How to Access Google Play Store in China?
Every Android users should be familiar with Google Play Store. This is Google’s official app store and definitely one of the most popular app stores for Android devices. You can get your music, movies, TV, news, books, magazines, apps and games all here downloaded on your phone, tablet, computer or TV instantly. However, Google Play Store is banned in China. China has strict censorship policies, so accessing Google Play Store in China can be difficult. Even if you buy an Android phone in China today, you won’t find the Google Play app store pre-installed on that phone. The block of Google Play Store in China frustrated thousands of expats and visitors in China. They can’t live without the Google Play store because they still need to install new apps or update existing apps during their visit. So, how to access Google Play Store in China? The best solution is using a VPN. With a VPN, users in China can circumvent the Great Firewall of China to escape Internet censorship and access the Internet freely. Find out the best VPN for Google Play Store in China now.
What’s Google Play Store?
Google Play Store is a streamlined Android marketplace that allows you to download apps, games, books and music online. Just as Apple has its App Store, Google has the Google Play Store. It is the cornerstone of Google’s ecosystem of content and has become a critical part of Android. When you purchase a phone, not every service you want is pre-installed on your phone, so you need Google Play Store because it has basically everything that you can buy and use on your Android phone or tablet. Without the Google Play Store, it’s hard for you to get applications like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Few years ago, Google stopped the service in mainland China, because Google can’t agree the China censorship. Then it was difficult to receive Google service like Google Play Store in China now.If you just stay in China for a short period, you might still be able to live without the Google Play store by not installing new apps or updating existing apps during your visit. However, this is going to be a problem for those expats, business people and travelers who live in China for a long time. With Google Play Store being blocked in China, they won’t be able to download things on their devices or update Apps as usual.
To access Google Play Store in China, you need to set up a VPN on your mobile devices to bypass the blocking. The Great Firewall of China, officially known the Golden Shield project, employs a variety of tricks to censor China’s Internet and block access to various foreign websites. Almost all Google services are blacklisted by the government, along with many foreign social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter etc. Therefore, many foreigners in China start to use VPNs to reach sites they routinely need: everything from Gmail and Dropbox to Facebook and Instagram. What’s the best VPN to access Google Play Store in China?
Express VPN is possibly the most popular VPN service in China and it claims to be the fastest VPN in the world. So the VPN is really a perfect choice for you to unblock Google Play Store in China, you are also able to unblock all of Google’s products and services by connecting to one of their 148 VPN server locations worldwide. Access Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Play Store, Google Drive, Google Scholar, Google Photos, and more—no matter where you are in the world with ExpressVPN. Get 35% OFF ExpressVPN Coupon Code for 12 months subscription now!
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Why Google Play Store is Blocked in China?
Living in China and finding the country restricts access to Google Play Store? Purchasing a mobile phone in China but Google Play Store is not pre-installed? That’s because Google Play Store is banned in China. Chinese authorities use ‘The Great Firewall’ to block Google websites including Gmail, Google Search, Google+, Youtube, Google Maps, Google Docs and even Google Play Store which is the most popular app stores for Android users. Google Play Store was banned in China in 2010.
Censorship has long been used in China not only as a tool for information control but for protectionism. It’s widely thought that Google left China because it refused to accede to censorship and thus was banned. But in reality, it was also getting beaten handily by local Android App Stores like Baidu App Store, Huawei App Store, Wandoujia, 91 Mobile Assistant thanks to government support. But fortunately Chinese citizens can easily unblock Google Play Store in China with a VPN service, while keeping secure from the Chinese internet police and the Great Firewall.
What’s a VPN Exactly?
If you are looking for the best VPN to access Google Play Store in China, you should clearly understand what a VPN is first. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is used in most modern companies, universities and other organizations, because it simplifies workflows by connecting groups and individuals to the same network. Essentially, VPN is a way used to add security and privacy to both private and public networks, like WiFi Hotspots and the Internet. A VPN extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Therefore, all data are encrypted and secured from prying eyes. A VPN can give protection against cyber criminals when using low-security networks, such as a public WiFi hotspot. It makes users stay anonymous and untracked on any website from any locations as it protects their privacy by changing their physical location (IP address). With a VPN, you are able to access geo-restricted services and websites like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Line, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora and many others while remaining confident that your privacy is never breached. In addition, you can bypass Internet censorship and gain access to Google services in China with no problems.
How to Choose The Best VPN?
There are plenty of VPN services in the market but selecting the best VPN for unblocking Google Play Store in China is not easy. Considering free VPN usually contains some “traps” that may need you to pay for another thing, or even discloses all your browsing and Internet transactions information to a third party, it is not a good option for you. When choosing a VPN, it is extremely important to take these into consideration:
- Sever Locations: When selecting the best VPN service you should consider the geographic locations of the VPN servers. Why is it so important? Many foreign social media services (Google, WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc) require that you be in a specific geographic location to use their service. For example, if you live in China and want to use Google Play Store on your mobile, choosing a VPN that offers a US server location is highly recommended.
