Does Google Drive work in China?
No. Google Drive has been blocked in mainland China since 2014, and the block covers Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Google Photos with it. Files won't open, edits won't sync, and photo backup silently stops, on hotel wifi too. Everything works normally in Hong Kong and Macau. On the mainland you need a VPN or a roaming eSIM, set up before you arrive.
What actually happens when you try
Drive opens and lists your files from cache, then every tap on a document spins until it fails. Docs shows "Trying to connect" in the header forever. Google Photos is the quiet one: it doesn't fail loudly, it just stops backing up, and you find out two weeks later that the whole trip is only on the phone you dropped in the Yangtze.
The practical damage isn't the block itself, it's what you keep in there: the shared itinerary, the train tickets you saved as PDFs, the spreadsheet with the hotel confirmation numbers, the client deck you need on Tuesday. Every one of those is unreachable from the moment you land.
What to do before you fly
- Export the trip. Save tickets, confirmations, and the itinerary to the iPhone Files app or Apple Notes. Both work offline and iCloud syncs in China.
- Turn on Docs offline for anything you'll need to edit. It has to be enabled while you still have Google access; edits sync when you're back on a working connection.
- iCloud Photos works in China for foreign Apple IDs, so if you shoot on an iPhone your backup continues. Google Photos will catch up when you leave.
- Colleagues' shared links to Drive files will fail for you all trip. Ask for attachments instead, or get the VPN.
How to get Drive back: two real options
Option 1: a VPN, installed before you fly. With a working VPN, Drive, Docs, and Photos backup all behave normally. Syncing a photo library needs a connection that stays up for hours, which is where Traveler's VPN earns its keep: a private server with an IP only you use, instead of a shared exit that censors have already blocklisted, and smart routing that sends Google through the tunnel while WeChat, Didi, and local maps stay direct.
Option 2: a travel eSIM. Roaming data exits through Hong Kong or Singapore, so Drive works on cellular without a VPN, at about $4/day. A full photo backup over metered roaming data is not something you want, and the fix stops the moment you join hotel wifi. Most travelers run both: eSIM for the street, VPN for the hotel.
The one that bites: if your Google Authenticator backup codes live in a Google Doc, you have a circular dependency. Print them or move them to Apple Notes before you fly.
Frequently asked
Does Google Photos back up in China?
Not without a VPN. Backup pauses silently and resumes when you next reach a working connection. iCloud Photos keeps working in China for foreign Apple IDs, so an iPhone shooter isn't stuck.
Can I use Google Docs offline in China?
Yes, if you enabled offline access for those documents before you lost Google access. Edits are stored locally and sync when you reach a working connection or a VPN.
Does iCloud Drive work in China?
Yes. Apple operates in China, and foreign Apple IDs sync normally. The Files app with iCloud Drive is the easiest place to stash travel documents before you fly.
Does Google Drive work in Hong Kong or Macau?
Yes, normally, with no VPN. The Great Firewall applies to mainland China only.
