Must have Apps for international students in China

Congratulations you have come to study as a international student in China and its exciting for you but also overwhelming. You realize that the digital ecosystem here is different than what you have experienced back home. The apps that you used to use like Google, Instagram, WhatsApp are gone. But don't worry, China's app landscape is incredibly powerful and efficient. Apps are central to daily life here in China from ordering food to paying bills.

Here’s your essential guide to setting up your phone for a smooth and amazing student life.

Must-Have Apps

1. WeChat (微信 - Wēixìn)
   Wechat is everywhere in China and it's more than a messaging app. You can use it to text and call your friend, classmates and family. And most of your college official groups and groups created by the professors for sending out information to the students are done through Wechat so you better have this app. And you can use to pay online or at the store using Wechat Pay.
2. Alipay (支付宝 - Zhīfùbǎo)
   This is the payment app that you should have when you first come. You can pay for everything, your tuition, subway, bus etc, you name it. And you may be wondering why this when Wechat Pay can also be used to pay, its because when you first come to China Wechat Pay is kind of difficult to setup but Alipay isn't . You add your bank card to Alipay and recharge it with some money and boom you ready.
3. Baidu Translate (百度翻译 - Bǎidù Fānyì)
   This is a translator app that helps you accurately translate to Chinese. And we highly recommend you have this app if you don't understand Chinese. We have seen students trying to communicate with locals like a cavemen and they can't convey what they are trying to say. So just pullout your phone launch this app type in the things you want to say translate it to Chinese and show it to them and instantly you solved the problem of language barrier.
4. AMap (高德地图 - Gāodé Dìtú)
   It's kind of similar to Google maps and when you want find the route to new places, public transports, railway station etc you can use this. As google map does not work properly in China, you can totally rely on this and AMap has a better English interface too.
5. Pleco
   It is the best Chinese to English (or vice-versa) dictionary app that you can have so why not!

Daily Life & Convenience Apps

• Didi (滴滴出行 - Dīdī Chūxíng)
  It is a major ride-hailing service in China that's similar to Uber. It offers taxis, private cars, express rides, and even bus hailing services. And you can also use it from right inside Alipay and Wechat through their mini app program.
• Ele.me (饿了么 - Èleme)
  It's a food delivery app like DoorDash. You can order the takeout if you are too busy to cook or you just fancy eating a takeout. And it offers more than just food (daily needs, groceries etc)
• Meituan (美团 - Měituán)
  It's similar to Ele.me and many students have both apps because they can find coupons and special deals on both the app and choose the best.

Shopping & Deals

• Pinduoduo (拼多多 - Pīn Duō Duō)
  A massive e-commerce platform and an app for buying stuff from online and it's known for incredibly low prices and group buying. If you are limited in budget then give it a try.
• Taobao (淘宝 - Táobǎo)
  It's another massive e-commerce platform and an app where you can buy anything. It's similar to Amazon.
• Xianyu (闲鱼 - Xiányú)
  It's China's largest second-hand marketplace where you can buy and sell everything. You can find everything for a bargain and you should also be wary of scams sometimes.

That's it we have come to an end and we will keep looking out for apps that will be helpful for international students in China. Getting these apps will make your transition to life in China infinitely smoother.