Twenty minutes at home saves an hour at the airport. Installing is not the same as activating — most "it doesn't work" cases are one of four settings people never change after landing.
Check your phone supports eSIM → buy a China plan → install it on home wi-fi → after landing, switch mobile data to it and turn data roaming on for that line. Do not delete the eSIM profile, even after your trip.
iPhone XS and newer, Pixel 3+, Galaxy S20+ and most flagship Androids from 2018 on qualify — but a contract-locked phone will reject a travel eSIM. Check with your carrier before you fly; you can't fix this at the airport. (Type *#06# in the dialler: an EID number means eSIM is supported.)
"Asia" and "China" are not the same plan — some regional plans exclude the mainland. Install on your home wi-fi before departure: once inside China, the eSIM shops and your email may be unreachable, so you can't reliably buy or receive the QR then. Follow the exact steps your provider emails you — the menu path differs by phone, so their own guide beats any generic map.
In cellular settings pick the eSIM as mobile data, keep your home SIM as the default for calls/SMS (that's how bank codes still reach you), and switch data roaming ON for the eSIM line. This last one is the single most common cause of "installed but no internet". Then restart the phone if needed.
Buy and install before you board. A travel eSIM routes your data through an overseas gateway (Hong Kong or Singapore), so Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail work without a VPN — that's the whole point, and it's why a travel eSIM beats a local Chinese SIM for most visitors. Most plans start counting from the moment you first connect in China, so don't activate early.
Ready to buy? The provider comparison and "Go to site" buttons now live on the Connect page — pick a plan there, then come back here for the install steps.
| Option | What you get | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Local SIM at the airport | China Mobile / China Unicom counter (passport required), from about ¥50 for 7 days. Gives you a real +86 number for calls and SMS. | Traffic sits behind the Great Firewall — Google, WhatsApp and Gmail are blocked unless you add a VPN. Best if you need to receive Chinese SMS (Didi, Meituan, some apps). |
| Home-carrier roaming | Your existing SIM just works; no new setup. Some plans also route outside the firewall. | Usually the most expensive. Check your bank's foreign-transaction fee and roaming rate before you rely on it. |
| Portable Wi-Fi device | Rent a pocket Wi-Fi (e.g. 漫游宝 / 漫游超人) and share one connection across the group. | One more device to charge and carry; same firewall rule as a local SIM unless the rental routes overseas. |
Rule of thumb: a travel eSIM if you just need data and want Google / WhatsApp — a local SIM if you must receive Chinese SMS or call locally. For a short Shenzhen transit, the eSIM is the easier win.
Confirm the eSIM is the selected data line → data roaming ON for that line → toggle airplane mode → restart. This fixes most cases.
Turn off "Automatic Data Switching" — the phone is falling back to your home SIM when the signal dips.
Enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code manually, or contact the vendor. A QR binds to one device; if you deleted the profile, many vendors can't reissue it — so don't delete it.
Once installed, the profile is bound to that device. Deleting it usually means it cannot be re-downloaded or moved to another phone — even if you haven't used your data. Switch the line off instead of deleting it.
Connected? Next job is paying for things. You can't bind a payment app without data, and data alone won't buy you a bottle of water. Go to binding a foreign card to Alipay and WeChat, or back to the connection overview if you're deciding between eSIM, SIM and roaming.