DiDi apps explained
DiDi has several apps. Riders use DiDi Rider in most countries, 99 in Brazil and DiDi China: Ride Hailing in mainland China. Drivers use the separate DiDi Driver app.
Which DiDi app to download, by country
| Where you are | App to use for rides | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic | DiDi Rider: Affordable rides | Ride types and cash payment vary by city. |
| Australia, New Zealand | DiDi Rider: Affordable rides | Same app as in Latin America. |
| Egypt | DiDi Rider: Affordable rides | DiDi Egypt's site links to the same global passenger app. |
| Japan | DiDi Rider (shown in Japan under a Japanese name) | Mostly taxis. See DiDi in Japan. |
| Brazil | 99: Rides, Food, Pay | DiDi's Brazilian brand. See the Brazil guide. |
| Mainland China, Hong Kong | DiDi China: Ride Hailing | A different app. See DiDi in China. |
| USA, Canada, Europe | None | DiDi does not operate there. |
The full list, with launch years, is on Where does DiDi work?.
DiDi Rider (passenger app)
DiDi Rider: Affordable rides is the main passenger app outside China. It is published by DIDI MOBILITY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD., a Singapore company, and has more than 100 million downloads on Google Play.
The official store description lists these services, available depending on the city:
- DiDi Express and DiDi Economy: rides in private cars.
- DiDi Taxi: licensed taxis, in some cities.
- DiDi Moto: motorcycle rides.
- DiDi Flex: you set the price of the trip.
- DiDi Delivery: sending packages.
- DiDi Food: food delivery, inside the same app in some markets.
Payment is by credit or debit card in the app, or in cash in some cities. The app is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Arabic.
In Japan the App Store shows this same app (ID 1362398401) under a Japanese title, focused on taxi booking. So if you already use DiDi Rider at home, you can use the same app in Japan.
| Store | Name | ID |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | DiDi Rider: Affordable rides | 1362398401 |
| Google Play | DiDi Rider: Affordable rides | com.didiglobal.passenger |
DiDi Driver
DiDi Driver: Drive & Earn Cash is the app for people who drive with DiDi, both private-car drivers and taxi drivers. Its Google Play listing (10 million+ downloads) says registration requirements depend on local law. Country guides explain the documents and vehicle rules for each market, for example Mexico, Colombia or Australia.
Do not install the driver app to take rides: passengers and drivers use different apps.
DiDi Food
DiDi Food - Food Delivery is a separate app for ordering from restaurants, with in-app payment and live courier tracking. The DiDi Rider listing also includes DiDi Food among its services, so in some countries you can order food without a second app. Availability is by city, so check your country guide.
99 in Brazil
In Brazil, DiDi operates under the 99 brand, which it took over in 2018. The app is 99: Rides, Food, Pay, published by 99 Tecnologia LTDA, with 100 million+ downloads on Google Play. It covers:
- 99Pop: standard car rides.
- 99Moto: motorcycle rides.
- 99Food: food delivery.
- 99Pay: a digital account for transfers, bill payments and cashback on rides.
DiDi Rider is not the app to use for rides in Brazil.
The Chinese DiDi app
DiDi China: Ride Hailing (滴滴出行 in Chinese) is published by Didi Chuxing (Beijing) Network Platform Technology Co., Ltd. Its listing says "Ride in Chinese mainland, HK", and it is the only DiDi app that books rides in mainland China. It has an English interface, accepts foreign mobile numbers and international bank cards. DiDi Japan's help page calls it "DiDi Greater China".
| Store | Name | ID |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | DiDi China: Ride Hailing | 554499054 |
| Google Play | DiDi China: Ride Hailing | com.sdu.didi.psnger |
"DiDi Rider is not available in your country"
If the store tells you the app is not available, or you cannot find it in search, the reason is usually one of these:
- Your store account region does not carry the app. App stores show apps per storefront, and DiDi chooses where to list them. DiDi Rider is listed in DiDi markets and also in some other storefronts (the US App Store has it, even though DiDi offers no rides in the US). If your storefront does not show it, a store account from a DiDi market is the usual fix.
- You are looking for the wrong app. In Brazil look for 99; in mainland China look for DiDi China: Ride Hailing.
- The app installs but shows no service. DiDi Rider only books rides in the countries listed above. Opening it in a country DiDi does not serve will not find drivers.
Avoid APK files from unofficial websites. Install DiDi only from Google Play or the App Store, using the official names and IDs above.