Didi Chuxing, China’s transportation giant that offers on-demand ride-hailing from its one-stop app, recently rolled out bilingual functions, a major boon for expats and travelers who long to explore the country’s city-mazes without mastering arguably the most difficult language in the world.
Available in beta in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Didi Premier, Didi Express and Didi Taxi, its top three personal mobility options, now have English user interface (UI). Users need to download or upgrade to Didi’s latest version and sign up with mobile numbers registered in one of 12 regions, including the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Republic of Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, United States, and Brazil. The new function is gradually being tested in the three cities, so just wait a bit longer if you’re still unable to change the language after downloading the latest version.
The new version brings with it a number of welcome features for laowai, including payment via major international credit cards and bilingual customer support. Most useful may be its real-time in-app Instant Messaging (IM) translation system, which allows riders and drivers to communicate in pre-set or hand-typed messages in their own language. Didi and its vendor are still experimenting with the translation set-up – there are sometimes slightly amusing blips – but it has already been a huge improvement over the old days when foreign riders and Chinese drivers had to rely completely on their GPS to find each other.
After revolutionizing the way China’s urban residents travel, Didi provides 20 million rides every day for its 400 million users across the country, a fair number of which are non-Chinese speakers already on ‘first-screen’ basis with the app.
The bilingual services might be the ride-sharing unicorn’s initial step for tapping into the international market. “The internationalization of mobility services in China is a crucial link in Didi’s broader global strategy,” the company said in a recent press release. Last year, China embraced 28 million inbound tourists, and more than a million foreigners are living in the country. A large number of them will no doubt be the first international users and ‘advisers-at-large’ of Didi’s bilingual services, Didi hopes.
Scan QR code below to download the Didi app:
*All illustrations are indicative only.
This post is provided by Didi Chuxing.
Photos: Didi Chuxing
I guess my girlfriend is one of the 25,000 users with the ability to select the English version. The option is located in the user settings tab. I have the exact same version that she does yet the selection doesn't appear in my app.
Most of us in the office have it now - see here on our sister website.
This point here is key:
The new function is gradually being tested in the three cities, so just wait a bit longer if you’re still unable to change the language after downloading the latest version.
Ergo downloading the latest app does not guarantee access to the English interface. A user who was able to contact Didi directly heard that they released 25,000 English accounts yesterday (not sure whether this is in Beijing alone) and that users in all three cities will have access the English platform by June, meaning that it might be another few weeks.
DiDi Advances Internationalization Plan with New Bilingual Ride-hailing Services in China
[May 8, 2017, Beijing] Didi Chuxing announced the beta launch of bilingual functions on its app in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Starting today, users in the three cities will gradually have access to an English interface upon installing or upgrading to the latest version of the DiDi app. The bilingual functions will be available in other Chinese cities progressively.
Besides an English UI for Taxi, Premier and Express (including ExpressPool), the three most popular personal mobility services on DiDi’s platform, the app also enables real-time, in-app instant text messaging translation between English and Chinese to facilitate rider-driver communication. Users will also have access to bilingual customer service support via email and phone.
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DiDi enables real-time, in-app IM translation between English and Chinese. *
Internationalization of mobility services in China is a crucial link in DiDi’s broader global strategy. As an international economic and cultural hub, China increasingly attracts inbound foreign tourists, business travelers and expatriates. According to Chinese tourism authorities, over 28 million international tourists visited the country in 2016, up 8.3% year-on-year, with over 1 million working and living in China.
To better serve these growing international communities, the DiDi app now supports payment with major international credit cards. Users can sign up with mobile numbers registered in 12 regions of the world, including the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, the United States and Brazil. All users enjoy the same level of safety and security protection, including comprehensive accident protection for up to a maximum of RMB 1.2 million.
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Users can pay with international credit cards for DiDi’s Express and Premier services. *
The DiDi supports mobile phone numbers registered in 12 regions. *
As the world’s leading one-stop transportation platform, DiDi will continue to develop convenient and differentiated local mobility services for cross-border users and foster an open Internet ecosystem with global dimensions in China. DiDi will progressively upgrade its app on the App Store and Android app markets in other countries for travelers to install and enjoy the bilingual services upon arrival in China.
