How to Use AMap Maps in China
Set up AMap (Gaode) before you fly, search in English, read the Chinese place name, and use it to plan routes, hail rides, and give a driver something to point at.
π What You Need
- β
A phone with a working app store account
Install before you leave home, while your usual app store and network still work normally
- β
Mobile data or hotel Wi-Fi on arrival
Without a working connection the map cannot search or route
πΆ Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Install AMap before you fly
On iPhone, search the App Store for AMap β the listing is called 'AMap Global' and the developer is AutoNavi Information Technology Co. Ltd. On Android, Amap announced the multilingual version on both the App Store and Google Play. Install it at home, not at the airport.
π You should see: Developer name on the store listing is AutoNavi, not a third-party republisherβ If this fails: If the app is not offered in your country's store, install it before departure using the store region you normally use, or fall back to the options in the last section. - 2
Open the app and let it locate you
Launch the app and work through its first-run screens. If it asks for location access, allow it while the app is in use so the map can show where you are. If it asks you to sign in, you can try β but do not assume a foreign phone number will be accepted.
β If this fails: If sign-in fails, continue in whatever guest mode the app offers and rely on search plus a screenshot of the map. - 3
Search for your destination in English
Type the place name or address into the search field. The international version is localised for overseas users and carries names and descriptions of key places such as attractions, restaurants and hotels.
π You should see: Results show an English label together with the Chinese name - 4
Read the Chinese name, not just the English one
This is the whole reason to use AMap. Open the place's detail view and copy the Chinese name and address. The English name is for you; the Chinese string is what actually gets you there.
π You should see: A Chinese character string appears above or beside the English name on the detail card - 5
Save the Chinese string where you can find it offline
Paste the Chinese name into a note, or take a screenshot of the detail card. Do this while you still have a connection, because you may need it later when data is weak.
β If this fails: If copy is blocked in the app, screenshot the card β the characters are still readable to a driver or a passer-by. - 6
Plan the route by mode
Use the directions view and switch between walking, cycling, transit and driving. Amap's announcement states that overseas users get the same driving, walking, cycling and public transport navigation as local users.
π You should see: Mode icons sit along the top or bottom of the directions panel - 7
Hail a ride from inside the map
The international version includes an English-language ride-hailing entry point that books across multiple platforms in one tap and shows pickup information and a fare estimate. If you would rather use a dedicated app, the [DiDi guide](/guides/use-didi-in-china) covers that workflow in full.
π You should see: A taxi or ride button appears on the place card or on the route summary - 8
Use it alongside the metro, not instead of it
For underground journeys, use the map to find the nearest station entrance, then follow the [metro guide](/guides/use-metro-in-china) for gates, tickets and fare payment. The map tells you where to walk; it does not get you through the gate.
- 9
Have a fallback if the app fails
If AMap will not install, will not open, or will not search, do not stand still. Screenshot or print your hotel's Chinese address from the booking confirmation, ask a hotel front desk to write it down, and show it to a driver. The [address troubleshooting guide](/problems/cant-find-address) covers what to do when a driver still cannot find you.
β If this fails: If nothing digital works, a paper copy of the Chinese address, plus a landmark name, is the most reliable thing you can carry.
π― Done when...
You can install AMap, search for a place in English, extract its Chinese name, plan a route by mode, and hand a driver something they can actually read.
π Backup Plan
If AMap is not available in your app store or will not open
β Use the Chinese address and hotel name from your booking confirmation, and show it to a taxi driver or ask hotel staff to help
If The app opens but search does not return your destination
β Search the Chinese name you already copied, or ask a hotel front desk to type the destination into the map for you
π Common Problems
What AMap is, and why it matters here
AMap is the international name for Gaode Maps (ι«εΎ·ε°εΎ), the map and navigation app Chinese users actually navigate with. If you arrive expecting the map app you use at home to behave normally, you will spend your first day fighting it. AMap is the practical substitute, and its real value is not the map tiles β it is that every place has a Chinese name attached, which is the single most useful thing you can extract from a phone in China.
Our internet guide covers which services are reachable without a VPN. This guide does not repeat that.
What the announcement actually confirms
Everything in this section comes from AMap's own launch announcement, reported by People's Daily Online on 14 July 2025, plus the App Store listing.
- AMap introduced an English-language map designed for overseas users earlier in 2025, and on 9 July 2025 added a multilingual version covering 14 further languages.
- The announcement states the multilingual version is downloadable from both the App Store and Google Play.
- It has a localised interface and localised place information, including names and descriptions of attractions, restaurants and hotels.
- Overseas users get the same driving, walking, cycling and public transport navigation as local users.
- It includes an English-language ride-hailing function that books across multiple platforms in one tap, with pickup details and fare estimates.
The App Store listing confirms the app is published as AMap Global by AutoNavi Information Technology Co. Ltd., in the Navigation category.
What this guide does not confirm
Be clear about the boundary, because these are exactly the claims that circulate in blogs and are not established here:
- Offline maps. This guide does not claim you can download city maps and navigate without a connection. That ability is not confirmed by the sources above.
- Registration with a foreign phone number. The app may ask you to sign in, and it may refuse a non-Chinese number. Do not build your plan around being logged in.
- Availability in every store or country. The announcement refers to the App Store and Google Play at launch time; it makes no promise about your specific regional store today.
- That AMap replaces other options. It does not. Apple Maps and Baidu Maps remain alternatives, and a paper copy of your Chinese address remains the fallback that works when nothing else does.
If a step in this guide describes an on-screen control, treat it as the shape of the flow rather than a pixel-exact guarantee β app layouts change between versions.
Finding a place and reading its Chinese name
The workflow is three moves: search in English β open the place β copy the Chinese string.
Search is the easy part; the app is localised for overseas users. The step people skip is the third one, and it is the one that pays off. Ordering a ride, asking directions, or typing into a building's front desk system all become trivial once you are holding the characters instead of the translation.
Save that string to a note, or screenshot the place card, before you need it. Data at street level is often worse than it was in your hotel room, and the moment you most need the address is the moment you are least able to look it up.
Giving a driver something to point at
A driver cannot use an English hotel name, and a spoken approximation is worse. Two things travel well:
- The Chinese name and address, as characters, on your screen or on paper.
- A nearby landmark the driver will recognise, which you can usually get from the same place card.
If your ride is booked in an app, paste the Chinese name into the app's destination or chat field rather than typing English. If you are in a street taxi, hand over the phone. If the driver still cannot find the place, the address troubleshooting guide has the recovery paths.
Hailing a ride from inside the map
The international version bundles ride-hailing, which means you can go from "I want to go here" to "a car is coming" without switching apps. It shows pickup information and a fare estimate.
If you would rather use a dedicated app with a more familiar flow, use DiDi β but still paste the Chinese address rather than typing English.
Using it alongside the metro
The map gets you to the station entrance and tells you which exit to leave from. Gate procedures, tickets, and payment at the gate are a different problem, covered in the metro guide. If a gate rejects your payment method, see metro payment troubleshooting.
If AMap will not install, open, or search
Work down this list:
- Install at home. Availability and store access are far easier to solve before you fly.
- Try the alternative map apps already on your phone β Apple Maps on iOS, Baidu Maps as another Chinese option.
- Go analog. Ask your hotel front desk to write the Chinese address and a nearby landmark on paper. Keep it in your pocket, not in the app.
- Use your booking confirmation. It usually contains the hotel's Chinese name and address already.
- Ask a person. Hotel staff, airport information desks, and metro staff can point you at a taxi queue or write directions.
None of these require a working account, a login, or a data connection.