How to Unblock Line in China 2018?
Can you use Line in China? I am from the US and came to China last week. When I first arrived in Shanghai, it was still working, but it failed to work this week. I still receive a notification whenever I receive a message, but the app fails to load to the messages when I open it up. I also don’t receive a verification code when I try to activate an account. Is Line blocked in China? How can I unblock it?
Can’t Use Line in China?
Are you facing restrictions to access the instant messaging and VoIP service in China? Can you use Line normally in China? Line is a Japanese instant messaging application released in 2011 after the Tohoku earthquake. It offers texts, images, video and audio messages, VoIP conversations, and video conferences. The bunny, bear, frog and duck characters that started out as messaging stickers on Line’s app have turned into a lucrative merchandising and licensing opportunity in Asia. You can communicate with your loved one via Line on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS x, BlackBerry and Nokia Asha etc. However, you can’t use this application if you are located in mainland China. Both the great firewall and the Line cooperation have blocked it from being employed in China. You know what? That does not stop Line from being famous in China. It is one of those companies who have taken over the most of the Chinese local markets with their character soft toys, t-shirts imprinted with these characters and much more. Just like the CEO of the Line Corporation stated, the cute characters of the Line chat app are completely perfect to reside in Chinese market. The problem is China does not allow it to enter its market. The Chinese government created the Great Firewall of China to block everything they consider as a threat. In order to unblock Line in China, you need to bypass the strict Internet censorship with a powerful VPN.
Why is Line Blocked in China?
Why is this popular chat app blocked by this big country? Line is blocked for the same reason why most famous apps are blocked. The riots of 2009 brought big trouble to the government and had negative impact on the country. Later, the protest in Hong Kong also was turned into violence, pushing by the statements on social media and other platforms. The Chinese government gradually recognized the power of social media and were afraid that their country might be ruined by aggressive statement and uncontrolled rumors. So far, China has blocked almost every social media application that is most prevalent around the globe. Though these social media applications are very popular, they were considered to be the main reason behind the intense view that was taken by the riots in 2009. This is the reason why you won’t be able to use these social media application in China. There are over 500 million mobile Internet users in China which is the world’s largest smartphone market. Many foreign companies would like to enter Chinese market, but the Chinese government blocks many services. On one hand, they can control the network in mainland China effectively. On the other hand, they can promote the local services like Wechat and Tencent etc. Wechat now is one of social media platforms with the biggest amount of users while Line lost this huge market.
How to Use Line Chat Application in China?
China’s internet has been more heavily patrolled than usual lately. The great Firewall of China has blocked almost every social media and chat applications that include Facebook, Twitter, Line, Instagram, etc. because the government thinks that this application can have the adverse impact on the society. The firewall can detect your IP address to decide if you are located in mainland China. Once it knows you are in its censored location, it disconnects you every time you try to access blocked services. To use Line in China, you need to hide your IP address and change it to another country where Line works normally. You also can encrypt your connection to prevent the firewall or government from seeing what you are doing there. Is it complicated to achieve these two things? No, you only need to get a reliable VPN and it will take care of the rest. Currently, a VPN is the most affordable and secure solution to unblock Line safely from within China. You will get top-tier overseas servers and a broad range of encryption tunneling protocols from VPN provider to mask your IP address and bypass the Great Firewall of China hassle free. VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. A powerful VPN can be used to unblock every application and the website that has been blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
How does VPN Help in Unblocking Line in China?
VPN offers a safe, fast, uncensored and uninterrupted connection to Line from within China. You may wonder how a VPN defeats the most advanced firewall on the earth. Does it require complicated computer knowledge to operate? In fact, the working of the VPN is quite simple to understand and it is very easy to use. Its core idea is to connect Line with the server that resides outside China. The VPN will make the server look as if you are not in China but using Line application from somewhere else and let you enjoy the blocked services. As your IP address gives away your location, the VPN provider offers IP addresses from different countries and regions to let you choose. When you are able to open Line application, VPN reroutes you to remote servers. Your ISP and firewall will not know that connection is raised from China. If you choose a server in the US, others will see that you are in the US. You can decide to connect to any server you like. Besides, the connection between you and server is secured with military-grade encryption. They do not detect that you are using blocked application like Line. Your ISP and government will not be able to monitor your communication on social media platform.
Some users may know little about VPN. Some of them may think VPN creates a network and they don’t need to connect to WiFi or mobile data any longer. In fact, a VPN creates a private and secure virtual network within the public network. That means you need to connect to WiFi or mobile data to make it work. When you use public network, the snoopers, ISP and government know everything you do on the Internet. They set many limits to stop you from accessing various websites and services. With VPN, it secures your online traffics and safeguards your privacy no matter you are using your home network or public WiFi network. You can access any content you like even when you are in China where there is the strictest Internet censorship.
Still can’t Use Line with a VPN in China?
