Tencent Maps
Tencent Maps is a mapping service provided by the Chinese technology company Tencent. Tencent Maps provides maps, satellite imagery, and street view.
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Tencent Maps is a mapping service provided by the Chinese technology company Tencent. Tencent Maps provides maps, satellite imagery, and street view.
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Main site, API documentation,
Tencent Maps provides detailed maps, satellite imagery, street view, directions for driving, public transport and walking, and real-time traffic conditions. In Q1 2025, a Deepseek AI assistant was for users to ask for recommendations and real-time information.
In Tencent Maps, user-generated reviews and photos are integrated with , the Chinese equivalent of Yelp which also offers food and daily products delivery.
Search for the location and select the layer (e.g., satellite imagery) or function (e.g., ruler).
Steps:
Move the map to where you want to see the street view. Please note: To see the street view of another location, move the map, not the pin.
A location description is shown. Click the rectangle to enter street view.
Two limitations to be aware of:
Be aware that street views may be outdated, restricted or unavailable. In such cases, there may be glitches.
Metadata such as the date of image capture or the approval reference are not available.
Web: web browser.
Mobile: iOS, Android, or HarmonyOS (Huawei's operating system). For researchers outside China, the mobile app is not available in the app store. Instead, install by APK.
Geographical restrictions to account registration and API access: A QQ account is required for registering for API access. In order to register a QQ account, a Chinese phone number is needed. Given this, international users will find it difficult to create an account by which they can obtain API access keys. QQ is the consumer-interfacing brand name for Tencent's services. Similar to Google users having a single sign-in for various Google services, in the Chinese internet, users have an overarching QQ account for accessing Tencent's online games, music, movies, microblogging, movies and other services.
Maps only available for China: Other countries appear blank.
Limited functionalities on web browser: The app's more extensive features, including street view, are only available on the mobile app.
Language barrier: The app, including documentation and support are only available in Chinese.
Bellingcat Volunteer Team
Tencent Maps has API documentation available for and for .
Search on this page in the web browser:
For background: China uses a coordinate system called (colloquially known as Mars coordinates), whereas the rest of the world uses (Earth coordinates). GCJ-02 uses an encryption algorithm to apply random offsets to the latitude and longitude of locations. Obfuscating the geographic data is for .
Select Layers > Street View (see ). The blue lines along the roads indicate that street view is available.
Due to a , older street view imagery captured by SOSO Maps was integrated into Tencent Maps. (SOSO Maps, now defunct, was formerly a subsidiary of Sogou.) Tencent Maps users still often see SOSO Maps' vehicles in the street view imagery (as shown above), indicating that the image was taken some time before the merger.
If the researcher is an existing user of WeChat (international version) or Weixin (China-only version), a lite version of Tencent Maps is available as a . For general consumers, the mini program offers conveniences in navigation, ride sharing, and location sharing. However, for the purpose of research it has limited functionality: the mini program does not support extracting coordinates and does not show street view.
Researchers can compare results across the three Chinese mapping tools: Tencent Maps, , and . For researchers based outside of China, Tencent Maps might be the most challenging to use as street view is only available on the mobile app.
If researching business establishments or user perceptions of popular locations (e.g., transport hubs), the user-generated reviews in Tencent Maps and Gaode Maps tend to include many photos and long comments. Researchers should be aware that these may be heavily curated (e.g., to generate content). Nonetheless, such user-generated content may be useful, for example where street view imagery is unavailable or outdated.
Geoblock and access speeds: , and VPNs are blocked from loading Tencent Maps' web version. Also, due to , overseas users may experience slower speeds and more frequent prompts to login — on both web and mobile.
API Rate Limits: API calls are capped at a concurrency limit: 5 times/second/interface/Key Daily and calls: 10,000 times/interface/Key. For researchers requiring high-frequency data access, this might pose a limitation (, in English via Google Translate).
Privacy Concerns: Like many mapping services, Tencent Maps gathers user data, which raises questions about data privacy and protection. (An named all leading Chinese mapping tools among 33 apps which extensively collect user data, going beyond what is relevant to their service provision.)
Censorship and Content Control: Under the government censorship laws, Tencent Maps' content and functions will be omitted or geofenced for users outside of China. For a general discussion on content control, please see the page.
Official Wiki, ()
Developer Resources, ()
Tencent Holdings Ltd. - China
