Get your travel apps ready

Who this is for

Travellers who want a manageable phone setup. You do not need to learn ten unfamiliar apps on arrival. Prepare one reliable option for each job, plus offline copies of the details you cannot afford to lose.

The four jobs to cover

Job	What to prepare
Payments	Alipay or WeChat, with setup and bank checks completed
Navigation	A map you can use for your destination, plus the hotel’s Chinese address
Translation	A translation app with downloaded languages where supported
Bookings	The app or website used for each booking, with saved confirmations

For railway bookings, China Railway has an official English website at 12306.cn. Whichever service you choose, understand who handles changes and refunds.

On iPhone

Apple’s Translate app supports downloaded languages for use without a connection. Download both languages needed for your conversation, then try a short phrase in airplane mode. Availability depends on your software and supported languages; follow Apple’s current instructions below.

On Android or another phone

Use official app stores or the service provider’s own download instructions. Install and sign into your apps before departure, while you can still receive account verification messages. Where your translation app supports offline language packs, download and test them.

Do a small rehearsal

1. Open your hotel’s booking and find its exact name and address.
2. Find that address in your map and save a screenshot of the surrounding streets.
3. Try translating a short request such as “Please write the address down.”
4. Find your payment app’s support section.
5. Open your saved documents in airplane mode to check that they really are available offline.

If an app will not work

Switch to the original provider’s website or ask a staffed service counter for help. Keep booking references outside the app, too. For a taxi, showing the hotel’s own Chinese address is more useful than guessing a translation of its English name.

You can print the personal checklist with bilingual help cards. The website itself needs a connection for pages you have not saved.