Does ExpressVPN work in China in June 2026? Yes, most of the time, and you won’t have to dig through any settings to make it happen. The obfuscation kicks in on its own the moment ExpressVPN notices you’re connecting from China, running over its Lightway protocol so your traffic passes for ordinary HTTPS instead of a VPN tunnel the Firewall wants to shut down. Nine times out of ten, that does the trick.
The caveat: the Great Firewall now swats most VPNs, and ExpressVPN does slip up here and there, usually around politically touchy dates when China cranks the filters up. Last time we checked, in June, it was still getting through. Just install the app before you fly since ExpressVPN’s site is blocked in China. What’s below: how to set it up, which servers work, and what to do if you can’t connect.
How to Use ExpressVPN in China in 2026: Best Working Servers
- Subscribe to ExpressVPN. You can get it for about 80% less with 4 free months for 2-year plans (fully refundable within 30 days).
- Download and set up ExpressVPN before flying to China.
- When in China, open ExpressVPN and enable a kill switch.
- Connect to a VPN server. We recommend Yokohama, Marina Bay, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, or Wembley; they connected reliably in our tests and worked 9/10 times in China in June.
- Now, you can go online and unblock restricted apps and websites. If you have issues, pick another location; ExpressVPN has 105+ countries and over 170 city-level servers.
Does ExpressVPN Work in China?
Yes, ExpressVPN works in China. Most of the time, anyway, which is more than most VPN services can boast. However, keep in mind that China is serious about controlling internet access and has some of the most advanced censorship measures in the world. The Great Firewall is constantly evolving and improving at blocking sites and online services. But it does more than that.
It also detects and actively hunts down VPN services. Even the most reliable providers find it challenging to stay ahead of these efforts. ExpressVPN is one of the few services that manages it, and here’s why and how.
How Does ExpressVPN Work in China?
Like any other good VPN for China, ExpressVPN encrypts your internet traffic as soon as you connect to a remote server. Any data you send or receive while connected is scrambled, making it unreadable to anyone trying to intercept it. Secure AES-256 encryption protects your online privacy and ensures your data remains secure, even on public networks. It’s sufficient for most purposes and most countries. But that won’t cut it in China.
As we touched on earlier, the Great Firewall also enforces censorship by seeking out and blocking VPN traffic using sophisticated techniques. Just being encrypted isn’t enough to bypass restrictions and access the websites and services you need. That’s why the majority of VPNs don’t work. ExpressVPN has a few tricks up its sleeve. One of those is obfuscation, which disguises your VPN traffic like regular HTTPS traffic.
It does this by scrambling telltale VPN data that the firewall would have detected, so it doesn’t recognize your traffic as something to block. On top of that, ExpressVPN is constantly updating its technology to adapt and stay ahead of the firewall’s detection methods.
How to Use ExpressVPN in China: Full Tutorial
Okay, so ExpressVPN works in China, but if you’re already there, it’s very hard to get a hold of it. If you’re not there yet, I strongly recommend setting up ExpressVPN for China in advance, before you arrive, as ExpressVPN’s website is blocked in the Mainland, and it’s way harder to access it.
Step 1: Subscribe and Set Up ExpressVPN
So first, get ExpressVPN. Depending on your trip, you may want a 2-year plan that saves you about 80% and includes 4 free months. If it’s a short trip, pick the monthly plan without a discount, but still fully refundable within 30 days. Click below, choose the plan, and then download ExpressVPN.
From here, sign in to the app using your credentials. ExpressVPN’s sign-in is typically realized through the sign-in code in your account. The app should look like this on a PC, but it’s very similar on iOS and Android.
Step 2: Customize Settings
ExpressVPN works in China without jumping through hoops and customizing a lot. From my personal experience, when I was in Shanghai in 2026, I just enabled a kill switch to prevent data leaks, and used an Automatic protocol.
I’m not sure about the percentage, but in most cases, ExpressVPN uses Lightway. I tested Lightway Turbo, as well, to get faster speeds, and it worked, though Lightway and OpenVPN TCP offered more reliable connections.
If ExpressVPN isn’t working in China with this setup, and you want to switch to OpenVPN TCP, don’t forget to disable Advanced Protection in Settings. That way, you can choose any protocol for the ExpressVPN China setup.
