Do not discover this after you land
Gmail. Google. WhatsApp. Instagram. Your work, bookings and contact with home. Without the right setup, they may all stop loading—and fixing it after you arrive is much harder.
Prepared before departure · Monitored from China · 24/7 human connection help
Designed around the apps travelers rely on
That is the trap in China: your phone can look perfectly connected while the apps you use for family, work and travel keep spinning.
What happens when you arrive unprepared
You may have mobile data. The hotel Wi-Fi may say connected. But Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram and the tools you use to work, translate and ask for help may still refuse to open.
WhatsApp and Messenger messages stop moving. They see silence and do not know whether you are safe.
Gmail, Google, Slack or Teams can fail just before a meeting, a deadline or the message you need to send.
The hotel address, directions and words you need can be trapped inside apps that no longer open.
The download, instructions or support chat you need may be behind the same block. You need internet to recover your internet.
What travelers report after landing
Real traveler reports. Shortened only for length; every link opens the exact Reddit post or comment.
I was trying to have a meeting and oh ma lord I DCed like 8 times.
I need to use my laptop for work, and using hotel Wi-Fi just doesn’t work.
I’m not able to send or receive messages and I also cannot connect to the in-app customer service chat.
NordVPN wasn’t able to make a single connection. I also couldn’t connect to get my refund.
No Google search, no email, no ability to even ask questions… is a pretty shitty experience.
I couldn’t access Reddit or much of anything else, so I wrote all day.
Once your usual apps stop loading, finding instructions and reaching support become harder too. Install and confirm your ChinaPass setup before you fly.
Why your usual VPN may fail
China actively disrupts many mass-market VPNs. A familiar brand and a paid subscription do not guarantee a connection after you land—it may connect for seconds, become painfully slow or never connect at all.
Read the USENIX Security researchMass-market VPN
China Connectivity Guarantee
Our local team checks the connection from inside China, maintains an alternate connection method and provides 24/7 assistance through Crisp. If your Wi-Fi or mobile data works but we cannot restore supported apps on a supported device during your coverage, we refund you.
The local advantage
This is not a download-and-disappear VPN subscription. Our China-based team tests the same mainland networks travelers use and provides around-the-clock connection assistance through the Crisp chat in the bottom-right corner.
Choose with the whole trip in mind
International roaming can be a good phone-data fallback. A traditional VPN can be inexpensive. Our connectivity guarantee is built for travelers who need hotel Wi-Fi, a laptop and an accountable recovery plan.
| What matters in China | International roaming | Traditional VPN | Connectivity Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global apps on cellular data | Often available Traffic may route through the home carrier, but behavior depends on the carrier and plan. | Frequently unreliable ExpressVPN, NordVPN and other mass-market services are widely reported failing on mainland networks. | China-focused Managed specifically for supported global apps over a working connection. |
| Hotel and public Wi-Fi | Not covered When the phone or laptop joins local Wi-Fi, it leaves the roaming-data path and mainland restrictions return. | Possible, not dependable A VPN can use Wi-Fi, but its ability to connect in China can change by network and time. | Designed for it Uses working hotel or public Wi-Fi on supported devices. |
| Laptop access | Hotspot required The laptop normally depends on phone tethering; carrier support, battery and data limits still apply. | Apps exist Laptop clients are available, but the same China connection risk remains. | Direct support A supported laptop can use its own working Wi-Fi without keeping a phone hotspot running. |
| Mobile data and phone number | Included by the carrier Keeps the home line and supplies cellular data according to the roaming plan. | Not included Requires separate Wi-Fi, local SIM, eSIM or roaming data. | Not included Complements the Wi-Fi or mobile data you already have; it is not an eSIM. |
| High-speed data and tethering | Plan limits apply High-speed buckets, throttling and hotspot rules vary. Some carriers restrict or charge more for tethering. | Uses your connection Speed depends on both the underlying network and whichever VPN server still connects. | Managed routes Uses your existing connection, with multiple routes available as mainland conditions change. |
| Cost for a two-week trip | Can add up daily Major US carriers currently advertise $12/day options; included benefits vary by plan and country. | Low sticker price Usually a monthly subscription—but the lowest price has little value if it cannot connect. | You control the start Buy the days you need, activate when your trip begins and never enter a recurring subscription. |
| When something breaks in China | Carrier support The carrier can troubleshoot roaming, but not blocked apps on mainland Wi-Fi or a hotel-connected laptop. | Generic support The app, download or help center may itself be unreachable after arrival. | 24/7 China support Open the Crisp chat any time for connection assistance from a team that tests conditions inside China. |
| Reliability promise | No app-access guarantee Coverage and data may be covered; Gmail, WhatsApp or laptop access usually are not. | No China guarantee A standard subscription rarely promises that supported apps will work in mainland China. | Works or refunded If the supported setup cannot be restored while the base connection works, the pass is refunded. |
Carrier prices, coverage, roaming routes and hotspot policies vary. The examples below document common current plan limits; confirm the exact terms of your own carrier before traveling.
Your trip is not a tech project
Use the hotel Wi-Fi, SIM, eSIM or roaming you already have. China Internet Pass keeps the global apps you rely on within reach.
No exact dates required. Your paid clock stays stopped until you activate.
Import your pass and use about 1 GB of Setup Mode without starting your paid days.
One tap starts your consecutive 24-hour coverage. It cannot be paused after activation.
Know what you are buying
You still need working Wi-Fi or mobile data. The pass is designed to help that connection reach global services that may otherwise be unavailable on a mainland network.
Professional trip protection
No need to predict exact travel dates. Choose how many consecutive days you want protected, set everything up before your trip, then activate with one tap.
Two private connection methods, monitored from China, with 24/7 human connection assistance through Crisp.
Example pass prices
Plan the whole connection
They solve different layers of the problem. Read the practical guide before choosing your setup for China.
Straight answers
No. It does not include cellular data. It is an access layer that uses a working Wi-Fi, local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming connection.
Before you travel. Installing and confirming your setup at home avoids unnecessary friction after you arrive in China.
No. Buy the number of protected days you need. Your paid time starts only when you tap Activate in the dashboard; once started, it runs continuously and cannot be paused.
Device access is not sold as an add-on or pricing tier. Our current setup guides and support cover iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android.
It is designed to work over either, provided the underlying connection itself has internet access.
A China-based network testing and support team continuously checks route quality from inside the mainland network, maintains alternatives as conditions change and helps travelers recover supported access.
Yes. During an active pass, 24/7 connection assistance is available from our China-based team. Open the Crisp chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of any page and tell us what is not connecting.
The service is designed around common global communication and work apps. Streaming, banking, corporate-managed devices and apps with their own location rules may behave differently.
If your underlying Wi-Fi or mobile data works, your device and app are supported, and we cannot restore supported-app access during the active pass, the pass is refunded. It does not cover an offline hotel network, no cellular signal, unsupported devices or apps with their own location restrictions.
No. If ordinary mainland websites also fail to load, the underlying network must be restored first.
China Internet Pass
Choose your number of days, confirm your setup before departure and activate only when your trip begins.
Make sure I stay connected