A Complete Guide to Phone Setup, Internet & Payments (2025)
If you’re planning your first trip to China, your phone will be your best travel partner.
In China, people use their phones to:
- Pay for almost everything
- Order taxis and food
- Navigate cities
- Communicate with hotels, guides, and drivers
If your phone isn’t set up properly, your trip can quickly become stressful.
This guide explains what to prepare before departure, which apps to download, and how to get internet in China—step by step, in simple language.
1. Before You Fly: Prepare Your Phone First
Before downloading apps, make sure your phone itself is ready for travel.
1.1 Check if your phone is “unlocked”
In some countries, phones are sold as carrier-locked (tied to one mobile company), which means:
- You cannot use a local SIM card from another country
- You may have problems using a Chinese SIM card
Ask your mobile provider:
“Is my phone unlocked? Can I use a SIM card from another country?”
If it’s locked, your best options are:
- Use international roaming, or
- Buy an international eSIM data plan instead of a local Chinese SIM
1.2 Update and back up your phone
Before you leave, it’s a good idea to:
- Update your phone to the latest system version
- Back up your photos and important data to iCloud / Google Drive / other cloud services
- Free up some storage space for:
- New apps
- Photos & videos
- Offline maps
1.3 Download important things offline
Some foreign websites and apps may not work perfectly in China.
So it’s safer to download key information before you go, such as:
- Offline maps (Google Maps offline areas, Maps.me, etc.)
- Screenshots / PDF of:
- Hotel confirmations
- Flight tickets
- Train bookings
- Your hotel name and address in both English and Chinese
- Important contacts (tour guide, tour company, emergency contact) saved in your phone
2. Must-Have Apps for Traveling in China
Here are the most important categories of apps you should have on your phone.
2.1 Communication: WeChat
In China, if you don’t use WeChat, it’s like not having WhatsApp in Europe.
WeChat (微信 / Weixin) is China’s all-in-one app for:
- Text messages & voice messages
- Voice and video calls
- Adding friends (tour guides, hotel staff, drivers)
- Group chats (for tour groups, events, activities)
- QR codes (to add contacts, join groups, follow accounts)
- Mobile payments (WeChat Pay) in many places
Tips for travelers:
- Register your WeChat account before you arrive in China (using your phone number or email)
- When you arrive, use WeChat to:
- Chat with hotel staff or hosts
- Coordinate with drivers or local guides
- Join travel groups or event chats
2.2 Payments & Everyday Life: Alipay & WeChat Pay
China is almost a cashless society. People pay with QR codes using apps like:
- Alipay
- WeChat Pay
The good news:
Many foreign travelers can now link their international Visa / Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay and use them in many shops, restaurants, and metros.
You can use mobile payment to:
- Pay at restaurants and cafés
- Buy drinks and snacks at convenience stores
- Pay metro and bus fares
- Pay taxi or ride-hailing fares
- Buy tickets in many tourist attractions
In practice, having Alipay and/or WeChat Pay set up will make your life in China much easier.
2.3 Maps & Navigation: Amap (Gaode) / Baidu Maps
Do not rely only on Google Maps in China.
For navigation inside China, locals typically use:
- Amap (Gaode Maps) – highly recommended
- Baidu Maps
Why Amap is great for travelers:
- Excellent route planning: subway, bus, car, walking, cycling
- Very up-to-date for roads, metro lines, shops, and restaurants
- Has an English interface (you can change it in Settings)
Tip: Before your trip, search for your hotel and save it in the app.
That way you can easily find your way back, even if you get lost.
2.4 Transportation: Didi (Ride-Hailing)
Didi Chuxing (Didi) is China’s version of Uber.
With Didi, you can:
- Book cars in many major cities
- See the price before the trip
- Pay through Alipay / WeChat / card
- Avoid misunderstandings with taxi drivers (you enter the destination in the app)
This is especially useful if:
- You don’t speak Chinese
- You arrive late at night
- You don’t feel comfortable negotiating with street taxis
Some versions of Didi offer an English interface, which is a big help for foreign travelers.
2.5 Booking Flights, Trains & Hotels: Trip.com
For most international travelers, the easiest all-in-one booking app is:
- Trip.com (the international brand of Ctrip)
With Trip.com, you can:
- Book domestic flights within China
- Book high-speed trains (using your passport)
- Reserve hotels, hostels, and guesthouses
- Store all your bookings in one place
Benefits for foreign travelers:
- Multi-language support
- Prices in different currencies
- English customer service
- Digital tickets and confirmations (no need to print)
3. How to Get Internet in China (Without Stress)
Internet access is essential for maps, communication, and payments.
