Travelers now have to download Uber China differently

Didi Chuxing is currently in the process of acquiring the Chinese arm of the San Francisco transportation giant, Uber.

And now that the transportation firm is no longer the master of its own domain in the China market, its app no longer works in the country, either.

Consider this an official breakup.

It’s been a long time coming, to be sure, as Didi announced its acquisition of Uber China four months ago. But the termination of the app is a bit jarring nonetheless, and considered highly inconvenient for international travelers

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At present, if you want to use the Didi-operated Uber in China, you’ll have to download a separate Uber app. So while the rest of the world uses one tool, Chinese passengers will have to use another.

The app was developed in conjunction with Didi, and while its aesthetically comparable to the Uber app everyone is accustomed to, there are a few notable differences.

For one, it requires a Chinese phone number and a Chinese payment method.

Sure, that’s fine for permanent Chinese residents, but if you’re a tourist or simply visiting the country for a short period of time, you may not be able to use the app, or the ridesharing service, at all.

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