Best Maps for China: Apple Maps, AMap or Google Maps?

• Already use an Apple device?

  Start with Apple Maps.

• Use Android or want deeper local information?

  Set up AMap Global.

• Don't rely on Google Maps as your main map in China.

That's the short answer.

If you already use an Apple device, start with Apple Maps.

In our testing on a US Apple device in China, Apple Maps handled the everyday things we'd want from a travel map: finding places, walking and driving directions, and public transport.

The English experience also feels natural and familiar.

That's its biggest advantage:

Less friction.

You don't need to register for another app or learn a new interface.

Try Apple Maps first. If it does what you need, stop there.

AMap Global is our choice when we want deeper local information.

In our testing, English search worked well for attractions, hotels, railway stations and local businesses.

AMap could also show more detailed local information — such as different railway-station entrances and drop-off areas, or individual branches and opening information for businesses.

But there's another reason we like it for China: more of the journey can happen in the same app.

Once you've found where you're going, you can check the route and move directly into ride-hailing without switching to another app or mini-program.

For a traveler, that's a natural flow.

We were able to search and navigate in English without needing Chinese for the core journey. AMap Global also now supports ride-hailing for international visitors.

The trade-off?

The English is usable, but it doesn't always feel native.

Some translations and addresses can look awkward, and occasional local details may still appear in Chinese.

That didn't stop us from getting around.

If you plan to use AMap, set it up before you fly. Registration has a little more friction than Apple Maps, so it's one less thing to deal with after you land.

Don't learn AMap before your trip.

Just set it up. Let the app teach you the rest.

Google Maps isn't necessarily unusable in China.

Whether you can access it can depend on how you're connected to the internet.

But access isn't the reason we wouldn't make it our main map.

In our testing, Google Maps opened, searched for places and calculated driving routes.

But we also found clearly outdated local information, including businesses that had disappeared years ago. Live traffic wasn't available in our test, and public-transport directions weren't available when we tested them in either Beijing or Shanghai.

For a famous landmark that has been there for decades, that may not matter much.

For a restaurant, shop, metro journey or other local information that changes over time, it does.

So the question isn't:

Use Apple Maps or AMap Global instead.

You don't need three map apps.

Apple device? Start with Apple Maps.

Android? Set up AMap Global.

Want deeper local information? Add AMap Global.

And if the app already gets you where you need to go, don't spend your trip learning the map.

Go enjoy China.