Staying connected in China: phones, internet and apps

What to sort out before you board the plane

Connectivity in China works very differently from what New Zealanders are used to, and most of the preparation needs to happen before you leave home. Once you land, some options are no longer available, and that includes the most important one: your VPN.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is software that routes your internet traffic through a server outside China, letting you access blocked sites and services. Install and test it before departure. The services Mullvad and Astrill have been reported as reliable by travellers as of late 2024; widely advertised names such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN have not been considered dependable in China. Download whichever you choose, pay for a subscription, and confirm it works on your device before you fly. Keep in mind that during politically sensitive periods — such as the annual session of China's legislature in March, national anniversaries in October, or the anniversary of the Tiananmen events in June — VPN performance can degrade further.

If setting up a VPN feels too technical, a simpler workaround exists: use a SIM card or eSIM that routes data through networks outside mainland China. Mobile data on a foreign SIM typically bypasses the firewall entirely, because it travels through overseas gateways rather than the domestic network. There is a large market of eSIM providers that resell roaming access on foreign networks; Hong Kong and Taiwan carriers also offer mainland roaming SIMs worth investigating. For many travellers, this is the most straightforward option.

The Great Firewall: what stops working in China

China operates one of the most extensive internet filtering systems in the world, often called the Great Firewall. The list of blocked services includes many that New Zealanders use daily:

• Google (Search, Maps, Gmail, Drive, Translate)
• Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
• YouTube
• Twitter / X
• Telegram
• Wikipedia

This means your usual navigation, messaging, and news habits will not work unless you have a VPN or a foreign SIM. Plan your offline resources accordingly — download maps for your destinations before you depart, and let family at home know that your usual messaging apps may be unavailable.

WeChat: the one app you need to install

While most familiar Western apps are blocked, one Chinese app effectively replaces several of them: WeChat (微信). It is used for messaging, voice and video calls, payments, booking, and business communication. Your tour guide will almost certainly share their WeChat contact details with you. Hotels, restaurants, and local businesses use it to communicate with guests. Installing WeChat on your phone before you travel — and setting up an account — is genuinely essential rather than optional.

WeChat Pay, the app's payment function, is also widely used across China, though linking it to a New Zealand bank card can involve some steps. Check the current process before departure, as the requirements change.

SIM cards and phone options in China

China has strong 4G and 5G mobile networks across most of the country, including rural areas.

Using your New Zealand SIM on international roaming is the easiest option to set up, but it is expensive — costs can be significant, particularly for calls. It does, however, have the advantage of giving you uncensored data.

Buying a local SIM card from one of the three major providers — China Mobile, China Unicom, or China Telecom — gives you affordable data with no domestic roaming charges anywhere in the country. The catch is that you must register in person using your passport, and this can only be done at a main office branch or at airport branches, not at convenience stores or small shops. If your SIM is blocked for any reason, you must return to the same branch that issued it to have it unlocked, which is impractical mid-tour.

For travellers on a guided group itinerary with a busy schedule, an eSIM purchased before departure is often the most convenient middle ground. You can activate it from New Zealand and arrive connected.

A few things worth checking with your New Zealand provider before you go:

• Whether your phone is unlocked for overseas SIMs
• What their current international roaming rates are for China
• Whether your phone supports eSIM

Wi-Fi and staying in touch on the road

Free Wi-Fi is widely available in China — hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, and libraries generally offer it. Quality varies, and most public Wi-Fi does not bypass the firewall, so you will still need your VPN active if you want access to Google or WhatsApp over those connections.

Internet cafés exist across China but today function mainly as gaming venues rather than general browsing spaces. They are not particularly useful for the average traveller.

For printing or scanning documents — useful if you need to produce copies of travel insurance or other paperwork — small copy shops are common in towns and cities throughout China. Look for the characters 复印 (fùyìn), which mean "photocopy". These shops are inexpensive and efficient, though they may not have internet access, so carry any files you need on a USB drive.

Emergency numbers to save before you arrive

Save these in your phone before departure. All are free to call from a mobile anywhere in China:

• Police: 110
• Fire: 119
• Ambulance (government): 120
• Traffic police: 122

Note that 111, 112, and 911 do not connect to emergency services in China. The country code for mainland China is +86 if family in New Zealand need to call you.