Can I Use My Phone in China?

Three ways to get mobile data in China

You can get mobile data in China by roaming on your home plan, with a travel eSIM or with a Chinese SIM card. The main difference is what happens to apps that China blocks, such as Google and WhatsApp:

Option	Google and WhatsApp	Phone number	What you need
Roaming on your home plan	Tend to work; of our 14 carriers, only Singtel says apps work	Your own number	A plan or pass that covers China
Travel eSIM	Work if the plan routes data outside mainland China	Usually none; Holafly’s China eSIM, for example, is data only	An unlocked phone that supports eSIM
Chinese SIM card	Need a VPN	A Chinese (+86) number	Your passport and an unlocked phone with a SIM tray

Roaming and travel eSIMs can get past the blocks because the data leaves China before it reaches the internet. On roaming, your phone connects to a Chinese network, but its traffic goes back to your carrier’s home country first, BGR explained in July 2026. Airalo says its China eSIMs route traffic through gateways outside mainland China. A Chinese SIM card is a local connection, and China’s tourism ministry says Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp aren’t directly accessible in China without a VPN.

Will my phone work in China?

Most likely. Apple says all its current iPhone models connect to 5G and LTE networks around the world, and all 14 carriers we cover offer roaming in mainland China. Roaming uses your own carrier’s SIM. For a travel eSIM or a Chinese SIM, check these four things:

• Unlocked. A travel eSIM or a Chinese SIM needs an unlocked phone. Apple says an iPhone you use with another carrier abroad can’t be locked to a carrier. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then About. If “No SIM restrictions” appears next to Carrier Lock, it’s unlocked. Apple says only your carrier can unlock an iPhone, and it can take a few days, so ask before you go. Google says a Pixel bought from a mobile service provider could be SIM-locked for up to 2 years, and Pixels from the Google Store come unlocked.
• eSIM support. Apple says a travel eSIM needs an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later. Google says all Pixel 4 and later phones work with eSIM. China’s tourism ministry adds that some Android models support it too.
• Chinese carrier eSIMs. Apple says iPhones bought outside mainland China can’t install an eSIM from China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom. China’s tourism ministry says only several models, including the iPhone Air, can activate a local eSIM in mainland China, and other models need an international eSIM provider.
• SIM tray. A Chinese SIM card needs one. Apple says iPhone 14 models or later bought in the US can only be activated with an eSIM, and Google says US Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL phones are eSIM-only. On those phones, roaming and travel eSIMs are your options.

Apple lists the 5G and LTE bands of each iPhone model on its cellular page. It says unlocked iPhone models may support 5G and LTE networks outside the country of purchase with a valid SIM from a supported carrier. Google says not all Pixel 4a (5G) and later phones work on all 5G networks, and to check with your carrier.

Carriers have their own rules for roaming. Verizon says TravelPass needs a world device on a qualifying plan. T-Mobile says your phone must register on its US network and make a call before it can be used abroad.

Roaming in China by carrier

All 14 carriers we cover offer roaming in mainland China. These are their main China options, copied from our carrier guides, which took them from each carrier’s website on the date shown:

