eSIM for China: which plans let you use Google, WhatsApp and Instagram

Which China eSIM fits your trip?

Start with the route and how you will use your phone:

• A city trip to Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou: 3 to 5 GB covers maps, translation, messaging and photos for a week. Many visitors also need mobile data for payment apps and ride-hailing, so a little extra helps.
• A longer journey by high-speed train: 10 GB or more, or an unlimited plan with a generous daily allowance, because you will rely on mobile data far more than on hotel Wi-Fi.
• China plus Hong Kong and Macau: one plan that lists all three. They are separate entries in every country list.
• China as part of a wider Asia trip: an Asia plan that includes mainland China, which not every Asia plan does.

The figures in the boxes and tables come from our database every time the page loads, so they show today's market rather than the day this guide was written.

Do Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work with a travel eSIM in China?

On Chinese networks many foreign services are blocked, including Google search, Gmail and Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. A local Chinese SIM card and most hotel Wi-Fi connections are subject to these blocks.

Travel eSIMs work differently. Almost all of them connect to China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom as a roaming guest, and the data is carried back to the provider's network abroad before it reaches the internet. Because your traffic leaves the internet in another place, usually Hong Kong or another Asian hub, the blocks of the mainland networks generally do not apply. That is why blocked apps usually work on a travel eSIM without a VPN.

The flip side is that Chinese apps and websites may treat you as a visitor from abroad. For most travellers that makes no difference, but some local services check your location.

Hong Kong IP or another country: why the exit matters

Many China plans route traffic through Hong Kong. That is enough for Google, WhatsApp and Instagram, but some services treat a Hong Kong IP address differently from one in Europe or the US, for example certain streaming catalogues and apps that are not offered in Hong Kong.

Some plans therefore say where the traffic exits. In our database around 70 China plans carry a label such as "non-HK IP" in the name, which means the traffic leaves the internet outside Hong Kong. These plans are usually a little more expensive.

• If you only need maps, messaging, email and social media: any standard travel eSIM for China is usually fine.
• If a specific app or service matters to you: look for a plan that names a non-Hong Kong exit, or ask the provider before you buy.
• Your location will look foreign either way: websites see the country where the traffic exits, not mainland China.

China eSIM prices: the cheapest plan for every data amount

Each row is the cheapest plan we track for that amount of data with at least a week of validity. China is one of the cheaper destinations for travel eSIMs, and prices per GB fall sharply with larger packages.

• Country or regional plan: some of the cheapest rows can be plans for China plus Hong Kong and Macau. They work on the mainland like a country plan.
• Validity: with most providers the days start with the first connection in a covered country, not on the day of purchase.
• Currency: many providers charge in US dollars. We convert those prices at the daily ECB rate and mark them; your bank may add a fee.

Unlimited data in China: check the speed after the daily allowance

Unlimited plans for China almost always have a daily allowance at full speed. What happens after it varies more than in most countries. In our data the most common rules are 1 or 2 GB a day at full speed followed by 384 kbps, and a noticeable share of plans drop to 128 kbps. Only some plans keep 1 or 2 Mbps after the allowance.

Because payment apps and ride-hailing depend on a working connection in China, the speed after the allowance matters more here than elsewhere. If the price difference is small, choose a plan with a larger daily allowance or a higher reduced speed. Our guide Unlimited eSIM plans: how unlimited are they really? explains the models.

China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom?

Mainland China has three main mobile networks, and travel eSIMs connect to one or more of them. Providers spell them in different ways:

China Mobile has the largest network and is the most common partner in our data, followed by China Unicom. All three cover the cities and high-speed rail routes well, with widespread 5G in urban areas. In rural regions and the far west, coverage differs between networks, and a plan that lists more than one gives your phone a fallback.

China, Hong Kong and Macau: one plan or three?

For mobile plans, mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are three separate destinations with their own networks. A plan for "China" does not automatically work in Hong Kong or Macau, and a Hong Kong plan does not work on the mainland.

• Look for all three in the country list if your trip crosses the borders, for example a stay in Hong Kong with a trip to Shenzhen or a ferry to Macau. In our database more than 1,900 plans cover all three.
• Hong Kong is not behind the mainland's blocks, so on a Hong Kong network your apps work as at home anyway.
• Taiwan is a separate entry too. Some "Greater China" plans include it alongside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau; most China plans do not.

Compare the plans for Hong Kong and Macau, or regional plans on our Asia page. Our guide Country, regional or global eSIM helps you decide.

Set up before you fly

In China, some steps are much easier at home than after arrival, because hotel Wi-Fi is subject to the same blocks as local networks:

1. Install the eSIM at home on your own Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly, and keep the QR code or installation link saved offline. Step-by-step help for iPhone and Android.
2. Download offline maps and translations for the cities you visit, and save tickets and hotel confirmations on your phone.
3. Set up payment and messaging apps you plan to use in China before you leave, so verification codes reach you at home.
4. After landing, select the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line; turn data roaming off on your home SIM.

No connection after a few minutes? Restart the phone and try selecting a network manually. Our checklist eSIM not working abroad? 10 fixes covers the usual causes.