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Internet & phone

How to keep Google Maps, WhatsApp and Instagram working.

Your options

●Roaming on your home SIM or an international eSIM: Google, WhatsApp, Instagram keep working. Easiest choice for short trips.
●Chinese SIM (China Mobile / Unicom / Telecom): cheap and fast, needs your passport at a store; foreign apps won't load on it.
●Hotel and café Wi‑Fi: Chinese apps only.

Tips

●Download offline Google Translate (Chinese) and offline maps before arrival.
●Use Amap or Apple Maps for navigation — Google Maps is inaccurate in China.
●Many verification SMS codes need a phone number: keep your home SIM active.

➡️ What to do next

💳Pay in ChinaAlipay / WeChat Pay with a foreign card 🧰Fix a problemCard failed? Driver confused?✈️Airport to cityTianfu & Shuangliu airports 🪧Show-me cardsTaxi, food, hotel, pharmacy

🧰 Fix a problem 💬 Tell us what you need

Info checked: 2026-11. Policies change — confirm with official sources before you travel.

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