AMAP Guide - China Travel No BS Kit

📱 What is AMap (Gaode)? — A 60-second primer

Full name

高德地图 (Gāo-dé Dì-tú) – "AMap" in English; owned by Alibaba Group.

Core functions

China's most-used navigation + public-transport planner + real-time traffic app; adds bike lanes, Citywalk routes, weather & AQI overlays.

Why locals swear by it

• Accurate lane-level car nav with live congestion fees

• Bus/metro transfers with exit letters & fare

• "Nearby" tab for cafés, toilets, ATMs

• Remote bus arrival countdown & shared-bike dock status

• One-tap taxi & Didi price comparison

Scale (2025)

610 million monthly active users; covers 370+ mainland cities & 96% of national highways.

Language support

Menus auto-flip to English when your phone language is EN. POI details stay Chinese. A grey 'A文' translate button appears next to some Chinese text (iOS 15.9+ / Android 13.7+, A/B rollout starting Shanghai & Beijing).

Offline & data tips

• "Offline Map" pack ≈150 MB per province; works fully for turn-by-turn & POI.

• Citywalk layer & heat-map need data (~5 MB / h).

Payments / tickets

Deep-links to Alipay/WeChat mini-programs for metro QR, bus QR, Didi, bike share. Foreign Visa/Mastercard work so long as the pop-up shows a blue merchant QR.

Better than Google Maps in China

• Street-level detail, lane arrows, exit letters

• Real-time crowding index on metro platforms

• Heat & AQI alerts push at 37°C / PM2.5 >150

Good to know

• Use "Tap → Copy Chinese Address" to paste into Didi.

• Red ❗ arrows in big stations = >5 min walk transfer.

• Turn on "Avoid license-plate restrictions" if driving in Beijing/Shanghai.

TL;DR

Install AMap, switch your phone to English, download the offline pack, and you have lane-level driving nav, live bus ETAs, and metro exit letters that Google Maps won't show—plus instant hand-off to Didi or bike share, payable with your foreign card on a blue merchant QR.

🏆 Most-Cited Success Recipe

Before flight

Install & switch to English; (optionally) sign in via Apple ID

Airport Wi-Fi

Buy China eSIM, bind WeChat/Alipay

Day 1

Download offline map in Chinese UI, then swap back

Daily use

Star your hotel & "Return to Airport"

Why it helps: Skips Chinese-number hurdle, keeps settings synced; unlocks taxi-hailing & metro e-tickets

🔄 2025 Updates

Translate chip pilot (Jan 2025)

A/B testing of translation feature started in Beijing and Shanghai, with gradual rollout to other tier-1 cities.

Sources: TikTok, Youtube, Reddit, X, TripAdvisor

Play Store listing now labels AMap 'English Map for overseas users' (Jun 2025)

Marketing copy update to better target international users in app store listings.

Sources: Google Play, Reddit, X, TripAdvisor, Xiaohongshu

Apple ID single sign-on removes SMS requirement on iOS

iOS users can now sign in without needing a Chinese phone number or SMS verification.

Sources: Apple Store, Reddit, Facebook

Enhanced Navigation & Transport Features

Taxi price-compare widget added under Taxi (Chinese UI only). AR walking + lane-level nav now voiced in English. Metro e-ticket pilot covers 18 cities (needs Alipay).

Sources: Shanghai Gov, ChinaDaily, Reddit, X, Youtube

⚠️ Common Issues & Fixes

"Need mainland number" Error on Android

Skip login entirely! Navigation works perfectly in guest mode without any account. Login SMS isn't required – maps, directions, and POI search all function normally.

Pro tip: Only sign in if you need features like saved routes or reviews