April 2026: Complete Guide to Blocked Services in China

I spent five years living and working as a software engineer in Shanghai, and those years taught me more about digital freedom than I ever expected. From navigating the Great Firewall daily to helping colleagues stay connected with family abroad, I learned firsthand which services work in China—and which ones simply don't. As someone who lived through the rapid changes in China's internet landscape, I want to share what I've learned so you can prepare better than I did.

Why China blocks these services

Before diving into the specific services, it's important to understand the "Great Firewall"—China's massive system of internet censorship and surveillance. During my time in Shanghai, I watched how the government blocks foreign websites and services to control information flow and promote domestic alternatives. The stated reasons include national security, protection of local businesses, and content regulation. In reality, it's about maintaining control over what Chinese citizens see and share. The blocks aren't random—they're strategic, designed to push users toward government-approved platforms like WeChat, Douyin (Chinese TikTok), and Baidu.

Categorized list of blocked services in April 2026

📱 Social Media & Messaging

This was probably the most frustrating category during my five years in China. I couldn't use the apps I'd grown up with:

• WhatsApp – Completely blocked. I remember calling my family in the US and having to explain why I couldn't text them through WhatsApp anymore
• Facebook – Has been blocked since 2009. Even checking my account required a VPN
• Instagram – Blocked. I missed seeing what friends were doing, though WeChat Moments became my substitute
• Twitter/X – Completely inaccessible. I had to use VPN to follow news from journalists I trusted
• Telegram – Blocked as of 2015. I used it with a VPN for privacy when discussing sensitive topics
• Signal – Also blocked. Privacy-focused apps aren't welcome in mainland China
• Discord – Blocked. Gaming communities had to migrate to QQ and DingTalk
• LINE – Blocked, which was especially problematic when working with Japanese partners
• Snapchat – Blocked. Younger colleagues had to resort to using Douyin
• Pinterest – Blocked. I couldn't save design inspiration during work projects
• Reddit – Blocked. I lost access to communities I relied on for technical discussions
• Clubhouse – Blocked within weeks of its popularity surge. I tried using it once with a VPN before deciding it wasn't worth the hassle
• TikTok International – Blocked (though the Chinese version, Douyin, is everywhere)

🔍 Google Services (All Blocked)

As a software engineer in Shanghai, this hurt the most. Google's entire ecosystem was inaccessible:

• Google Search – I had to learn Baidu and Sogou, which took months to get comfortable with
• Gmail – Blocked. I used Outlook and163 Mail instead
• Google Maps – Completely unusable. Baidu Maps and Amap became my navigation tools
• Google Drive – Blocked. I relied on OneDrive with a VPN for cloud storage
• Google Photos – I switched to local backup and Alibaba Photos
• YouTube – No access without VPN. I watched technical tutorials with a VPN connection running
• Google Play Store – Blocked. I used local app stores like Huawei AppGallery and Xiaomi GetApps
• Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets – All inaccessible, forcing me to use local alternatives

📺 Video & Music Streaming

Entertainment was particularly challenging during those five years:

• YouTube – The most noticeable absence. I felt isolated from global pop culture
• Netflix – Blocked. iQIYI and Tencent Video became my streaming platforms
• Hulu – Blocked
• Disney+ – Blocked
• Spotify – Blocked. QQ Music dominated the market instead
• Twitch – Blocked. Chinese gamers used Douyu and Huya instead
• Vimeo – Blocked
• SoundCloud – Blocked
• Niconico – Blocked, frustrating my Japanese colleagues
• Abema TV – Blocked

📰 News & Information

During my time in Shanghai and when I traveled to Beijing and Shenzhen for work, accessing international news was a constant struggle:

• BBC – Blocked completely
• The New York Times – Blocked
• The Wall Street Journal – Blocked (though some articles were accessible through VPN)
• Bloomberg – Blocked
• Wikipedia – Entirely blocked. I had to use cached versions or VPN for research

💻 Work & Developer Tools

As a software engineer, this category was professionally frustrating:

