4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Where is the app hosted / whose ICP?
Sponsor.
HostStore listing vs MIIT filing confused?
Split.
StoreFeatures beyond info service?
VATS map.
FeaturesSDK/mini-program sponsors?
Chain.
ChainWorking rule: Mobile apps distributed to China users frequently require ICP-related filing when tied to China internet information services, plus whatever VATS or sector licences the features trigger.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Do overseas-only apps need Bei’an?
If not provided as a China internet information service, filing may not apply the same way — targeting China users still raises other rules. Facts matter.
Where is the deep filing guide?
Use the linked specialist resource when App Filing in China turns on detailed evidence, procedure or risk assessment.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.