- Blocked websites in China: highlights and latest news
- List of blocked websites in China
- List of websites and apps that AREN’T blocked in China
- What about Chinese websites?
- How to know if a website is blocked in China
- How to access blocked websites in China
- Is it legal to use a VPN?
- Is it true that all VPN access has been blocked?
- Other frequently asked questions
- What are the best VPNs for China?
You probably already know that websites such as Facebook, YouTube or Google are blocked in China and that the best way to access them is with a VPN.
But what about the other hundreds of websites or apps that we use every day?
Can you be sure that they’ll work in China?
One of the most common questions we get is whether a given website or app, such as Dropbox or Google Play, is blocked in China.
In this article, we list all of the popular websites and apps which currently don’t work behind the Great Firewall of China, which is the system developed by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) to control access to online services considered “dangerous” for Chinese citizens.
Blocked websites in China: highlights and latest news
VPNs continue to provide access to websites blocked in China
VPNs continue to be the best way to get around the Great Firewall of China. Nonetheless, last year, many VPNs stopped working or their services were affected substantially.
In this article, which is updated monthly, you can see which VPNs continue to work in China.
LinkedIn is not available in China
At the end of 2021, Linkedin closed the Chinese local version due to difficulties in adapting to local data protection legislation. However, the platform has been replaced with a local application called InCareer. This app is a simplified version of LinkedIn that still allows employers and job seekers to connect with one another but removes the social feed.
Zoom is partially blocked in China
In August 2020, Zoom released a local version for users in China. The international version is blocked. Individual users can join meetings but cannot organize them. Premium users have to subscribe through the local partner to be able to create meetings.
WhatsApp and other popular messaging apps don’t work in China
Since September 2017, WhatsApp is blocked in China. Currently, without using a VPN, you can’t send or receive voice messages, videos, images, or any other type of files.
Text messages can sometimes get around the restrictions, but they can take hours or days.
Other popular messaging apps, like Messenger, Telegram, Snapchat, and Line, are also blocked.
Skype continues to work in China
In December 2017, the Skype app disappeared from the App Store and other app markets in China. Even so, Skype has never stopped working in China.
App Store doesn’t allow to download VPN apps in China
App Store blocks users located in China from downloading VPN apps, which means that you will not be able to download any VPN or update it unless you have a VPN active on your phone (manually configured or by downloading the app in advance).
TikTok is blocked in China
Despite being owned by a Chinese company, TikTok is blocked in China, like other popular social media platforms. China has a local version of TikTok called Douyin.
List of blocked websites in China
Here’s a list of the most popular websites and apps which are currently blocked in China:
Social
- Snapchat
- Linkedin (restricted local version)
- Quora
- Tumblr
- Picasa
- Clubhouse
- WordPress.com
- Blogspot
- Blogger
- Medium
- Flickr
- SoundCloud
- Google Hangouts
- Hootsuite
- Badoo
- Disqus
- Tinder
- Github
Apps
Search Engines
- Google (Google.com and all local versions)
- Ask.com
- Duck Duck Go
- Yahoo
- Various foreign versions of Baidu
Video Sharing
Media
- The New York Times
- The Financial Times
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Economist
- Bloomberg
- Reuters
- The Washington Post
- The South China Morning Post
- The Independent
- The Daily Mail
- LeMonde
- L’Equipe
- Google News
- Many Wikipedia pages
- Wikileaks
Streaming Platforms
- Netflix (no service, website accessible)
- HBO Max and HBO Asia
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hulu (no service, website accessible)
- Twitch
- BBC iPlayer
- Spotify
- SoundCloud
- Pandora Radio
- Some local versions of HBO, Fox and Syfy
- NBC
- PlayStation
Email Providers and Work Tools
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Google Docs
- Google Calendar
- Generally speaking, all Google services
- Zoom (local version)
- Dropbox
- ShutterStock
- SlideShare
- Slack
- iStockPhotos
- WayBackMachine
- Scribd
- Android
- Most VPN websites
Adult Websites
Adult websites are almost all blocked; I don’t know of any exceptions.