Step 3: Connect to a VPN Server and Use ExpressVPN in China
You now need to connect to a server. We tested the majority of locations, but in June, not every location worked. For example, New York, USA, didn’t work for us, but these couple of VPN locations connected:
- Yokohama in Japan
- Marina Bay in Singapore
- Los Angeles 1, 2, and 3 in the USA
- Wembley in the UK
- Paris 1 in France
For the best performance, choose nearby locations with minimal censorship, like Japan or Singapore. If you’re looking to access blocked websites or streaming services like Netflix or Prime Video, you’ll want a server in the USA or the country where the content is available. With these servers, we texted on WhatsApp and accessed Facebook in China. ExpressVPN in China isn’t as fast as it typically is, and connection times may be longer (20-30 seconds).
But this is typical for all VPNs in China. No VPN performs at its peak in this country, and it may always take longer to connect. However, we tested it on a 300 Mbps network inside a hotel, and on a server in Marina Bay, we reached a maximum speed of 244 Mbps, so it’s only about ~20% less.
How to Download ExpressVPN in China
ExpressVPN’s website is blocked in China. Plus, you can’t download mobile apps from an app store (Google Play or Apple App Store) in the country. What’s the way out if you’re a Chinese resident or visitor who wants to bypass censorship and stay private? Getting ExpressVPN in China is tricky, but doable. Here are a few workarounds:
- Email Support: Reach out to ExpressVPN’s dedicated support team by emailing [email protected]. A representative can provide you with an ExpressVPN mirror site or a link to sign up and download the app. You must get the mirror site link from an official channel to avoid phishing attempts.
- Use a Third-Party App Store: Using an Android device? You can download the ExpressVPN app from a third-party app store or download site. Again, apply caution and read site reviews so you don’t end up installing malware.
- Change App Store Region: Apple device users can change their app store region to a different country where ExpressVPN is available. In the Settings app, tap your name > Media & Purchases > View Account > Country/Region and select the country. Tap Change Country or Region to apply.
ExpressVPN Not Working in China? Troubleshooting Tips
As mentioned, even the best VPN providers will struggle in China. ExpressVPN is not immune to failure either. Here are a few tricks to apply when ExpressVPN isn’t connecting or working properly in China:
- Switch Server Locations: The Great Firewall may have blocked the server you’re struggling with, so try switching to a different one. Use the servers we recommended in this ExpressVPN China guide before.
- Use Lightway: Unlike OpenVPN, ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol was designed to obfuscate your traffic. If your protocol is set to another tunneling protocol, you may struggle to bypass China’s network restrictions. So, enable “Automatic” in the protocol setting or manually choose Lightway.
- Check for Updates: If you already have ExpressVPN installed, you may be using an older version. Updates may address connection issues or come with bug fixes, so check the app for an update prompt and follow it to install the latest version.
- Contact Support: If all else fails, reach out to ExpressVPN’s support team. It’s available 24/7, so it can fix the issues pretty much within minutes.
If you still can’t make ExpressVPN work in China, consider an alternative. NordVPN works in China just a tad better, offering more features and settings to customize for reliability. But if you’re in China, you can’t download it either, so get it just in case before you travel, or use an eSIM in China to unblock restricted apps. Beware that an eSIM doesn’t offer additional tools for privacy and bypassing geo-restrictions.
Conclusion: Is ExpressVPN Working in China?
By now, you know that it does. It’s easily one of the best options for bypassing censorship, accessing geo-restricted platforms, and ensuring your online privacy in China and elsewhere. You can check this dependable VPN out yourself for a generous discount on its 2-year plan. You also get to experience all the benefits risk-free for 30 days. Or, you can test its 3-day free trial if you don’t want to pay upfront.
Frequently Asked Questions
🧬 What is the best protocol for ExpressVPN in China?
The best protocol for ExpressVPN in China is Lightway. It's typically enabled automatically, but you can set it up manually if you want. Another good alternative is OpenVPN TCP. It's known for reliable connections even in censored regions and may work in China if the best option fails.
🛡️ Does ExpressVPN have obfuscation?
Yes, it has, but it's automatically enabled, without an option to tweak it manually. The VPN's obfuscation hides your VPN traffic and makes it look like regular HTTPS traffic. That's vital to bypass The Great Firewall.
🌎 Which ExpressVPN servers work in China?
Servers in Yokohama and Marina Bay are best for fast speeds and quick connections. But if you want to bypass geo-blocks and stream, ExpressVPN servers working in China include the USA (Los Angeles) and the UK (Wembley).