Google, WhatsApp and Telegram don't open in China, and VPNs became unreliable after the spring 2026 blocks. Why roaming and eSIM work without workarounds and what to set up before departure.
A person lands in Beijing, connects to the hotel Wi-Fi — and discovers that the phone has turned into a brick. Maps, mail, messengers and search don’t work. The airline’s website won’t open. The confirmation code from the bank doesn’t arrive.
This is not a breakdown or bad luck: this is how the Chinese internet works. The good news is that the problem is solved completely — but only in advance, before departure. On the spot there are almost no options left, and this is the main thing to understand about connectivity in China.
- What is blocked: Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and most Western services.
- VPN: after the spring 2026 wave of blocks — only a backup option, not the basis. Downloading one on the spot is almost impossible.
- What works reliably: roaming on your own SIM or an international eSIM — the traffic goes through a foreign operator’s network and the filter does not touch it.
- When to set up: before departure. Catalogue: eSIM for China, comparison — SIM card or eSIM.
What exactly doesn’t work
The filtering system commonly called the “Great Firewall” blocks not individual sites but whole ecosystems. If Google is blocked, then maps, mail, cloud, the app store, “sign in with Google” authorisation and captchas on third-party sites go down with it — and that breaks half of the familiar internet.
| Category | What is unavailable |
|---|---|
| search, Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Drive, Play Store, Photos | |
| Messengers | WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Messenger, Viber |
| Social networks | Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit, Pinterest, Twitch |
| Media | most Western publications, Wikipedia |
| Services | Dropbox, Slack, some banking and corporate systems |
What works without tricks: Chinese services — WeChat, Alipay, Baidu, the Amap and Baidu Maps navigators, Didi, Ctrip. Apple services are mostly available, including iMessage and the App Store. Russian services — mail, banks, VKontakte, Yandex — as a rule open, but stability depends on the channel.
A separate trap: an app may be installed and still not work. The icon is in place, the network indicator is on, but messages don’t go through. People spend hours “fixing” the phone without understanding that the device is not the cause.
Why a VPN is no longer the answer
A couple of years ago the advice was simple: install a VPN and live in peace. Now this is an outdated recommendation, and holding on to it is risky.
By spring 2026 blocking had become noticeably stricter. Previously the picture was this: a service “slows down on Thursdays”, sometimes drops for a day, then comes back. Now many apps simply do not establish a connection at all, and some providers have officially wound down work with China.
Three practical problems are added to this:
- Installing a VPN on the spot is almost impossible. App stores and the services’ own sites are unavailable from the Chinese network. That is, to download a workaround you already need working access — a vicious circle.
- Free services almost never work. They are blocked first.
- The legal side is blurred. Using unauthorised circumvention services is not permitted by law in China. It is almost never applied to foreign tourists, but building this scheme in as the main one means building a trip on something that can drop away at any moment.
The conclusion is simple: a VPN can be a backup option, but not the main one.
How it really works
The key to understanding is that it is not your phone that is filtered but the Chinese network. If your traffic does not physically go through a Chinese operator, the filter is not applied to it.
This is exactly what happens with roaming. When you arrive with a foreign SIM, your phone connects to a Chinese tower, but the data goes “home” — to your operator’s network — and from there to the internet. For the firewall you are not a Chinese user but transit traffic. International telecom agreements guarantee the freedom of such transit, so nobody tries to block it.
A practical conclusion worth remembering: mobile internet via roaming works, local Wi-Fi doesn’t. The same phone in the same café behaves differently depending on what it is connected through.
Three scenarios: what to choose
| Option | What is available | Price | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Russian SIM roaming | everything that opens in Russia | expensive at large volumes | a short trip, you need your usual number |
| An international tourist eSIM | Google, WhatsApp, social networks — without restrictions | medium, in packages by days and gigabytes | the optimum for most |
| A Chinese SIM | only Chinese services | cheap | if you need a local number for delivery and taxis |
A Russian SIM roaming. Traffic is processed on your operator’s side, so exactly the same is available as at home. The plus — nothing needs setting up and the number stays the same, which means bank codes arrive. The minus — price: without a package plan roaming quickly becomes a noticeable expense. Be sure to activate the option in advance.
