- 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
If I wanted to communicate with a chineese national..what app or social media would be. acceptable for them use
We recommend WeChat!
Hi, thanks for all your kind advice, I’ve been living in China for 7 years and love it, if u wanna live here happily then u must either get a VPN (before you come) or just use Chinese apps.
I’d lake to ask, is it just me or do any of you other guys randomly receive your FB messenger messages without a VPN? Also, I heard Google Play Store may be coming back, but only a censored version, free apps and updates only. I noticed that it depends on where you are, when I was in a hotel in Xiamen Google Play Store suddenly started updating my apps, also some airport hotels have semi unblocked access
Gmail sometimes updates mails without vpn, I don’t use FB messenger (it use too much battery). Yes, some internet connections have less restrictions. About Google Play I have no news, but it’s clear that google wants to come back
There’s no way google can come back. If you look at the pattern of Chinese internet, they are blocking more sites each year, not less. They even block those captcha things that goes through google. I think China is preparing for the apocolypse. If you notice other things, foreigners are no longer allowed to open bank accounts. I also get the feeling that foreigners have been banned from more hotels than previously.
1. China is not blocking more sites each year. 2. Foreigners are allowed to open bank accounts. It’s only that the smaller banks encourage foreigners to open accounts at places like Bank of China that are more easily able to meet their needs. 3. Foreigners have NOT been banned from more hotels than previously, it’s only that smaller hotels don’t have the software to register foreigners with local police as required by law.
Surprised nobody mentioned this, but unless something has changed, you can always FaceTime if you use an Apple device.
Oh Sorry, Sbortu Zhou did mention FaceTime as an option already, I just saw it!
Hi Laura, that would work!
However, it’s somewhat limited, as both people need to have an iPhone
Hello,
Great write up.
I would like to know about some of the other Messaging systems available.
Since we know that Whatsapp is sort of iffy now and Telegram is out.
Do messaging apps like
Wickr Me, Cyphr and Signal work?
would be nice to confirm or know if they work without or only with VPN.
Thank you
All messaging apps shall work with a VPN. As for the ones you mention, I don’t know if they work without VPN (I’ve never tried them). The messaging app that will (most likely) always work in China is Wechat.
That’s a real pity. if that is the case.
James, so I’m reading between the lines a little, but it seems like you’re asking about encryption, maybe? One thing to consider is whether the messages are exchanged within China’s boundaries, or are the messages crossing the border? This is less a question of what is banned, and more about, well, the resources China’s likely to expend monitoring activity within China compared to more unusual activity bouncing around servers and crossing the border.
Instead of YouTube what app can I use to watch videos in China?
Well, it depends on the videos you want to watch. If you want Chinese videos, you can just use Youku or Tudou
What if I want to watch English videos?Is Netflix band too?and is Snapchat band too?
Netflix shall not be banned, however Netflix doesn’t broadcast in China. Snapchat is blocked.
Is the toilet in China have doors?im just curious because some of my friends said they have no doors in the toilet
Some public toilets have no doors, but normally they do
Hello I’m going to China Wuyishan and Xiamen for a week can I know if WhatsApp and Instagram Will be working when I’m there?
At the moment they are blocked in all China
Ouh thank
You for the information can I also
Know if they block Snapchat?
Great list,
The government has done an astounding job of developing the county and giving people personal freedom in my time here since 1991. The result is the people have wealth and want more say in government. The Party sees that revolution or democracy will not help China keep growing. So it caps ideas from outside the dominant paradigm to keep a lid on overthrow for the good of the country, So all live with peace, development, and blocked sites.
Thank for the comment. Here we don’t talk about politics, we just expose useful information for foreigners travelling or living in China.
Google Translate has been working recently
Thank you for the update, google translate sometimes works again but is unpredictable
I was actually pretty shocked to realize Google Play was blocked when I first moved to China. ExpressVPN was a lifesaver.
: )
I have helped friend to use them. Actually all the good and bad sites could be accessed from china using vpn. It’s too bad that chinese people can not access google and youtube. so much stuff to learn from them.
china devoloped their own version of everything.
weibo for facebook and instagram
youku for youtube
wechat and qq for messenger
baidu for google
the thing is that you have to pay for a lot of the services. its not expensive but when you have a couple million people paying, that’s a lot of money and it’s beneficial for the economy
With VPN we can access all of them. And most of the foreigners access to them including me.
Hi
Dont mind asking this…My hubby got Visa for China. How much time/days it takes to get Visa for spouse once he applies it after landing in China?
Thanks
You can apply at the same time
Hi…
My hubby would be going to Tianjin city next month for next 4 / 5 years for work & I will be joining with him later. I heard that there are very few people who speak English there..So can u suggest how to manage with English language. And How is medical facilities there?, Do the doctors speak English to communicate with the patients? Are they friendly in nature?
Please if possible do tell me about the Tianjin city a bit. How & where to find people who speaks English?.
Would be very thankful to you people if in anyway help me out.
Thanks in advance :)
Note: “m Indian
Hi,
it’s not so difficult to get around in China even if you don’t speak Chinese, especially in big cities.
Yes, there are international hospitals where doctors speak English. Just make sure to get a medical insurance that includes internationals hospitals
Thank you..:)
One more query , is it easy to get a part time job there as receptionist / volunteer work?.
Maybe you can get a job as volunteer (not paid), if you want to get paid legally isn’t easy because the company have to show that the job cannot be done by a Chinese citizen
Tianjin is one of the biggest cities in China with a big expat community and there are many Chinese people who can speak English, it shouldn’t be a big problem
Thank you :)
Is it possible to get a part time job in hotels/ big departmental stores or any voluntary work to help children in Tianjin ?
You cannot get a job in a low qualified positions, in a hotel maybe if they show that they need your language skills.
Thanks Mr. Sborto Zhou..:)
I’m friends with someone (in China) on Playstation. I’m worried that I could have gotten him/her in hot water for sending a news article. He/she hasn’t been online ever since. Is it possible?
I am travelling to Bejing China in May, 2017. I would like to know if i can use my Blackberry Q10 phone for watsapp in China without a VPN.
If no, can i get a VPN app for download purchase at the airport?
Thank you
At the present moment whatsapp is working in China. You can get the VPN anywhere but it’s better to install the software before leaving (an pay latter)
Does this apply to Hong Kong and Macau as well?
no
No, only Mainland China
I will travel to Guangzhou next week. May I know whether I can use whatsapp and instagram in Guangzhou using wifi hotel? And, can u advice what local number should I buy for internet plan as I will stay only 4 days
thank you
No problems for Whatsapp. For Instagram, Facebook etc you would need a VPN!
thanks a lot for your help
hello
does these tools work in guangzhou please ?
evernote
todoist
whatsapp
gmail (via thunderbird)
Gmail won’t work, unless you have a vpn
ok thanks for the reply. and about evernote, i have a premium account not created in china. will it work ?
As far as I know, Evernote is not blocked. However I don’t use it myself so I don’t know how well it will work in China, without a VPN.
after my trip, i can confirm that Evernote, Whatsapp and Todoist worked fine. :)
Thanks for the update : )
Currently, it is not legal to use VPN in China anymore. Check CNN news for more specific details, but you need a government-issued license to use VPN. I don’t think the government is gonna care about individuals, but just be aware of that.
Hello,
the law is actually not so “clear”. What mainly says is that to run a VPN server in China you need a gov license. We talked about this on our main article about VPNs, which is linked in this article.