How to Use Maps in China: AMAP Global, Apple Maps & Offline Maps

Navigation in China is one of those things that should be easy and trips up almost every first-time visitor. The country has excellent mapping apps — the problem is that the one you’re used to, Google Maps, doesn’t work properly here. The good news: the fix is simple, and it got easier in 2026.

The 30-second answer

• Google Maps is unreliable in China — its pin is usually a block or two off (more on why below), and its China data is stale.
• Install AMAP Global. Amap, China’s leading map company, now ships a separate English app with English place names, turn-by-turn directions and — since August 2026 — ride-hailing in English. It works on both iPhone and Android.
• If you have an iPhone, Apple Maps is still the zero-effort option. It’s built in, English, and accurate in China.
• Chinese-only apps are no longer required, but the Chinese originals (Amap 高德, Baidu 百度) do carry the freshest data if you read Chinese.
• Download an offline map before you fly so you’re never stuck without data (see the connectivity guide).

Why Google Maps doesn’t work in China

It’s not that Google Maps is blocked — on a roaming connection it loads fine. The problem is coordinates. China requires maps to use a special coordinate system (called GCJ-02) that is deliberately offset from the global standard (WGS-84) that GPS uses. As a result, your real GPS position shows up on Google Maps roughly 100–600 metres away — the wrong side of the street, or the wrong block.

Google’s mapping data for mainland China is also much thinner and older than it is elsewhere, so even when the pin is right, shops, streets and transit often aren’t.

The practical takeaway: don’t trust Google Maps for anything that needs precision in China — finding a specific restaurant, navigating a walk, or giving your location to a driver (see the Didi guide). Use a China-native map instead.

Your map options, compared

AMAP Global — the app that changed the advice

For years the standard advice was: use Apple Maps if you have an iPhone, because the Chinese map apps are Chinese-only. That’s no longer true, and it matters most if you’re on Android.

AMAP Global is a separate English app from AutoNavi (the company behind Amap 高德), available on both the App Store and Google Play. What you get:

• An English interface, with English place names — so “Beijing South Railway Station” is searchable, not just “北京南站”.
• Turn-by-turn navigation for driving, transit and walking.
• Ride-hailing in English, since August 2026 — type a destination, call a car and read the fare without ever touching a Chinese-only screen. This is the single biggest change; it used to be the one thing that forced you into a Chinese app.
• Sign-in with a phone number from dozens of countries, and payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Install it before you fly. Google Play isn’t usable in mainland China, and app-store availability depends on your account region — see the connectivity guide. For the full setup order, our essential apps guide covers what to install, in what order.

Apple Maps — the zero-effort option (iPhone)

If you carry an iPhone, this is still the map that requires no decisions at all:

• It just works. Apple Maps in China is powered by local data (from Amap), so pins and directions are accurate.
• English interface — no Chinese needed for day-to-day navigation.
• Transit works in major cities, with real-time arrivals in many of them.
• Nothing to install — it’s built in, and offline maps are available for areas you download in advance.

Tip: before you leave, search for the cities you’ll visit in Apple Maps and download them for offline use, in case you’re without data on arrival.

The catch is that Apple Maps is thinner on the details that matter when a place is hard to find — new restaurants, small shops, the exact entrance of a big complex. That’s where AMAP Global earns its place as a second install.

If you read Chinese: the local originals

Amap (高德地图, Gaode) and Baidu Maps (百度地图) are what locals actually use, and for good reason: the freshest data, the best real-time traffic, and the most complete transit and walking directions in the country. They’re free.

• Amap (the Chinese app) has the deepest data of anything available — more than its own English sibling. If you read Chinese, this is the most powerful map in the country.
• Baidu Maps is accurate and a fine alternative. Its English support extends to place labels in major cities only; menus and search stay Chinese.

These are now optional, not required. If you don’t read Chinese, AMAP Global or Apple Maps will get you where you’re going — you no longer have to fight a Chinese interface to navigate China.

Android users: what to use

There’s no Apple Maps on Android, and this is exactly the gap AMAP Global closed:

• AMAP Global — the default. English, accurate, and it hails cars in English.
• Organic Maps or Maps.me for an offline-first, English option — great for walking around, though transit coverage is thinner.
• Google Maps works only as a rough reference — expect the offset, and don’t rely on it for turn-by-turn walking.

Offline maps — your backup

Data is cheap in China, but there will be moments without it: a dead zone, a plane landing, or a foreign eSIM that hasn’t kicked in yet. Download offline maps before you go:

• AMAP Global and Apple Maps — download the cities you’ll visit in advance.
• Organic Maps / Maps.me — free, English, and you download whole cities or regions in advance.
• Save offline screenshots of your hotel’s location and key addresses in Chinese, as a last resort you can show to a driver or a passerby.

Searching for places (Chinese names still help)

The English apps have made this far easier, but Chinese names remain the most reliable search key — and the one thing that always works when showing your phone to someone:

• Get the Chinese name and address of your hotel, restaurant, or landmark (your booking email usually has it, or ask the hotel).
• Save it as a screenshot. Even with English ride-hailing, a driver confirming your destination will read the Chinese characters faster than the English name.
• In the Chinese apps, paste the Chinese name rather than typing English — “北京南站” finds Beijing South railway station instantly; “Beijing South” may not. In AMAP Global, English now works, but a pasted Chinese name still removes all ambiguity.

Getting around: transit, walking, driving

• Metro and buses — AMAP Global, Apple Maps and the Chinese apps all give step-by-step transit directions with real-time arrivals. Pay fares with Alipay or WeChat (see the payment guide).
• Walking — use AMAP Global, Apple Maps or an offline app; Google Maps’ offset makes it the worst option for foot navigation.
• Driving / renting — you’ll need a Chinese driving licence to drive yourself; most visitors won’t. Stick to metro, buses, ride-hailing and trains instead.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Trusting Google Maps for precise navigation — the offset will send you to the wrong place. Switch to AMAP Global or Apple Maps.
• Still believing the Chinese map apps are all Chinese-only — that was true until 2026. Install AMAP Global and skip the workaround entirely.
• Waiting to install apps until you’re in China — Google Play isn’t available there; download AMAP Global and your offline maps before you fly.
• Not downloading offline maps — a foreign eSIM or a dead zone can leave you mapless exactly when you need directions.
• Forgetting that “near me” needs a data connection — offline maps cover saved areas only.

Pre-trip checklist

• Install AMAP Global (App Store or Google Play) before you fly
• If you have an iPhone, check Apple Maps works and download your cities for offline use
• Download offline maps for every city on your route
• Save your hotel’s Chinese name and address, and the Chinese names of key places
• Make sure you have a data plan for the trip (see the connectivity guide)

Keeping this page accurate

Map apps, coordinate rules and transit data change over time — and 2026 changed this recommendation outright, when Amap shipped an English app with English ride-hailing. We keep this page up to date: the date below shows when it was last checked, and we refresh it whenever something changes. If you spot something outdated, contact us.