An international eSIM is the most practical option. Such providers connect you not directly to a Chinese operator but through the networks of Hong Kong, Singapore or Korea. As a result the Chinese filter does not touch you, and everything familiar works.
There is a critically important detail here: an eSIM must be bought and activated at home. The providers’ own sites are most often unavailable from the Chinese network, and you simply won’t be able to buy one on the spot. This is the most frequent mistake — people count on “I’ll sort it out on arrival”.
A practical path is to choose a plan in the catalogue: eSIM for China and the comparison of SIM card and eSIM. The activation QR code arrives immediately after payment, can be installed in advance and switched on already on the plane.
A Chinese SIM. Sold at the airport, inexpensive, gives a local number — it is sometimes needed for registering in delivery and taxi apps. But the internet through it is fully subject to the filter. A sensible scheme is to take it as a supplement to a second channel, not instead of one.
Many end up using a combination: an eSIM for the internet plus a Chinese number for local services. Modern phones hold both without trouble.
How much connectivity costs and how to choose a plan
Specific tariffs change every season, so go not by figures but by the relationship between the options — it is stable. Look at current tariffs in the eSIM catalogue, not in articles.
| Option | Cost | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Roaming without an option | the most expensive, counted as used | a risk of an unpleasant bill |
| Roaming with a package | medium, fixed | an internet volume and minutes, the usual number |
| An international eSIM | usually better value than roaming, packages by days and gigabytes | internet only, no number |
| A Chinese SIM | usually inexpensive | lots of data and a local number, but under the filter |
The logic of choosing is simple. For 3–5 days it is easiest to take an eSIM of a couple of gigabytes. For two weeks and more the combination “eSIM for the internet + a Chinese SIM for local services” is worthwhile. Never take roaming without a package — it is the only way to really overpay.
It is easy to miscalculate data volume in both directions. Maps, messengers, a translator and search eat about a gigabyte over a week. But video calls home, automatic photo uploads to the cloud and video on the road increase consumption severalfold. Turn off automatic backups before the trip — it is the most frequent source of a suddenly exhausted package.
How to buy a Chinese SIM
If you decide to take a local number, the order is this.
Where. At the airport on arrival, in the shops of the three operators — China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom — or in large shopping centres. It is more expensive at the airport, but they speak English and will arrange everything in five minutes.
What you need. A passport — mandatory. SIMs in China are strictly registered, there are no anonymous ones: the seller scans the passport and takes your photograph. This is a standard procedure, not something alarming.
What is important to check at once. Ask the seller to activate the card in front of you and make sure the internet works. Check whether data outside the province is included in the tariff — cheap local tariffs have regional restrictions, and in another city the internet may become more expensive or drop out.
Hong Kong and Macau are usually not covered by such tariffs — formally these are separate territories with their own connectivity. If your route includes them, ask separately.
Which VPN works in China in 2026
The honest answer: there is no guaranteed working VPN. Working services appear and disappear, and what connected yesterday “hangs” today. So don’t look for the “best VPN for China” — build the trip so that it does not depend on one.
- Free VPNs almost never work and are often unsafe: they themselves collect your data.
- Paid services sometimes hold a connection, but unstably, and some providers directly warn that they do not support China.
- A company’s corporate VPN is arranged differently and more often remains working — check it in advance.
- Installation: if you decide to install one, install and test it at home. On the spot app stores and providers’ sites are closed.
Using unauthorised circumvention tools in China is formally not permitted. The law is very rarely applied to tourists, but this is one more reason not to make a VPN the only channel of connectivity.
A VPN in China for iPhone
The question “which VPN to put on an iPhone before a trip to China” comes down to the App Store: the app must be downloaded and set up while you are outside the Chinese network. With a Russian-region Apple ID some services are unavailable, and changing the store region is a separate hassle. The practical order is this:
- Install the app and test the connection at home.
- Don’t rely on it: buy an eSIM or enable roaming.