List of websites and apps that AREN’T blocked in China
Below is a non-exhaustive list of websites and apps that are popular in the West that haven’t yet been blocked in China:
Calls and Video Calls
- FaceTime
- Skype (not very reliable)
Social
- InCareer (Linkedin local version)
- Douyin (Tiktok local version)
- Xiaohongshu
Instant Messaging
- iMessage
Streaming Platforms
- Tencent Video
- iQIYI
- Vevo
Search Engines
- Bing
- Baidu
- Yandex
Email Providers and Work Tools
- Yahoo Mail
- Hotmail
- WeTransfer
What about Chinese websites?
In general, all Chinese websites work and are extremely fast. Note that if you’re using a VPN, some Chinese websites will not work properly (for example, many of the videos on Youku won’t be available). This is because some websites work only in China and by turning on a VPN, you are “masking” your Chinese IP address with that of another country.
How to know if a website is blocked in China
The list published in this article is not exhaustive. Keep in mind that the situation is constantly changing: a website that’s blocked today could work tomorrow and vice versa – a website that works today could stop working in twenty minutes.
To check whether a given website is blocked, you can just enter the URL into one of the numerous tools like the ones offered by Comparitech or the Greatfire Analyzer.
Besides, some websites are partially blocked, some go on and off and others, despite not being blocked, are so slow that they are practically unusable. The classic example is video calls on Skype: the connection is often so slow that you’ll want to skip the call.
How to access blocked websites in China
The easiest and most popular solution is to subscribe to a VPN service (here you can find the services we currently recommend).
However, note that especially after 8 PM (Beijing time), websites hosted by servers outside of China (basically all Western sites) are often so slow that they are unusable. I’m not sure why, but my theory is that this is the hour of peak traffic between China and the West (since it’s the morning in the USA and the afternoon in Europe).
As a result, the data lines are maxed out, so say goodbye to your connection! I don’t even know if the problem is a result of the Great Firewall or simply a physical limit between China and the rest of the planet.
Is it legal to use a VPN?
Disclaimer: here at SDC we are not qualified to give any legal advice; therefore if you choose to use a VPN, you do so at your own risk.
That being said, our interpretation is that using a VPN (an acronym for a Virtual Private Network) is not an illegal act in and of itself, since it uses a technology developed to extend the benefits of private networks to connections that browse the Internet (or for use on a public network).
Therefore, a VPN is a software designed to improve the security of your connection (click here to learn the technical details). Specifically, many universities and presumably Chinese government offices use a VPN system to isolate their internal network from the public.
So, the problem isn’t so much using a VPN as much as the fact that you’re accessing websites that aren’t permitted in China. Is that a crime? The reality is that we have no idea and therefore can’t offer any advice.
On a practical level, our opinion is that the Chinese government couldn’t care less if you use a VPN to log on to your Facebook profile or your Dropbox.
Of course, if you intend to use the Internet fraudulently, VPN or not, be aware that you’re taking a risk both in China and abroad.
Is it true that all VPN access has been blocked?
This information, published by Bloomberg in 2017 and originating from an unknown source, was quite doubtful at the time and was quickly debunked by the Chinese Ministry of Industry.
China indeed started a campaign to limit VPN use in 2017, which reached its peak in 2018, but it was mainly focused on companies with headquarters in China, such as GreenVPN. Despite one-time attacks, this campaign was not extended to all VPNs, probably for two main reasons: technically speaking, it’s difficult to be able to block access to the global network, and this could severely affect the Chinese economy (many small businesses and individuals depend on this type of service for their business activities).
In 2017 and 2018, many VPNs stopped working or their performance was seriously affected. During the following years, periodic campaigns of increased restrictions have taken place, reducing the functionality of many VPNs. However, some well-known VPN services (such as those we recommend in this article) continue to work well, and it’s unlikely that they will stop working. These types of campaigns have become common over the years, especially around important political or social events (the Olympic Games, party congresses, etc.).
Other frequently asked questions
In China, there are multiple local social media platforms. The most popular one are WeChat and XiaoHongShu.
Other instant messaging apps, such as FB Messenger, Line, Telegram, or Viber, are also blocked in China. The only exceptions are the Chinese apps WeChat or Weixin.
