Websites Blocked in China 2026: The Complete List
By ChinaPal AI Team · Updated August 2026
Traveling to China? Here's every major website and app that's blocked by the Great Firewall — and more importantly, what you can use instead.
Bottom line: You don't need a VPN for everything. ChinaPal AI is a translator that works in China without any VPN.
Search & Email
ServiceStatusAlternative
Google SearchBlockedBing (works!), Baidu, DuckDuckGo (intermittent)
GmailBlockedOutlook, Yahoo Mail (both work)
Google MapsBlockedApple Maps, Amap (高德地图)
Google TranslateBlockedChinaPal AI (no VPN needed), Baidu Translate
Google DriveBlockedOneDrive, Dropbox (sometimes works)
Social Media
ServiceStatusAlternative
FacebookBlockedWeChat (微信), Weibo (微博)
InstagramBlockedXiaohongshu / RED (小红书)
X (Twitter)BlockedWeibo (微博)
YouTubeBlockedBilibili (哔哩哔哩), Youku (优酷)
TikTokBlockedDouyin (抖音) — Chinese version
RedditBlockedZhihu (知乎), Baidu Tieba
DiscordBlockedWeChat groups, QQ
TelegramBlockedWeChat
WhatsAppMostly blockedWeChat (essential in China)
SlackIntermittentWeChat Work, Lark/Feishu
LinkedInShut down in ChinaMaimai (脉脉)
SnapchatBlocked—
PinterestIntermittentXiaohongshu (小红书)
Productivity & Tools
ServiceStatusAlternative
Google Docs/SheetsBlockedMicrosoft 365 online, Feishu/Lark
DropboxIntermittentOneDrive, Baidu Wangpan
NotionIntermittentFeishu Docs, Yuque (语雀)
GitHubMostly worksGitee (码云) as backup
SlackIntermittentWeChat Work
ZoomWorksTencent Meeting (腾讯会议)
SkypeBlockedWeChat video call
Streaming & Entertainment
ServiceStatusAlternative
NetflixBlockediQIYI (爱奇艺), Tencent Video, Youku
SpotifyBlockedQQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music
TwitchBlockedHuya (虎牙), Douyu (斗鱼)
Disney+Blocked—
HBO MaxBlocked—
News & Information
ServiceStatus
BBCBlocked
CNNIntermittent
New York TimesBlocked
ReutersIntermittent
BloombergIntermittent
WikipediaIntermittent (Chinese version blocked)
What Actually Works in China (Without VPN)
Good news — not everything is blocked. These all work reliably:
Apple services: iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Maps, iCloud (mostly)
Microsoft: Bing, Outlook, Office 365, Teams
Yahoo (mail works)
Skype was blocked in 2017
Zoom (works for international calls)
Steam (gaming, mostly works)
Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda (booking sites mostly work)
ChinaPal AI — translation tool designed to work in China, try it free
✓ No VPN Required
Need a Translator That Works in China?
ChinaPal AI runs in your browser — no VPN, no app, no Google services needed.
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Essential Apps to Download BEFORE You Arrive
WeChat — messaging, payments, everything
Alipay — mobile payments (link foreign Visa/Mastercard)
Didi — ride-hailing (Chinese Uber)
ChinaPal AI — bookmark aihubai.cn/translate.html for translation
Apple Maps or download offline maps in advance
A VPN as backup (don't rely on it fully — many get blocked)
VPN: The Honest Truth
Many VPNs don't work reliably in China. The Great Firewall actively detects and blocks VPN traffic. Free VPNs are especially unreliable and may compromise your data. Paid options like Astrill, ExpressVPN, and LetsVPN work intermittently, but there's no guarantee.
Our recommendation: Download a VPN before arriving (you can't download them once in China), but don't rely on it for critical needs like translation. Use tools built to work without a VPN as your primary option.
ChinaPal AI — Translation that works in China. Try it free · $4.99 Trip Pass
Traveling to China? ChinaPal AI is an AI translator that works in China without a VPN. No app download needed.
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