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Internet for Expat Families in China: School Apps, Calls and TV

Moving to China with children: which school apps need an international route, calls home on WhatsApp and FaceTime, the family TV, consoles and tablets.

A bright living room with a television and houseplants

Updated October 2026.

The short answer

Most expat families in mainland China do best with two things: one home router that covers every device, and the Throughwire app on each parent's phone. WeChat, Alipay, Didi and Meituan keep working on your normal line. Google Classroom, WhatsApp and YouTube are blocked and need an international route. Ask the school for its app list before you fly.

Table of contents

What should we set up before we move?

A few jobs are much easier while you are still at home, with your home phone number and your usual app store account.

  • Ask the school for its app list. Find out which platforms your children's school uses for homework, messages and reports, and whether it has a China version or written guidance for families.
  • Install the apps on every phone and tablet. WhatsApp, the school apps, Microsoft Teams if your family used Skype, your home bank's app, and WeChat and Alipay for daily life in China. Sign in to each one once, while login codes still reach you easily.
  • Install the Throughwire app on the parents' phones. We use the free Hiddify app ("Hiddify Next" on the App Store, also on Google Play, macOS and Windows). After you sign up, copy your subscription link into the app and connect. Personal plans cover up to 3 app devices.
  • Keep your home phone number active. Banks, schools and email providers often send security codes by text message.
  • Decide on the router. You don't have to bring one: GL.iNet routers bought on JD.com or Tmall work with Throughwire. For a busy family home our first choice is the Flint 2 (GL-MT6000). A Beryl 7 (GL-MT3600BE) suits a smaller serviced apartment.

Once you have an address, order home broadband. China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom lines all work, and full speed is what we expect on them. Foreign eSIMs and Hong Kong mobile networks route through Hong Kong and are slower, so treat them as a stopgap for the first days.

Will my children's school apps work in China?

It depends on what each platform is built on. An app that depends on Google won't load on a normal Chinese connection, because Google's services are blocked in mainland China. Some education companies run a separate China service instead. This is what we found when we checked public sources on 23 October 2026:

PlatformWhat we foundWhat to do
Google ClassroomGreatFire's tests from inside mainland China found classroom.google.com blocked (last test 18 August 2026).Needs an international route: the Throughwire router at home, the app elsewhere.
SeesawGreatFire last found app.seesaw.me reachable (test of 23 July 2026, not repeated since). We found no China statement from Seesaw.Test it at home in week one.
ManageBacIts maker, Faria, runs managebac.cn with China local servers and a Shanghai ICP filing, and says it has offered local Chinese hosting since August 2018.Ask the school whether it uses the .com or the .cn address.
ToddleWe found no public statement from Toddle about mainland China, and GreatFire lists its domain as mixed.Ask the school, then test in week one.
Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft says it partners with Chinese telecom providers to carry Teams call audio and video. Chat and files don't get that path.On our router, Microsoft 365 and Teams go through Throughwire.

GreatFire is an independent project that tests websites from inside mainland China. Its results are snapshots, so a platform can change after the test date. Two practical points:

  • Watch the login button. If the school signs pupils in with "Sign in with Google", that step needs Google, even when the platform itself loads.
  • A China version is designed for Chinese networks. If your school uses a China-hosted address, it should load on your normal line with nothing extra.

On a Throughwire router, Google goes through Throughwire automatically, so Google Classroom, Gmail and Google Docs load on the children's laptops with nothing installed on them.

How do we call family back home?

  • WhatsApp is blocked in mainland China. With Throughwire, WhatsApp messages and calls go through Throughwire: on the home Wi-Fi through the router, and through the app on your phone when you're out.
  • WeChat stays on your normal connection. If grandparents install WeChat, those calls are local for you and use none of your Throughwire data.
  • FaceTime is an Apple service, and Apple decides where its features are offered. Apple's own support page says "FaceTime, Group FaceTime, or FaceTime audio may not be available in all countries or regions" without naming them (Apple Support, checked 23 October 2026). Test a one-to-one video call and a group call with family before you rely on it. Throughwire doesn't change which FaceTime features Apple offers.
  • Skype no longer exists. Microsoft retired it on 5 May 2025 and points users to Microsoft Teams Free (Microsoft Support). Teams goes through Throughwire.
  • Zoom and Google Meet go through Throughwire too.

Time zones push most family calls into China's evening, the busiest time on international links. In our network data for the 30 days to 19 October 2026, the median working speed during China's evening peak (19:00 to 23:59) was 100% of the rest of the day across all routes, and 98% on High Speed. Peak bursts did dip: the median customer's top speed on High Speed was 50 Mbps in the evening, against 80 Mbps at other times. A video call needs a steady connection far more than a fast burst. Our public figures are on network stats.

Will the TV, games consoles and kids' tablets work?

A TV, a PlayStation or a smart speaker can't run a VPN app. A router can cover them all. Plug a GL.iNet router into your broadband modem, run our setup once from a laptop (a few minutes, and it tests itself before finishing), then connect every device to its Wi-Fi.

