Does Gemini Work in China?

Does Google Gemini work in China?

No, Google Gemini doesn’t work on Chinese mobile data or Wi-Fi. GreatFire, which tests websites from mainland China, keeps a test history for gemini.google.com. Asked whether the site opens from mainland China, it answers “No”. Its last test was on October 18, 2026.

Gemini is blocked like Google’s other services. See Google Search in China and Google Docs, Drive and Meet in China. In August 2026, a user living in China wrote on Reddit that they were having trouble reaching Gemini and the Gemini API, and still couldn’t use Gemini after trying different networks. A reply said Google services are mostly blocked in China, and that you need a VPN or an eSIM from outside China.

Is Gemini available in mainland China?

Only through Workspace. Google’s list of places where the Gemini web app is available covers over 230 countries and territories, and its only entry for mainland China reads “Mainland China (Workspace only)”. Google describes Workspace access as access “through a Workspace license from your work, school, or other organization”, and it treats personal Google Accounts separately. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are on the list with no note.

Google’s other lists leave mainland China out:

• Mobile app: The list of places where you can download the Gemini app from the Google Play Store includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, but not mainland China. The list for iPhone and iPad includes Taiwan, but not mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau; Google says the iPhone app is rolling out gradually. Apple’s App Store lookup finds no Google Gemini app in China’s store.
• Paid plans: The lists for Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra, the plans for personal accounts, include Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, but not mainland China.
• API: The list for the Gemini API and Google AI Studio leaves out mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The API section below has the details.

We checked these lists on October 19, 2026. Google added the mainland China entry in February 2026. An archived copy of the web app list from February 21, 2026 has no entry for mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, and a copy from February 27, 2026 has “Mainland China (Workspace only)”.

Google’s page on Gemini limits and feature availability has one note for travelers, about its Ultra plan. If you travel from a country where Google AI Ultra is available to one where it isn’t, Google says you won’t be able to upgrade or use Ultra until you return to a country where Ultra is supported. Mainland China isn’t on the Ultra list.

Is Gemini blocked in China?

Yes, on Chinese networks, but the firewall is only one of two separate limits. China’s firewall blocks gemini.google.com whatever account you use. Separately, Google decides who it offers Gemini to in mainland China. A service can be blocked on Chinese networks, unavailable to users in China by the company’s choice, or both.

• With a personal Google Account, it’s both. The firewall blocks Gemini, and Google’s list doesn’t offer the web app to personal accounts in mainland China.
• With a Workspace account, it’s the firewall. Google lists mainland China for Workspace, but you sign in at the same gemini.google.com address, which the firewall blocks.

Google’s Gemini availability pages don’t say how it decides where you are. Its sign-in help says a “Something went wrong” message means your account can’t access the Gemini web app at the moment, for reasons that can include location, age or type of account.

OpenAI goes further with ChatGPT. Its list of supported countries leaves out mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and it says access from outside the list may get your account blocked or suspended. Our page on ChatGPT in China explains how that works.

Gemini in Hong Kong and Macau

Google offers Gemini in Hong Kong and Macau. SCMP and Caixin reported that Google announced on March 16, 2026 that it would open Gemini to all users in Hong Kong, starting with the web app. The mobile app followed on March 26 and topped Apple’s app store chart there, according to SCMP. Before that, SCMP said, access in Hong Kong was limited to some businesses, developers, educators and students, and many residents used VPNs or third-party platforms instead.

SCMP noted that OpenAI and Anthropic block Hong Kong IP addresses. That matters if your eSIM or VPN comes out in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is on Google’s list for the Gemini web app, but not on OpenAI’s list for ChatGPT. Hong Kong isn’t on Google’s list for the Gemini API either.

Macau is on Google’s lists for the web app and the Android app. Google’s list for iPhone and iPad doesn’t include Hong Kong or Macau, but Apple’s App Store lookup finds the Gemini app in Hong Kong’s store.

Does the Gemini API work in China?

No. Google’s list of countries and territories where the Gemini API and Google AI Studio are available, last updated on April 28, 2026, leaves out mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Taiwan is on it. Google’s terms for the API, effective March 23, 2026, say you may only access the services within an available region. They also say Google AI Studio and the Gemini API are for developers building with Google’s models for professional or business purposes, not for consumer use.

