iPhone users on a mainland China Apple ID who search for "Binance" get no results. The reason isn't that Binance doesn't exist on the App Store — it's that the mainland China App Store doesn't allow digital asset trading apps to be listed. This article gives the full steps for switching your Apple ID region and confirming the download works. Register an account through the Binance Official Site, and download the Official Binance App. The complete step-by-step walkthrough is in the iOS Installation Guide.
The App Store determines what content is available for download based on your Apple ID's registered region. If your mainland China Apple ID has "Country" set to CN, the App Store automatically routes to the mainland China storefront, where Binance, OKX, Bybit, Coinbase, and other digital asset apps are all invisible.
Once you switch to a non-mainland-China Apple ID, the App Store routes to the corresponding storefront and the Binance app becomes immediately visible. This kind of switch is an officially supported Apple feature and doesn't violate any terms of use.
You change the country through Apple ID account settings. You'll need to cancel all subscriptions and zero out any balance before you're allowed to make the change.
The side effects are significant: once your primary iCloud Apple ID switches region, domestic iCloud services may be affected. Not recommended for regular users.
Starting with iOS 13, Apple allows you to switch the Apple ID used for App Store sign-in on the same iPhone without signing out of your primary Apple ID.
Your primary iCloud stays on your mainland China Apple ID (keeping your photos, notes, and contacts), while the App Store signs in separately with a non-mainland-China Apple ID.
All the steps below are based on "Approach 2."
The fastest route. But it requires the other person to trust you, and they can't be signed in on their own device at the same time.
Better for long-term use. Registration steps:
Gmail, Outlook, Proton Mail, and QQ Mail all work. It absolutely cannot be an email that has already registered an Apple ID.
On iPhone, go to "Settings" at the top, tap "Sign in to iPhone - No Apple ID or forgot it," then choose "Create New Apple ID."
Or on a PC, visit appleid.apple.com and click "Create Your Apple ID."
For country, Hong Kong (most common), Singapore, the United States, or Japan all work. Your birthdate needs to indicate you're over 18.
You can use a pinyin name (like "Liu Bei" or "Sun Quan"). Be sure to write down your security question answers — if you lose them, you'll need the correct answers to recover your Apple ID.
You need a number that can receive SMS with the corresponding country code. If you don't have an overseas number:
For a Hong Kong Apple ID, you can use a Hong Kong address, such as a public address for a shopping mall (never use a celebrity's or a company's address).
Choose "None" for the payment method — no credit card required.
Enter the email verification code and SMS verification code once you receive them, and your account is created.
Tap the App Store app icon to open it.
Tap the round avatar icon in the top-right corner to enter your profile.
Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and tap "Sign Out." Note: this step does not sign you out of iCloud.
Enter your new Apple ID email and password. If two-factor authentication is enabled, you'll receive a verification code.
The first time you sign in, Apple will ask you to review basic information like your billing address and birthdate; fill everything in to proceed.
Confirm that the avatar in the top-right now shows your new Apple ID's name. The "Today," "Games," and "Apps" content at the bottom should now reflect the corresponding region (a Hong Kong Apple ID shows Traditional Chinese, a US one shows English).
Type "Binance" into the App Store search bar. The first result should be:
If you don't see this result, confirm that you've actually switched to a non-mainland-China Apple ID.
Tap the "Get" button and enter your Apple ID password or verify with Face ID.
The download is about 320-380 MB, which takes 2-5 minutes on a normal connection.
Once downloaded, the icon appears on your home screen. Tap it to open, and you'll land on the login screen.
This works for users who don't plan to update the Binance app, or who are willing to switch Apple IDs again each time before updating it.
The switch-back path is the same: "App Store - Avatar - Sign Out - Sign in with your mainland China Apple ID."
After switching back, the already-installed Binance app won't disappear, but you won't be able to find its icon in the App Store, and updating it will require switching to the non-mainland-China ID again.
This suits users who frequently need to download overseas apps. But note: while signed in with a non-mainland-China Apple ID, domestic apps (WeChat, Alipay, Douyin) won't show up in the App Store, and updating those apps will also require switching back to your mainland China Apple ID.
Check the country shown below your avatar in the App Store. If it shows "China," your Apple ID is still on the mainland China storefront. Switch again.
Common the first time you sign in with a new Apple ID. Tap "Review," fill in your country, billing address, and birthdate as prompted, and you'll be able to use it once done.
New Apple IDs on a new device commonly require multiple verifications on the first download. Once completed, future downloads should go through with a single tap.
The App Store's download progress has stalled. Ways to fix it:
A Hong Kong Apple ID may ask you to link a payment method. You can choose "None" to skip it. If it's mandatory, you'll need to link a Hong Kong credit card or an Apple Gift Card.
| Region | Language | Registration Difficulty | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Traditional Chinese/English | Low | Chinese-speaking users' top choice |
| Taiwan | Traditional Chinese | Medium | Taiwan-based users |
| United States | English | Medium | Widest app selection |
| Singapore | English | Low | Southeast Asian users |
| Japan | Japanese | Medium | Fans of Japanese apps |
| South Korea | Korean | High | Requires Korean real-name verification |
| Canada | English/French | Medium | North American users |
A Hong Kong Apple ID is the best choice for Chinese-speaking users — the Traditional Chinese interface is close to Simplified Chinese, and essentially all overseas apps are available there.
After switching the App Store's Apple ID, your primary iCloud remains on your mainland China Apple ID. The following features are unaffected:
The only change is that the App Store's app listings and downloadable content now come from the non-mainland-China storefront.
Q: Will switching Apple IDs delete my WeChat chat history? No. WeChat data is stored on WeChat's own servers and is unrelated to your Apple ID.
Q: Will app updates on a Hong Kong Apple ID automatically jump to the mainland China storefront? No. Updates for already-installed apps continue to follow whichever Apple ID they were downloaded with. You'll need to be signed in with that same Apple ID to update them.
Q: Do I need an overseas bank card to register a new Apple ID? No. Just choose "None" as the payment method during registration.
Q: Does a Hong Kong Apple ID require a Hong Kong ID card? No. Registration only requires an email, birthdate, security questions, billing address, and phone number.
Q: Will my old apps still work after switching Apple IDs? Yes. Installed apps are tied to Apple ID through your "purchase history," and switching Apple IDs won't delete apps you've already downloaded.
Q: Is there a limit on how many times I can switch per month? Apple flags frequent short-interval switching as "suspicious" and may require extra verification. It's best to switch no more than twice a week.