SmartShanghai Reviews

SmartShanghai barely works after the latest update. pages constantly come back with “something went wrong” error; takes 5-10 times clicking “try again” before results load. real bummer.

Every other thing I look up is no longer there. Restaurants out of business, stores that moved. The only thing nice is the Amap integration.

The previous version of SmartShanghai was much better. If I'd tried this one I would not have updated. You could look up things quickly when offline but this one takes forever to load. Better to just go to their website and download other apps for the city.

I feel fairly certain, the previous rating was by the developer. This could eventually be a good tool. Presently though, it has more holes than Swiss Cheese. The menu is not helpful, if you add to favorites, you can't find favorites because there is no favorites in the menu. I hope they work out all the bugs, because SmartShanghai could be great!

Nice app, I've used SmartShanghai for years but the update is missing two features that I used most often.
First, the transportation section (Rides) is gone. To get the taxi company number now you have to look up "taxi" in the directory. Also, the Subway map seems to have been eliminated.
Second, in the old app you could copy and paste the address (both in Chinese and English) and the phone number of the place. This was a great feature for organizing dinners, etc. with people, particularly if they are from out of town. As far as I Cantrell, this is gone. Very disappointed.
Other features are better in SmartShanghai but those were the most useful and they seem to be gone. Smart Shanghai needs to bring these back...

OK so it's got the venue reviews from the website, fine. Great even.

But for $6, Massive Gaps:
GPS integration! I can't believe it doesn't do a "stuff near me". Amazing
Integrated MAPPING! Smart Shanghai has for a long time had some of the best mapping of restaurants/bars/etc. available. The fact that there's not their own good mapping is shocking. The Google Maps click is very minimal functionality (and note other comments about addresses not being found if spelling is not right). Why can't I see a map of where I am with all the venues they list marked on it?

My emoticon for SmartShanghai is Mr. Frowny Face.

I really enjoy SmartShanghai, it’s extremely helpful, but my favorites STILL aren’t popping up and when I search things it says “no results:(“ every time! Why?! 😭😭😭

...But it's still the best guide in town. Hoping the fix comes soon. Nothing like being able to have a location specific bar map in your pocket anywhere you go.

The Chinese-language address cards alone are worth SmartShanghai and have saved me several times a day when taking a cab; it also comes with a slew of up-to-date recommendations for bars and restaurants, excellent for newcomers who don't speak the language and are not sure where to go. Highly recommended over Hi Shanghai Taxi, which has led me astray several times.

A reasonable first version and will be very handy for getting around town in the back of a cab. Really want to see the full event listings, promotions and photo galleries in the next version. Through in some location-away goodness like foursquare integration so I can let me homies and stalkers find me and you are on to a real winner. Being able to 'Rate This Venue' and add 'Micro-Reviews' would be super-cool too. Keep up the great work.

Best Useful App

SmartShanghai saved my life in Shanghai. It made traveling a piece of cake. I took taxis everywhere since it was so inexpensive to do so (I was on USD), and all you have to do is show the driver the destination in Chinese that Smart Shanghai provides and you're off. I know two words in Mandarin and didn't need to learn more (although I would have liked to).

This is a great app and a must have for a English speaking person in Shanghai. Almost always accurate and updated. As long your phone is charged and has data, you can explore Shanghai on your own with ease.

Finally SmartShanghai is for free, and it's great for finding the latest restaurants and events, as well as addresses to practically anywhere you'd want to get to. The most useful Shanghai-specific app out there by far.

this app is an institution in Shanghai, and I think we can go so far as to say, that it is embedded within the expat culture of the city. Unlike the other apps, it is the most updated with correct listings, and they curate the most interesting things to do in the city. App crashes from time to time, but it is still indispensable.

SmartShanghai makes being up on current events and being able to get around Shanghai a breeze.

I used to carry "cheat cards" for taxi drivers... but now that is completely unnecessary.

Always a useful feature to have all venues available on your iphone without internet connection.

I never take the time to write a review but I noticed these reviews are really outdated. I love this ap and I travel to Shanghai almost monthly. I couldn't live without this ap and the taxi directions. It could be enhanced with a map to show where the venue is, but I have had it for a year and never had a problem with it. Go buy it. Best money you could spend if you are going to Shanghai.

SmartShanghai does a fabulous job of making Shanghai easily accessible for foreigners, with listings for bars, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. It has an easy-to-use interface that helps you filter results and interacts well with the maps feature to help you either find things nearby or navigate to your location. (Some of the maps locations aren't perfect, though, and it's not always 100% up-to-date on closures or new openings, so don't become completely trusting!) Also, it will generate taxi cards for all of the locations, so you can easily show a taxi driver or passerby the Chinese info-- and it's also copyable, so easily pasted into a map, text message or wechat. All in all, highly recommended -- it will help open up the city in a convenient and user-friendly way.

SmartShanghai is the reason I love Shanghai. Bored? Need to do something in Shanghai? Just check SmartShanghai. There’s always something to do in this city.