• GitHub – Intermittently accessible, but connections dropped frequently. I remember long evenings waiting for repositories to load properly
• Slack – Blocked. We used DingTalk for team communication instead
• Notion – Blocked. We used local alternatives like Wolai
• Dropbox – Blocked. I relied on Baidu Netdisk for file sharing
• OneDrive – Technically accessible but extremely slow; required VPN for reliable access

🇯🇵 Japanese Services

Given China's relationship with Japan and my work interactions with Japanese partners, these blocks were particularly inconvenient:

• LINE – Completely blocked, making communication with my Japanese colleagues difficult
• Yahoo Japan – Partially blocked; some functions worked but many didn't
• Mercari – Payment functionality blocked, though the site itself sometimes loaded

🔍 Other Search & Tools

• DuckDuckGo – Blocked
• Bing International – Blocked (though Bing.com China works with limited functionality)
• Yahoo – Blocked

Hong Kong & Macau exception

One of the most interesting discoveries during my five years was visiting Hong Kong. The "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement means that Hong Kong and Macau operate under different rules. When I traveled to Hong Kong for a weekend getaway, I could suddenly access YouTube, Facebook, and Google without any VPN. It was like stepping into a different internet. The same applied to Macau. These special administrative regions maintain their own internet infrastructure and aren't subject to mainland China's Great Firewall. If you're traveling through the region, you'll notice the dramatic difference immediately.

Transit through Chinese airports

Here's something I learned the hard way: if you're flying through Chinese airports—whether it's Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, Shenzhen Bao'an, or Guangzhou Baiyun—be prepared for limited internet access. Airlines like Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Hainan Airlines offer airport WiFi, but here's the catch: it requires registration with a Chinese phone number. I remember being stuck in Beijing Capital Airport for a layover, unable to access my email or check my flight status because I didn't have a mainland Chinese SIM card. This is something international travelers often don't expect.

How I survived: VPN setup

Let me be completely honest: without a VPN, those five years in Shanghai would have been miserable. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server outside of China, effectively bypassing the Great Firewall.

From my personal experience, I recommend these providers:

• NordVPN – I used this for most of my time in China. It was reliable and fast, though speeds varied depending on the time of day. Their customer support was helpful when I had connection issues
• Surfshark – I switched to this in my later years. It offered unlimited simultaneous connections, which was perfect since I often needed VPN access on multiple devices
• ExpressVPN – Another solid option. It's more expensive but offered the fastest speeds I experienced

Here's my honest assessment: all three services have their ups and downs in China. Connection stability can be unpredictable depending on what the government is blocking on any given week. Chinese authorities actively work to detect and block VPN traffic, so even the best providers occasionally struggle.

From my experience, I'd suggest rotating between two different VPN providers. If one gets blocked or slowed down, you have a backup ready.

Critical: Install VPN before entering China

This is the most important advice I can give you based on five years of experience: install your VPN before you arrive in China. This was my biggest mistake when I first moved to Shanghai. I thought I'd set it up once I got there, but the VPN provider's website was already blocked when I arrived. I had to ask a friend to download it on a USB drive for me—not ideal.

Download your VPN application and set it up completely before crossing the border. Make sure you have an active subscription. Test it from your home country to ensure it works properly. This will save you enormous frustration.

Also, keep in mind that while VPNs are widely used in China, they technically exist in a legal gray area. The government has been cracking down on unauthorized VPN use. Use your VPN responsibly and avoid accessing content that could be considered politically sensitive.

Conclusion

Living in China for five years taught me that digital freedom is something many of us take for granted. The Great Firewall isn't just a technical obstacle—it's a fundamental part of life in mainland China that affects how you work, communicate, and stay informed. Whether you're planning to move to Shanghai like I did, visit Beijing for business, or spend time in Guangzhou or Shenzhen, understanding these restrictions will help you prepare better than I did.

The blocked services won't change anytime soon. But with proper preparation—especially installing a VPN before arrival—you can maintain the digital life you're accustomed to. Just remember: the internet you know and love is still there; you'll just need the right tools to access it.