More and more Chinese people use different apps to make their lives more convenient. As Chinese economy continues to grow, Chinese people have realized that time is money. That’s one of the reasons why everyone is so keen on using lifestyle mobile apps – they save a lot of time, both at work and at home!
In this article, we look at some of the most commonly used apps in China.
It’s a well-known fact that Chinese people – and anyone in China – can’t live without WeChat.
Wechat has become one of the most popular communication tools in China. It’s quick, convenient, and loaded with all the necessary functions including voice messaging and video chat. By adding a person as your friend on WeChat, you get a chance to send messages without being charged a penny, no matter where if your friends are in China or abroad.
WeChat functions are constantly being optimized to make this app even more user-friendly. It’s becoming an ecosystem that allows you to do anything without leaving the app. For example, you can use WeChat to top up your mobile phone, pay your electricity and water bills, purchase movie tickets, etc.
Yet another special feature is Wechat Moments – a newsfeed to which you can post photos and videos, and share the most exciting “moments” of your life with your friends.
Didi Chuxing
Didi Chuxing is the Chinese version of Uber.
Before its launch, big cities in China with large population used to have very few taxis available at peak hours of the day. It was not easy to catch a taxi in the street, especially during the rush hours. It also didn’t help that sometimes in China, even when a taxi is not occupied, the taxi driver might just drive past a potential passenger without any explanation.
DiDi was designed to avoid these unpleasant scenarios. As long as you know the address, Didi can help you get a cab in just a few minutes. Your current location usually gets detected automatically by the app, so all you need to do is enter the address of your destination. Once a car is assigned, you are provided with all the details about it along with an estimated time of arrival.
Ele.me
Nowadays ordering food using mobile apps is a trend.
In China, the most popular food-ordering app is called “饿了么è le me”, which literally means “Hungry?”.
You can check out our quide to using this app here.
Millions of Chinese people use Eleme to order lunch or dinner every day. It saves time, and the food quality is on a par with dishes served at restaurants. If you’re a foreigner, using an app is also easier than ordering food over the phone, since you don’t need to say anything. (Just imagine how difficult it could be to pronounce the artistic, and sometimes even complicated names of different Chinese dishes).
Also, no matter if you want to try the one and only “ma po tofu” (numbing hot tofu) or prefer traditional western food, you will find plenty of information on various restaurants in the app. You can choose to order as many dishes as you want and your food will be delivered to your door in no time.
Meituan
“Meituan” is the so-called “all-in-one app” covering all mainland China. This multi-purpose app allows you to order food, buy movie tickets, book hotel rooms and plane/train tickets at lower prices. One great thing about Meituan is that from time to time, the app sends you discount coupons you can use for your next purchase.
Taobao
If you love shopping, Taobao is a must-have app. It doesn’t even need a lengthy introduction – it is simply the largest internet retailer in China. You can buy literally anything on Taobao, ranging from books and clothes to household appliances and food. By downloading Taobao app on your phone, you will be able to browse thousands of products on the go, and your orders will be delivered to your door within a couple of days, which saves a tremendous amount of time.
You can also find on Taobao the things that you’ll no longer find in physical stores.
Do you agree with this list? Got something to add?
Let us know what apps you use in China – by reaching out to us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!
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