Here are the three main ways to get mobile data in China.
3.1 Option 1: Local Chinese SIM Card
Best for:
Travelers staying more than 7 days, or people who want good value.
You can buy a SIM card at:
- Major airports
- Official stores of China Mobile, China Unicom, or China Telecom
You’ll usually need:
- Your passport
- To register your real name (required by law)
Pros:
- Good speed and coverage
- Often cheaper than roaming in the long run
Cons:
- You need an unlocked phone
- Setup can be confusing if you don’t speak Chinese
3.2 Option 2: International eSIM / Travel eSIM
Best for:
- People who don’t want to deal with local stores
- Short trips of 1–2 weeks
- Frequent travelers
How it works:
- Buy an eSIM data plan online before your trip
- Scan a QR code to install it on your phone
- Start using data as soon as you land in China
Pros:
- No need for a physical SIM card
- No need to remove your home SIM
- Very convenient and fast to set up
Cons:
- Your phone must support eSIM
- Sometimes more expensive than a local SIM
3.3 Option 3: International Roaming
Best for:
- Travelers who want the simplest solution
- Those who don’t mind paying a bit more
You can ask your mobile provider for:
- A China roaming package
- A global data plan
Pros:
- You keep your original phone number
- No need to change SIM cards or settings
Cons:
- Often the most expensive option
- Data limits may be small
3.4 Public Wi-Fi in China
You’ll find Wi-Fi in:
- Airports
- Many hotels
- Cafés and shopping malls
However:
- Some networks require a phone number verification
- Speed and stability are not always great
It’s best to treat public Wi-Fi as a backup and use mobile data as your main connection.
4. Language & Input Tips for Using Chinese Apps
Many travelers worry:
“What if I can’t read Chinese characters?”
Don’t worry—there are a few simple tricks.
4.1 Keep your phone system in English
You don’t need to change your whole phone to Chinese.
- Keep iOS / Android system language in English
- Many Chinese apps offer partial or full English support
- Even where there is no English, icons and layout are often easy to guess
4.2 Install a keyboard with pinyin input
It’s helpful to be able to type place names or food names in pinyin (the romanization of Chinese).
You can:
- Use Gboard (Google Keyboard) or other keyboards with Chinese pinyin
- Type “beijing”, “shanghai”, “chengdu”, etc. and let the app suggest Chinese characters
This makes it easier to:
- Search for locations in Chinese map apps
- Enter addresses in Didi or hotel apps
4.3 Save key addresses in both English and Chinese
Very practical and highly recommended:
- Hotel name: English + Chinese
- Hotel full address: English + Chinese
- Important places: main attractions, meeting points, train stations, airports
You can:
- Make screenshots and put them in a special “China Trip” album
- Show them directly to taxi drivers, hotel staff, or police if needed
5. Phone Safety Tips for Travelers in China
Your phone will handle your money, maps, and communication, so keep it safe.
5.1 Be careful with QR codes and app downloads
- Only download apps from official app stores (App Store / Google Play or the official website)
- Do not scan random QR codes from unknown people or places
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links sent by strangers in chat apps
5.2 Protect your payment apps
- Set a separate payment password for WeChat Pay and Alipay
- Enable fingerprint or face recognition for payments
- If your phone is lost or stolen:
- Contact your bank to block your card
- Use the web version or customer service to freeze your wallet accounts
5.3 Bring your own charger & cable
- Use your own charging cable and adapter as much as possible
- Avoid unknown public charging cables if you’re worried about security
6. Quick Summary: What Your Phone Must Do in China
You can end your article with a simple rule of thumb for your readers:
In China, you want your phone to do three things:
1️⃣ Go online
2️⃣ Show you where to go
3️⃣ Let you pay with a QR code
So before flying to China, make sure you have:
- ✅ A working internet plan: local SIM, eSIM, or roaming
- ✅ Navigation: Amap (Gaode) + screenshots of your hotel
- ✅ Payments: WeChat Pay and/or Alipay set up, ideally linked to your card
Once these are ready, even a first-time visitor can eat, shop, move around, and explore China easily—using just their phone.
