Tunnelz

China trip guide

Is YouTube blocked in China?

Yes. YouTube is blocked in mainland China, on mobile networks and hotel Wi-Fi alike. To watch, use a roaming eSIM on your phone or a VPN on Wi-Fi and on a laptop, and set it up before you fly. With YouTube Premium you can also download videos at home.

Updated

On Chinese networks aloneWith a roaming eSIM or a VPN doesn’t load usually gets throughOn Chinese networks alone doesn’t load With an eSIM or a VPN usually gets through
Fig. 01
The block is on the network, so it covers every Chinese connection. Simplified. Set up the eSIM or VPN before you fly.

What’s blocked, and what people use

YouTube has been blocked in mainland China since 2009, and Google’s other services are blocked with it. The block is on the network, so it covers every Chinese connection: mobile data on a Chinese SIM, hotel Wi-Fi, cafés and offices.

People in China watch video on Chinese apps such as Bilibili, Youku and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). They work on Chinese networks without a VPN.

Blocked since 2009

  • YouTube

What people in China watch

  • Bilibili
  • Youku
  • Douyin
Fig. 02
These Chinese apps work on Chinese networks without a VPN. Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok.

Ways to keep watching

  • On your phone’s mobile data: a roaming or travel eSIM that routes data outside mainland China usually gets YouTube through. Video uses data fast, so check the plan’s allowance.

  • On hotel Wi-Fi: it’s a Chinese network, so you need a VPN.

  • On your Mac: watch at youtube.com in your browser, with a VPN on.

  • Offline: YouTube Premium lets you download videos in the app. Downloads usually play offline for up to 29 days before the app needs to go online again (48 hours in some countries).

Fig. 03
Four ways to keep watching.

Before you fly

  1. 1. Update the YouTube app at home and stay signed in. With a VPN, YouTube sometimes asks you to sign in before it plays, and that’s easier if you already are.

  2. 2. Download what you want to watch on the flight and the first days, if you have Premium.

  3. 3. Set up your eSIM or VPN and check it works, before you leave.

Fig. 04
Three things to do before you fly.

Where Tunnelz fits

Tunnelz covers the Mac on hotel Wi-Fi: it sends youtube.com through your own server, not shared with thousands. The Smart route sends Chinese sites direct, so Bilibili and WeChat stay fast. If your server is ever blocked, Replace Server can set up a new one in minutes, as long as the app can reach Vultr. In China that may take eSIM data or another network (how).

  • youtube.com

    Goes through your own server, not shared with thousands.

  • Chinese sites

    Go direct, so Bilibili and WeChat stay fast.

Fig. 05
The Smart route on your Mac, on hotel Wi-Fi. Simplified. No route is promised to stay open.

Only have a phone? A roaming eSIM usually covers this today; Tunnelz for iPhone is coming.

Questions

Can I watch YouTube in China?
Yes, if you get past the block: a roaming eSIM that routes data outside mainland China on your phone, or a VPN on Wi-Fi and on a laptop. On Chinese networks alone, YouTube doesn’t load.
Does YouTube work on hotel Wi-Fi in China?
Not without a VPN. Hotel Wi-Fi is a Chinese network, so YouTube is blocked on it, even if your phone’s eSIM gets YouTube through on mobile data.
Can I download YouTube videos to watch in China?
With YouTube Premium, yes. Download them in the app before you fly. They usually play offline for up to 29 days, or 48 hours in some countries, before the app has to go online again.
Why does YouTube ask me to sign in when I use a VPN?
YouTube sometimes asks people on a VPN to sign in to show they aren’t a bot. Sign in to your Google account, ideally before you travel, and it usually plays.
What do people in China use instead of YouTube?
Chinese apps such as Bilibili, Youku and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. They work on Chinese networks without a VPN.

Sources