downloading apps in How to download VPN apps on iOS in China. Recently, Apple has removed all VPN apps from the China . But there is a workaround to get these apps installed on your iOS in China! So, what can you do to download the VPN if you are in China? The answer is quite simple actually. The restriction can be bypassed by using a new iTunes account registered with a USA address. Although you can download any app without using a VPN, most of the apps that you download will require a VPN that works well in China in order to function properly. For example, the New York Times app can be downloaded without a VPN by following this method. However, the app itself will not function because the New York Times servers are blocked in China. Ok, here is how to create a brand new USA iTunes account. It’s not possible to change the country of your existing Apple ID without adding a credit card from the country you want to change to. However you can create a brand new Apple ID for any country you want without adding a credit card. In fact you can make a new account for each country’s App Store that you want to use. Just choose which account to log into depending on which Apps you need to download or update. Here are the steps I followed to create a new Apple ID for United States. Step 1 – Go to this page from a computer and create a new Apple ID with an email address that has not already been used for another Apple ID. Step 2 – On your iOS device, open the Settings and choose iTunes & App Store , then select your current account and log out. Step 3 – Open the App Store and try to download any App. When prompted, log in using your newly created iTunes account. Step 4 – You will be prompted that the Apple ID has not yet been used in the iTunes Store. Choose Review . Step 5 – Choose United States or other preferred country. Step 6 – Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this extremely long agreement and choose agree. Take a rest if your finger gets tired before you reach the bottom. It feels like about 1,000 pages. Step 7 – Under Billing Information choose None and then enter any US address and phone number. You can use this website to generate one. 2018 Update – Apple has now made it more difficult to confirm your account if you are not located in the same country as the iTunes account you are trying to make. If you don’t see any option for None under billing information, then you will need to connect to a VPN in the USA and try again. If your IP address is not in USA and you are trying to make a US account, then the None option will not be there and you will need to use a credit card. If you don’t already have a VPN app installed on your device, then this can be difficult. Classic chicken and egg type problem. The solution is to connect by L2TP using the iOS built-in VPN. Check with your VPN provider for specific instructions on setting up L2TP on iOS. I know that ExpressVPN L2TP is working in China because I tested it recently, but I’m not sure whether other provider’s L2TP servers are working in China right now. Please leave a comment below if you have used L2TP in iOS in China recently.

