Will Your Facebook App Work If You Travel To China?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Yes, Facebook is blocked in China

. Users who attempt to access the website from the mainland will be greeted with an error page.

Can foreigners use Facebook in China?

Facebook has more than 2.8 billion monthly active users worldwide, but

virtually no footprint in China

. 1 That's because the service, the parent company of which is now known as Meta (FB), is banned in that country, along with many other global social media providers.

Can I use Facebook in China with VPN?


The easiest way to use Facebook in China is to install a VPN before you arrive

. Many VPNs have been blocked by the government, so you'll need to be careful to choose a service that works in China. Keep in mind that using non-government-approved VPNs is prohibited by the Chinese government.

Does WhatsApp work in China?

Why is

WhatsApp illegal in China

? WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which is also blocked in China. Since Facebook is unwilling to give the Chinese government permission to moderate and censor messages on WhatsApp, they blocked it. In general, the Chinese government seeks to control the information intake of its citizens.

What social media is allowed in China?

China is the world's biggest social media market, but with access to websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube blocked in the country, most people can only use domestic social media sites such as

Weibo, Renren and YouKu

.

Is Facebook still blocked in China?


Yes, Facebook is blocked in China

. It was first blocked back in 2009 in order to allow the Chinese government to control how its citizens use western social media. Even in 2022, the government continues to crack down on access to “western” media and platforms, continuing to make it harder and harder.

Does messenger work in China?

Can you use in China?

Yes, Messenger can be used in China without problems if you know how

. Both Facebook and Messenger are blocked in China, but you can easily access them by using a VPN that works in China.

Is Google blocked in China?


Google, Facebook and Twitter are all blocked in China due to the country's Great Firewall

. They can usually only be accessed via virtual private networks or VPNs. The Tuber browser has now disappeared from app stores and its website no longer works.

Are VPNs illegal in China?

Officially,

the Chinese government has banned the use of VPNs not approved by the government

(VPNs must provide the government with backdoor access to be approved, which renders them unsecure). However, this law applies to companies and corporations rather than individuals.

How can I open a Chinese Facebook account?

  1. Sign up for a VPN service. …
  2. Follow the instructions for downloading your VPN and launch the application on your preferred device(s).
  3. Log in with your credentials.
  4. Choose which server to connect to.

What websites are blocked in China?

Alexa rank Website URL 1 Google www.google.com drive.google.com hangouts.google.com scholar.google.com 2 YouTube www.youtube.com 4 Facebook www.facebook.com 14 Wikipedia wikipedia.org

What apps are blocked in China?

  • Gmail.
  • Dropbox.
  • Google Apps (Drive, Docs, Calendar, Maps etc.)
  • Microsoft OneDrive.
  • Slack.
  • Google Play (i.e. no downloading Android apps)
  • Hootsuite.

Does China spy on WhatsApp?

The 1.10-minute video warns that “The Chinese use all kinds of platforms to penetrate your digital world. Whatsapp groups are a new way of hacking into your system.

Chinese numbers starting with +86 barge into your groups and start extracting all the data

.”

Is WhatsApp and Facebook available in China?

Yes.

WhatsApp is blocked in China

and has been censored since June of 2017. The app joins a host of other social media platforms that have been blocked in China.

Is TikTok available in China?

Although video-sharing app TikTok was developed by Chinese company Bytedance,

it is not available in China

. Instead users can download a twin app, Douyin, which was also developed by Bytedance. Douyin features restrictions such as blocks on international content and limits on children's usage.

What is China equivalent to Facebook?

Though you might hear it called the “Chinese Facebook,”

WeChat

is actually a “super-app” that doesn't really have an international equivalent. WeChat started out as a messaging app similar to WhatsApp, but WeChat is now the largest Chinese social media platform, and it has become a mainstay in everyday Chinese life.

Is Zoom blocked in China?


No. At the moment, Zoom is not available in China

.

Is YouTube allowed in China?

China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau)

Since then,

YouTube has been inaccessible from Mainland China

. However, YouTube can still be accessed from Hong Kong, Macau, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, specific hotels, and by using a VPN.

Does China use Instagram?

Is Instagram blocked in China?

Yes, Instagram is blocked in China

. It was blocked intermittently starting in 2014 and now it is completely censored. Attempting to access the app from within mainland China will result in an error message saying the feed cannot be refreshed.

Which app works in China?


WeChat (or Weixin 微信)

WeChat is one of the most popular free messaging apps in China and provides many features compared to other social messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger. It has developed into one of the best multi-functional and social networking apps in use today.

Which chat app works China?

China's telecommunications market houses a variety of domestic messaging apps such as

WeChat, QQ, and Momo

that cater to its diverse population of smartphone users. As of December 2021, Tencent's WeChat remained as the most popular messaging app with over one billion monthly active users in the country.

What app is available in China?

Chinese app Rough western equivalent
WeChat


WhatsApp + Facebook

+ much more
Baidu Google Sina Weibo Twitter DouYu Twitch

Is Amazon blocked in China?

Is Amazon Blocked in China? Technically, no.

Amazon isn't blocked in China

.

What do Chinese use instead of Google?


Baidu

FAQs

Baidu is China's largest and most widely used search engine, much like Google in the U.S.

Can tourists use social media in China?

Re: Social Media in China? A Travelers nightmare!

Yes, take a break from social media

and do what travelers used to do before the advent of the internet: enjoy the moment, the day and focus on what's going on around you. Otherwise, get a good, paid VPN.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.