Using Google and WhatsApp in China: what works in 2026

Many of the apps you use every day do not work on Chinese networks. That includes hotel and café Wi-Fi. The good news: most visitors keep using them anyway, legally and without any extra software, by choosing the right mobile data before they fly.

What is blocked

On Chinese networks you cannot reach:

• Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive and YouTube
• WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook
• X, Telegram, Signal, Reddit and Wikipedia
• ChatGPT and many foreign news sites

Apps that depend on Google in the background, such as some login buttons and Android app stores, can also fail. Hong Kong and Macao are not affected; the blocks apply in mainland China.

Roaming and travel eSIMs keep your apps working

When you use your home SIM on roaming, or a travel eSIM bought abroad, your data usually goes through servers outside mainland China. That means Google, WhatsApp and the rest work as they do at home. Airalo, for example, says its China plans route data through gateways outside the mainland and do not need a VPN.

Two things to remember:

• This only works on mobile data. On hotel or café Wi-Fi you are back on the Chinese network, and blocked apps stop working. Turn Wi-Fi off when you need them.
• A Chinese SIM card is filtered. It gives you a +86 number for text codes, but Google and WhatsApp will not work on it.

Home roaming is simple but can be expensive; check your plan’s rate for China. A travel eSIM is usually cheaper. Our eSIM guide explains what to look for.

About VPNs

Since 2017, Chinese rules have required government approval for any VPN used for cross-border connections, so unauthorized VPN services are illegal. A new crackdown on VPN services began in April 2026, with carriers told to block them. Enforcement has focused on people who sell or run VPNs rather than on visitors, but many VPNs do not work reliably, especially around sensitive dates.

Zouzou does not recommend any VPN. A travel eSIM or roaming does the same job for most visitors without these problems. If you do have a VPN on your phone for work, turn it off when you sign up for WeChat or Alipay, because it can make verification fail.

Apps that work in China

• Messaging: WeChat is what everyone in China uses. Travelers report that iMessage and FaceTime work too.
• Maps: Amap has an English version and the best metro and bus directions. Apple Maps works with the same map data, in English and without an account.
• Search: Bing works, but switches to its Chinese version.
• Email: travelers report that Outlook and iCloud mail work. Gmail needs roaming or a travel eSIM.
• Video calls: Zoom works.
• Translation: WeChat can translate messages, and a translation app with a camera mode helps with menus and signs.

Before you fly

1. Buy and install a travel eSIM, or check your roaming rate.
2. Keep your home SIM on with roaming enabled so you receive bank and login codes by text.
3. Install WeChat, Alipay, Amap and DiDi, and ask family and friends to add you on WeChat.
4. Download offline copies of hotel bookings, tickets and your passport scan, in case you lose signal.

The internet page has the full set-up guide, and the apps checklist lists everything to install.