| Option | Google, Instagram, WhatsApp? | Need a VPN? | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overseas-carrier eSIM | Yes — the traffic routes out of the country | No | Most visitors |
| SIM bought locally | No — subject to local network policy | Yes, and it may not connect | Long stays with local requirements |
| Hotel wifi | No | Yes | Checking email in your room |
| Roaming from home | Usually yes | No | Short trips with very light usage, if you accept the rates |
There is one point in that table: “having internet” and “being able to use your own apps” are different things. A cheap local SIM gives you a working connection that will not open the apps you rely on, which for most visitors amounts to the same as no connection at all.
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube work directly. Add Hong Kong or Macao to the trip and the cross-border version covers all three.
See Greater China eSIM plansDocuments, the arrivals process, and a fuller explanation of why connectivity needs planning before you fly.
How the VPN-free routing works, installation steps and the questions we field most.
Our city-by-city itineraries for Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hangzhou are currently published in Traditional Chinese. If you read Chinese, they are collected on the Chinese edition of this page. English versions are on the way.
Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao options side by side, including the cross-border profile for multi-city trips.
Dial *#06# and look for an EID. Pick your brand and the checker gives you the exact settings path, plus three caveats that catch people out.
Trip length plus how you actually use your phone, returning a figure with headroom built in rather than the bare minimum.
Full steps for iPhone and Android, when to install, and what to check if it will not connect.
Yes. Our China plans route through an overseas carrier, so Google services, Instagram, WhatsApp, LINE and YouTube are reachable without installing a VPN. That routing is the fundamental difference from a SIM bought locally.
Yes, and you should. Installation needs a stable connection, and leaving it until you arrive risks the loop where you need internet to set up the thing that gives you internet.
Only if you buy the cross-border version. The mainland-only plan does not extend to Hong Kong or Macao, so pick the Greater China profile if your itinerary includes either.
In practice, strongly recommended. Many businesses are effectively QR-payment first. Cash is still legal tender but inconvenient. Linking an overseas card involves several steps, so do it before you leave on a connection you trust.
Most plans allow it, though it varies by handset and plan and we cannot promise every combination works. Bear in mind a China itinerary has everyone scanning, hailing and navigating on their own phone, so sharing one hotspot is a real single point of failure. One eSIM per phone is the safer setup.
More than you would expect. Navigation, translation, QR codes, ride-hailing and photo uploads all draw on data throughout the day. Avoid the smallest tier, go mid-to-upper, and prefer a total-allowance plan. The data calculator will size it with headroom.
If you are not sure your handset will work, or installation stalls halfway, message us on LINE at @peanutmo / WhatsApp +886-921-963-203. A screenshot of your *#06# result is the fastest way for us to answer. China eSIM comes with a money-back guarantee, and the QR code reaches your inbox in about ten minutes.
Last updated: 2026-08-03