If you're planning a trip to China, the "Great Firewall" is probably on your radar. It's the system that controls internet access within mainland China, and it blocks a surprising number of websites and apps that most travelers use daily.
This guide covers everything that's blocked as of 2026, what still works, and how to prepare so you're not stranded without Google Maps or your favorite messaging app.
Major Blocked Services
Here are the platforms you likely use every day that won't work in China without a VPN:
Google (Everything)
Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Photos, YouTube — the entire Google ecosystem is blocked. This is the one that catches most travelers off guard because Google products are so deeply embedded in daily life.
Alternative: Use Apple Maps (surprisingly good in China), Bing for search, and download offline maps before you arrive.
Social Media
- Facebook and Facebook Messenger — blocked since 2009
- Instagram — blocked
- Twitter/X — blocked
- TikTok — the international version is blocked; the Chinese version (Douyin) is a separate app
- Reddit — blocked
- Snapchat — blocked
- Pinterest — blocked
- Tumblr — blocked
Alternative: WeChat is the dominant social platform in China. Most locals don't use any of the services above.
Messaging Apps
- WhatsApp — blocked since 2017
- Telegram — blocked
- Line — blocked
- Signal — blocked (intermittent)
- Discord — blocked
Alternative: WeChat again. It handles text, voice, video, file sharing, and group chats. iMessage typically works.
Streaming & Content
- YouTube — blocked
- Netflix — the website works but most content is geo-restricted or extremely slow
- Spotify — works for some users but is unreliable
- Twitch — blocked
- BBC, CNN, NYT, WSJ — most major Western news sites are blocked
- Wikipedia — blocked intermittently; Chinese Wikipedia is fully blocked
Productivity & Cloud
- Slack — blocked
- Dropbox — blocked
- Google Drive — blocked (part of Google)
- OneDrive — works inconsistently
- GitHub — was unblocked in 2021 but has been intermittent since
- Notion — works for most users but can be slow
VPN Provider Websites
Almost every commercial VPN's website is blocked from within China. If you plan to use a VPN, download and set it up before you arrive.
What Still Works in China
Not everything is blocked. These services work reliably:
- Apple services — iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Apple Maps
- Microsoft services — Bing, Outlook, Office 365 (usually works)
- WeChat — the everything app
- Alipay — payments and more
- Didi — Chinese ride-hailing (like Uber)
- Meituan — food delivery and hotel bookings
- Ctrip/Trip.com — travel bookings
- LinkedIn — works (the localized version)
- Zoom — works for calls
- Yahoo — works
- Most banking apps — work fine
The VPN Question
Yes, a VPN will let you access blocked sites. But there are a few things to know:
- Install it before you arrive. You can't download most VPN apps from Chinese app stores.
- Free VPNs are unreliable and risky. Many sell your data or inject ads.
- VPN performance varies by city. Shanghai and Beijing have more aggressive blocking than smaller cities.
- It's technically a gray area. China doesn't actively target individual tourists, but businesses using unauthorized VPNs have been fined.
What About Translation?
Here's the good news: you don't need a VPN to translate while traveling in China. ChinaPal AI is a free translation tool that works entirely in your browser. No app to download, no account to create, and no VPN connection needed — because it's hosted on infrastructure that's accessible from within China.
It supports 10 languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese) and offers:
- Unlimited text translation — free forever
- Camera/photo translation — 10 free scans per day, perfect for menus and signs
- Voice translation — 10 free conversations per day
If you want to check whether a specific website is accessible from China, try the free ChinaPal block checker. Just enter a URL and it tells you instantly if it's blocked or accessible. No VPN needed to use the tool itself.
Quick Preparation Checklist
- [ ] Download a VPN before arrival (if you need one)
- [ ] Save offline maps on your phone
- [ ] Set up WeChat and Alipay for payments
- [ ] Bookmark aihubai.cn for instant translation
- [ ] Download any movies/music/podcasts for offline use
- [ ] Save digital copies of your passport and visa
China's internet restrictions sound scarier than they actually are for tourists. With a little preparation, you'll barely notice the blocks — and you might discover that Chinese apps like WeChat and Alipay are genuinely useful.
Bookmark aihubai.cn before your trip so you always have a working translator at your fingertips, VPN or not.
