Rava VPN
More than most people expect.
Which apps are blocked in China?
Most of the apps a Western phone runs on: everything Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Telegram, Discord, Reddit and Wikipedia are all blocked on mainland Chinese networks. Your banking app probably works; almost everything social does not. Here is the practical list and what to do about it before you fly.
Which everyday apps stop working on Chinese networks?
Blocked: all Google services including Gmail and Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, X, YouTube, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Reddit, Wikipedia and most major Western news sites. Still working: WeChat, Alipay, Apple Maps, iMessage and FaceTime, and most airline and banking apps. The fix for everything in the blocked column is the same: a VPN installed and tested before arrival.
Before you fly
- • Assume every social and Google app on your phone is blocked.
- • Install a VPN and test your three most-used apps with it on.
- • Install WeChat if you will be dealing with anyone inside China.
Before you click
One working VPN covers the entire blocked list at once — there is no app-by-app fix. Test it on your own devices before departure.
The pattern worth understanding
It is one wall, not a list of bans
Travelers often ask app by app — is Instagram blocked, is WhatsApp blocked, is Gmail blocked — but the answer is structural. Mainland China's firewall blocks the platforms those apps run on, which is why the blocked list is long, stable, and keeps growing rather than shrinking.
That is also why the fix is simple: you do not need ten workarounds for ten apps. One working VPN restores the whole list at once, and one untested VPN loses the whole list at once. That is the real reason to test before you fly rather than gamble after you land.
If you only remember one line, make it this
One wall blocks them all, and one tested VPN brings them all back. Prepare it before the flight.
The list
What breaks, what survives
Blocked: social and messaging
WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, X, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Reddit, Snapchat. If it is a Western social or messaging app, assume it is blocked.
Blocked: Google and media
Every Google service, YouTube, Wikipedia, and most major Western news outlets. Netflix does not operate in China at all.
Still works: the practical layer
WeChat, Alipay, Apple Maps, iMessage, FaceTime, plus most airline, hotel and banking apps. China's own app ecosystem is fully available.
With a VPN: the full list returns
A working VPN restores every app in the blocked column at once. Test the apps you actually rely on before departure, not after landing.
FAQ
Common questions
Is Instagram blocked in China?
Yes, since 2014. Feeds will not load and posts will not upload on local Wi‑Fi or Chinese SIM data. With a working VPN it behaves normally, and accounts are not penalized for connecting this way.
Do iMessage and FaceTime really work in China?
Yes — Apple's messaging services are among the few Western communication tools that work on Chinese networks without a VPN. If your whole group uses iPhones, that is a useful built-in fallback.
Can I just download a VPN after I arrive in China?
Often not. VPN websites and app-store listings are themselves blocked or removed inside China, which strands people with no working option. Installing and testing before the flight is the reliable order of operations.
Before you fly
Sort the whole list with one setup, before departure
Go through your phone's first home screen: most of those apps will be blocked the moment you land. One VPN, installed at home and tested against the three apps you use most, covers all of it. The 3-day free trial is enough to prove the setup works.
This goes straight to the official 3-day trial page. Set it up before the flight and test the apps you rely on most.