Apps

Part of Before you go, a sourced pre-trip guide for a first visit to Shanghai. Checked 2026-10-05; rules change, so each step links to its source. Data version 7aa0fecd1904.

Install: 7 apps — Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, Trip.com, Meituan or Taobao Instant Commerce, and an offline translator.

Alipay and WeChat to pay, Amap to find places, DiDi for taxis, Trip.com for trains, Meituan or Taobao Instant Commerce for food delivery. Google Translate needs its offline Chinese pack, or an eSIM that routes abroad; WeChat's Scan › Translate reads menus.

In short

Alipay and WeChat: pay, and open mini programs inside them.
Amap: maps and taxis in English.
Food delivery: Meituan, or Taobao Instant Commerce (formerly Ele.me) inside Alipay.
DiDi: use it inside Alipay, or install DiDi China.
Trains: Trip.com, or 12306 for no fee.
Download your phone's Chinese offline translator before you fly.

The apps

Alipay (支付宝)

Use it for: Pay by QR code, Metro QR code, DiDi taxis, Food delivery: Taobao Instant Commerce (淘宝闪购, formerly Ele.me), Translate tool
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

Install "Alipay – Simplify Your Life" (blue icon), not AlipayHK.
Register with your home number.
Me › Bank Cards: add a Visa or Mastercard.
Finish passport verification until it reads "verified".
Turn on Me › Settings › General › Translation Tool.

Watch out:

The first payment or metro-code activation may ask for a passport and face check.
Some errors and mini programs stay in Chinese.
If the metro code won't activate, tap your contactless card at the gate.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Apple App Store (publisher Alipay)

WeChat (微信)

Use it for: Messages, WeChat Pay, Restaurant ordering mini programs, Scan › Translate for menus
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

Install WeChat and register with your home number.
Sign-up may need a friend's verification: do it while someone at home can scan for you.
Scan your passport when asked.
Me › Services › Wallet: add a card.

Watch out:

Some museum and ticket mini programs send codes only to Chinese numbers.
Some restaurants take orders only through a WeChat mini program.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, WeChat Help Center, WeChat Help Center

Amap (高德地图)

Use it for: Maps and place search in English, Metro, bus and walking routes, Call a taxi
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

Install "AMap Global" from your home app store and set it to English.
Save your hotel and key places, with their Chinese names.

Watch out:

One English name can match several places: confirm the Chinese name.
Google Maps is blocked in China.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government (source line: Amap), Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Apple App Store (publisher AutoNavi), PR Newswire via Yahoo Finance (Alibaba release)

DiDi (滴滴出行)

Use it for: Taxis and private cars, Destination typed in, fare shown first
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

Easiest: use DiDi inside Alipay (Transport) or WeChat (Services › Ride Hailing).
Or install "DiDi China: Ride Hailing" and add a card.
Don't install "DiDi Rider": it's DiDi's app for other countries.

Watch out:

Check the plate before you get in.
The driver may phone you; reply in the app's chat if you don't answer.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Apple App Store (publisher Didi Chuxing), Apple App Store (publisher DiDi Mobility Information Technology, Singapore)

Trip.com (携程)

Use it for: High-speed train tickets in English, Hotels and flights
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

Book trains with your passport; the name must match exactly.
Prefer the official site? 12306 (铁路12306) has English and no booking fee, but its passport check can take days.

Watch out:

Trip.com adds a small service fee, shown at checkout.
Board with the passport you booked with; no paper ticket needed.
Sales open 15 days ahead; holiday trains sell out.

Sources: Trip.com, China Railway 12306, China Railway 12306

Meituan or Taobao Instant Commerce (美团 / 淘宝闪购)

Use it for: Food delivery to your hotel, Groceries and pharmacy, Taobao Instant Commerce is the former Ele.me; Shanghai government pages call it Taobao Flash Shopping
English: Partly
Chinese (+86) number needed: Not clear; reports differ
Set up before you fly:

Easiest: the Meituan mini program inside WeChat, or Taobao Instant Commerce (淘宝闪购, formerly Ele.me) inside Alipay.
Enter the full hotel address, with room number, and a phone number the rider can call.

Watch out:

Many travellers needed a Chinese number to order.
Don't install "MEITUAN Global": it isn't for mainland China.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Caixin Global, Apple App Store

Offline translator

Use it for: Menus, signs and conversations, Works with no signal
English: Yes
Chinese (+86) number needed: No
Set up before you fly:

iPhone: in Apple Translate, download Chinese.
Android: in Google Translate, download the Chinese offline pack.
In China: WeChat Scan › Translate reads menus and signs.

