chinese networks, and the first-hour setup is much easier on hotel Wi-Fi than on the airport express. The guides below rank the apps by how much friction they remove.