Checked on 30 October 2026.
Many foreign websites and apps, including Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube, do not load on Chinese mobile networks or Wi-Fi. How you get data on your phone decides whether they work for you on the trip. This guide explains the options and what to check before you buy. For the local apps to install, see our apps and internet guide.
How roaming works in China
When you roam on your home plan, your phone connects to Chinese cell towers, but your data usually travels back to your home carrier before it reaches the internet. This setup, called home routing, is the default for most international roaming. Because your traffic leaves China through a foreign gateway, the filtering applied to Chinese domestic networks does not apply to it, and Google, WhatsApp and Instagram generally load as they do at home.
Roaming also keeps your own number active, so texts from your bank arrive when you link a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay. The drawback is price. Check your carrier’s China daily pass or travel plan before you go, since pay-as-you-go rates can be very high.
Do eSIMs work in China
Yes. A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy online from an international seller and install by scanning a QR code. Many China plans use the same principle as roaming: your phone uses a Chinese network, and data exits through a gateway in Hong Kong, Singapore or elsewhere.
There are limits. Some plans use local routing, which puts you behind the same filtering as a Chinese SIM. A gateway outside China also adds some delay, and a few services restrict access from some foreign gateways. Hong Kong traffic is currently not filtered in the same way as mainland traffic, but that could change.
What to check when buying
- Your phone. It must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Check in your phone’s settings, or with your carrier, before you pay.
- Coverage. The plan should name mainland China. A Hong Kong-only plan will not cover Beijing or Shanghai.
- Routing. The product page should say whether data routes through Hong Kong or another gateway outside the mainland. If it says nothing, ask the seller.
- Data amount. Maps, translation and payment apps use modest amounts, but video and photo uploads add up. Many “unlimited” plans slow your speed after a daily allowance, so read the fair-use terms.
- A phone number. Most travel eSIMs are data-only, with no number for calls or texts.
Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, set it to switch on when you land, and keep your home SIM active for bank codes.
eSIM with a Chinese number
Most visitors do not need a Chinese number. Alipay, WeChat, DiDi and Trip.com accept foreign numbers for sign-up codes.
A +86 number matters for a smaller set of services that send verification codes by text only to Chinese numbers. These include shared-bike apps, the main food delivery apps and some public Wi-Fi log-ins at airports and cafes. If you expect to use them, look for a plan that clearly states it includes a mainland +86 number able to receive texts, not a Hong Kong number. Such plans are not common, so check the details carefully. A Chinese SIM from a carrier store is the reliable way to get one.
Local Chinese SIM cards
China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom sell SIM cards at major international airports and at their city stores. Registration is in your real name: you need your original passport, and staff usually take a photo of you. Airport counters are convenient but often cost more than city stores.
A local SIM gives you a +86 number and cheap data, but it sits behind China’s filtering. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and many other foreign services will not load on it.
Is VPN illegal in China
A 2017 notice from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology states that VPNs and other cross-border channels may not be set up or rented without approval from the telecom authorities. The UK government’s travel advice puts it this way: China’s cybersecurity laws require online products and services such as VPNs to be licensed by the government. Legal VPN services are those provided by licensed telecom operators, mainly to companies.
On enforcement, reported cases have mostly involved people selling VPN services, who have received prison sentences, and some local users, such as a man in Guangdong fined ¥1,000 in 2018. Penalties against short-stay foreign visitors are rarely reported, but that is not a guarantee. This is a summary of published rules, not legal advice.
Do VPNs work in China
Reliability varies. VPN servers can be blocked, connections can drop for hours, and access is sometimes tighter around major national events. VPN websites are blocked inside China, so travelers who use one install and test it before they leave home.
A roaming plan or a travel eSIM that routes outside the mainland avoids the question for most visitors, since it needs no extra app or setup.
Which option to choose
- Short trip, simple needs: roaming, if your carrier’s China pass is affordable, or a travel eSIM.
- Longer stay or heavy data use: a travel eSIM with a large allowance.
- Need a +86 number: a local SIM, alongside an eSIM for foreign apps if your phone supports both.
Whichever you pick, keep important bookings and your hotel address in Chinese saved offline. Before you go, also check our guides to paying in China and visa-free entry.