Another option is to buy a visa gift card on Taobao and confirm your account that way. Search for “美国visa卡”, there are many sellers offering these. Step 8 – When you are finished downloading the Apps from United States App Store, just simply log out of the new account and log back into your original account if you need to download Apps from the China store which are not available on the USA app store. You can always switch between accounts to download different apps. Notes. If you have previously downloaded apps from the China App Store that have been removed, then it’s not possible to update these apps anymore. To update, you need to uninstall the app first, and then re-download it using your USA iTunes account. If you need to buy a paid app from the USA store but don’t have a US credit card, you can buy a US iTunes gift card on Taobao for a reasonable price (the link is just to the search results, not any individual seller – do your own research and buy from a reputable seller with higher sales volume). AppChina for Android. AppChina gives you a fresh way to find free, trending applications and games. Similar to Play Store and Apple App Store, this utility tool has an extensive catalog of mobile that is exclusively distributed and developed in China. Find the app you want by typing the name on the search bar, or by simply looking at it in its category. It will be an easy transition from your current service as the interface is plain and organized . This third-party app store can be download and used free of charge . What is App China? As the name suggests, AppChina is a Chinese application that allows people outside its country to download their apps. You'll hardly find any program from its catalog that is also available in or the App Store. Therefore, AppChina and its programs are mostly available in Chinese . You can change it to your language , but you'll need to find the Language or Translate button on the app first. This third-party app also offers more benefits for its international users. First is that all Chinese paid apps can be availed for free. Second is that it will upgrade your mobile apps and games without any charge. While the benefits are extensive, it still promises to use less RAM than other app markets. How do I download AppChina? You can download this Chinese app store onto your Android device in a few easy steps . First, make sure that the unknown sources option in your or tablet is on. The app will appear under Security, where you can also launch your new download. Tap the AppChina file to prompt the pop-up window to appear. You will then need to select the ‘Install’ button so it can begin integrating itself on your device. It will take less than a minute to complete the process. Afterward, you can now access all kinds of applications from China anytime and anywhere you go. Discover new international apps. AppChina is one of the tools you can use to bypass geographical restrictions . It is a suitable application for users that want a particular , but it’s only available in China. You can discover more mobile programs here by browsing through their different categories and featured lists. Note that the app is in Chinese by default, but you can change the language on the app. The Top 15 Apps for China Travelers. Apps are revolutionizing the way we travel, and nowhere is this more true than China. Downloading these apps before you get to China can make everything a whole lot easier, as it alleviates problems with the language and can help you get your bearings quicker. That's why we've listed the top 15 most useful China apps for travelers, whether it be language, directions, traveling, taxis, keeping access to your social media, or restaurants. 1. A VPN App — for Internet Access. You won't get very far in China without a VPN these days, as apps such as WhatsApp, anything Google (Google mail accounts, Google docs), Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all require a VPN for use. We've listed the best free and paid VPNs so that you can start your trip prepared! Language Apps. 2. Pleco (Free or Upgraded Version) In terms of getting to terms with the , Pleco is one of the best language-learning apps, and will also save your time if you can't read things such as menus, signs, or can't translate a tourist attraction name into Chinese. You can either input using (the alphabetic system of Mandarin), or you can draw out characters in order to translate them. The dictionary from English into Chinese is also very good. 3. Learn Chinese Mandarin (Free or Upgraded Version) A great beginners' language app with sets of key phrases for the most important parts of traveling. Greetings, general conversation, numbers, directions and places, transportation, eating out, and emergency are all included in the free version. If you want to take your Chinese learning to the next level, consider paying $4.99 for the upgraded version which also includes vocab lists for time and date, accommodation, shopping, colors, regions and towns, countries, tourist attractions, family, dating, feeling sick, and more. Navigation Apps. 4. (Free) Google Maps is the best comprehensive maps service throughout China, as it is fully available in English and makes it easy to navigate around even if you don't speak the language. Now google, facebook, twitter, youtube, and instgram have been blocked by China firewall. You'd better get a VPN before departure. See the Best VPNs for Use in China (Free and Paid). 5. China Travel Guide (Free) A travel guide with listings for popular tourist attractions throughout the country, including addresses, pictures, locations on the map, and other peoples comments on each of the popular tourist sites. Great for pre-planning or while you're on the road as this app can be used offline too, which is perfect if you're traveling without much access to Internet. Transport Apps. 6. Our Train-Booking App. We've designed an app to connect mobile users with our acclaimed English-language China train service, making it easier for foreign travelers in China to book train tickets. Read more about it here, including information on how to download it. 7. China Metro (Free) China Metro has a huge collection of subway maps from cities through China, whether you're traveling to , Shanghai, Guangzhou, or even smaller cities like Harbin, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Changsha. Even more conveniently, it also has information for Singapore, and Taipei if you're traveling off the mainland. 