- Encryption & Protocols: Encryption is important because it allows us to secure our data, information and even web traffic so no other party can access its contents. There are essentially two strengths of encryption, 128- and 256-bit, with the latter of the two being the strongest. A VPN protocol determines how your data travels between your computer and the VPN server. Best VPNs always offer OpenVPN, SSTP, L2TP, IPsec, IKEv2, and PPTP protocols.
- Multiple Connections: This refers to the number of devices you can connect to the VPN per account. It saves some major money if you can use it on more than one device, so look for a VPN that allows you to connect to both a home and mobile device, at minimum.
- Compatibility: This one is simple enough. Is their software compatible with your android device? If you want to use Google Play Store in China on your device, first check the VPN website and see if they support all Android devices.
- 24/7 Customer Support: Customer service is always important to an organization because it can help differentiate a company from it competitors. A good VPN service always provides 24/7 customer support giving users uninterrupted, real-time online customer support.
- A Money-Back Guarantee: Since online consumers don’t get to see and hold the physical product before they buy it, a money-back guarantee is quite needed to protect their rights.
If you are still not sure which VPN provider is the best for protecting your privacy and helping you access Google Play Store in China, we offer you a complete 2018 Best VPNs comparison here. Select the one that fits your need.
Best VPNs in 2018 Comparison
| VPN Brands | Key Features | Jurisdiction | # of Connections | Price(USD) | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best-in-class 256-bit AES encryption and 1500+ VPN servers in 94 countries. | British Virgin Islands | 3 Connections | $6.67/Month | Visit Site | |
| 40,000+ shared IPs, 1,000+ VPN servers in 60+ countries. | USA | 5 Connections | $6.49/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 2643 servers in 56 different countries. | Panama | 6 Connections | $3.29/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 70+ global servers Locations. | Switzerland | 3 / 5 Connections | $5.00/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 700+ VPN servers in 34+ countries. | Israel | 3 Connections | $2.49/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 30+ locations and Unlimited bandwidth. | Malaysia | 5 Connections | $4.99/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 750+ VPN servers in 140+ countries. | Hong Kong | 5 Connections | $2.04/ Month ( | Visit Site | |
| Unlimited Bandwidth with 300+ VPN Servers. | Seychelles | 3 Connections | $3.33/Month | Visit Site | |
| Unlimited access to over 200 servers for you to choose from in 69 countries. | Bulgaria | 6 Connections | $4.92/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| Unlimited Bandwidth & 2000+ IPs in 50+ Countries. | USA | 5 Connections | $5.95/Month | Visit Site | |
| Servers in 30+ locations around the globe. | Germany | 1 Connection | $4.99/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| Unlimited and free servers switches in many countries. | Italy | 5 Connections | $4.32/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 3034+ Servers in 28 Countries. | USA | 5 Connections | $2.91/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 28 Servers in 8 Countries. | USA | 3 Connections | $4.19/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 100+ Servers from 47 Countries in 63 locations. | Romania | 1 Connection | $1.10/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| Over 1000 Servers Worldwide. | Romania | 1 Connection | $1.99/Month ( | Visit Site | |
| 46 Cities in 25 Countries, Zero Logs. | USA | 1 Connection | $5.83/Month ( | Visit Site |
Guides on How to Unblock Google Play Store in China:
Step 1. Sign up for a VPN service.
Step 2. Follow the instructions for downloading your VPN and launch the application on your android device.
Step 3. Log in with your credentials and Connect to a server in the country that Google service is available.
Step 4. Open Google Play store and download Apps, music, books freely!
Video on How to Access Google Play Store in China:
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Conclusion:
If you have an Android phone and have been using the Google Play app store, you should know that Google Play is currently not available in China. When you visit China, you will find that you can no longer use this App on your mobile. Although there are many alternatives in China, still many expats prefer Google Play Store instead as its advantages are apparent. Google performs a two tier security checking of all the apps in Google Play Store every 7 days. So, you can be rest assured not to receive any malware/virus in your device. Secondly, you can refund. Thirdly, you can read the user reviews and even browse for the alternative for any app in Google Play Store before downloading. Screenshots are one of the main advantages of downloading from there. You generally can’t have these advantages by installing from unknown sources. Therefore, having a VPN that helps unblock Google Play Store in China is necessary. The Top Recommendation is ExpressVPN – the No.1 Trusted and ultra-fast VPN with 2000+ servers scattered in 148+ countries! ExpressVPN is a favourite VPN provider among power users thanks to its super-speedy connections, which are perfect for unblocking Google Play Store in China.