Before your trip, it helps to know that getting online and getting your verification texts are two separate things. A data plan gets you on the internet. It doesn’t give you a Chinese (+86) phone number, and it doesn’t forward texts sent to your home number. So plan for each one on its own.
Internet in China: choose a SIM or eSIM and keep your number
PLANNING A TRIP?
Take this into a trip
Start with a destination or a question. Nothing is added to your plan without your review.
Plan your China tripPick how you’ll connect before you fly
You have three main options. Here’s what to check for each:
Choose a connection before departure
| Option | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|
| Roaming with your home carrier | Does it cover mainland China? How much data do you get? Can you still receive texts? What do calls and data cost? |
| Travel eSIM | Does it work with your exact phone model? Is your phone carrier-locked? When does the plan’s validity start? Which destinations are covered? Are calls, texts, or hotspot included? |
| Mainland Chinese SIM | Do any of your bookings require a +86 number? If so, bring your passport to a carrier’s service center to register. |
Using a travel eSIM? Double-check your phone’s exact model and the region where it was sold, since some phones don’t support eSIMs from other carriers. If the plan allows it, install the eSIM before you leave, while you’re on reliable Wi-Fi. Then follow the activation steps carefully: buying the plan, installing it, and the start of your validity period don’t always happen at the same time.
Keep your home number for bank codes
Your bank and other apps will probably keep texting codes to your usual number, so don’t switch it off.
If your phone can run two lines at once:
- Set the travel line for data.
- Keep your home line on so you can still receive texts.
- Turn off data roaming on your home line if you’re using a separate data plan. This helps you avoid surprise charges.
It’s also worth asking your home carrier what they charge for texts and calls abroad. One tip: “roaming” for calls and texts and “data roaming” are usually separate settings, so check both.
Make sure your must-have apps will work
On regular mainland networks, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, and several other familiar services are blocked. If you rely on any of them, ask your roaming or eSIM provider whether they’ll work on your plan.
Before you leave home, download the local apps you’ll need and save important addresses and documents to your phone. Airport Wi-Fi is fine as a backup, but don’t count on it as your only way to get going when you land.
Something stopped working on hotel Wi-Fi? Switch back to your travel data and try again. When you’re on Wi-Fi, you’re using the hotel’s internet, and your eSIM doesn’t change what that network allows.
Do a quick test when you land
- Turn off Wi-Fi and open a webpage using mobile data.
- Request a verification code to your home number.
If the page loads but the code doesn’t arrive, make sure your home line is still switched on and that the service has your correct number. If a booking only accepts a +86 number, you’ll need a mainland SIM, or you can ask staff whether there’s another way to book.
Check out how to paying in China with a foreign card.
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