8. DiDi ChuXing (Free) — for Taxis. Since Uber was taken off the market, a local equivalent called DiDi ChuXing has taken over the car-sharing market. Similarly with Uber, drivers will be eager to please and get you to your location for a good rating. The vast amount of Wi-Fi around the country in hotels and restaurants means that even without 3G or a Chinese SIM you'll be able to request a car, and the driver will be able to find you based on the pin you have dropped at your location. The chat function in-app also means you can chat with your driver through a translation service in real time. Payment gets taken off your international card as per usual, it's very simple and the same price as normal taxis. 9. Taxi! China ($1.99) Taxi! China is the best way to ensure that you have important information to pass onto taxi drivers throughout the country about your hotel, the locations you want to go to, and can flawlessly communicate with them. It has lists of important phrases and phone numbers so that you'll never be caught off-guard or lost. 10. MoBike (Free) The bike-sharing economy is taking the world by storm, and the revolution started in China! MoBike is one of the many apps that you can easily download and catch a shared bike ride on. Bikes are found throughout most Chinese cities, on pretty much every street corner. First few rides are free, and from there on you'll pay CNY1 per ride. You do have to put down a CNY200 deposit but you can get this back. 11. WeChat (Free) — THE Social App. WeChat is the most popular messaging service in China, and is great if you're meeting people in China and want to stay in touch. Even in cases where you, for example, meet a lovely taxi driver and want to keep his contact in case you need him to drive you around the next day, WeChat is the best way to do this. You can send text and voice messages, and call people for free if you're both connected to either Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G. It can also be used to pay for things by QR code. Travel Help Apps. 12. Day Tour Booking App. If you only have 1-2 days to visit a city, our Day Tour Booking app is the best way to plan your day trip. The app selects the most popular attractions to visit in the main tourist cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Guilin. Every stop of your tour can be checked easily on the app before you make your payment. After you have booked, you will be picked up from your hotel lobby by a local tour guide, and an experienced driver in a comfortable car to start your tour. Now the Day Tour Booking is available on App Store. Get your free trial by clicking here. 13. Flight Radar (Free or Upgraded Version) If you're considering doing a lot of traveling by air in China, Flight Radar may actually have more information than the airport when it comes to delays and actual flight times. Prepare by getting this app, and you won't regret it in case something unexpected happens while you're at the airport. Also great for those with a special interest in airplanes! 14. Airbnb (Free) — for Accommodation. Airbnb is not only changing the way people travel in the West, but also in China. On Airbnb you will find a wide array of accommodation throughout the entire country, including some very unique spots near the Great Wall of China, for example. Most Airbnb hosts signed up in China do speak English, and you'll also find that many of them are actually foreigners living in China with a unique view of the country to share. 15. AirVisual (Free) — for Air Quality. If you're worried about traveling in China as a result of increased coverage of its air pollution issues, it can be worth downloading AirVisual ahead of your trip. The app shows real-time air pollution levels as measured at different points in the country, with an estimation for the next few days. This can be useful if you're traveling with someone who has a weaker respiratory system. The app's coverage isn't limited to China though, you might be surprised that your hometown is more polluted than you thought. Our China Tours. Our tours will guide you as much or as little as you need, so you won't even need to use any of these apps if we guide you through China, as we'll take care of it all. To get in touch with us about organizing a tour, all you have to do is contact us through this form and tell us more about how many people are traveling, and where you'd like to go. 20 Android apps download store alternatives! Are you looking for an alternative Android apps download site or resource for your Chinese phone or tablet!? Well you’re in luck because this is the ultimate list of alternative Android app stores from around the web! I originally wrote a list of 15 ways how to download Android apps without the Android market here, but as that list of Android apps download resources was getting a little out of date and as other alternatives popped up I’ve decided to write an updated version. Why would I need an alternative Android apps download site? You might be thinking ‘Google Play is working just fine, why would I need an alternate Android app store?’. Well there are a number of reasons, but the main reason is that many Android devices especially Chinese Android phones and Chinese Android tablets do not ship with Google Play installed so how to download Android apps in this case? 20 Android apps download store alternatives! 1. Pandaapp. Pandaapp continues to be my personal favorite way how to download Android apps. The Pandaapp store is available either via their website, or their own Android application which can be downloaded for free. All the Android apps on the Pandaapp store are Free, but please take care as there are plenty of cracked and pirated games! 2. Baidu App Store. Baidu the Chinese search giant who are currently kicking Google’s butt across the Chinese internet also have their own method how to download Android apps . The Baidu App store is actually an aggregator of a number third-party stores which allows you to search a wide network for the apps you are after from only one search screen. 3. Opera Mobile App Store. Opera have their own way how to download Android apps! The Opera Mobile App store frequently offers discounted applications with some huge savings along with a wide variety of free Android apps . Plus as it is ran by a trusted name this Android apps download solution relatively safe. 4. MIUI.com. MIUI is the name of the OS, and they have their own website with great ways to download Android apps, many of them being free. As well as apps there are a number of hacks, how to’s and other useful resources which make Android apps download site and extremeley usful site to visit! 5. Tencent App Gem. Like Baidu, China’s other search engine providers are getting involved with Android apps and their own way how to download Android apps . Tencent’s App Gem is the Chinese company’s solution to Android apps downloads and allows users to download apps directly to their Android device via the custom made app. There are versions of App Gem for both Android phones and tablets and both can be used in conjunction with Tencent’s “iTunes of Android” system. 