Which map app works best in China?
Google sent me out Exit 1 at Nanjing Road East—my hotel was Exit 3. Amap fixed it in one search; 15 minutes lost.
Quick answer
Google sent me out Exit 1 at Nanjing Road East—my hotel was Exit 3. Amap fixed it in one search; 15 minutes lost.
Detailed answer
Detailed Answer
What happened: First night in Shanghai I trusted Google Maps walking from Nanjing Road East station. Google showed one generic “station exit” toward my hotel. I came up Exit 1 on the wrong side of the street—15 minutes with luggage in the rain before I realized the hotel was tied to Exit 3 on Amap.
What fixed it: A colleague had me install Amap 高德 and favorite the hotel in Chinese. The app showed Exit 3 and which side of Yan’an Road to stand on for Didi pickup. Google on hotel Wi‑Fi still looked “fine” on a laptop—useless on the street with cellular.
Official spec: Does Google Maps work in China?. Install + offline packs: Best apps guide.
What to do next
Favorite hotel + one metro exit in Amap tonight—do not rely on Google exit labels.
How to do it
Install Amap before flying; search hotel in Chinese.
Favorite hotel + nearest station.
Note exit letter/number on Amap before leaving the platform.
Copy Chinese address into Didi from Amap—not Google English name.
Watch for
Trusting Google’s single “exit” pin at busy interchange stations.
Pinyin hotel name in Didi.
Skipping offline pack because “I have Google offline”.
What may vary
Policies and app flows change—verify on official sources before you travel.