What is stopping your connection?
Start with your existing plan. Check the exact terms and settings before buying a replacement. Never post installation QR codes, passwords or verification codes publicly.
Guidance reviewed 10/15/2026 · Provider and device instructions take priority.
Is my phone compatible and unlocked?
- Find your exact phone model and sales region in Settings. Check it with the manufacturer and your selected provider; models with the same name can differ by region.
- On iPhone, check Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock. Ask the carrier about unlocking if needed. On Android, ask the carrier and check the manufacturer’s instructions.
- An EID or an Add eSIM menu is a useful clue, not confirmation that a particular provider will accept your phone. Wait to buy if either compatibility or unlock status is uncertain.
What should I check before choosing a plan?
- Check the exact plan and variant at checkout: countries, total versus daily data, validity, hotspot allowance, speed restrictions and any top-up rules.
- Confirm the activation trigger and purchase-to-activation deadline. Review refund conditions before scanning or installing the eSIM.
- For an existing plan, ask your provider the same questions. Our selection is a small editorial sample, not a whole-market or lowest-price comparison.
Installation or QR code failed
- Use a stable internet connection and follow the installation email or official app for your exact order. Confirm your model and unlock status.
- Check whether the QR is already installed on this phone. An installation QR can have reuse or device-transfer restrictions; do not repeatedly scan it on other phones.
- Do not delete an installed profile or reset the phone as a first step. Contact the seller with your order and the exact error. Keep QR codes and account details private.
When should I install and activate?
- Read your exact plan’s rules before installation. Some plans start at installation or manual activation, while others start on connection to a covered network.
- Install in advance only when the provider’s instructions allow it. Save the instructions and confirm any deadline after purchase.
- Before arrival, lack of service can be expected if the plan only covers the destination. It does not prove failure or success in China.
Installed, but no mobile data
- Check you are in a covered destination and your purchased plan is active, unexpired and has remaining data. Turn Wi-Fi off for this check.
- In mobile settings, enable the intended SIM and select it for mobile data. Apply data roaming only as instructed for that line; review home-line charges and automatic data switching.
- Try airplane mode off/on or restart once. Use an APN or manual network selection only if your provider supplies the exact values or instructions.
- If the problem remains, use a known connection to contact the seller. Give the order, location, phone model, time and exact error privately; do not delete the profile while waiting.
I cannot receive SMS on my original number
- Keep the original line active if your phone supports using it alongside the data line. Ask your home carrier whether it can receive SMS in China and what charges apply.
- Check signal on the original line, number format and filtered messages. The travel data eSIM does not replace service on your original number.
- For a bank or service code, use that service’s official recovery or alternative verification. Stop repeated code requests if the service asks you to wait; never share a code with support.
Do I need a mainland Chinese number?
- Identify the task: receiving a call, opening an account or receiving a specific service’s SMS. Ask that service which number types it accepts.
- The selected travel eSIMs are data-only and do not provide a mainland number. Keeping your original number for bank SMS is a separate requirement.
- For the selected airport-pickup physical SIM, confirm your SIM slot, exact model, terminal and counter hours before booking. Collection requires age 18+, a valid passport and personal registration; bring an arrival connection. Other local SIMs have their own operator requirements. No number can be promised to pass every service’s verification.
Data works, but an app or work service does not
- First check another ordinary website on the same mobile-data line. Confirm you did not switch back to hotel Wi-Fi or a different SIM.
- Compare the problem with your provider’s exact app-access claims. Website reachability, app login, account eligibility and location restrictions are separate things.
- For work access, check with your company’s IT team before travel. For other app or account problems, contact that service and the connectivity provider. Keep a workable alternative for essential tasks.
Hotspot does not work or becomes slow
- Confirm tethering is allowed on the exact plan and check the separate shared-data limit. Unlimited phone data can still have a small daily hotspot cap.
- Check remaining allowance, fair-use restrictions and the provider’s hotspot settings. Background backups and laptop updates can consume a large allowance.
- Test one device and an ordinary webpage. If it still fails, contact your provider before buying a replacement. Use confirmed Wi-Fi or roaming as a temporary backup.
What should my backup be?
- Confirm your home carrier’s roaming activation method, allowance and charges before departure. Keep it available only if the terms make sense for you.
- Save your hotel address in Chinese, bookings, useful offline maps and provider support details. Ask your hotel about Wi-Fi access rather than assuming you can sign in.
- If your main plan fails, use the confirmed backup to contact support. Pay for a replacement only after checking the problem and new plan’s conditions.
Still stuck?
Use the seller’s support link in your order. Explain what failed, where and when, plus your phone model and steps already tried. Keep your confirmed roaming or Wi-Fi backup available while support checks.
Return to your preparation checklist →