Carrier	Price in China	Data	Blocked apps without a VPN	Checked
Verizon, US	TravelPass: US$12 a day per line	5 GB high-speed a day, then 3G speeds	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
AT&T, US	International Day Pass: US$12 a day for one line, at most 10 daily fees per line per bill period	Your plan’s data	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
T-Mobile, US	Included on Experience Beyond and Experience More. On Essentials, an International Pass from US$10 for 1 day	15GB or 5GB high-speed, then up to 256 kbps; 2GB on the 1-day pass	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
Google Fi, US	Flexible: US$10 per GB, plus the US$20 monthly line fee. Included on Unlimited Premium (US$65 a month for one line)	50 GB high-speed abroad on Unlimited Premium	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
Mint Mobile, US	Minternational Pass: US$5 for 1 day, US$10 for 3 days, US$20 for 10 days	1GB, 3GB or 10GB high-speed	Not confirmed	Oct 18, 2026
EE, UK	Zone 1 Pass on pay monthly: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days	Your UK allowance	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
O2, UK	O2 Travel on Pay Monthly: £7 a day. Included on Ultimate plans	Unlimited, capped at 2Mbps	Not confirmed	Oct 18, 2026
Vodafone UK	Pay monthly: £8 a day on plans bought on or after 11 August 2021, £6 on older plans	Your UK allowance, up to 25GB	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
Telstra, Australia	Day Pass: A$10 a day. Pre-Paid Travel Packs from A$10 for 3 days	2GB a day; 400MB on the 3-day pack	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
Optus, Australia	Daily Roaming: A$5 per 24 hours. Prepaid add-ons from A$5 for 1 day	5GB per 24 hours; 1GB on the 1-day add-on	Not confirmed	Oct 9, 2026
Rogers, Canada	Roam Like Home Daily: C$18 a day plus tax. Asia Travel Pass from C$30 for 3 days	Your plan’s data	Not confirmed	Oct 18, 2026
Singtel, Singapore	ReadyRoam Asia: S$18 for 30 days. 7-day unlimited plan: S$20	6GB on ReadyRoam Asia; unlimited on the 7-day plan, with 1GB a day at full speed	Yes, Singtel says so	Oct 18, 2026
Airtel, India	Prepaid packs from ₹698 for 1 day. Postpaid packs from ₹2,999 for 10 days, outside Maharashtra	1GB on the 1-day pack; unlimited on postpaid, 10GB of it at high speed	Not confirmed	Oct 18, 2026
Jio, India	Packs from ₹589 for 1 day, or ₹951 for 10 days	1GB on the 1-day pack; 4GB on the 10-day pack	Not confirmed	Oct 18, 2026

• Not confirmed means the carrier doesn’t say how it routes roaming data or whether blocked apps work on it. Each carrier guide lists the customer reports we found.
• Singtel says that in China, Hong Kong and Macau you can use your favourite apps on its roaming data with no VPN setup. It doesn’t name WhatsApp or Google.
• Some plans include China: T-Mobile Experience Beyond and Experience More, Google Fi Unlimited Premium, AT&T Elite 2.0, EE Full Works, O2 Ultimate and Rogers 5G+ Ultimate. Check your plan before you buy a pass.

In China, turn on data roaming. On an iPhone, it’s under Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data Options, Data Roaming. On a Dual SIM iPhone, tap the number you want first.

Can I use my US phone in China?

Yes. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Google Fi and Mint Mobile all work in mainland China, with some conditions:

• Verizon: TravelPass needs a world device on a qualifying plan.
• AT&T: China is on the International Day Pass list, and AT&T Elite 2.0 plans cover China.
• T-Mobile: Experience Beyond and Experience More include data in China. Essentials includes no data abroad, so you need an International Pass.
• Google Fi: only Flexible and Unlimited Premium cover China. Unlimited Standard covers the US, Canada and Mexico, and Unlimited Essentials doesn’t work outside the US.
• Mint Mobile: Mint says roaming isn’t free. You need a Minternational Pass.

If you have an iPhone 14 or later bought in the US, it’s eSIM-only, and Apple says iPhones bought outside mainland China can’t install a Chinese carrier’s eSIM. You can roam or use a travel eSIM, but not a Chinese SIM.

Can I use my UK phone in China?

Yes, on EE, O2 and Vodafone UK, the three UK networks we cover. Each charges for roaming in mainland China unless your plan includes it:

• EE: mainland China is in EE’s Zone 1. On pay monthly, a Zone 1 Pass lets you use your UK allowance there. EE’s terms from 20 August 2026 say Full Works plans include Zone 1 roaming, with a 50GB fair use limit outside the UK.
• O2: the O2 Travel Bolt On covers China on Pay Monthly, and you pay only for the days you use it. Ultimate plans include China.
• Vodafone UK: mainland China is in Zone D. Pay monthly customers pay a daily fee there for their UK calls, texts and up to 25GB of data.

Prices for all three are in the carrier table.

Travel eSIMs for China

A travel eSIM adds a data plan to your phone for the trip. On plans that route data outside mainland China, blocked apps work without a VPN.

• Routing. Airalo says all its plans that cover China route traffic through gateways outside mainland China. Holafly says it uses home-routed roaming through international gateways. Our China eSIM comparison lists each plan’s routing and the evidence for it.
• Data only. Holafly’s China eSIM comes with data only, with no local number for calls or texts. Our guide to China eSIMs with a phone number covers the exceptions.
• When to buy. China’s tourism ministry recommends buying a regional eSIM plan that covers China before you arrive and activating it on entry. Apple says an iPhone must be on Wi-Fi or a hotspot to activate an eSIM, with some exceptions for eSIM-only models, so install it at home.
• Your own number. Apple says you can use a travel eSIM on its own or as a second line. If you keep both lines on, your own line keeps working, but you may still pay roaming fees on it.

