Some of my Chinese coworkers are hesitant on getting a Pixel because they visit China multiple times a year, which has banned basically every Google service.
How would the phone behave while in China? Also, would the Pixel VPN help?
I’m a Google fan from China and have been using Pixel phones for several years now. It works great, with one caveat:
- You need a reliable VPN or proxy, and then everything works flawlessly.
Additional points:
- Google One VPN is not blocked by the Great Firewall, but it’s not officially supported in China area. So, you can’t use it unless you employ some technical workarounds.
- System updates work normally, and everything runs smoothly as long as you have a dependable VPN or proxy.
- If you need to install Chinese apps, you can do so through the Huawei AppGallery or Oppo App Market. They are safe and reliable sources.
- Some SIM cards from Chinese carriers might not work correctly on Pixel phones. You’ll need to use Shizuku and the Pixel IMS app to activate them.
If you have a good VPN, it’s fine. I travel to China a lot for work and have used Pixels for many years. One thing I cannot comment on well is whether monthly updates work reliably.
I seem to remember there used to be an issue where updates would not trigger as somehow they bypass VPN and as a result became a problem. Unfortunately my last 4 trips all happened in the middle of the month when there was no monthly update to be had.
Also to answer your question about Pixel VPN, no it doesn’t work in China. You need to get a better VPN that works in China.
One thing I really dislike is if you want to be able to integrate with Chinese locals and use local apps, most people sideload APKs since Play Store doesn’t work in China. The major apps like WeChat will download fine, but Meituan, Eleme, Dianping, etc are all sideloaded. I really don’t like that, and am wary of sideloading Chinese apps to my phone. As a result I keep those on my work phone (iPhone) as I prefer getting these apps via an app store. The risk is low–think about how all the Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, etc users get their apps, but I still sleep better knowing my apps come from an official app store. But if you’re not planning to use all the local apps, it may matter less.
My wife traveled to China for several weeks earlier this year and used Pixel 7 with Airalo Asialink esim, no VPN. She had no problem, was able to call using Google Meet and access her gmail.
If you’ve got data via international roaming, rather than a local provider, you’ll usually skip right over the great firewall without needing a VPN.
I’m in china right now with a pixel 8 pro. Everything works fine.
I’ve an esim (nomads) and there’s no need to get a VPN (I got letsvpn just in case but I’m not using it).
I have Google Pixel 9, in China I get “Limited Connection” for WiFi. Maybe its trying to ping “Google.com” and cannot. Anyone have a workaround ?
For the Step 4, Could you please share some details? I am also from China, and I have the same issues, I can’t make calls by using a Pixel6 phone. Thanks!
Can I just use roaming through Verizon with my pixel, or would things still not work? Apps like YouTube, Netflix, Reddit etc? Or is a VPN only necessary on wifi? Appreciate the help, traveling soon for a few weeks to China and not sure what to expect.
I thought the gov. ban all US phones or any foreign phones, that also count Samsung’s?
That’s pretty awesome! I remember buying their esim for my trip to the US in the past.
Does this work? I’ll be visiting china later this month just want to be sure.
check this, it provides full steps: GitHub - kyujin-cho/pixel-volte-patch: Pixel IMS: Rootless replacement for Tensor Pixel VoLTE patch
If you use roaming, you won’t need a VPN as it bypasses the Great Firewall. Chinese carriers are affected by the GFW, so you’ll need a VPN on Wi-Fi.
I found that Verizon’s support in China is not good, and roaming charges are expensive. I would recommend using an eSIM, which is also not filtered by GFW.
You can find more useful information on r/chinalife and r/travelchina.
The government doesn’t ban any mobile phones. You can use any phone you want, but some, like Google Pixel phones, aren’t officially sold in China. This means you’d need to acquire them through unofficial channels, like parallel imports or buying them abroad. Samsung and Apple phones are officially sold in China, but these are Chinese versions (similar to how phones have regional versions for Europe, the US, or Japan). Some people still prefer to use non-Chinese versions, as they often have more features and fewer restrictions. Using these phones is completely legal.