The Chinese are addicted to their phones. They rely on apps way more than the rest of us!
So what are the top apps in China, as used by the locals?
Well, in this blog, I’ll share the most popular ones. Some you’ll be able to download and play around with, while others are in Mandarin only.
If you’re about to visit China, I recommend you look at my China travel apps page instead – those apps are all in English and therefore ideal for travelers.
Otherwise, read on!
Chinese everyday apps
These are the ones Chinese people can’t live without.
1. WeChat

A WeChat payment station. Image by WangXuefei on Pixabay.
- Chinese name: 微信 (Wēixìn)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: Facebook
WeChat is the most used app in China. Virtually everyone with a phone has WeChat.
In fact, there are now more than 1.3 billion people who use WeChat on a daily basis.
WeChat, or Wēixìn in Chinese, is a messaging app owned by tech giant Tencent. It’s the main way people communicate digitally in China.
But WeChat isn’t just a messaging app. With the in-built WeChat Pay, you can do things like pay for dinner, buy train tickets, play games, and even donate money to homeless people.
This makes WeChat by far the most useful and popular app in China. It’s very much ingrained in the Chinese way of life.
2. Alipay

Even fishmongers accept digital payment apps like Alipay. Image by Freer on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: PayPal
China is moving away from cash incredibly fast. In fact, small stores don’t like accepting cash at all, which is why Alipay is so essential.
Like WeChat, this Chinese app allows you to pay for practically anything in the country. Simply scan the vendor’s QR code.
Fortunately, you can get an English version of Alipay which performs most of the same functions as the local version.
Even for a non-techie like me, it’s super easy transferring money using Alipay.
3. Baidu

Baidu is China’s leading search engine. Image by Koshiro K on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 百度 (Bǎidù)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Google
Baidu is one of the top apps in China. It’s China’s version of Google, and has almost every Google alternative, including Maps, Translate and Adwords.
A staggering 90% of online search queries in China are done through Baidu. This amounts to billions of searches made by Chinese users each month.
Baidu isn’t just a search engine. It’s also in the AI space and is even testing self-driving cars. Look out, Tesla!
4. Sogou Pinyin

This clever app makes texting in Chinese a breeze. Image by Sweeann on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 搜狗拼音输入法 (Sōugǒu Pīnyīn Shūrùfǎ)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: None
Ever tried to type Chinese characters into a phone? It’s impossible without an app like Sogou Pinyin Input.
This software app makes it easy to convert Roman characters, called pinyin, into characters. You can also do handwriting on the screen, and there’s voice input too if you have lazy fingers.
Sogou Pinyin is not only extremely useful but it’s free, making it one of the most used apps in China.
Chinese entertainment apps
These apps keep Chinese mobile users glued to their phones!
5. Douyin

A common sight in China. Image by StreetVJ on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 抖音 (Dǒuyīn)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: TikTok
This one probably doesn’t need much of an introduction. Douyin is the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, the hugely popular short videos site.
Both apps are made by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet company. But they’re not exactly the same.
With a few taps on Douyin, you can do all sorts of things like buy a product featured in a video and book a hotel stay after watching a video shot there.
It’s one of the most used Chinese apps across all age groups. I’ve even see old men use it!
6. Kuaishou

Live-streamers can make money on Kuaishou. Image by Mundissima on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 快手 (Kuàishǒu)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: TikTok
Kuaishou is like Douyin (TikTok), so you can understand why it’s one of the most popular apps in China right now.
I’m not a huge fan because I prefer longer form content. But with human attention spans becoming shorter and shorter, I totally get the appeal.
Kuaishou has only been around for a few years but is already insanely popular, thanks to its clever combination of short clips, vlogs, livestreams and e-commerce.
7. iQIYI

iQIYI is for streaming Chinese shows and movies. Image by Faizal Ramli on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 爱奇艺 (Ài qí yì)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: Netflix
I love iQIYI! It’s a video streaming platform that offers a huge number of movies and television shows.
Unlike Netflix, this Chinese app makes most of its money from advertisements and content license purchases. That’s why you can watch heaps of content without paying a cent.
Not all of the content on this site is free, however, which is why paid subscriptions are slowly increasing.
But if you’re bored one evening and want to watch some Chinese TV, iQIYI is a good option because English subtitles are available.
The downside? Like all Chinese media, it’s censored. So don’t expect to find anything sexy, controversial or thought-provoking on iQIYI.
Tip: If you’re heading to China soon and want to watch Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime on your hotel’s Wi-Fi, you’ll need a VPN that works there. Make sure you read my China VPN review and download the VPN before you arrive, otherwise you’ll be blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
8. Tencent Video