Watch out:

Online Google Translate fails on hotel Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM; travellers say it usually works on a travel eSIM that routes abroad.
Backup: Baidu Translate (百度翻译) works on Chinese networks, but the app is Chinese-first.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Apple iPhone User Guide, Google Translate Help, Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Apple App Store (publisher Baidu)

Mini programs: small apps inside Alipay and WeChat

1. A mini program is a small app that runs inside Alipay or WeChat, using your login and card.

2. DiDi, the metro code, Trip.com, food delivery and many museum tickets are mini programs.

3. Many are Chinese-only: use the app's translate button.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Shanghai Municipal People's Government, City News Service (Shanghai)

Alipay's metro QR code: usually works, card as backup

1. In Alipay, open Transport and activate the Shanghai metro code.

2. Activation may ask for a passport and face check.

3. If it won't activate, tap a contactless card at the gate or buy a ticket.

Shanghai government pages don't say outright that the code works with a foreign-card account; most travellers report it does, some had activation errors in August 2026.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Google Translate: download Chinese for offline use

1. Google is blocked on Chinese networks, so online Google Translate fails on hotel Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM; travellers say it usually works on a travel eSIM that routes abroad.

2. Downloaded Chinese gives offline text and camera translation.

3. Apple Translate on iPhone works offline too, including conversation.

Google stopped Google Translate in mainland China in 2022.

Sources: Google Translate Help, UK FCDO, Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Trains: Trip.com is easier; 12306 is official

1. 12306 is China Railway's own site: English, foreign passports, no booking fee.

2. Its passport check is automatic or manual; manual checks can take days.

3. Trip.com sells the same tickets in English for a small service fee.

4. Sales open 15 days ahead, counting the travel day.

Sources: China Railway 12306, China Railway 12306, Trip.com

Food delivery may need a Chinese number

1. Meituan signs you in with an SMS code; the Shanghai government guide shows only Chinese buttons.

2. Some travellers ordered with a foreign number; others couldn't.

3. The mini programs inside WeChat or Alipay are the easiest route.

Not confirmed by an official source yet.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Traveller tips

DiDi from Alipay with a US card. A traveller on Reddit (July 2026) used DiDi through Alipay on a US iPhone with a Hong Kong eSIM for data and a US Visa attached, and reported no trouble with the rides. One account, not a DiDi official how-to. (gaoshan, 2026-07-13)
A commenter's account of DiDi phone linking. A commenter on Reddit (July 2026) explained that the DiDi mini app is linked to the number used to register Alipay, that drivers see a call-client button, and that DiDi's server places the call. One commenter's explanation of how calls work. (Moist-Chair684, 2026-07-13)
Metro code activation can fail. Two travellers on Reddit (August 2026) could not activate Alipay's Shanghai metro code; one fixed it only after Alipay asked for a passport scan and selfie. Commenters said to tap a Visa or Mastercard at the gate instead. A few August 2026 reports; most travellers report the code works. (u/No_Bandicoot8344, 2026-08-07)
12306 sign-up emails may not arrive. A traveller on Reddit (July 2026) could not verify a 12306 account: the email never arrived and the passport was not accepted. Several replies said to use Trip.com. One thread; some travellers did get verified. (u/viajeroalmatico, 2026-07-24)
Restaurants that only take WeChat orders. A traveller back from a month in China (October 2026) wrote that quite a few restaurants took orders only through a WeChat mini program, and found WeChat's translation easier to follow than Alipay's. One traveller's trip across several cities. (u/Icy_Chapter5265, 2026-10-02)
Ordering food on the bullet train. Several travellers on Reddit (June 2026) ordered food to their train seat by scanning the seat-back QR code with Alipay or WeChat, without a Chinese number. Thread date; replies may be later. (u/OkOwl6784, 2026-06-12)
Alipay errors may stay in Chinese. A traveller on Reddit (April 2026) had the Alipay interface in English but saw payment errors still in Chinese characters; a relative translated that foreign cards were refused on that merchant QR. Screenshot-translate the error before you leave the counter. One traveller's April 2026 experience; error language and merchant card acceptance can differ. (Worldly-Fig-5270, 2026-04-26)

Next: Book ahead