- If the VPN doesn’t connect on the spot, don’t waste time on it — mobile internet via eSIM works without it.
An iPhone is a convenient phone for a trip to China also because almost all models of recent years support eSIM. Check the model and operator unlocking before buying a plan.
What works and what doesn’t: familiar apps
| Service | Via the Chinese network and Wi-Fi | Via roaming or an international eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Google (search, maps, Gmail, YouTube) | doesn’t work | works |
| WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram | don’t work | work |
| WeChat, Alipay, Amap, Didi | work | work |
| Russian banks, Gosuslugi, VKontakte | depends on the channel, often open | work as at home |
| Yandex (mail, maps) | usually opens, with interruptions | works |
Telegram and WhatsApp in China
Messengers are the main cause of panic. Through the Chinese network they don’t work at all, through roaming and an international eSIM they work as at home. So if you are used to Telegram, take an eSIM or roaming. For contact with locals (a hotel, guide, driver) set up WeChat: everyone in China uses it, and it is the quickest way to agree on things.
SIM card or eSIM: what to choose for a trip to China
In short: an eSIM is usually more convenient for a tourist, and a Chinese SIM is needed when a local number is required — for food delivery, registering in some apps and taxis. A detailed comparison is on the page SIM card or eSIM in China. If your route includes Hong Kong and Macau, see the page eSIM for Hong Kong and Macau, and for a trip to several countries at once eSIM for Asia. For other apps for the trip see the guide what to install before departure, and for paying in the metro the article how to pay for the metro in China.
If you are travelling for work
A business trip adds a separate layer of problems, and it is better to think about it in advance together with your IT department.
Corporate mail, work messengers and systems like cloud drives are often unavailable from the Chinese network. Video meetings are a separate pain: some platforms are blocked, some work with jerks and drops.
What helps. First, the same roaming channel: corporate services usually open normally through it. Second, the company’s corporate VPN — it differs from consumer services and more often continues to work, but it must be checked before departure, not on the day of the call. Third, a simple precaution: agree with colleagues on a backup communication channel in case the main one doesn’t open.
And allow time. Even with a working internet the speed to foreign servers from China is noticeably lower than usual — big files upload slowly.
What to do before departure
The list is short, but each item saves you from a specific problem on the spot.
Buy and activate an eSIM. Check that the phone supports it and is not locked to one operator.
Download offline maps. Google Maps in China is useless in any case — it both works poorly and its data on China is inaccurate. Install Amap or Baidu Maps, but note that the interface will be Chinese. A good insurance is offline maps in a third-party navigator.
Set up payments in advance. Alipay and WeChat Pay are the main way of paying in the country, and it is better to set them up at home. We covered the details separately: Alipay and WeChat for a foreigner and a comparison of all payment methods with fees.
Save everything offline. Bookings, hotel addresses in Chinese (this is important — you need to show the taxi driver characters, not Latin letters), tickets, insurance. Screenshots are more reliable than links.
Install a translator with an offline dictionary and a camera. Pointing it at a menu or a sign solves most everyday situations.
Check how bank codes arrive. If by SMS — roaming must be on. If by push notification in the app — the app must open.
Chinese apps instead of familiar ones
Some tasks are easier to solve with local services — they work quickly and without any workarounds.
| Instead of | Use | For what |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Amap, Baidu Maps | navigation, transport, journey time |
| Uber | Didi | taxis, there is an English mode |
| messaging, and also payment and mini-apps | ||
| Familiar hotel booking services | Ctrip | hotels and trains, how a Russian pays |
| Google Translate | Baidu Translate | camera translation |
| Yandex Eda | Meituan, Ele.me | food delivery, a local number is needed |
WeChat is worth singling out. It is not a messenger but an operating system of everyday life: inside it are payment, tickets, doctor’s appointments, food orders, calling a taxi and the mini-apps of museums. Without it China is inconvenient, with it almost everything is solved in one window.
Wi-Fi in hotels, cafés and airports
Free Wi-Fi is widespread in China, but with two caveats.
