Getting online in China: eSIM FAQ

A travel eSIM is a SIM you download instead of a plastic card you insert. You buy a data plan online, install it on your phone before you leave, and it connects to a local network when you land. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, and the plan has to cover mainland China.

Yes, on any unlocked phone that supports eSIM. I've tested Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad in Chengdu and Shanghai, and I'm testing Quibity, NXTL, TooSim and Saily in China now. An international roaming route can provide access to apps restricted on local connections, but support varies by plan and app. WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT worked on the three China plans I tested; the other brands need their own evidence. A Chinese SIM card is a different product: it's on the local network, where those apps are blocked.

On a Chinese connection, such as hotel Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM card: Google (Search, Maps, Gmail), YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and most Western AI apps, including ChatGPT. Selected travel eSIMs can access some of these services over mobile data, but routing alone does not confirm every app. Each review distinguishes my app checks from official brand claims and exceptions.

Not if you pick the right eSIM. Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad all send your data out of mainland China, so Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and ChatGPT opened on mobile data in my tests with no VPN. You'd still need one on hotel Wi-Fi, which runs through a Chinese network, and for the few apps that stayed blocked, like Microsoft Copilot. Here's what VPNs cost, and I'm testing NordVPN in China now: here's how to set it up.

A VPN is an app that tunnels your traffic out of China; a travel eSIM does the routing for you, on mobile data, with nothing to switch on. VPN apps can be patchy in China and need setting up before you arrive. Many travelers carry both: the eSIM for their phone, and a VPN for hotel Wi-Fi and laptops.

Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad all opened WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT in my China app checks without a separate VPN. Google Maps was included in my Google tests. Quibity and NXTL officially describe WhatsApp and Maps access, but Quibity excludes ChatGPT and NXTL doesn't confirm it. Saily's WhatsApp guidance conflicts, and TooSim doesn't clearly confirm all three. See the tested and official app comparison before buying.

WhatsApp worked without a separate VPN on mobile data in my tests of Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad. Quibity and NXTL officially describe access, while Saily's China FAQ and WhatsApp blog conflict; TooSim lists WhatsApp calling without clearly confirming VPN-free China access. Keep an existing WhatsApp account on your usual number. Switching to local Wi-Fi changes the connection, so the eSIM result doesn't apply there.

Google Maps worked on Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad during my China Google app checks, without a separate VPN. Quibity, NXTL and Saily also describe Maps access in their official guidance, but my tests of those brands are pending. TooSim's checked China page doesn't confirm Maps. App access doesn't establish every local map, route or navigation feature. Using a Pixel? My Pixel guide covers the phone setup too.

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok opened on Trip.com, Yesim and Nomad in my China tests without a separate VPN. Microsoft Copilot was blocked on all three. Quibity explicitly says ChatGPT is unavailable; the checked Saily, NXTL and TooSim official pages don't establish China-specific ChatGPT support. My app checks don't guarantee every account, registration or API feature, and don't apply to hotel Wi-Fi.

It depends on the eSIM. TikTok opened on Trip.com and Yesim in my tests, but not on Nomad, even though Google and WhatsApp did. Quibity says TikTok doesn't work on its China eSIM either. If TikTok matters to you, pick an eSIM where it's been tested.

No. On Wi-Fi your phone uses the hotel's Chinese connection instead of your eSIM, so Google and WhatsApp stay blocked. Switch Wi-Fi off to use them over your eSIM, which uses your data allowance. For Wi-Fi or a laptop, you need a VPN, set up before you arrive: here's how to set up NordVPN for China, and here's what VPNs cost.

It depends on your trip length and how you use your phone. Of the three I've tested in China, Trip.com's daily plans are the cheapest for light use, Yesim's unlimited day passes suit longer stays, and Nomad's fixed-data plans are good value if you use a lot. I'm still testing the other four: NXTL suits repeat visitors, because you pay only for the data you use and the balance never expires; Quibity's unlimited plan gives you 4 GB a day at full speed; Saily advertises unlimited hotspot sharing; and TooSim costs more than the rest for the same data. Before you buy, check that the apps you need work, that the hotspot works if you'll share data, and that the allowance covers your trip. See how they compare in my China eSIM comparison.

For moderate use, about 6 GB for a week, 12 GB for two weeks and 25 GB for a month, averaged from seven providers' published estimates. Light users who mostly message, pay and use maps need less than half that; daily video or a hotspot needs more than twice as much. My data guide has the full table and the cheapest plan for each trip length. Not sure how much you'll use? NXTL charges only for the data you use, and the balance never expires.

Not always at full speed. Nomad's unlimited plans give you 2 GB a day at full speed, then slow down until the next day, and Quibity's give 4 GB a day, then 1 Mbps. Yesim doesn't set a daily cap on its unlimited day passes itself, though partner networks may apply their own fair-use limits. Check the daily full-speed amount, not just the word "unlimited".

Yes. I tested a code for Yesim, Saily, NXTL and Quibity at checkout, and they're all on my Deals page. Nomad's and Trip.com's prices are low even without a code.

Yes. Install it at home on Wi-Fi: on six of the seven eSIMs I cover, a plan's days start only when it first connects in China, not when you install it. Check the refund rules first: review Trip.com's product-specific cancellation terms before installing, while Yesim counts installing as activation. And don't wait until you land: Nomad says you can't buy its eSIM once you're in mainland China. My data guide explains how each eSIM counts its days.

Yes, generally: to use a China travel eSIM from another provider, your phone needs to be carrier-unlocked and support eSIM. Those are two separate checks, and buying a different eSIM won't remove a carrier lock. If it's locked, ask your original carrier about unlocking it before you buy; my phone unlock checks explain what to look for.

Turn on the travel eSIM, set it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. It connects to a local network, and on most eSIMs that's when the plan starts. Keep your home line on for calls and texts if you need codes from your bank, with data roaming off so it doesn't run up roaming charges.

Check, in this order: the eSIM line is turned on, it's chosen for mobile data, and data roaming is on for it. Then turn airplane mode on and off, or restart your phone. If it has never connected, make sure your phone is unlocked and the plan covers mainland China. If it connects but an app won't load, turn Wi-Fi off: hotel Wi-Fi blocks apps your eSIM can open. Don't delete the eSIM while you troubleshoot, because a deleted eSIM often can't be reinstalled and Nomad won't refund one. Contact the eSIM's support first.

It depends on the eSIM. In my tests, the hotspot connected and worked well on Trip.com and Yesim. On Nomad it connected but was only fast enough for web pages. Of the brands still being tested, Saily, Quibity and TooSim advertise hotspot sharing. NXTL's current FAQ allows tethering where the device and network support it; I haven't verified its China hotspot performance.

Yes, if your phone supports eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier. iPhones bought in the US since the iPhone 14, and most US Pixel 10 and 11 models, have no SIM slot at all, so a travel eSIM is your only way onto a network in China. My iPhone guide and Pixel guide cover which models are which and how to set them up.

No. All seven China eSIMs I cover are data only: no +86 number, and no calls or texts. If you need the odd phone call, Yesim lets you add 20 minutes of calls when you pick a plan; you make them in its app, over your data.

Yes: both work over a travel eSIM's data connection. Set them up and link your card at home, though, because signing in and verifying an account can need a text sent to your phone number, and a travel eSIM can't receive one.

Yes, on your home line. Keep your home SIM on and set it for calls and texts, and use the travel eSIM for data. Your carrier may charge for roaming, so check its rates before you go. My iPhone guide and Pixel guide show the settings.