What VPN for China Weekly status

VPN Not Working in China? What to Try, in Order

VPNs in China fail all the time, even good ones. Most of the time you can get back online in a few minutes by working through the steps below in order.

Updated

Try these fixes in order

  1. Switch to the provider's stealth or obfuscated protocol (Astrill StealthVPN, Surfshark NoBorders, Proton Stealth, ExpressVPN Lightway TCP). Default WireGuard and OpenVPN are easy for the firewall to spot.
  2. Change server. Try Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea or US West. A server that worked yesterday can be blocked today.
  3. Change network. Switch between hotel Wi-Fi and mobile data. Some hotel and office networks block more aggressively.
  4. Fully quit and reopen the app, or turn airplane mode on and off to get a fresh connection.
  5. Update the app if you can. Providers push new versions to get around fresh blocks, but you may need a working connection to download them.
  6. Switch to your backup VPN. This is why you should always carry two.
  7. Use mobile data on a roaming SIM or international eSIM. That traffic usually exits outside China, so you may not need a VPN at all.

Why it suddenly stopped working

The Great Firewall blocks the IP addresses of known VPN servers and uses deep packet inspection to detect VPN protocols. Blocking is tightened around politically sensitive dates, especially early March, early June and early October, and big events can bring days of disruption even for the best providers.

If every VPN you have stops at once, it is usually a temporary crackdown rather than a problem with your setup. Mobile data on a roaming SIM is the best fallback while it lasts.

What does not help

  • Downloading a new VPN app inside China. Provider websites are blocked and VPN apps are removed from Chinese app stores.
  • Free VPN apps. They are almost always blocked and some are unsafe.
  • Connecting to servers far away, such as Europe. They are usually slower and no more likely to get through.

Questions

Why does my VPN connect but nothing loads?
The firewall may be throttling the connection rather than blocking it outright. Switch protocol and server, then try a different network. If pages still do not load, move to your backup VPN.
Is my VPN blocked in China permanently?
Usually not. Providers built for China regularly rotate servers and update their apps. Outages during sensitive periods often last days, not weeks. Check our weekly status page for current reports.

Related guides