6. GetJar. While Opera and offer clean and easy ways to navigate and get your apps on your Android device, GetJar offers a less user friendly and more cluttered approach to Android apps downloads . However that’s not to say GetJar is difficult to use, it just could be a lot simpler. Like the other alternative app stores on the list, GetJar offers users to search and download popular applications, but unlike some of the others, this store also has a lot of unique hacks and apps developed by budding designers. 7. Wandoujia. Wandoujia is another platform claiming to be the ‘iTunes of Android’. Wandoujia is a PC desktop client which allows you to manage all the content on your Android tablet or phone, meaning you can sync your Android devices contacts, photos and movies. Best of all is that Wandoujia will search a database of 3rd party Android markets and allow you to download apps from them, it will even let you know when updates are available too! 8. AppChina. AppChina have recently redesigned their whole network to give a more professional and unique experience Android apps download site and application. While a lot of popular Android apps can be found in the AppChina databases , you can also find a lot of cool lesser known indie apps from developers around China. AppChina look to be going places too as they have already gained funding of $6 million! So keep an eye on this Android apps download solution in the future! 9. . Handango is absolutely jam packed with free and discounted Android applications making it one of the most better Android apps download sites around and a popular alternative Google’s Play store. A great resource for those looking for a way to download Android apps without the Android market . Download Handangou Android store here. 10. OnlyAndroid Superstore. Only Android Superstore is actually ran by Mobihand, who in turn actually run alternative application stores for a multitude of mobile operating systems, but this the Android store is easily the most popular. To start downloading from the Only Android Superstore, you will need to download their app first, which is very clean and easy to navigate. Again be watchful of what you download to avoid malware! Download Only Android Superstore here. 11. D.cn Games Center. If you are looking for a clean and easy to use way Android apps download site for your phone or tablet without the official Android Play app store then D.cn Games Center could be the one for you! As you would expect by the name many of the Android apps available on this alternative Android store are games, however they are also mostly free (but ad-supported) and have become the official partner to Rovio Mobile, which suggests this way how to download Android apps could be a little safer than other methods. 12. Insyde Market. Insyde Market is another alternative to Google’s Play Android store. Last time we visited they had a lot of free apps but as they grow more unique and indie applications will be made available. Download Insyde Market here. 13. SlideME. SlideME was one of the first Android app store alternatives to launch, and as such has a rather full database of applications and games to choose from. Apps are listed by category and screen shots are provided so you get a good idea of what you are downloading. 14. Gfan. Gfan started life as a forum or BBS for Chinese Android fans to share tip, hacks and of course Android applications . However as the site become more popular and more interest grew they have actually transformed the site in to a fully-fledged Android app store alternative. Visit Gfan here. 15. HiAPK. HiAPK is a very popular app store in China, however like some other 3rd party Android app stores there are some hacked and pirated applications on here. While you might be rubbing your hands together at the prospect of free games and Android apps, keep in mind that pirated can also mean ‘malware infested’ Visit HiAPK here. 16. Anzhi (GoAPK) Many of you with Chinese Android phones or tablets might already have this app store installed on your Android device. Like HiAPK there are many cracked or pirated apps available on the Anzhi store, but this hasn’t stopped this Android app store alternative cropping up on a number of Chinese Android devices as preinstalled software! 17. YAAM Market. The YAAM market isn’t the most unique alternate store, but instead offers a solid simple way of getting applications on your device. Apps are grouped in to either ‘Free’ or ‘Paid’ with a further filter separating Apps, Games and Updates. We’ve not used YAAM in a while, but last time we did there was only a limited selection of Android applications available. Download the YAAM Android market here. 18. Taobao App Market. Taobao are very new to the Android app market world, but with their huge audience and their own payment system (Alipay) they could easily become one of the largest alternative Android app markets available. 19. N-Duo Market. N-Duo market is another new comer but unlike the multinational, billion dollar set up that is the Taobao App Market this is a start-up. As such the selection isn’t huge, but they do have a great designer and easy to use sections which include Android apps specifically for Android tablets. 20. Google Chrome! Ok perhaps you have tried all the above alternative Android app stores but you still can only find the app you are looking fro in the official Google Android Play store, then what? We’ll you could always download APK Downloader which is a Google Chrome extension which will allow you to download Android apps to your PC directly from the official Android market then install the apps on your Android phone or tablet manually! I hope you found this list of ways how to download Android apps useful, please feel free to report any errors, broken links or even your own personal favorite alternative Android app stores in the comments below. App Store Index. The AppInChina App Store Index is the market-leading index of China’s largest Android app stores. We update our index on a quarterly basis using the most accurate data sources available. If you are interested in publishing your mobile app or game in China, plan to launch your app/game on at least the top 10 or 15 to reach the majority of the Chinese mobile market. If you are a game publisher, please also see our Game Store Index, which specifically tracks app stores in China that are appropriate for publishing games to the Chinese market. Last Updated: February 25th, 2021.

