I have to disagree with Moondog's responses.

Android phones are going to be a mess because of the Google situation. With an Android phone, in the *best* case, you're going to be without Google Play store and can't download official apps. But your problems are likely to be more numerous. For example, you might not be able to connect to wifi because the captive portal check directs to a blocked Google page. I've heard worse stories too, for example, that the Pixel 3 will have extra high battery consumption due to it trying to Google repeatedly.

Note that the above applies only if you're on phone purchased overseas using a Chinese SIM. If you're roaming then you're not behind the GFW so this won't apply. Likewise, Android phones purchased in China have all Google references removed/fixed.

Also, see below for another reason why Apple is better.


Apple Maps defaults to English on an iPhone with English UI, so use that. The data provider is AutoNavi, which is a pretty competitor to Baidu in the maps space. Both AutoNavi and Baidu are better than maps.me (OpenStreetMap) and Google Maps (Google no longer has an active team working on China mapping).


Mobike works, but probably easier just to take subway. I'm seeing less shared bikes nowadays compared to a few years back. The industry has been shrinking.

Also, not a good idea to avoid registration. A friend on TWOV stayed at a friend's apartment and did not register at the local police station (but wrote down the address on the entry card). The police showed up at the door asking why.

As mentioned above I second apple maps for navigation- it has been the best option for us over the last 8 months in Beijing. Very accurate, with transit options shown.

I saw DiDi mentioned in passing above, I would recommend downloading that (English version is slightly more limited than the Chinese one, but really has everything you should need, and has pre-set pick up points and auto translates messages to/from the driver). Bonus is you can use a foreign credit card (and phone number) while in China.

WeChat does have a translate function that is pretty accurate most of the time (under their scan function) which is useful when translating signs and the like. I would also recommend downloading the Chinese database for google, it can come in handy and they claim they just improved their camera function (haven't tested it yet).

Are you talking about the same Android that has a 90% -- and rising-- market share? The Android that is open source? If a billion people are able to use them without a hitch, I'm not sure what your gripe is. Inability to connect to Wifi? That's that's a first for me. I have had iPhones in the past, but I simply love my Huawei (bought in China). I currently have a Chinese SIM in slot 1 and a Fi SIM in slot 2. Of course I use a VPN, but the vast majority of Android users in China do not, and the world continues to turn.

I advise people to use whatever map service they are most comfortable with. I prefer Baidu because of its high level of detail, while others prefer Google, Gaode (AutonNavi), Maps.me, or even Bing. They all perform the same basic function.

Yeah, some people are predicting doomsday for the entire business model, and I've seen anecdotal evidence supporting this (e.g. people like to hide/hoard the nicest bikes in their own lobbies or behind bushes, which drives up capital costs). I do take the subway as long as I don't need to transfer, and there are some transfers I can deal with; where Mobike comes in handy (for me) is getting to/from subway stations that are 500-1500 meters away.

If your friend knew he wasn't going to register, he should have simply written something like "Hilton" on the arrival card. If he was really concerned about registration, he should have actually stayed in a place that could --and was willing to-- register him.

Sorry, I disagree with a lot of these statements. I think after two decades in China, you may have forgotten what it's like for a total newbie.

Baidu is NOT a workable solution for someone holidaying in China with no language skills. It's perfectly fine for residents or frequent visitors with even limited language skills. As such, even though I don't own Apple, apple maps DO work, in English, reasonably well, whereas google maps won't work without VPN. I can say, however, in my experience in Beijing, comparing google maps with Apple maps, the former is superior if one can access. Baidu maps is by far the best for traffic estimates (google is pretty hopeless here, and I don't have experience with Apple).

The issue about the lack of play store access is also a very real one. I can't download from the play store or update my apps when I have a Chinese SIM card in my (first gen) Pixel, even with VPN. The issues about pinging Google can be fixed with some googling (to excuse the pun), but again would need a working VPN to access the required information (I can't recall offhand what I needed to do, but I DID need to do something).

tb

If you bought your droid somewhere other than in China, odds are that it came with the play store preinstalled. If not, it's pretty easy to find and download the APK file. I actually have the APK saved on my phone and favourited in WeChat. I do the same drill with exp files, but keeping up with their releases can be a bit challenging at times.

"If your friend knew he wasn't going to register, he should have simply written something like 'Hilton' on the arrival card."

NO!

He was on TWOV. Either he registers or he actually stays in a hotel.

As you know, I don't actively endorse breaking laws, but you're deluding yourself if you believe the system is air tight (progress has been made, but there's a long way to go).

But, let's say someone writes "Hilton", and border control people decide to visit a handful of Hiltons, none of which have a clue about the friend. He still isn't in violation of any rules at that point. For all they know, he fled off to some rural area (where people have 72 hours to register), and is going to leave the next morning.

Sorry but the registration is now rather strictly enforced. There are certainly enough cases of travelers who reported on travel website being denied entry because they did not register on a previous trip. Like this guy: Immigration and PSB databases are linked. The airlines and train company databases are also linked but the consolidated information is not analyzed but if they want to know, they can.

I'm ashamed to admit that I actually watched that video in its entirety when it first emerged. While I agree with your general point --"more cases=trend" -- stupid people ending up in trouble is hardly a new thing.

The first and most important advice when visiting China is to get a VPN. The rest is secondary.

Agreed. Google maps in China is currently a joke. It became even worse recently as they disabled live traffic in China. However, the latter may (or may not) be a tentative sign that they're planning for a come-back.

Apple map provides excellent navigation and traffic estimates in China as it simply uses the local provider Autonavi which is one of the main mapping data providers in China. It's vastly superior to Baidu maps when it comes to new road updates and speed cameras. Note that if you just browse the Apple map it will look a lot sparser compared to Baidu maps, but if you actually use the search function it can locate the PoIs with no issues. You can either search in English or Pinyin and the result will always come up in English.

VPN is definitely high on my list, but I would say WeChat is at least twice as important. (I'm sure something else will bump it off its pedestal in due course, but not for a while.)