Using TikTok in China and Hong Kong
China does not block TikTok — TikTok refuses Hong Kong and Chinese addresses itself, so a travel eSIM cannot open it. Here is what actually works.
Quick answer
- Our China eSIMs come out in Hong Kong, so Google, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube work without a VPN — but TikTok stopped serving Hong Kong addresses in 2020, so it opens to a black screen.
- No travel eSIM package fixes this, because the restriction is TikTok's, not the network's.
- What works: roam on your Thai SIM only while using TikTok, run a VPN over the eSIM, or hold the posts until the next country.
Why Google works but TikTok does not
An app sees your connection by the address where the data reaches the internet, not by the tower your phone is on. Our China eSIMs are roaming profiles: the phone uses Chinese towers, but the data goes back out to the internet in Hong Kong, so mainland China's filtering never touches it. That is why Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook and LINE work with no VPN.
TikTok is the exception for a different reason. In July 2020 TikTok withdrew from Hong Kong after the security law took effect, and since then the app refuses connections from Hong Kong addresses: the feed stays empty or black. In mainland China TikTok has never operated at all; Douyin, a separate app from the same company, takes its place. In both cases it is TikTok's decision, not a network block.
| Package | Google, IG, WhatsApp, YouTube | TikTok | Chinese banking apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| China eSIM (Hong Kong exit) | Work, no VPN | Black screen | Some reject a foreign address |
| China eSIM nonhkip (Chinese address) | Blocked without a VPN | Not available | Work |
| Hong Kong eSIM | Work, no VPN | Black screen | Not relevant |
| Thai SIM on roaming | Work | Works (Thai address) | Some reject it |
What each package can open in mainland China and Hong Kong
Option 1: roam on your Thai SIM only while TikTok is open
A Thai SIM on roaming sends its data home first, so TikTok sees a Thai address and works normally. It is the simplest option and needs nothing installed, but roaming data costs far more, so keep the eSIM as your main data line and switch to the Thai SIM only while TikTok is open.
- 1Buy a roaming pack from your Thai operator before you leavePrices and allowances differ a lot by operator; check AIS, True or dtac directly and pick a pack that covers both China and Hong Kong if you visit both.
- 2Make the eSIM your default data lineiPhone: Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data › choose the eSIM. Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › choose the SIM for mobile data.
- 3Turn off "Allow Cellular Data Switching"Left on, the phone may quietly fall back to the Thai SIM when the eSIM signal drops and run up roaming charges.
- 4Switch data to the Thai SIM for TikTok, then switch backThe switch takes a few seconds. Close TikTok and switch back to the eSIM right away so other apps do not eat roaming data.
Option 2: run a VPN over the eSIM
A VPN makes TikTok see your connection as coming from the country of the VPN server. Pick a server in Thailand, Singapore, Japan or any country TikTok serves and the app works normally on our eSIM, using the data you already bought, with no roaming charge.
- Install and sign in to the VPN before you reach mainland China; many VPN websites and store listings are unreachable from inside China
- On a Hong Kong-exit eSIM the VPN connects normally, because the connection never passes China's filtering
- Mainland China restricts unauthorised VPN use; using one there is your own call. Hong Kong has no such restriction
- A VPN uses a little more data and slows video slightly; switch it off when TikTok is closed
Option 3: prepare before, post after
If you would rather not pay for roaming or set up a VPN, record clips to the phone and upload them from the next country or from home. Drafts saved inside TikTok will not open while you are in China or Hong Kong, so save to the camera roll instead.
What does not help
- Buying a nonhkip China package: it uses a Chinese address, where TikTok does not operate, and Google and Instagram get blocked on top
- Installing Douyin instead: a different app with different content, and it usually needs a Chinese number to register
- Changing your App Store region or TikTok account country: TikTok decides by the connection's address, not the account's country
FAQ
Do Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts work?+
Yes, on a Hong Kong-exit China eSIM and on a Hong Kong eSIM: both services serve Hong Kong addresses normally.
I am also going to Taiwan, Japan or Korea — what about TikTok there?+
It works normally. TikTok operates in those countries, and our eSIMs for them do not exit via Hong Kong.
What about an Asia or Global package that covers China?+
It also escapes China's filtering because it roams, but the supplier does not say which country its traffic exits in, so we cannot promise TikTok on it. Plan on option 1 or 2 to be safe.
TikTok did open on my Hong Kong eSIM — why?+
TikTok sometimes shows cached content or opens briefly before it detects the Hong Kong address. Do not rely on it for the whole trip.
Sources
- TikTok to exit Hong Kong market within days — Reuters, September 8, 2026