Chinese Name: 华为应用市场. Parent Company: . Company Type: Tech Hardware/Sofware. Huawei is a large company manufacturing telecommunications equipment and . In recent years, Huawei’s mobile phones have become one of the best-selling phones world-wide, and is one of the top-selling phone brands in Mainland China. Huawei is also making headlines for its groundbreaking 5G network technology being rolled out across the world.

Chinese Name: 应用宝. Parent Company: Tencent. Company Type: Online Services. Tencent is the largest internet company in Asia, publisher of the wildly popular WeChat app used ubiquitously across China. Though the company does not produce any mobile phones, its app store has remained the most popular in China for many years.

Chinese Name: OPPO软件商店. Parent Company:BBK Electronics. Company Type: Mobile Hardware/Software. is a Chinese consumer electronics and mobile communications company with popular products such as . Oppo’s app store has grown in popularity recently. With about 125 million active users per month.

Chinese Name: vivo应用商店. Parent Company: BBK Electronics. Company Type: Mobile Hardware/Software. VIVO is a Chinese consumer electronics company that makes smartphones, accessories, software, and provides online services. BBK Electronics is its parent company, which also owns Oppo and OnePlus, which each make their own brands of smartphones. VIVO app store is the default store installed on all VIVO phones sold in China.

Chinese Name: 小米应用商店. Parent Company: Xiaomi. Company Type: Tech Hardware/Sofware. Xiaomi is a very popular Chinese electronics company with products including smartphones, mobile apps, laptops, and home appliances. Its app store is the default app store installed on its phone across China. Xiaomi’s mobile phones ship with its own Android firmware (MIUI), based on Google’s Android .

Chinese Name: 360手机助手. Parent Company: Qihoo 360. Company Type: Internet Security/Software. 360 Mobile is a Chinese app store from Qihoo 360, a Chinese internet security company with products including antivirus software and a popular secure web browser used by millions across China.

Chinese Name: 百度手机助手. Parent Company: Baidu. Company Type: Internet Search Engine/Software. Even before Google left the Chinese market in 2010, Baidu had been the country’s largest search engine. It remains the dominant player to this day, which is why it is often referred to as “The Google of China”. Baidu’s app store, Baidu Mobile Assistant, is always served up as an option when users search for an app on baidu.com.

