How to Use Google in China: Unblock the Great Firewall!

Google has become an integral part of so many people’s lives in most of the western world. Many of them may not even realize how they need Google for not only search, but also for:

• Gmail
• Google Docs
• Google Play
• Google Maps

And still more, I even left Google-owned Youtube off that list! If you want to use Google in China, or anything they manage, you’ll find yourself blocked. This is because the Chinese government has decided to censor as much of the west’s content as possible.

This censorship applies equally to all those in China, and those visiting China. The Great Firewall of China, which blocks many web properties including Google in China, doesn’t care what your passport says. If you’re in China, they’re blocking all Google products.

This article will help you use all Google products in China. You’ll be back to using your Gmail, downloading from the Google Play store, and watching YouTube clips in no time!

Using Google owned websites in China

Google’s first and foremost use is as a search engine. This is where they got their start, and it’s still the most widely used of all the Google products. The Chinese government wants to restrict access to information within China. Blocking a tool built specifically to provide access to information, and replacing it with their own heavily censored Baidu, was the obvious thing to do. Well, for their evil goals, at least.

With Baidu working hard to censor information, and with Google already censored, doing any of the web searching you’re use to is nearly impossible. This is why it’s so important for you to figure out a way to use Google in China before you arrive.

How to unblock Google in China

The easiest, and surest, way to unblock Google entities in China is with a VPN. A VPN is able to do two things to make this happen:

1. It encrypts all of your Internet traffic. The Great Firewall of China can not block Google if it can’t ‘see’ that you’re visiting Google.
2. Your IP address is hidden. You can change your IP address from being within China, to being within any country the VPN provider has them for. This helps you bypass any censorship done by other nations on behalf of, or under pressure by, China.

With a VPN in place, you’re free to experience the Internet from within China the same as you would from outside. And you can use Google without a problem! Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Chinese people are doing this. Thousands more of visitors are doing it as well. You need to install a VPN for China if you’re planning on spending any time there!

When is the best time to install the VPN

To make life easier, you need to install the VPN before arriving in China. This is because once you’re inside China the Great Firewall actually blocks the websites of many top VPN providers.

There is also the issue of wanting to install a VPN for mobile on your phone …but the Google Play store is blocked in China! This makes it so you can’t download a VPN app from there. Getting this done BEFORE your trip to China is so important. Read our list of the best VPN providers in China right now and download one that best meets all of your needs!

What to do after installing your VPN

Without your VPN turned on you’re just as vulnerable to the censorship of Google as anyone else in China. You need to connect to a server. I’d suggest connecting using the highest level of encryption possible – usually OpenVPN for most providers – and connecting to a server nearby.

You can connect to another server within Asia. A few even have servers within less heavily controlled Hong Kong with IP address cloaking built right into them for foreign countries. Either way, connect to the VPN, choose a country without censorship, and enjoy using Google products as per usual.

What is our favorite VPN provider for China?

Our choice for the top VPN in China matches our choice for the best VPN overall: IPVanish. They have over 50 nearby servers, exceptional encryption levels, and a connection which never, ever seems to drop.

IPVanish will serve you well while you’re in China, or in any other country you choose to visit or live in. Unblock Google, enjoy all of your favorite Google products, and watch Youtube videos before heading to China by reading our review of IPVanish now!

 

Feature image via Alex Millos / Shutterstock