Digital Life in China

Joining a WhatsApp Group by Link: The Easy Bit and the Bits Worth Checking You have just landed in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, or maybe a university city such as Nanjing or Chengdu. Your flatmate sends a message: “Join the international students’ WhatsApp group — heaps of useful stuff in there.” Then comes a blue link, usually starting with https://chat.whatsapp.com/. Sounds dead simple. Tap it, join the group, sweet as. Except there are a few real-life wrinkles. Some links have expired. Some groups are full. Some are meant for a specific course, workplace, sports club, or neighbourhood and are not actually open to everyone. And, frankly, a random “jobs and visa help” group link sent by a stranger deserves a decent side-eye. A group invitation can expose your phone number to other members, fill your chats with spam, or become a handy place for scammers to fish for newcomers who are still finding their feet. ...

Yingshi App in China: What New Zealanders Should Know Before You Tap Play If you’re a New Zealander living in China, studying there, or coming over for work, you’ll know the drill: the first few weeks are often a mix of “sweet as” and “hang on, why is this so fiddly?”. Mobile apps can be the difference between a smooth night in and a proper headache. That’s where a yingshi app search usually starts — usually because someone wants films, TV, subtitles, or just a decent way to unwind after class or a long day at work. ...