# Baidu Maps in English: How to Change It (and What Stays Chinese)

> **Source URL:** https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/baidu-maps-english-guide
> **Last Verified:** 2026-09-04 | **Publisher:** China Neighbor (chinaneighbor.com) — Your trusted guide for life in China.
> **License:** © 2026 China Neighbor. Reproduction requires attribution with a link to the original.

> **Direct Answer (TL;DR):** Baidu Maps supports English — but only partially. Switch via Mine (我的) → Settings (设置) → Language (语言) in about a minute: menus and place names turn English, but search input, reviews, and ride-hailing stay mostly Chinese.

> **Quick Summary:** Baidu Maps supports English — but only partially. You can switch the interface language in about a minute: tap **Mine (我的)** → **Settings (设置)** → **Language (语言)**, or let the app follow your phone's system language. Menus, buttons, and place names turn English (international areas have rendered in English since 2025), but search input, reviews, and ride-hailing details remain mostly Chinese. If you want a fully English navigation experience, Amap's international version is the stronger pick — comparison at the end. *Information as of September 2026; menu names follow the current app version.*

This page owns the "Baidu Maps in English" question: the switch steps, what English mode actually covers, and its limits. The rest of the map-app picture lives in our [Amap vs Baidu comparison](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/amap-vs-baidu) and the [full list of essential apps for China](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/best-apps-for-foreigners-in-china-2026).

## How to change Baidu Maps to English (60-second tutorial)

The switch lives inside the app — there is no separate "English version" of Baidu Maps to download. One app, one toggle:

1. **Open Baidu Maps** (百度地图) and tap the **Mine (我的)** tab — the profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
2. **Scroll to the bottom and tap Settings (设置)** — the gear icon.
3. **Tap Language (语言设置)**.
4. **Select English.** The interface re-renders immediately; no restart needed.
5. *Alternative:* if your phone's system language is English, you can instead set the app to **follow system language (跟随系统)**, and Baidu Maps will stay English automatically.

Can't find the setting because everything is still in Chinese? The profile tab is the **rightmost icon** in the bottom bar, Settings is the **gear at the bottom of that list**, and 语言 is usually the first or second entry. The icon positions are identical in every language.

## What turns English — and what stays Chinese

This is where most guides oversell it. Baidu Maps' English support is real, but partial. Based on the app's own App Store language listing (English + Chinese, verified September 2026) and current user reports:

| Feature | In English mode |
|---|---|
| Menus, buttons, settings | ✅ English |
| Place names in international regions | ✅ English (English map data rolled out from 2025) |
| Place names inside China | ⚠️ Mixed — landmarks yes, small shops and addresses mostly Chinese/pinyin |
| Search input and results | ❌ Type English queries and you'll often get poor or no matches — search works best in Chinese |
| Restaurant reviews, POI details | ❌ Mostly Chinese |
| Ride-hailing (百度打车) and live-driver chat | ❌ Chinese-first experience |

The practical consequence: **English mode makes the app *readable*, not *fully usable***. You can navigate the interface and follow a saved or shared location, but the moment you need to type a search or hail a ride, you're back in Chinese territory — that's where translation apps and clipboard tricks do the heavy lifting.

## The English map: international areas since 2025

Around 2025, Baidu Maps rolled out its first English-rendered map data, starting with major international destinations and expanding to other countries — a change widely reported by traveler communities and tutorial sites, though Baidu has never published an official English announcement (we mark this as community-verified, not official).

For your China trip this matters at the edges: airport terminals, metro stations, and major attractions in tier-1 cities are increasingly labeled in English on the map itself. Street-level detail — the name of the noodle shop downstairs — remains Chinese.

## When to pick Amap instead

Honest rule of thumb from our testing and community consensus:

- **Pick Baidu Maps English mode** if you want China's most accurate POI and transit data and are willing to work around the Chinese-first search and ride-hailing (paste Chinese addresses from a translation app or a booking confirmation).
- **Pick Amap's international version (AMap Global)** if you want a genuinely English end-to-end experience: native English interface, English search for foreign-language queries, ride-hailing and transit planning designed for visitors. See our [Amap vs Baidu comparison](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/amap-vs-baidu) for the full decision matrix.
- **Carrying both is normal.** They're free, lightweight, and locals split between the two roughly evenly — when one mislocates a hidden restaurant entrance, the other usually finds it.

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## Related Guides {#related-guides}

- [Amap vs Baidu Maps: Which Should Foreigners Use?](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/amap-vs-baidu) — the full comparison, including Amap's English international version
- [Does Baidu Maps Work Outside China?](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/does-baidu-maps-work-outside-china) — using the app after you leave mainland China
- [Does Google Maps Work in China?](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/google-maps-alternatives-china) — why Google Maps fails here and the alternatives that work
- [Best Apps for Travelling in China](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/best-apps-for-foreigners-in-china-2026) — the complete download list
- [Chinese Internet Survival Guide](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/chinese-internet-survival-guide) — the hub: connectivity, identity, payments, troubleshooting

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### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How do I change Baidu Maps to English?**

Tap **Mine (我的)** in the bottom-right → **Settings (设置)** → **Language (语言)** → **English**. It takes about a minute and applies immediately. If your phone's system language is already English, you can set the app to follow the system language instead.

**Q: Does Baidu Maps have an English mode?**

Yes — the app officially lists English among its supported languages (verified via its App Store listing, September 2026). The mode covers the interface, buttons, and place names in international regions; search input, reviews, and ride-hailing remain mostly Chinese.

**Q: Is there an English version of the Baidu Maps app?**

No separate app — English is a language toggle inside the standard Baidu Maps app. There is also no official English website for Baidu Maps; third-party tutorial sites exist but the app toggle is the only supported path.

**Q: Why is my Baidu Maps still in Chinese after switching?**

Two common causes: the setting didn't save (repeat the toggle and fully close-reopen the app), or you're looking at *content* that has no English translation — reviews, small-shop names, and driver chat stay Chinese regardless of interface language. The toggle changes the UI, not the underlying data.

**Q: Can I use Baidu Maps in English for ride-hailing?**

The interface will be English, but the ride-hailing flow (fare negotiation, driver messages, support) runs Chinese-first. Most foreigners use DiDi's international version for rides instead — see the [essential apps list](https://chinaneighbor.com/guide/essentials/best-apps-for-foreigners-in-china-2026) for the transport stack.