A travel eSIM doesn’t help on Wi-Fi. See whether you need a VPN in China with an eSIM.

Buying a Chinese SIM card

You buy a Chinese SIM card in China, with your passport. China’s tourism ministry says visitors can buy one with a passport or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card at China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom stores. Many international airports, including Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun, have SIM card kiosks or stores.

• Why get one: a +86 number receives the codes that public Wi-Fi in China usually sends. The ministry says foreign SIM cards can’t receive them.
• Blocked apps: Google, WhatsApp and Instagram need a VPN on a Chinese SIM.
• Your phone: Apple says a bought or rented SIM card needs an unlocked iPhone, or a SIM-free iPhone, that takes a physical SIM.

Plans, prices and where to buy are in our guides to the China Unicom tourist SIM and to getting a Chinese phone number as a foreigner.

How to get internet in China

You get internet in China on mobile data, through roaming, a travel eSIM or a Chinese SIM, or on Wi-Fi in hotels, cafés and airports.

• Wi-Fi is filtered. BGR notes that local Wi-Fi in China is subject to the firewall, and China’s tourism ministry says Google, Instagram and WhatsApp aren’t directly accessible in China without a VPN. On Wi-Fi you need a VPN for them, whatever SIM you use.
• Logins need a Chinese number. China’s tourism ministry says public Wi-Fi usually sends its login code to a Chinese SIM card, and foreign SIM cards can’t receive it. Our China airport Wi-Fi guide covers the logins at major airports.
• Install a VPN first. The ministry advises installing a VPN before you enter China, because some VPN apps aren’t in local app stores. See VPN for hotel Wi-Fi in China.

How to get internet in China without an eSIM

Without an eSIM, roam on your home SIM card or buy a physical Chinese SIM card. In Beijing, China Unicom’s TRAVEL PASS pocket Wi-Fi is another option.

• Roaming: Apple says international roaming with an eSIM works the same as with a physical SIM. The carrier table shows what each carrier charges.
• Chinese SIM card: sold at airport kiosks and operator stores. Your phone needs a SIM tray.
• TRAVEL PASS: a portable device with mobile Wi-Fi and QR code payments that holds a China Unicom SIM card. Beijing’s government says it’s sold at China Unicom’s halls at Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing airports, with SIM plans of 7, 10, 15 or 30 days. The device costs 400 yuan, or is free to rent with a 400-yuan deposit during the trial period. Whether the trial is still running is not confirmed.
• Wi-Fi only: on hotel Wi-Fi, blocked apps need a VPN, and public Wi-Fi logins usually need a Chinese number.

Using your phone in China: what Reddit travelers say

In r/travelchina threads from July to October 2026, travelers who used roaming or a travel eSIM said blocked apps worked on mobile data. Several replies said you need a VPN only on Wi-Fi.

• July 2026, “U.S. carrier’s international roaming and the GFW.” A Verizon customer wrote that they use their Verizon plan in China and a VPN only on their laptop: “My phone has been 100% reliable.” Other replies said a US international plan works but costs more than a travel eSIM. One said the bigger problem is not having a Chinese number for free Wi-Fi or to verify orders.
• August 2026, “Do I need a VPN or e-sim if my phone plan covers China?” A UK traveler on EE wrote after two days in China that they had “full access to Google, WhatsApp, et cetera”. The top reply said you’d need a VPN only on Wi-Fi. Another said to get a Chinese plan with a phone number, or expect to roam on your home number whenever you need an SMS code.
• September 2026, “Is it true that you mustn’t connect to wifi in china?” Replies said Chinese Wi-Fi doesn’t connect to WhatsApp or Facebook, and that the apps work again when you switch back to roaming or eSIM data.
• October 2026, “Trip.com eSIM trouble using Alipay in Shanghai.” The poster wrote that their mother’s Trip.com eSIM handled WhatsApp video calls, but Alipay payments and DiDi rides often failed, and it worked better by her third day. One reply said some payments asked for SMS codes that didn’t arrive, because their eSIM was data only and they had no roaming.

These are individual posts, not tests.