Tencent is based in Shenzhen. Image by Katjen on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 腾讯视频 (Téngxùn Shìpín)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: YouTube
Tencent Video is one of the top apps in China. It’s China’s equivalent of YouTube so you can imagine how popular it is.
A lot of the video content is unavailable outside mainland China due to licensing issues. But that’s easy to overcome with a VPN or you could use iQIYI instead.
Tencent Video is in the same family as WeChat, making it a powerful player in the Chinese tech space.
9. KuGou

Let’s boogie, Cool Dog! Image by TimeImage Production on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 酷狗音乐 (Kùgǒu Yīnyuè)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Spotify
Over 300 million people listen to music on KuGou every month.
With an English translation of “Cool Dog”, it’s no wonder young people love this Chinese music app! They also love the KTV streaming section that helps them earn digital coins that can later be transferred into real currency.
And just like Spotify, you can do things like create playlists, follow your fave artists, and watch videos.
Equally popular is QQ Music, which I mention further down.
10. Douyu

China is home to millions of gamers. Image by wonderlustpicstravel on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 斗鱼 (Dòuyú)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Twitch
This popular Chinese app is a video game and e-sports streaming service. Viewers watch professional gamers go head-to-head with each other (Douyu means ‘fighting fish’ in English).
You can also interact and socialize with your gaming idols, and send virtual gifts to your favorites. It’s not for me, but then I’m not a gamer.
ZTE, one of the leading Chinese phone brands, has a range of gaming phones made especially for lovers of apps like Douyu. The phones come with built-in cooling systems and super-high screen refresh rates.
Mobile games are so big in China that Douyu is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Oh, and the Chinese are also into ‘real’ sports – you can see my guide on the 10 most popular sports in China here.)
Chinese social apps
These are broad lifestyle apps for communicating, interacting and socializing.
11. Bilibili

Bilibili attracts a young user base. Image by Joseph GTK on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 哔哩哔哩 (Bìlī Bìlī)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: None
With over 300 million monthly active users, this is the latest app to capture the hearts (and scroll time) of the Chinese market.
Targeted at a youthful demographic, Bilibili is a hybrid entertainment and social media app where you can create and share videos.
What makes this China app stand out is the user comments which are are overlaid on the videos, making it really interactive. The app also has anime, games and live streaming, to hook you in for hours.
Bilibili is only available for Chinese people, so if you want to check it out (and you can understand Mandarin) then you’ll need a VPN.
12. QQ

QQ is still popular in China, especially with young people. Image by Faizal Ramli on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 腾讯QQ (Téngxùn QQ)
- Available in English: Yes, on Google Play and Apple App Store
- Foreign equivalent: Skype
QQ is an instant messaging app developed by Tencent over 20 years ago. It became famous for the little penguin that made a cute sound whenever you received a message.
I must admit – QQ was the coolest app in China until WeChat came along.
But QQ has managed to hang on, appealing to a younger fan base than WeChat. And it still has close to one billion users!
Over the years, it has introduced features like QQ Wallet for in-app purchases as well as ordering things like food. But QQ Wallet isn’t as popular as WeChat Pay when it comes to mobile payments at physical stores.
There’s also QQ Music, which has its own standalone apps for Android, iPhone, PC and Mac.
Check out their website (in Mandarin) for a taste of what tunes are popular in mainland China. Due to strict Chinese censorship, only squeaky clean foreign artists like Adele and Taylor Swift are allowed.
13. Little Red Book

Xiaohongshu (known as Red) is becoming super popular. Image by Tada Images on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 小红书 (Xiǎohóngshū)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Instagram
Little Red Book, also known as RedNote or Red for short, is one of the fastest-growing apps in China.
There are now more than 300 million active users, with the majority under age 24.
Billed as a lifestyle platform, Red is like a Chinese Instagram.
One of the key differences, however, is it’s much more focused on influencers peddling beauty products to their followers. And the bulk of Red’s subscribers are females.
Chinese people living in Western countries also have a presence on Xiaohongshu, making it even more attractive for e-commerce brands to get involved.
14. Douban

