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Will my phone work in China?
Three separate questions people bundle into one:
- Will my normal SIM roam? Usually yes — and roaming SIMs often bypass the blocks entirely, because your traffic routes through your home carrier. This is worth knowing before you buy anything else.
- Should I get a travel eSIM instead? Cheaper, but check whether it routes around the blocks. Some do, some do not, and it is rarely in the marketing copy.
- Which apps will and will not work? Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and X are blocked on Chinese networks without a VPN. Apple Maps works. Google Maps does not — and even with a VPN the map data is deliberately offset.
What is your setup? I am especially interested in anyone who has used a Chinese SIM as a foreigner.
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