China's internet is its own world. Google, Gmail, WhatsApp calling and most Western apps are blocked or unreliable, so 'just use my phone' doesn't work the way you expect. The fix is simple: get a local data connection and install the two or three Chinese apps everyone uses. Most travellers are fine within an hour of landing.
In the arrival hall, carrier counters sell tourist SIMs with passport. Data-only or with a number. Staff may speak little English — show them your passport and say 'tourist SIM, data'.
Install an eSIM profile before you leave home (various global eSIM apps sell China plans). No kiosk needed; scan a QR and you're online on landing.
Your home carrier roaming works in China but costs more and can be slow. Fine for a day or two; not for a long trip.
Amap (Gaode) or Baidu Maps for navigation, WeChat for everything, Alipay for pay. Google Maps and WhatsApp are unreliable here. If setup stalls, China On-Call helps on WeChat 13368344745.
No. Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube are blocked or unreliable without a workaround. Use Baidu for search, Amap/Baidu Maps for navigation, and WeChat for communication instead.
Yes. China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom all have arrival-hall counters selling tourist SIMs with a passport. Data plans are cheap; the counter staff may speak limited English.
An eSIM is convenient — buy a China data plan from a global eSIM provider and install it before you fly, so you're online the moment you land. Good if you want to skip the airport kiosk.
Yes. A China-based helper can guide SIM or eSIM setup and app installation live on WeChat, or explain which counter to use at the airport. China On-Call does this on WeChat 13368344745.
Add China On-Call on WeChat — a real person in China who makes the call you can't, then tells you what happened in English.
Go to China On-Call