CHINA TRAVEL CONNECTIVITY
Will your apps work in China?
A quick, honest checklist for travelers heading to mainland China in 2026. See which everyday apps are blocked and need a VPN, which local apps work natively — then get set up before you fly.
How long is your trip?
For a short trip, start with Yoho VPN free (1 GB/mo full speed) for maps and chat, and pair an eSIM so you are online the moment you land. Xem bảng giá
For a week or two of daily use, Pro (200 GB/mo, all 30 locations) keeps streaming, AI tools and video calls smooth. Set it up before you fly. Xem bảng giá
For a long stay or work trip, go Pro for full-speed data across all locations, and keep Smart Split on so WeChat, Alipay and maps stay fast and direct. Xem bảng giá
29 of these everyday apps typically need a VPN in mainland China.
- Google Search Needs a VPN Search · Bing works; Baidu is local
- Google Maps Needs a VPN Maps · Amap / Apple Maps work
- Gmail Needs a VPN Work
- Google Drive Needs a VPN Cloud
- Google Photos Needs a VPN Cloud
- Google Translate Needs a VPN Tools · use Baidu / DeepL app offline
- YouTube Needs a VPN Streaming
- WhatsApp Needs a VPN Messaging
- Instagram Needs a VPN Social
- Facebook Needs a VPN Social
- Messenger Needs a VPN Messaging
- X (Twitter) Needs a VPN Social
- Snapchat Needs a VPN Social
- Pinterest Needs a VPN Social
- Reddit Needs a VPN Social
- Telegram Needs a VPN Messaging
- Signal Needs a VPN Messaging
- LINE Needs a VPN Messaging
- Viber Needs a VPN Messaging
- Discord Needs a VPN Messaging
- Netflix Needs a VPN Streaming · region library varies over VPN
- Twitch Needs a VPN Streaming
- Spotify Needs a VPN Streaming
- SoundCloud Needs a VPN Streaming
- Google Meet Needs a VPN Work
- Slack Unreliable Work · often slow; VPN recommended
- Microsoft Teams Unreliable Work
- Zoom Unreliable Work · usually works; can be flaky
- Skype Unreliable Messaging
- Dropbox Needs a VPN Cloud
- OneDrive Unreliable Cloud
- Notion Unreliable Work · loads slowly without a VPN
- GitHub Unreliable Work · reachable but slow/patchy
- Steam Unreliable Streaming · store slow; community blocked
- Roblox Needs a VPN Streaming
- Google Play Store Needs a VPN Tools · pre-download apps before you fly
- Wikipedia Needs a VPN Search
- Apple Maps Works in China Maps
- Bing Works in China Search
- WeChat Works in China Messaging
- Alipay Works in China Local life
- Amap (Gaode) Works in China Maps
- Didi Works in China Local life
- Meituan Works in China Local life
- Taobao Works in China Local life
- Ctrip / Trip.com Works in China Local life
Get Yoho VPN before you fly
1 GB/tháng · không cần thẻ
More China connectivity checks
Access depends on your network, carrier and region and can change day to day. This is guidance, not a guarantee. Hong Kong and Macau are not behind the mainland firewall.