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16
Global services
12
Blocked in China
8
Local alternatives
📶
Getting online

What Works & What's Blocked

Service Status Alternative / Note
🔍 Google Search 🚫 Blocked Use Baidu (百度) or Bing (works)
▶️ YouTube 🚫 Blocked Use Bilibili, Youku, iQIYI
💬 WhatsApp 🚫 Blocked Use WeChat — far more useful in China
📸 Instagram 🚫 Blocked Use Weibo or Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
📘 Facebook / Messenger 🚫 Blocked WeChat for messaging, Weibo for communities
🐦 Twitter / X 🚫 Blocked Weibo (微博)
📧 Gmail 🚫 Blocked QQ Mail, 163 Mail, or use VPN for Gmail
🗺️ Google Maps 🚫 Blocked Amap (高德), Baidu Maps, or Apple Maps
💻 Zoom ✅ Works Works but can be slow. Tencent Meeting is local alt.
💚 WeChat (微信) ✅ Works Works fully — most important app in China
🔵 Alipay (支付宝) ✅ Works Works fully — widely used for payments
✈️ Telegram 🚫 Blocked WeChat for chat. Telegram works with VPN
🎵 TikTok (Douyin 抖音) ✅ Works Douyin (抖音) is the Chinese version and works. International TikTok needs VPN
🤖 ChatGPT / OpenAI 🚫 Blocked Use Baidu Ernie Bot, Tongyi Qianwen, or Doubao
🎬 Netflix 🚫 Blocked iQIYI, Youku, Bilibili
📖 Wikipedia 🚫 Blocked Baidu Baike (百度百科)

Accessing Blocked Sites

VPN (Virtual Private Network): Many foreign residents in China use a VPN to access services like Google, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Important: Install and test your VPN before travelling to China, as Chinese app stores do not carry VPN apps. Look for reputable VPN apps with fast servers in Hong Kong, Japan, or Singapore.

Essential Chinese Apps

🔍
Baidu (百度)
Web search
💚
WeChat (微信)
Communication + payments
🗺️
Amap / 高德地图
Maps & navigation
🍜
Meituan (美团)
Food delivery + bookings
🚕
DiDi (滴滴)
Ride hailing
🔵
Alipay (支付宝)
Payments & services
📕
Xiaohongshu (小红书)
Discover places & products
🐦
Weibo (微博)
Social media & news

Quick Tips

✈️ Before you arrive: Install WeChat, Alipay, Amap, and a VPN. Everything else can be sorted on arrival.
📱 Primary gateway: WeChat is everything in China — payments, communication, orders, services. Set up an account before arriving.
🌐 Airport & hotel Wi-Fi: Available almost everywhere — but subject to the same internet restrictions.
🗺️ Maps: Google Maps doesn't work well in China even with VPN. Use Amap (高德) or Apple Maps.
🔋 Charging: Power banks are everywhere for rent — use WeChat to rent one from the yellow Meituan charging stations.
📱
Detailed Apps Guide

Detailed guide to every app you need in China with download links

Apps Guide →