Hi everyone.. im coming to Shanghai next week.. ill be there for 60days.. i was curious which apps I should download on my phone before i come?? Ive already downloaded WeChat… any other recommendations?… food?..taxi?…etc?

Maxim Vdn: a VPN

Sonny Patel: Anything else?

Lei David Chen: No, nothing else is actually all that important before you arrive, even WeChat. A VPN is the only app you really need to download beforehand. Everything else you can get afterwards, especially if you already have your VPN. But you will have a lot of problems getting a VPN if you wait until after you arrive in China.

Sonny Patel: Lei David Chen very good to know.. thanks for the info.

Saqib Malik: buy a good VPN Suc as astrill of Express VPN,i use Astrill …

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Sofia Banoca: Turbo VPN, its free : )

Amritansh Bharech: China VPN…free android app…quite good….you can change servers…gives good speed

Sebastian Cano: Whastapp

Anthony Wong: Or David O’doherty’s classier version: Whatisapp ?

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Yasmina Benjelloun: Didi and smart shanghai

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Saqib Malik: Shanghai Metro app.

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Lindsey Hicks: A vpn

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Dragoljub Turjanovic: DiDi taxi, Metroman, VPN.

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Ella Curtis: A translate app which isn’t google for times when your vpn may not be working

Saqib Malik: Google Translate app Works without VPN,

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Sonny Patel: Saqib Malik good to know. Thanks

Ella Curtis: Saqib Malik oh really? I wonder why mine keeps not working then :/ Maybe just bad signal.

Ella Curtis: Baidu translate has been really useful also for translating screenshots though. Especially menus on ele.me, my google translate says that feature ‘isn’t available in my location’.

Saqib Malik: in Google translate you can do realyime translate there is a camera option in that app..sometime its work bit jerky because of the lighting but still better than nothing,

Ella Curtis: Realtime from a camera yes, but it will not allow me to do from a screenshot, so no good when ordering from an app

Abdullah Al Mamun: Alipay

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Sonny Patel: Do you know if the app works with a non-Chinese credit card?

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel cool, have a great time here .. I live nantong and it’s very close to Shanghai, if you have time you can do visit my city .

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel no , it works with union pay cards only .

Sonny Patel: Abdullah Al Mamun very good to know! Thanks for the info.. ill keep you posted when I plan to come to Nantong!

Sonny Patel: Abdullah Al Mamun i do not have a union pay card but thanks

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel great, you can make a card when you arrive in china , it will help you in many ways .

Sonny Patel: Abdullah Al Mamun good idea. Where should i go to get a union card? Do you know the requirements?

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel any Chinese bank , such as bank of China , ICBC ,ABC construction bank of China …. you just need your passport and Chinese SIM card.

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel in the bank you can also tell them to connect your bank card with Alipay , they will help you , wechat and alipay in more convenient ways in China .

Sonny Patel: Abdullah Al Mamun great! Thanks!!

Abdullah Al Mamun: Sonny Patel you’re welcome buddy.

Jonny Gannon: if you’re not coming on an employment visa i don’t think you can get a Chinese card, so alipay might not be an option for you. don’t count on it!

Abdullah Al Mamun: Jonny Gannon by passport you can get a Chinese card , it doesn’t depend on which visa you are holding, just need legal entrance in china .

Jonny Gannon: Abdullah Al Mamun oh ok, i didn’t know that

Joey Lau: don’t worry, download after came here, there will be no problem

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Joey Lau: Sonny Patel not a problem, good luck inChina

Justine De Hsu: But with VPN, you should set it up before you go. It’s trickier once you’re in China.

Antoinette Casey: I found pleco to be useful for translation maybe download that?

Sonny Patel: Cool will check it out. Thanks

Eunice Tsz Wa Ma: Baidu map or Gaode map.Google map doesn’t really work

Sonny Patel: Good to know. Thanks.

Andrrea Mingfei Zhu: Why do you need to download app for food or taxi if you’ve already got we chat?

Sonny Patel: Im inquiring to get extra information before i land. Are you suggesting WeChat also does food/taxi services/reviews? This is mt first time to China so im coming in blind.

Andrrea Mingfei Zhu: Yes make sure you download wechat with the wechat wallet function. Basically you can pay anything daily online or in stores after linking your card or someone transferring money to you on there

Sonny Patel: Andrrea Mingfei Zhu does wechat connect to foreign credit cards?

Andrrea Mingfei Zhu: Sonny Patel I believe for major types it can be connected now 🙂

Sonny Patel: Andrrea Mingfei Zhu perfect! Thanks

Darlene Sousa: Didi

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Darlene Sousa: Sonny Patel very cheap rides without the need to speak Mandarin, get lost, or deal with cash

Angelica Castro-Mendoza: plecco

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Sabine Krestel: Plenty tips already…so I give you two websites to check – smartshanghai and cityweekend for great tips on food and nightlife…

Sonny Patel: This is great, thanks!

David Yu: Hi Sonny, this is the list I made when I came to Shanghai. https://medium.com/…/25-apps-to-live-like-a-local-in…Let me know if you have any question

25 Apps to Live Like a Local in China – David Yu – Medium
medium.com

Sonny Patel: This is greatt.. thanks!

Jonny Gannon: Mapsme is good, you can download maps of different cities and it will work without internet and without a VPN.Also, elema – for ordering food/takeout. You’ll need a Chinese speaker to help you set it up though.

Sonny Patel: Great thanks

Dexter Culp: Do yourself a favor and print a physical map to your hotel. The wifi in the airport restaurants are slow and sims are expensive at the airport.

Jonny Gannon: plus the name and address in chinese in case you need help/a taxi

Sonny Patel: Good to know.. thanks!!

Rahul Sayal: DIDI and Uber for taxiMicrosoft TranslatorBaidu Maps and Translator VPN for FB and Whatsapp ( Paid Expressvpn (I recommend), Free chk in your app store)

Sonny Patel: Sweet thanks

Bouchra Benali: Kamal Elfassi

Arief Hidayat: Metro Apps MRT

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Yan China: 大众点评 for food

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Baptiste Clerc: seems when you don’t take a VPN you could die… i don’t use VPN and it’s not that dangerous ?

Sonny Patel: Lol. Thanks

Nathan Baker: Bon App

Sonny Patel: Thanks

Chris Arevalo: microsoft translate. scans and translate chinese characters instantly

Sonny Patel: Great thanks!

Lawrence Liu: Alipay? You can sit in home and buy everything.

Sonny Patel: Lol cool thanks

Sonny Patel: Does Alipay accept foreign credit cards?

Lawrence Liu: Sonny Patel I don’t know. You may try that. You can open a bank account in Shanghai for your convenience. Remember to bring your passport and residential card please.

Sonny Patel: What is a residential card?

Lawrence Liu: Sonny Patel work permit I think.

Sonny Patel: Lawrence Liu thanks for all the info!

Lawrence Liu: Sonny Patel you are welcome.

Stephanie Tu: If you have we chat or Alipay,you can have all since everything in it , enjoy your trip

Sonny Patel: Thanks Stephanie

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