Getting online in China
The one data decision that matters, you make before you fly: how your phone gets online in China decides which apps work when you land. Here are the three ways in, what each one means for your apps, and the two phrases for finding Wi-Fi once you are there.
Three ways to get data
1. International roaming or a travel eSIM
You set it up at home, it activates when you land, and your data goes through your home carrier — so your usual apps keep working exactly as they do at home. It costs more per gigabyte than a local SIM, but for a one-to-two-week trip it is the simplest choice and there is nothing to sort out on arrival.
2. A local Chinese SIM
Cheapest data, bought at airport counters or phone shops. Bring your passport: every SIM in China is registered to a real name. You get a Chinese number, which also makes hotel Wi-Fi logins easier — but you are on the Chinese network, so the app list below applies in full.
3. Hotel and café Wi-Fi
Free and usually fast, but the login page often wants a Chinese mobile number for the SMS code. Not a paywall — the front desk sorts it out in a minute. Wi-Fi alone is a risky plan: you want maps and Didi working on the street, not just in the lobby.
Which apps work in China?
Work normally: WeChat · Alipay · Didi · Amap · Baidu Maps
These are the apps daily life in China runs on — payments, rides, directions. All of them have English interfaces, and Alipay and WeChat Pay accept international cards.
Not reliably accessible: Google services · WhatsApp · Instagram · Facebook
On the Chinese network these do not load dependably. On international roaming or a travel eSIM, your data goes through your home carrier instead, so they behave as they do at home.
App availability last checked 29 September 2026 — it can change, so treat this list as a planning guide and download offline maps and an offline translation pack either way.
Two phrases for when you land
Tap to hear them — these are from the hotel and travel categories.
- 有 Wi-Fi 吗？
Yǒu Wi-Fi ma? · Is there Wi-Fi?
- 我的手机没电了。
Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le. · My phone is dead.
Questions
Does WhatsApp work in China?
Not on the local Chinese network. Apps from outside China — WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Google services including Gmail and Google Maps — are not reliably accessible in mainland China. If your usual apps matter to you, use an international data plan or a travel eSIM: your data then goes through your home carrier, so the apps on your phone behave the way they do at home. Whatever you choose, download offline maps and an offline Chinese translation pack before you fly.
Can a foreigner buy a SIM card in China?
Yes. Airport counters and phone shops sell tourist SIMs, and buying one requires your passport — China registers every SIM to a real name, so the process takes ten to twenty minutes rather than a vending machine minute. With a Chinese SIM you are on the Chinese network, so plan around the app list above.
Is hotel Wi-Fi free in China?
Usually yes — but the login page often asks for a Chinese mobile number to receive an SMS code. That is not a paywall; the front desk deals with it every day, so hand them your phone or ask at check-in. Café and airport Wi-Fi works the same way, and your hotel's Chinese address on the address card makes asking easy.
Which apps should I install before going to China?
Four cover almost everything: WeChat for chat and showing QR codes, Alipay for payments (it accepts international cards), Didi for rides, and Amap or Baidu Maps for directions — Google Maps is unreliable for walking directions in China. Add a translate app with an offline Chinese pack. Set them all up at home; doing it on airport Wi-Fi after a long flight is the hard way.