Global · 2 GB · 1 day

Before you go to mainland China

Good news: your eSIM Today plan for mainland China connects through an international gateway, so the apps you use at home keep working the moment you land — no VPN and no extra setup needed.

• Western apps work out of the box. Google, Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and most other international services run as normal on your eSIM data.
• Stay on your eSIM data for the unfiltered experience. Hotel and café Wi-Fi is a separate local network where China's Great Firewall applies — switch back to your eSIM data if western apps stop loading.
• Calls and texts go through your apps, not a phone number. Our eSIMs are data-only, so use WhatsApp, FaceTime, Google Meet or another internet-calling app for voice and video.
• A few mainland services may treat you as an overseas visitor. Because your connection looks international, apps such as Baidu Maps or WeChat Pay can occasionally behave differently — worth planning around if you rely on them.

We confirm this routing against live network data and re-check it regularly. It is set by our network partner and could change; if you'd like a backstop you can install a VPN before you travel, but on current routing you won't need one.