5 Best Mobile Apps for Students in China
In today’s world of technology, most of the traditional way of doing things has evolved into some sort of mobile app. As an international student, you must be ready to be using apps for day-to-day activity, for instance, even the smallest streetside shop only accepts online bill payments. So, in this article, we have collected the 5 best and most essential apps for students to have in China.
1. Whatsapp
With over 1 billion monthly users, WeChat is classified as a Super-App of China. Besides the messaging app, there are many Mini Programs that run within the WeChat application. You can use it for booking flights, paying bills, posting on the newsfeed, etc. So, WeChat is an essential application to use as an international student in China.
2. Taobao
In today’s time, online shopping that gets anything you want at your doorsteps is the way to shop. For online shopping, It’s one of the famous online shopping portals. Pro tip: for online shopping, you can consider portals with seller verification for more expensive products
3. Meituan-Dianping
The app was first introduced to collect and share people’s comments and reviews of restaurants. Basically, it is similar to Yelp, but with more functionality. A user can look at the reviews, photos, and menus as well as make purchases through the app, get promotional offers, participate in group buying, etc. It is the ultimate social media for restaurants and businesses like salons, gyms, bars, etc.
4. Zhihu
Zhihu is an online community similar to Quora. Zhihu. As a new fresher in China, there will be many things that you are not familiar with regarding the studies and culture associated with China. The question-and-answer site can help you find answers to a wide variety of questions. Authors can also be tipped by the user, so one might even consider being an author for the site.
5. VPN
As an international student, you might be familiar with western apps like Facebook, YouTube, etc. While there is internet censorship in China, a VPN is a must-have tool for you. VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network”. With a good VPN, you will be able to use popular websites/apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and also WhatsApp, Viber to communicate with your friends/family back home. There are plenty of free VPNs but you might want to invest in a premium one for a smooth connection.
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