If you still fail to use Line or other online services in China, you need to make sure your device supports a China SIM card. Most GSM iPhones sold in the United States are locked to AT&T’s network. To use a non-AT&T SIM card, you have to unlock your phone so as to allows you to use it on a network other than AT&T’s. Another reason may be your VPN is blocked by the firewall. You’ll find dozens of VPN services online and in different app store, but the Chinese government is constantly working to thwart the efforts of these VPNs. Many VPNs have been partly or completely blocked in China. Some famous China-based VPN companies even have been shut down. Therefore, it is very important to pick the right VPN. How do you find out which VPNs work in China? You will have to do your research before you get to China. If you still can’t decide, you can search for VPN review and learn if it works in China. The VPN reviewers tested the VPN before they wrote review, so it is the very effective way to find out the best VPNs for China.
We suggest you purchase and install VPN before flying to China. Many users complained that they could not use Line after arriving in China though they purchased a VPN. There are two possible reasons. The VPN is not able to bypass the powerful firewall. The VPN for China should be equipped with smart servers, advanced protocols or tunnels and high encryption standard. Other reason is the firewall figured out how this VPN work and is able to block the VPN website or software. If the VPN software is blocked, you will have to get another VPN. If the VPN website is blocked, you can download and install VPN beforehand. In this way, you will have more choices and get better deal. If you only downloaded VPN software, you still had problem in set up VPN in China. Therefore, get everything ready in your own country so that you can contact your family and friends via Line at the first time after arriving in China.
Guide to Set Up VPN on Android
1. Unblock the device screen. Tap the Settings icon and select “More” under Wireless & Networks.
2. Select the VPN option on the Wireless & Networks screen.
3. Tap the “+” button and enter the VPN’s details. Give a name to help you remember which VPN is which into the Name field. Then, select the type of VPN server you’re connecting to, and enter the VPN server’s address.
4. Tap the VPN to connect once you finish the setup. You are allowed to choose from the multiple VPN servers configured and switch between them from the VPN screen.
It requires your VPN username and password to login when you connect. If you think it’s inconvenient to enter detail every time, you can save this account information for next time. While connected to a VPN, you will see a persistent “VPN activated” notification in your notifications drawer. To disconnect, tap the notification and tap Disconnect. In this way, you can access Line in China on Android freely.
Best VPNs for China or Other Prohibited Countries
| 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 |
Detail of Some VPNs
ExpressVPN:
ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted, secure brands in the virtual private network industry, and that’s for good reason. It has has Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows applications. It’s superfast and extremely safe, boasting an SSL-secured network with 256-bit encryption and, get this, unlimited bandwidth and speed. All its plans are fully refundable and covered by 30 days money-back guarantee. No questions asked.
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PureVPN:
PureVPN is a one-stop solution for online security, anonymity and privacy that guarantees the fastest VPN speed and highest level of security worldwide by providing you with 750+ servers in 140+ countries across the globe. You can enjoy complete web freedom with the industry leading encrypted e-privacy and e-security.
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NordVPN:
NordVPN has a strict zero log policy and uses two security protocols: OpenVPN with 2048-bit SSL encryption and the 3072-bit IKEv2/IPsec that is currently the most secure protocol available in the market. Additional security features, such as DNS leak protection and double data encryption, are also available. Its IP addresses and wide VPN servers enable you to avoid government censorship and geo-restriction. What’s more, the NordVPN service is based in Panama, which has no data retention laws, meaning that none of your data is recorded, stored or passed to anyone.
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Conclusion
Do you want to make video calls, instant messaging and video conferencing with your friends and family through Line from China? Get a VPN. As we know, Line has been considered as a threat to the Chinese government. Users in China are not allowed to access this chatting app. So far, there is no sign that the government will remove this app from its list. In order to unblock Line in China, you will have to circumvent the Great Firewall of China which is part of the Golden Shield Project. The Chinese government state that they block those services for their people’s good. Saying, they created the firewall to prevent their people from corrupted by the western thought. Others argued that they blocked foreign services to protect the local services. No matter what the reason is, we can’t change the fact that Line is blocked in this country. Luckily, there is always a way out. A VPN will help you trick the firewall into believing that you are from outside China by masking your IP address and connecting you to the remote server which supports Line. As millions of websites are banned, VPNs are very popular in China. As the VPNs become popular, they attracted the government’s attention. The government noticed that many people use VPNs to bypass their firewall, thus upgrading the firewall system to block VPNs. An advanced VPN is the key to unblock Line. It is necessary to learn if the VPN works in China before buying it. So far, there is no law ruling that using Line or VPN is illegal in China. No one has been accused of using VPN or Line. You can feel free to use them. As the Chinese government is strict on Internet censorship, do not use VPN publish aggressive statement about sensitive topic of China because it can attract their attention quickly and your connection will be reset. Your VPN account may be blocked. Still are struggling with the firewall? Pick the right VPN to chat via Line, Facebook, WhatsApp and more without any limit in China.