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Living in Shanghai
Ni hao and a warm welcome to our expat community in Shanghai! Get to know this city before you start your real life here. From accommodation to kids’ education, from banking and internet connection to where to shop and eat, see advice and information from iReloChina’s experts here.
Useful Apps
If the world is already heavily reliant on the smartphone, Shanghai could not function without it. Here are the must-have apps to get you started. These free apps are available for both Android and iPhone.
| Apps | Description |
Wechat |
WeChat is essential to life in China. This is the most popular messaging and app in China, and it is used for much more than texting. Bosses use it to update employees, local publications use it to keep the public apprised of the latest city happenings, and friends use it to transfer money between themselves. Also, you can use it to pay in many places such as restaurants, taxis, supermarket, etc. This app has the functionality of WhatsApp, GroupMe, Venmo, Snapchat, and Facebook combined. |
Alipay |
Alipay is one of the most popular e-wallet applications in China |
Didi Dache |
Cabs aren’t always easy to hail in Shanghai, especially at peak times throughout the day and on Friday nights, so you should download Didi app (similar to Uber). The main advantages are that prices often much lower than traditional taxis, and that Didi is available anytime, anywhere. |
Baidu Maps |
Apple Maps works in Shanghai, as does Google Maps (VPN enabled), but Baidu Maps is the most reliable, accurate, and up-to-date of the three. Find the best routes for car, bicycle, public transport, and walking. Once you input your destination in Chinese, the app will guide you every step of the way, or give you an overview of where you can expect to go. |
Ele.me |
Ele.me is a food delivery apps in Shanghai. Fast, cheap service that guarantees hot food to your door in under an hour makes Ele.me a leader in the industry. No more exorbitant fees. Choose from a long list of Chinese and Western options. The app is only available in Chinese for now, but it is intuitive to use once you have figured out a few of the key characters. |
Sherpa’s |
Sherpa’s is another food delivery app. The app is convenient as it is in English and offer many Western options. You can connect your Ele.me or Sherpa’s account to Wechat or to Alipay for the payment. |
Shanghai Metro Map |
The Shanghai Metro app is searchable without an internet connection and is the easiest way to figure out how to get from point A to point B. |
Taobao |
Taobao (similar to Amazon) is a Chinese e-commerce site that facilitates transactions between consumers and sellers. This app offers wide variety of quality products and millions of sellers which offer very competitive and affordable prices of goods. |
Smartshanghai |
SmartShanghai is one of those awesome all-rounder apps. It combines reviews of restaurants and bars and helps you to get out and explore more of Shanghai with articles about the latest artists touring Shanghai or suggested new hotspots to add to your places to eat and drink list. Also, it will help you to be informed about the different events in Shanghai. Pro Tip: Once you’ve found the bar or restaurant on the app, you can show the Chinese address to your taxi driver |
Air Quality China |
It is recommended to download this app to check the air quality in China in order to avoid to practise some outdoor activities when it is too polluted. |
Microsoft |
Microsoft Translator live is a free translation and transcription service that let's you have translated conversations across multiple devices on iOS, Android, etc. https://translator.microsoft.com/ |
Bon App! |
Discover great restaurants. Connect through food. Bon App is the region’s most trusted guide for restaurant reviews. |
