Will Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, and Instagram Work in China?

How to prepare for international apps and websites that may be unavailable or unreliable in mainland China, without losing maps, email, bookings, passwords, or two-factor authentication.
How Do You Connect to Hotel Wi-Fi in China Without a Chinese Phone Number?

What to try when Chinese hotel Wi-Fi asks for a mainland phone number, SMS code, room number, passport login, or a Chinese-only captive portal.
How Do You Receive Verification Codes in China Without Losing Access to Your Home Number?

How to prepare roaming SMS, dual SIM, data-only eSIM, account recovery, and a Chinese local number so bank, email, booking, and travel-app codes still arrive in China.
Do You Need a Chinese Phone Number While Traveling in China?

When a foreign visitor really needs a mainland Chinese phone number, what still works with a travel eSIM or roaming, how to buy a local SIM with a passport, and how to handle verification failures.
What Can You Use Instead of Google Maps in China?

A practical map workflow for China using Apple Maps, AMap/Gaode Maps, Baidu Maps, Chinese addresses, hotel pins, metro exits, pickup points, and offline screenshots.
How Do You Use DiDi in China as a Foreigner?

How foreign visitors can use DiDi in China, choose the correct pickup point, handle driver calls and phone-tail checks, pay safely, cancel rides, recover lost items, and avoid airport confusion.
How Do You Set Up Alipay in China as a Foreigner?

A practical payment guide for China, with setup steps, common failures, backup options, and what to show staff if mobile payment fails.
Can Foreign Visitors Use WeChat Pay in China?

How foreign visitors can set up and use WeChat Pay in China, what international cards can and cannot do, how QR payment works, and what to try when verification or a mini program fails.
What Apps Should You Install Before Traveling to China?

Essential China travel apps to install before landing, including payments, maps, rides, translation, local tips, and backup tools.

China Apps

Practical guides for Alipay, WeChat, DiDi, maps, translation, and other China apps.