Douban is like a combination of IMDb, Blogger, Facebook and Reddit. Image by Rafapress on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 豆瓣 (Dòubàn)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: IMDb
Over 300 million educated, middle-class Chinese people regularly use Douban.
It’s a social networking app for movie and book reviews, curated music playlists, shopping, and events.
There’s also Douban Groups (or 豆瓣小组 in Mandarin), a censored forum that allows people to share views on a range of topics. You can also add sub-topics within a theme, so this section is kind of like Reddit.
Compared to other Chinese social media platforms, a sizeable lesbian community use this app to discreetly find like-minded friends and build relationships.
Chinese shopping apps
Shop ’til you drop with these amazing Chinese shopping apps.
15. Taobao

Taobao is the biggest shopping app in China. Image by Nopparat Khokthong on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 淘宝 (Táobǎo)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Amazon or eBay
Taobao is China’s Amazon and it’s the biggest online marketplace in the world.
You can buy anything you need or want from this China app, and it’s simple to use. You can also sell stuff, and each seller has a rating set by previous customers.
While living in China, I bought a bunch of stuff from Taobao – from computer gear to a mattress topper. For branded products, you just need to make sure what you’re buying is authentic.
The site’s in Chinese, but with a little practice and know-how you can learn how to use it knowing only English.
16. JD
- Chinese name: 京东 (Jīngdōng)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Amazon or Best Buy
This is another super-popular shopping app in China. It’s great if you’re shopping for electronics, or if you’re looking for bargains on Singles Day (China’s version of Black Friday).
Compared to Taobao, JD only has verified sellers. So, people have a lot of trust in this one.
JD is only available in Mandarin, but there are ways you can still use it. Check out the video above for a quick tutorial.
17. Pinduoduo

Pinduoduo is a Chinese e-commerce platform. Image by Tada Images on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 拼多多 (Pīn Duōduō)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: None
Pinduoduo is the newest e-commerce giant in China (and it owns Temu).
It sets itself apart from Taobao and JD by offering discounts when you buy as part of a group with family and friends. The app makes it easy to do this by linking to your social media accounts.
Prices are really cheap so Pinduoduo has attracted people in smaller, developing Chinese cities.
Chinese news and information apps
This is how the locals get their news and find their way around.
18. Weibo

Weibo is a censored microblogging app. Image by A9 Studio on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 微博 (Wēibó)
- Available in English: Yes but limited
- Foreign equivalent: Twitter
Sina Weibo, or Weibo for short, is the biggest social media app in China. It has almost 600 million active monthly users.
Weibo is often referred to as “China’s Twitter” because of the character limit. But the similarities end there.
Weibo is a highly censored app, so its users often create new words or languages to discuss sensitive issues.
Although you can access the app in English, it’s a stripped-down version and not very popular. Plus, all the posts are in Chinese.
If you want to find out the latest social trends in China and can’t read Mandarin, check out a website called What’s On Weibo.
19. Doubao

Doubao is China’s hottest AI app. Image by Alex Knight on Unsplash.
- Chinese name: 豆包 (Dòubāo)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: ChatGPT
Doubao is the most popular AI app in China right now.
It can do everything that ChatGPT can, such as analyzing and summarizing data, generating images and videos, and providing AI-powered online search.
The app is from TikTok creator ByteDance, and is highly regulated by the Chinese government.
If you’re a Mandarin-speaking iOS user, you can check out Doubao in Apple’s China App Store. I would just watch your location settings as you may need to change your country to download it.
Alternatives to Doubao include Baidu’s Ernie Bot and Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen.
20. Toutiao

Toutiao is an addictive Chinese news app. Image by Ascannio on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 今日头条 (Jīnrì Toutiáo)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: BuzzFeed or Google News
Meaning “Today’s Headlines”, Jinri Toutiao is the most popular news app in China at the moment.
It uses artificial intelligence to source and curate daily news from thousands of sites.
Using things like your location, click and browser history, Toutiao recommends articles and videos that you’re probably going to be interested in.
But Toutiao isn’t just a news aggregator. It lets you interact with content creators via chat rooms and play games with other users.
21. Amap