The firewall gets in the way too. Google’s API reference sends its example requests to generativelanguage.googleapis.com. GreatFire answers “No” for generativelanguage.googleapis.com, from a test on June 14, 2026, and hasn’t tested it since. For aistudio.google.com, it answers “Sometimes” and calls access unreliable, as of its last test on October 1, 2026.

Use Gemini in China on a roaming eSIM

A travel eSIM or home roaming can get you to Gemini without a VPN, as long as your data is routed out of mainland China. UNSW cybersecurity expert Salil Kanhere told the Bega District News in July 2026 that roaming data is in many cases routed through your home carrier or an overseas gateway. He said certain travel eSIMs bypass mainland filtering by routing traffic through offshore gateways such as Hong Kong, Singapore or Australia. A local Chinese SIM or a China-specific eSIM, he said, typically remains subject to local filtering. Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia are all on Google’s list for the Gemini web app.

Reddit users reported in 2026 that Gemini worked this way. They’re individual accounts, not tests.

• In October 2026, a traveler said ChatGPT and Gemini worked fine on an Airalo eSIM, with a VPN sometimes used on Wi-Fi.
• In July 2026, a user said that on roaming or a travel eSIM, Claude and Gemini work like at home, and that hotel Wi-Fi is where they stop working.
• Another user said the same month that Gemini can be used in China with an eSIM or a VPN, but that you sometimes need to change the node address.

An eSIM doesn’t help on hotel or cafe Wi-Fi. The Bega District News says blocked apps stay blocked on local Wi-Fi and on a SIM card you buy when you arrive. See eSIM or VPN for China? and eSIMs for China and Hong Kong, and compare plans on our eSIM page.

Use Gemini in China with a VPN

A VPN can get you past China’s firewall to Gemini, but some users say Gemini blocks their VPN. Reddit reports are mixed:

• In August 2026, a user who often travels to China said they use Gemini with no issue over a WireGuard VPN to their home server.
• The same month, a user living in China said even a VPN wasn’t enough for them.
• In October 2026, one user said Gemini blocks access for a lot of VPNs. Another said Gemini blocks logins from easily detected VPNs, but doesn’t ban accounts.

Google’s troubleshooting steps for Gemini in Chrome, for people in a supported region, include turning off your VPN.

Set up the VPN before you fly and test Gemini over it at home. With a work or school account, ask your IT team first; see Corporate VPN in China. Compare the VPNs we track on our VPN page, and read Is a VPN legal in China? and VPN for hotel Wi-Fi in China before you go.

Does ChatGPT or Gemini work in China?

Neither works on Chinese mobile data or Wi-Fi, and both can work on a roaming eSIM or a VPN. The Bega District News lists ChatGPT and Google’s services among those China has completely blocked. In October 2026, a Reddit user said ChatGPT and Gemini both worked for them on an Airalo eSIM.

The difference is Hong Kong. Google lists Hong Kong for the Gemini web app. OpenAI’s list of supported countries for ChatGPT leaves out mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and OpenAI warns that access from outside its list may get an account blocked or suspended. Read ChatGPT in China, and for Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude in China.

Chinese alternatives to Gemini

Google doesn’t offer Gemini to personal accounts in mainland China, and China has its own chatbots. NPR described several in March 2026:

• Doubao: ByteDance’s chatbot, China’s most popular. NPR says it’s built into Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
• Qwen: Alibaba’s chatbot. NPR says it can order things for you and pay through Alipay. A user in China wrote on Reddit in October 2026 that Qwen does everything they need without a VPN.
• Yuanbao: Tencent’s chatbot, folded into WeChat and connected to WeChat Pay, according to NPR.
• DeepSeek and Kimi: NPR names DeepSeek and Moonshot AI among China’s prominent AI startups. Moonshot AI makes Kimi, according to its App Store listing in China.

On Reddit, users suggested DeepSeek and Doubao for trips to China, and one said they know more about China. Our guide to AI tools in China covers which of these you can sign up for without a Chinese phone number.

Related guides

• AI tools in China
• ChatGPT in China
• Claude in China
• Google Search in China
• Google Docs, Drive and Meet in China
• eSIM or VPN for China?
• Apps to download before going to China