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Google Maps is a useful app to install on both iPhone and Android phones, and it’s one of the world’s most important navigation apps. However, if you’re planning a vacation or business trip to China, be aware that you’ll have to get your navigation and directions from another app. That’s because Google Maps is unsupported in China due to Google abandoning the Chinese market more than a decade ago. This decision was made following disputes with the Chinese government over how Google services, starting with Search, should operate in the region. Eventually, China banned Google services in the region, including Google Maps.
As a result, Google’s navigation app can’t be installed on Android phones sold in China, as these devices do not come with Google Mobile Services preinstalled, meaning they don’t run the official Google Play store. Google Maps is listed on the Chinese version of the App Store, so it may be downloaded to iPhones sold in the region, but it likely offers a reduced navigation experience compared to other countries. That said, Google Maps may offer limited functionality in the country, considering that the map data may be more limited or inaccurate and could lead to navigation errors.
In addition to the lack of official support, there’s also the difference in map coordinates to consider. That means even if the Google Maps app is already installed on the iPhone or Android phone, alternative navigation should be considered when travelling to China.
Why is Google Maps banned in China?
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Google started operating a local Google Search service in China in 2006, and it had initially accepted local censorship requests from the government, displaying curated search results to Chinese users. By late 2009, Google Search accounted for about a third of the search market, behind Chinese tech company Baidu, showing that it had become an important tool for Chinese users, despite strict censorship laws that impact internet use in China. In early 2010, though, Google announced it would no longer censor the Chinese version of Google Search, after alleging that Chinese hackers had targeted Google software, including Gmail accounts belonging to human rights activists in China.
In 2014, China blocked Google services still available in the region, after years of significant growth for homegrown technology companies that offered alternatives to Google’s services, including apps like Gmail and Google Maps. According to MIT Technology Review, Google later tried to develop software experiences for the Chinese market, a version of Google services for Chinese users that excluded online search. The company also worked on a censored search engine for China, according to reports from The Intercept in 2018. By December of that year, Google told Congress that it had no plans to relaunch any products in China.
Google Maps alternatives
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The ban on Google may seem contradictory because some of the world’s major Android handset vendors come from China. Companies like Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo (including its OnePlus subsidiary), and others build high-end Android smartphones that compete against Google Pixels, Samsung Galaxy S models, and iPhones. These Android handsets come preloaded with Google apps, including Google Maps, but only in international markets. The same phone versions sold in China will not run the Google Play store and instead use other app marketplaces.
One alternative to Google Maps in China is Apple Maps. Apple operates in the region, and Apple Maps navigation is available in China. Apple Maps offers mapping data from Amap Software, with Apple saying that users do not have to sign into their Apple Accounts to use Apple Maps in the country. Apple notes that it uses “privacy-preserving techniques” to protect the privacy of users.
Android users may want to install one of the navigation apps available to Chinese users. The list includes Amap, Baidu Maps, Organic Maps, and OsmAnd. Other free Google Maps alternatives exist that may serve users in various other regions in addition to China. Users may consider installing these apps before they leave for China, while they still have reliable access to the Google Play store. The same apps are also available on the iPhone, in case they want options to Apple Maps.