The locals don’t get lost when they use Gāodé. Image by Radiokafka on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 高德地图 (Gāodé Dìtú)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Google Maps
Amap is the leading Chinese navigation app, alongside Baidu Maps and Tencent Maps.
Amap provides mapping data to Apple, so you know it’s going to be big on accuracy.
If you can read Chinese characters, you’ll appreciate using this app for the user-friendly interface. I find it’s a bit less overwhelming than Baidu.
Chinese dating apps
Wanna get with a honey? Then download a Chinese dating app on your mobile device.
22. Momo

People use Momo to hook up in China. Image by Pexels.
- Chinese name: 陌陌 (Mòmò)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Tinder
If you’re looking for love in China, then try Momo.
It includes lots of features that make Chinese dating easier. So, not only can you find a date on Momo, it will show you advertisements for date locations and special offers so you can get a discounted coffee during your date.
It’s the largest online dating app in China with around 100 million active users. WeChat is probably more popular with young adults though, even though it’s not officially a dating app.
Momo has recently spent a lot of money to clean up its image as a one-night stand app and to regain the confidence of the Chinese government.
23. Tantan

Tantan is perfect for lonely hearts. Image by TheVisualsYouNeed on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 探探 (Tàntàn)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: Tinder
An equally popular Chinese dating app is Tantan.
Like Tinder, you simply swipe left or right on a Tantan profile, depending on whether you like what you see. Ironically though, many Chinese people use it for relationships rather than hook-ups.
To stop fake profiles and bolster security, Tantan can identify authentic photos and verifies users with a powerful moderation system.
Other in-demand Chinese dating apps include Yidui, which has real matchmakers, and Finka for gay dudes.
Chinese food apps
Need a bite to eat, pronto? China is the home of super-fast delivery.
24. Meituan

Meituan drivers stand out in their yellow attire. Image by StreetVJ on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 美团 (Měituán)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Uber Eats
Meituan is one of the best apps in China for a reason. It’s for ordering food!
With a few simple taps (in Mandarin), you can get delicious restaurant food delivered to your door practically anywhere in China. Just pay using WeChat Pay or Alipay.
Meituan’s slogan is “We help people eat better, live better”. So, it’s no surprise that the company is branching out into other areas like supermarket and pharmacy deliveries, car hailing, bike sharing, and hotel and travel bookings.
In China, Meituan is downloaded more often on iOS than all other apps in the food and drink category.
25. Ele.me

Even individual hot pot ingredients can be delivered via this app. Image supplied by Olivia Seaton-Hill.
- Chinese name: 饿了么 (Èle me)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Uber Eats
Are you hungry? Well, that’s exactly what “Èle me” means in English.
The app specializes in food delivery, but you can buy practically anything you need including flowers, electronics, makeup, and even adult toys!
In terms of popularity, this delivery app is a close second to Meituan but there’s not much between them. You can read more about both of them in the article on ordering food in China using delivery apps.
26. Dianping

With Dianping (icon far right), you can tell others how good your meal was. Image by Koshiro K on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 大众点评 (Dàzhòng Diǎnpíng)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Yelp
This China app is the equivalent of Yelp. It’s basically a restaurant reviews app.
You can find local restaurants, hotels and shops via GPS, as well as get coupons to enjoy discounted meals.
You can have a glance of Dianping on Google Play but the app itself is in Mandarin only. And, you need a Chinese phone number to use it.
Whenever I’m in China, I don’t use Dianping. I get verbal recommendations from the locals – old school!
Chinese travel apps
Traveling around China is a lot easier with these apps.
27. Qunar

Qunar combines trains, planes and holidays. Image by Ralf Liebhold on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 去哪儿 (Qù nǎ’er)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Booking.com
“Booking.Yeah” isn’t something you’ll hear in China.
Instead, when it comes to making travel arrangements, the locals use Qunar on their mobile phones.
Pronounced “chew nar”, the name of this app means “Where to?” in Mandarin.
Qunar aggregates all kinds of travel information to help you book a trip, including flights, hotels and high-speed trains.
You can see other major China hotel booking apps here.
28. 12306 China Railway

