What works in mainland China — 2026 GFW availability list
Updated 2026-04-24
TL;DR
Mainland China is one of the most closed internet markets in the world — Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp and nearly every major Western service are hard-blocked by the Great Firewall (GFW). Local alternatives include Tencent Video, iQIYI, Youku, NetEase Music and QQ Music. Reaching overseas services requires a VPN tool, which is itself constantly targeted by GFW. AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) face double-blocking: GFW outbound plus OpenAI/Anthropic's own China-IP rejection.
✓ Available
iqiyi
Domestic version, mainstream in China
youku
Alibaba-owned, domestic
kimi
Moonshot AI, locally available
bybit
User base exists, legal gray zone
okx
Originated as OKEx, Chinese founders
binance
Gray, VPN needed for signup
tokenpocket
Decentralized wallet
pixiv
Sometimes directly reachable
linkedin
CN edition shut 2021, intl needs VPN
claude
Needs VPN + overseas phone number
chatgpt
Needs VPN, OpenAI double-blocks CN
gemini
Needs VPN, Google fully blocked
spotify
Needs VPN, no official support
netflix
Requires VPN to exit GFW
✗ Not available / Restricted
facebook
GFW hard block since 2009
instagram
Blocked since 2014
x
Blocked since Twitter era
whatsapp
Fully blocked since 2017
youtubepremium
Google ecosystem all blocked
disneyplus
Never entered mainland market
discord
Blocked by GFW
telegram
Blocked since 2015
Tips
Inside mainland China, VPN node selection is the make-or-break factor. Pick residential-IP nodes — datacenter IPs get flagged hardest by streaming services. For protocol, prefer Trojan, Shadowsocks-2022, VLESS+Reality, or Hysteria2; avoid plain V2Ray since GFW DPI catches it easily. China Mobile / Telecom / Unicom international routes vary in quality across times of day. Note that AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude) double-block: even after escaping the GFW, the service rejects China-linked accounts, so you need an overseas phone (virtual numbers often get banned) plus a clean residential IP. During major holidays or sensitive periods GFW tightens — tools breaking is the norm; keep multiple backup setups ready.