Which Apps and Websites Work in China?
If you’re heading to mainland China — for tourism, family or work — assume that most of the apps you use daily won’t connect on local Wi-Fi or SIM cards. Here’s the practical 2026 status list, followed by what travelers actually do about it.
The 2026 status list
Status reflects typical behavior on mainland consumer networks (home broadband, mobile data, hotel Wi-Fi). Hong Kong and Macau are not affected — everything works normally there.
| App / Service | On local networks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Search, Maps, Gmail, Drive, Photos) | Doesn’t work | Unreachable on local networks |
| Doesn’t work | Messages and calls don’t connect | |
| Instagram / Facebook / Messenger / Threads | Doesn’t work | Unreachable |
| YouTube | Doesn’t work | Unreachable |
| X (Twitter) | Doesn’t work | Unreachable |
| ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini | Doesn’t work | Unreachable |
| Netflix / Disney+ / Max | Doesn’t work | Not available in the mainland market |
| Telegram / Signal / LINE / KakaoTalk | Doesn’t work | Unreachable or unreliable |
| Wikipedia | Doesn’t work | Unreachable |
| Most Western news sites (NYT, BBC, Reuters…) | Doesn’t work | Mostly unreachable |
| Slack / Notion / Dropbox | Doesn’t work | Unreachable or severely degraded |
| Zoom / Microsoft Teams | Unreliable | International accounts often degraded; varies by network |
| Outlook / Office 365 | Unreliable | Often slow or intermittently unreachable |
| iMessage / FaceTime | Works | Work normally |
| Apple Maps | Works | Works (local data provider) |
| WeChat / Alipay / Taobao / Didi | Works | Work normally — essential for daily life |
| Spotify | Unreliable | Unreliable; not officially available |
Availability shifts over time and can vary by city and carrier — we monitor service availability continuously and keep this page up to date.
How travelers keep everything working
With GustVPN connected, every “doesn’t work” entry above works normally — Google Maps navigates, WhatsApp rings, Gmail syncs, YouTube streams. One tap, about three seconds to connect, and it’s built to stay reliable on hotel and café Wi-Fi.
The only rule that matters: install it before you enter China. The mainland App Store doesn’t carry VPN apps, so set up while you’re still home. Full walkthrough: our China travel connectivity guide (中文读者请看华人回国上网指南).
Keep every app on this list working
Download GustVPN before your trip — free to download, one-tap connect, built specifically for reliability on mainland networks.
Download GustVPN FreeFrequently asked questions
Is WhatsApp blocked in China?
Yes — WhatsApp messages and calls don’t connect on mainland Chinese networks. With GustVPN connected, WhatsApp works normally.
Does Gmail work in China?
No. Gmail and other Google services are generally unreachable on local networks. Travelers use GustVPN to keep Gmail, Google Maps and Search working.
Does ChatGPT work in China?
ChatGPT is not accessible from mainland networks, and OpenAI does not serve the mainland market. With GustVPN connected, ChatGPT works normally.
Do iMessage and FaceTime work in China?
Yes — Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime work normally on mainland networks without any VPN, as does Apple Maps.
Is everything also blocked in Hong Kong?
No. Hong Kong and Macau networks are unrestricted — Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and the rest all work normally there. The list above applies to mainland China only.