Bullet trains crisscross the entire country. Image by ABCDstock on Shutterstock.
- Chinese name: 中国铁路 12306 (Zhōngguó Tiělù 12306)
- Available in English: Yes, on Google Play and Apple App Store
- Foreign equivalent: Your city’s train app
This is the country’s official high-speed train app.
You can download this China transportation app on its own, or as a ‘Mini Program’ within WeChat.
Practically everyone who travels by high-speed train in China has 12306. It’s where you look up timetables and buy train tickets.
Qunar pulls the information from this app into their own one.
Tip: I’ve found the English version of 12306 to be buggy and there is basically no English support. If you’re visiting China soon, I recommend booking trains on Trip which is dedicated to foreign tourists.
Chinese health apps
Every year, people are spending more and more on health and fitness.
29. Ping An Good Doctor

Ping An Good Doctor is the leading healthcare app in China. Image from Pexels.
- Chinese name: 平安好医生 (Píng’ān Hǎo Yīshēng)
- Available in English: No
- Foreign equivalent: Doctor On Demand
This sophisticated Chinese app is the country’s largest healthcare platform and medical app. It provides access to high quality online medical consultations.
In China, medical assistance isn’t always easily accessible to everyone, so using this app can be incredibly helpful.
You can pay to see a doctor privately, or consult with a doctor openly in the ‘consultation hall’.
More than 400 million Chinese people are registered users of Ping An Good Doctor. And there are hundreds of millions of consultations every year!
30. Keep

If you care about fitness in China, Keep is your must-have app. Image from Pexels.
- Chinese name: 自由运动场 (Zìyóu Yùndòngchǎng)
- Available in English: Yes
- Foreign equivalent: Fitbit
Chinese people are just as concerned about their physical fitness as people in Western countries. And that’s why Keep is the top fitness app in China.
Created in 2015, the app gives you workout categories based on answers to questions about your fitness level, age, preferences, motivation and overall health.
When you choose a category, you’ll find lots of exercises as well as videos and detailed workout plans. The app increases the difficulty of your workouts as you get fitter and offers challenges as well.
And, you can share your fitness journey with your friends!
The most popular Chinese apps can change
Gaming apps are insanely popular and often top the app rankings in China.
However, their popularity can quickly wane, which is why only Douyu (the Chinese version of Twitch) is included above.
Another example is Youku. It was the original YouTube equivalent in China, but now isn’t nearly as popular as it once was.
Let me know if there are any new and popular China apps that I should add to this list.
How to find Chinese apps
Can’t find one of these apps in your app store? That’s because it may only be available in Chinese app stores.
For Android users, the leading app store in China is Huawei. But there are plenty of others, as listed on this website.
And for iPhone users, there’s a different version of the Apple App Store in China.
Psst! A quick travel tip
If you plan on visiting China, don’t forget the internet is censored when using Wi-Fi in your hotel.
So, to access all your favorite websites and apps (like Facebook, Instagram, Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, etc), you’ll need to get a VPN before you arrive. Otherwise, the signup page will be blocked in China.
Check out my review of the best China VPN before you fly over.
China apps are part of everyday life
In a lot of ways, China is more developed than many Western countries, and this is particularly obvious when it comes to how they embrace their apps, especially for payments.
If you ever get over to China, you’ll be surprised at how technology permeates every aspect of daily life there.
There are many more awesome Chinese apps, and I haven’t been able to include every single one of them here. But hopefully you’ve now got a glimpse of the most popular ones.
I hope you liked my article on the top apps in China. Staying on the topic of tech, check out my article on the best apps for foreigners in China. Enjoy!
Main photo credit: Humphery on Shutterstock.
FAQ about top China apps
What are the top chatting apps in China?
WeChat and QQ are the most popular apps for chatting in China. But there are discussions and forums on many other apps too, such as Weibo, Douban, and livestreaming apps.
What are the top music apps in China?
KuGou, QQ and Soda Music (汽水音乐) are the most popular music apps in China right now.
What are the top shopping apps in China?
Taobao, JD and Pinduoduo are insanely popular in China.
Where can I download China apps?
Some of the best Chinese apps are available in the App Store and Google Play Store. However, if the app is only in Mandarin then you may have trouble using it. Some apps may only be available in Chinese app stores due to licensing or other issues.
What are the most popular app stores in China?
Huawei App Market, Tencent My App, and Oppo Software Store are the biggest Android app stores in China. Apple’s App Store is also very popular.