While the Yahoo website and Yahoo Mail are still accessible, Yahoo’s search engine (search.yahoo.com) has not been accessible in China since September 2018.
The reason for the blocking is probably a business reason, so that preference is given to local cloud storage systems.
Not all other similar question-answer services are blocked in China. While Yahoo Answers and Stack Exchange are still accessible, AskReddit and Answers.com are blocked.
Best Working VPNs for China (our choice)
ExpressVPN: Fast, easy to use, and a reliable VPN for China. The recommended choice for non-tech-savvy people.
NordVPN: Reliable, complete, and easy to use. One of the most popular choices in China.
Ivacy: Good performance in China at a very low price. The recommended choice to have as a backup.
Surfshark: Cheap, very complete and it has an excellent performance in China. A good alternative to the big providers.
Photo Credits: Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
hello! is the line application can be able to use in china even though already dowloaded from other country.
Only if you have a VPN (that works in China) running in your phone.
work skype in china ?
Yes, however sometimes i’ts a bit slow
Thanks for the list, useful article. I’ve been using GreatFire to check sites blocked in China but it’s not worked on a couple of occasions (although it seems to be working fine now). It would be really helpful if you could update your article with some alternate tools/sites (if they even exist) you would be happy to recommend as a backup option.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Richard,
unfortunately it’s often difficult to replace these tools, especially if you work / communicate with somebody outside China. The best you can do is to use a VPN to have access to the blocked sites: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/vpn-how-to-access-facebook-in-china/
lmao sapore di cina isn’t that italian?
Do you live in China?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Well, I’m sorry but it’s Italian, it means “Flavor of China” : )
I live and work in China, I use Skype every night to contact family in the UK, it is very much a hit or miss connection, video almost always a fail.
I have two internet access line China mobile and China Unicom, when one fails with skype the other usually works, but Unicom seems faster and less trouble, CMobile is slow and always failing, but fastest when used with Chinese sites.
I have found that recently Viber will only work using a VPN.
Thanks for sharing your experience, internet in China is always difficult
Yeah, Skype is available, but doesn’t work perfectly without VPN. Using QQ or WeChat to contact your closed ones in the “waiguo” is possible solution, though not perfect.
Agree as WeChat and QQ perform badly outside mainland China. FaceTime is a good option if you have an iOS device
I and my friends here in China use WeChat videochat daily to communicate between China and the US. It works fine.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Sure, WeChat works well for now.
What about kik?
Seems that the Kik website isn’t blocked in China but I don’t know about the app, I think it works fine but I never tested
My son going to China (Ningbo) Shereton Hotel can he contact to me in India wia WhatsApp, yahoo, Skype
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yes, he can.
Hi –
We are travelling to China (Beijing and Shanghai) for a week.
Have a few questions-
* When on wifi, will whatsapp, facetime and imessage (iphone txt) work, when you are in free wifi in hotel?
* Do we need VPN for Facebook/instagram/you tube when on hotel’s wifi?
* Is this VPN good on mobile devices like iphones and ipad?
*Do we need to subscribe to VPN on each device or can one subscription on my phone, will also work on my husband’s phone?
Thank you this is very helpful.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Pam,
yes, whatsapp / facetime / imessage shall work
yes, you need a vpn for facebook / Instagram / youtube
Yes, vpn work fine in apple’s devices
No, each vpn allow multiple devices (see comparation table in this article for details)
What about Path? How does it open through an iPhone or Android?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Cenn, sorry but I dont know what Path is.
i spend a little too much time in China myself (In WeiFang as I type). I use my Verizon phone and when connecting to their Global Data I can post and update Facebook. Keep in mind Global Data plans can be expensive so limit use and turn off when not actively using. Believe this is likely acting as a VPN though. On a side note – texting is not expensive.
Facebook messaging is usable just using Wifi and can be used for face to face video chatting like skype also.
Never had any problem with Skype – used it for years dealing communicating with workers in China.
Some oddball sites that do not work include the Homedepot.com – odd since Lowes.com works. I have found Google products hit and miss. SOmetimes google earth will work. Most times not.
Google translate app is fantastic – but it does not work in china.