The first: it is subject to the filter. When you connect to the hotel network, you lose access to everything blocked, even if it was just working over mobile internet. If you need to send a message, switch off Wi-Fi and return to mobile data.
The second: connecting often requires confirmation by SMS to a Chinese number. At airports and stations there are terminals that issue a code by scanning a passport, but it is a lottery. With a foreign number the code usually doesn’t arrive.
So don’t build your calculation on public networks. Your own channel in China is not a luxury but a basic necessity.
If something doesn’t work: a short diagnosis
Almost all problems with connectivity in China come down to three causes, and you can tell them apart in a minute.
Step 1. Check what you are connected through. Open settings and look: Wi-Fi or mobile data. If Wi-Fi — switch it off completely and try again. More than half of “nothing works” complaints are solved here: the phone had quietly switched to the hotel’s network.
Step 2. Check which operator is serving you. The status bar should show the name of your home operator with a roaming mark or the name of the eSIM provider. If a Chinese operator is shown there, you are on the local network with all its restrictions.
Step 3. Check what exactly doesn’t open. If nothing loads at all, the problem is in the connection or in the data package. If Chinese sites open and familiar ones don’t, you are under the filter and it is not a breakdown.
A separate non-obvious situation: a phone with two SIMs may switch by itself to a “stronger” network. If you have both an eSIM and a Chinese card installed, fix in the settings which one is used for mobile data — otherwise the system will switch by itself at the most inconvenient moment.
And one more thing: restarting the phone in China helps more often than it seems. When the network changes the phone sometimes “sticks” to the previous route, and a restart brings back normal operation.
Common mistakes
“I’ll sort it out on the spot”. The main and most expensive mistake. On the spot you will be able neither to download the needed app, nor buy an eSIM, nor visit a provider’s site.
Relying only on a VPN. After the spring blocks this is unreliable. If you install one, install it as a second channel, not the only one.
Considering hotel Wi-Fi “normal internet”. It is Chinese, with all the restrictions.
Not checking eSIM support. Some phone models and operator versions can’t do it. You must check before buying a plan.
Turning off roaming to save money. Then you are left with only the local network and the filter.
Forgetting addresses in Chinese. Latin letters won’t help the taxi driver: he won’t recognise the name. Save the hotel address in characters.
In short: frequently asked questions
Do I need a VPN if I have roaming or an eSIM? No. Roaming traffic is not touched by the filter, everything works anyway.
Does Telegram work? Through the Chinese network — no. Through roaming or an international eSIM — yes.
Is it legal to use an eSIM and roaming? Yes, it is ordinary international connectivity, no grey schemes.
How much internet to take? For maps, messengers and a translator 1–2 GB a week is enough. If you plan video calls and streaming, take 5 GB or more.
What about the internet in Hong Kong and Macau? There is no filter there, everything works as in any other country. But on a trip from mainland China this is separate connectivity — check whether your plan covers these regions.
Can I share the internet from my phone? Yes, tethering works on both roaming and eSIM. It is a convenient way to provide connectivity to travelling companions without buying a plan for each. Just note that data consumption will rise noticeably.
What if my phone doesn’t support eSIM? Two paths remain: roaming on your physical SIM or buying a pocket router with an international plan. The second option is justified if a group is travelling.
And on trains and in the mountains? Coverage in China is excellent even in the hinterland and on high-speed trains. The problem with connectivity in China is almost never the quality of the network — only the filtering.
Which internet is best for a trip to China? An international eSIM or roaming: they give familiar access without a VPN. A Chinese SIM as a supplement for a local number.
Do Yandex and Gosuslugi work in China? As a rule they open, but stability depends on the channel. Through roaming or an eSIM — as at home.
Does a tourist need a Chinese number? Not always. It is needed for food delivery and some local services; for maps, messengers and a translator an eSIM is enough.
Can I buy an eSIM already in China? It is difficult: providers’ sites are often unavailable from the Chinese network. Buy in advance.
Need an eSIM? We have collected proven plans for China with guest ratings and prices: eSIM for China: which to choose and how to connect.
Current as of October 2026. Restrictions and the range of available services in China change; check that everything critical works before departure.
