Staying connected: eSIM first, VPN as backup

China’s firewall blocks many services you use daily, including Google (Search, Gmail, Maps, Drive), WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube. Many AI tools are affected too.

Apple services and many airline, hotel and banking sites work normally. The blocked ones are the surprise, so check the apps you rely on before you fly.

Travel eSIMs route your data through servers outside China, so Google, WhatsApp and similar apps work on your phone without a VPN. In our experience this is far more reliable than relying on a VPN alone.

Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Most recent iPhones and many Android phones do. A phone locked to your home carrier will not accept another network’s eSIM.

We use and recommend Roamless. There is no minimum amount of data and no set number of days. You load credit and spend it as you go, and it works around the world, so you are not locked into a plan that is too big or too small.

Data in China is about $2.45 per GB at the time of writing, so a little credit goes a long way. Rates can change, so check the app before you buy.

You can also get a phone number from Roamless for Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. Everywhere else, including China, is data only.

Sign up with our code KEENSGMK and add $5 of credit, and you get $10 to spend. We get $5 in credit too when you use the code, at no cost to you.

Install it before you leave, on home wifi. You need internet to download the eSIM. Leave the eSIM line switched off until you land.

After landing, turn on the eSIM line, select it for mobile data, and turn on Data Roaming for that line.

On a laptop, a VPN is the usual route, but it is hit or miss. Connections that work one day can fail the next. Treat it as a backup, not your main plan.

Our preferred VPN is Proton VPN (protonvpn.com), which is also what we use to keep AI tools working. Sign up and install while you are still on home internet, because VPN websites and app-store listings are blocked inside China.

Test it before the flight. Find the settings for switching server or protocol, so you know what to try if the connection drops. Different protocols can work when others fail.

Avoid free VPNs. They are unreliable in China and often unsafe.

Alipay and WeChat send verification codes by SMS. A Roamless eSIM in China is data only, with no number to receive texts. Keep your home SIM active so you can still receive texts, and use the eSIM for data.