When I first moved to Shanghai, I wrote
about how my iPhone 4S was my best friend. Three years and multiple updates later, I
still use my 4S to navigate wild Shanghai.
While I’ve been here, I have
found 12 apps that have made my life in Shanghai SO much easier. Before moving to Shanghai, I highly recommend
downloading these apps.
Shanghai Bloggers
Price: Free
Why I love it: Moving
to a new country is MUCH easier if you can find someone else who has similar
hobbies, passions, and experiences. The
Shanghai Bloggers App connects readers to bloggers who share similar interests by
providing links to blogs, and provides blog updates without having to dig through
the blogosphere. I highly suggest using
it to find some interesting blogs.
BonApp
Price: Free
Why I love it: Bon App does a great job of answering the
questions “Where should we go to eat?”,
“Have you eaten there?”, and “What’s good there?” This dining social
media contains restaurant listings with reviews by ordinary folks. It has restaurant recommendations based on
your ratings; directions to the venues, and a new “meet” feature that lets
foodies meet up with like-minded individuals.
Smart Shanghai
Price: $1.99
Why I love it: I have
used and loved Smart Shanghai for the entire time we’ve lived here. The app contains the addresses of 95% of the
locations I have visited, and some great pointers for those who are new to
Shanghai. I frequently depend on the cab
cards. It is a must have for anyone in
Shanghai.
Uber
Price: Free
Why I love it:
Nothing is worse than standing in the rain waiting for a cab. Instead of soaking, stay inside and order an
Uber. Many of their drivers speak
English, the cars are clean, and People’s Ubers are cheaper than cabs. Keep an eye on your emails for special
discounts.
Metroman Shanghai
Price: Free
Why I love it: If you
plan on using the Metro in Shanghai, this is your app. This super easy app will help you navigate
the Metro. Even if you don’t plan on
using the Metro on a regular basis, download this app. You will need it one day.
Youku
Price: Free
Why I love it: Youku
is the Chinese equivalent of You Tube.
If your VPN is down, check out some of the latest and greatest Western
and Eastern TV shows on this app. You
can also watch your fill of cute puppy videos.
Pleco
Price: Free with in app
purchases
Why I love it: Pleco
is a great Chinese/English dictionary that actually uses words in context. I highly recommend purchasing the OCR and
Flash Card plugins. They
are a huge help for studying Mandarin!
Fields
Price: Free
Why I love it: The Fields
App allows you to grocery shop on the go!
Magic Jack
Price: Free with in app purchases
Why I love it: After
you get your account, you can make free calls to the US. This is SUPER handy for when you need to call
the US.
WeChat
Price: Free, with in app purchases
Why I love it: If you
plan on communicating with friends and colleagues in China, you will more than
likely use WeChat. WeChat is really
handy for text messaging, social networking, and even video chatting. The translate feature makes it really easy to
communicate with non English speakers.
It’s a must have if you plan on living in China.
Google Translate
Price: Free
Why I love it: While
it’s not perfect, Google Translate helps me translate text messages. It’s important to know that you will need a
VPN to use in Mainland China.
Shanghai Air
Price: Free
Why I love it: Many days I have wondered if I was sick, or
if the Shanghai Air Quality was horrible.
I trust this app because it uses data from the US Embassy.
I know there are many more apps that are out there, but
these are a start. Fellow Shanghai
expats, which apps can’t you live without?
Please share below!!
2 comments:
To unblock all these android apps or Ios apps in any region where it is banned user can use VPN for unblocking purpose. Here you can find some good VPN tools and choose the finest one: http://www.vpnranks.com/5-best-vpns-for-usa/
Hey AmericanGirlInShanghai, have you tried the Chope Restaurant Reservations App?
We launched a few months ago in Shanghai and now have a whole range of great restaurants which you can make instant online reservations at!
Come on, and try our app and let us know what you think!
http://chope.co/shanghai-restaurants?source=AmericanGirlInShanghai
http://www.wandoujia.com/apps/com.chope.gui
http://app.mi.com/detail/79010
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