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.

For a week or two of daily use, Pro (200 GB/mo, all 15 locations) keeps streaming, AI tools and video calls smooth. Set it up before you fly.

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.

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

Install and sign in while you still have open internet — app stores are hard to reach inside China.

Download the app Get an eSIM for data

More China connectivity checks

Are AI tools blocked in China?Which websites are blocked in China?Which Apps Are Blocked in China in 2026? Full Checklist Does Google Maps Work in China? A Traveler's Guide WhatsApp Not Working in China? Why & How to Stay Connected

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.