Tunnelz

China trip guide

What’s the best eSIM for China?

One whose data is routed outside mainland China. That’s what gets WhatsApp, Google and Instagram through on your phone’s mobile data. Check the routing, the data and the days, and whether you can share it with a laptop, then install it at home before you fly.

Updated

The plan you buyOn your phone’s mobile data Travel eSIMrouted outside mainland China GoogleWhatsAppInstagramget through Chinese carrier’sSIM or eSIM GoogleWhatsAppInstagramsame blocks as any local networkTravel eSIMrouted outside mainland China GoogleWhatsAppInstagram Chinese carrier’s SIM or eSIMsame blocks as any local network GoogleWhatsAppInstagram
Fig. 01
The first thing to check on any plan: where its data goes. Simplified. This only covers the eSIM’s own mobile data.

What to check before you buy

There’s no single best eSIM for everyone, and we don’t sell or rank them. Providers such as Airalo and Nomad sell plans for China; whichever you look at, check these:

  • Where the data goes. Look for a plan that says its data is routed outside mainland China, or that apps such as Google and WhatsApp work without a VPN. A Chinese carrier’s SIM or eSIM doesn’t do this: it has the same blocks as any local network.

  • Enough data and days. Maps, video and video calls use the most. Days usually start counting when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy it.

  • Personal Hotspot. If you want to share the data with a laptop, check the plan allows it.

  • Calls and texts. Most travel eSIMs are data only, with no phone number. Call on WhatsApp or FaceTime, and keep your home SIM on for texts such as bank codes.

Fig. 02
What to check on any plan. There’s no single best eSIM for everyone.

Check your phone first

  • It needs to support eSIM. Most recent iPhones and many Android phones do.
  • It needs to be unlocked. On an iPhone, go to Settings › General › About: next to Carrier Lock, “No SIM restrictions” means it’s unlocked. Only your carrier can unlock it, and that can take a few days, so ask early.

Setting it up

  1. 1. Buy it a few days before you fly.

  2. 2. Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing an eSIM needs an internet connection. Most plans only start when they connect at your destination, but some start as soon as they’re installed, so check the plan first.

  3. 3. When you land, turn the eSIM’s line on, use it for mobile data, and turn on data roaming for it, as the provider’s instructions say.

  4. 4. Check it works: turn Wi-Fi off and open Google or WhatsApp.

Fig. 03
Buy and install at home, then turn it on when you land.

What an eSIM won’t cover

  • Hotel and café Wi-Fi. The eSIM only covers its own mobile data. On Wi-Fi you’re on a Chinese network, and the blocks apply. See hotel Wi-Fi in China.

  • A laptop, unless you share the phone’s data with it, and a laptop uses data fast.

  • Speed. Your data takes a detour outside China, so pages can load a little slower than on a local SIM.

Fig. 04
What an eSIM leaves to you.

Not sure which you need? VPN or eSIM for China gives a verdict by situation.

Where Tunnelz fits

For a phone on the move, a travel eSIM is often all you need today, and Tunnelz for iPhone is coming. Tunnelz covers the other side: your Mac on hotel Wi-Fi, through your own server, not shared with thousands. The Smart route sends Chinese sites direct, so they stay fast.

Questions

What’s the best eSIM for China?
There isn’t one best for everyone. Pick a plan whose data is routed outside mainland China, with enough data and days for your trip, and Personal Hotspot if you want to share it with a laptop.
Does a Chinese SIM card work for Google and WhatsApp?
Not on its own. A Chinese SIM or eSIM is a local network, so the blocks apply, and you’d need a VPN on it. China’s Cybersecurity Law also requires real identity information to get a mobile line.
Do travel eSIMs come with a phone number?
Most are data only, with no number for calls or texts. Use internet calls on WhatsApp or FaceTime, and keep your home SIM on if you need texts such as bank codes.
When should I install my eSIM for China?
At home, on Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly. Most plans start counting days when they first connect at your destination, but some start as soon as they’re installed, so check yours.
Does an eSIM work on hotel Wi-Fi in China?
No. The eSIM only covers its own mobile data. Hotel Wi-Fi is a Chinese network, so you need a VPN on it.

Sources