Chinese Name: 三星应用商店. Parent Company: Group. Company Type: Multinational . is a South Korean multi-national manufacturer of smartphones, TVs, semiconductors, and other home electronics. Its flagship series of smartphones is the Galaxy series, and the Samsung App Store comes preinstalled on all Samsung smartphones. In 2019, Samsung announced it would stop manufacturing mobile phones in China due to lack of demand.

Chinese Name: PP助手. Parent Company: Alibaba. Company Type: Online Services. Alibaba’s app store in China is PP Assistant. In addition to apps for Android, PP Assistant also has two app stores for iOS, including one for iOS devices that have been “jailbroken”.

Chinese Name: 豌豆荚. Parent Company: Alibaba. Company Type: Online Services. Wandoujia was founded in 2009 by a former employee of Google China and a telecom engineer. It was China’s 5th largest Android app store when it was purchased by Alibaba in 2016. The company developed a multimedia marketplace as an alternative to streaming large amounts of data that allows users to search for videos across multiple platforms, download them locally, and compress them.

Chinese Name: 联想乐商店. Parent Company: . Company Type: Mobile Hardware/Software. Lenovo is a Chinese multi-national company, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Beijing. By 2019, it was the world’s largest PC vendor by unit sales, but they also develop storage devices, IT management software, smartphones, tablets and smart TVs running the Android operating system. The Lenovo Le Store is preinstalled on many of its devices, including Smart TVs.

Chinese Name: 安智市场. Parent Company: Anzhi. Company Type: Software. Anzhi Market is a China app store that has been around for many years. It has an active community that allow members to discuss and rate Android apps.

Chinese Name: 中兴应用商店. Parent Company: ZTE. Company Type: Telecom Equipment and Systems. ZTE is was founded in 1985 in Shenzhen, China, and is one of China’s leading telecom equipment manufacturers. ZTE now has a strong international presence, with subsidiaries around the world. They make mobile phones, smartphones, tablet computers, and OEM hardware and software. It is one of the top five manufacturers in China. The ZTE app store comes preinstalled on its smartphones in China.

Chinese Name: 酷派应用商店. Parent Company: . Company Type: Mobile Hardware/Software. CoolPad Group was founded in 1993 and previously known as China Wireless Technologies Limited. At first a maker of pagers and paging systems, it started to make mobile phones in 2002. The company is headquartered in Shenzhen. Its market penetration in China has diminished substantially in recent years as it has faced heavy losses and a series of ownership changes. The CoolPad app store comes preinstalled on its devices.

Chinese Name: 搜狗手机助手. Parent Company: Sogou. Company Type: Internet Search Engine/Software. Sogou is originally a search engine and smartwatch company, launched in 2004. In 2006, the company invented Sogou Pinyin, which is now the dominant input platform in China for both desktop and mobile systems. They are currently focused on developing AI, lip reading, and voice recognition technology for its smartwatches and translation devices. Sogou is a Beijing-based public company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. They are currently majority-owned by Tencent, and it is the only search engine able to search WeChat public accounts. Chinese Name: 天翼空间客户端. Parent Company: China Telecom. Company Type: Telecommunications. Also known as Tianyi Space, 189 Store is the official mobile phone app store of China Telecom, which is of the listed spin-off companies of state- owned China Telecommunications Corporation. It began expansion into Asian-European regions in 2008. 189 Store was established in 2014.

Chinese Name: 珠海市魅族科技有限公司. Parent Company: Telecom Equipment Co., Ltd. Company Type: App Store. AppChina - not to be confused with our company, AppInChina - is an independent, standalone app store, not connected with any hardware company or products. Within 9 months after it launched in 2011, it had more than 100 million downloads. It was one of the early projects of the Innovation Workshop investment group, hosting apps and games through its app store app and website.