It can be a tough place to navigate without my beloved Google products!!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Matt, thank you for the tip!
yes, it’s possible that Global Data works, however as you said may be expensive, unless you need it for other reasons (work etc)
I am going to China and with have an international plan with AT&T. Does that mean that my gmail account will work without a VPN?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
No, your gmail account (and any other blocked website) won’t work without a VPN. It doesn’t matter what kind of data plan you use, because the data plan will still need to go through the China network
Using a VPN is not a crime in China, however, you can be (and there are people who actually were) charged with “compromising Internet security” and put into prison if you do any significant when using a VPN.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
This is true in any country: if you do something against the law, you may be charged, independently of the fact that you use a vpn or not
What about MESSENGERS, does that work ok ?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Facebook Messengers? I don’t think so
You can use WeChat for video, voice, and text while in China to communicate with folks located worldwide, like the States.
technically anything made in china is not blocked
I’m going to china soon for about a week on holiday, I normally communicate with my family back home via facebook messenger, whatsapp, emails (gmail) or skype; will any of these work at all or do I need to do something special in order for it to work? I don’t think subscribing to a vpn for only a week would be worth it, but I’m also a bit anxious if I have no way to communicate to my parents at all for a week…
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Tanya,
Whatsapp shall work fine. Skype’s chat will work (the calls work on and off). Facebook and Gmail won’t work without a VPN
And now in july 2018
Is WhatsApp working ?
Is skype working ?
What is the application that could be used to call china from egypt through internet for free ?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Whatsapp is not working. Skype sometimes works, sometimes it doesn’t. WeChat will work, and it’s also free.
My Son is going to China for 3 weeks
Is there any social media apps like Facebook or Twitter that work in China and Canada ?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Get a VPN to accede to Facebook and Twitter from China. You find more info on the article!
Hello, are there exceptions for Shanghai? I understand that some sites can be accessed within a certain radio of the city.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I don’t think there are many exceptions concerning Shanghai. Do you have any practical examples?
hi is whatsapp blocked in xiamen china?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I don’t think Whatsapp is blocked in China at the moment
Hi I want to ask if instagram and whatsapp in shanghai china is blocked or not? I will visit china soon for tourist and I dont have a china sim card. Thanks.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Instagram is blocked. Whatsapp at the moment is not blocked!
Is wechat video chat blocked in Shanghai
No Wechat isn’t blocked in China
Hello,currently i am also living in china.Is it true they will also block skype?I have a mrssage on my ipad like four times in a row telling me there will be some changes but I did not read it properly at the time.
I access gmail via the iPhone built-in Mail app only iPad. Will I be able to access my gmail via the iOS app or will that be blocked as well if I am not connected to a von?
Thank you!
Hi Kat, the gmail app works more or less without VPN, you will be able to synchronize your emails but won’t be real time. Sending an email can take forever (forget to add any attachment).
Is messenger and skyped blocked as well? I have read at some websites that Skype is blocked, some say that it is not but you are required to pay a skype charge. Also is the ban like all over China or just specific cities?
Oh and Mozilla Firefox, is that blocked too? Thank you!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
Firefox shall work fine : )
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Skype shall work! No, there is nothing to pay. In general, there are cities where internet works better but the blocked sites shall be the same
Thank you!
Nice writeup!
One correction: Bing.com and other online Microsoft services (like outlook.com) work perfectly.
What about fire fox?
Firefox websites are not blocked in China.
Not exactly, Firefox is now accessible.
Exactly what I said (not blocked)
What about watsapp
whatsapp working perfectly
It looks like it have been blocked, but it isn’t clear if it’ll be permanent
It’s working
Thank you for the correction, we’ll check it out when we update the post
They are working but censored!
I experienced issues with One Drive several times, though (mainly with the web interface and syncing with Office 365)
All the non Chinese online storage services are either blocked or work pretty bad.
Hello,currently i am also living in china.Is it true they will also block skype?I have a mrssage on my ipad like four times in a row telling me there will be some changes but I did not read it properly at the time.
I don’t think they will block it at the moment, but nobody knows
Bing.cn works perfctly fine, but most of the search results are blocked. Ultimately, using bing is the same as using Chinese search engines (which are monitored and censored by the goovernment). You won’t be able to find any non-government approved websites in any browser.