  • The TV. Apple TV, Android TV boxes and smart TVs use the router like any other device. Apple's own services stay on the local line. Chinese streaming apps (iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, Bilibili) stay local and use none of your data. International apps go through Throughwire.
  • Streaming rules still apply. The router provides the connection. Which shows you can watch, and from where, is decided by each service and your account terms. Netflix's help centre, for example, lists China among the places where Netflix is not available and says its library varies by country. Read each service's terms.
  • Games consoles. On our router, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo services go through Throughwire, and Steam China stays local. How an online game feels depends on where the game server is. Big game downloads count towards your data allowance, so schedule them with that in mind.
  • Kids' tablets. At home, tablets are covered by the router with nothing to install. If a tablet travels (school trips, weekends away), install the Hiddify app on it. Personal plans allow up to 3 app devices, so choose which ones need it.

Can we set parental controls on the router?

You can, but start with controls on the device itself, because they travel with it.

  • On the device. Screen Time on an iPhone or iPad is set on the device and works wherever it is. Google Family Link is a Google service, so it needs a connection that reaches Google. On our router, Google goes through Throughwire.
  • On the router. GL.iNet's firmware includes a parental-control feature on many models: device profiles, time schedules and lists of blocked websites (GL.iNet documentation, where the free local version is marked beta). Throughwire runs on GL.iNet's own firmware with no reflashing, so the router's admin pages stay yours.
  • Test each rule. Website blocking on a router works by recognising web addresses, and Throughwire's smart routing also manages how the router looks up international addresses. After adding a rule, check it on your child's device. If a rule doesn't take effect, contact us.

Which everyday Chinese apps keep working?

A Throughwire router uses smart routing: Chinese services stay on your normal connection, and international services go through Throughwire, automatically, for every device on the Wi-Fi. On the phone app away from home, the app carries your international traffic; if a Chinese app acts up while it is on, pause it for a moment.

Daily taskAppOn a Throughwire router
Messages and paying in shopsWeChat, AlipayStays local
TaxisDidiStays local
Food delivery and restaurantsMeituan and Dianping, Ele.meStays local
ShoppingTaobao, Tmall, JD.com, PinduoduoStays local
Maps and travelAmap, Ctrip and Trip.comStays local
Chinese video for childrenBilibili, iQIYI, Tencent Video, YoukuStays local
School and family abroadGoogle, WhatsApp, Zoom, Microsoft TeamsThrough Throughwire
Entertainment from homeYouTube, Spotify, Netflix and Disney+Through Throughwire (each service's own rules apply)

Local traffic doesn't use your Throughwire data. Anything the router doesn't recognise as Chinese goes through Throughwire, so new international apps work without changing settings. You can check any service in our routing directory.

Your first-week checklist

WhenTaskDone when
Day 1Connect the parents' phones with the Throughwire appWhatsApp messages send
Days 1 to 3Order home broadband from China Telecom, China Mobile or China UnicomInstallation date booked
When broadband is livePlug in the router and finish GL.iNet first-time setup at 192.168.8.1You have chosen an admin password
Same dayCreate a one-time router code in your account and run the one command from a laptopThe setup's own test passes
Same dayChoose a route: Los Angeles is recommended and preselectedSetup finishes
Day 2Join the TV, consoles, tablets and school laptops to the new Wi-FiEach device loads Google and Baidu
Days 2 to 3Open every school platform on the children's devicesHomework and messages load
Days 3 to 5Make a WhatsApp video call and a FaceTime call home at your usual hourBoth hold for 10 minutes
Days 3 to 5Set Screen Time or Family Link, then any router rulesRules work on each child's device
Day 7Check data used so far in your accountYou know whether your plan fits

Which plan does a family need?

  • Personal plans run from 100 GB for $49 a month to 1 TB for $499 (October 2026 prices). They include up to 3 app devices and home router setup. The router itself is bought separately.
  • Only international traffic counts. WeChat calls, Chinese video and Taobao use your normal line.
  • The TV usually decides the size. If it streams international video most evenings, start with 200 GB ($99) or more and watch your usage during the first month. Extra data can be added mid-month.
  • High Speed (Los Angeles) suits about 95% of people, including video calls and streaming. Ultra (Osaka and Singapore) has lower latency for real-time work and counts at 2.5 times, so 10 GB on Ultra uses 25 GB. Families rarely need it.
  • Every paid plan has a 7-day money-back guarantee. On larger plans we may credit the cost of the router; check your account.

When Throughwire isn't the right choice

  • A short holiday with phones only. For a two-week visit, the international roaming on your home phone plan may be enough. Ask your carrier how its roaming works in mainland China.
  • School devices that come managed. If the school gives each child a laptop with its own approved setup, follow the school's instructions on those devices and keep Throughwire for the parents and the TV.
  • You want a particular streaming catalogue. Streaming services set their own region and account rules, and no network provider can change them.
  • Company-managed housing networks. Some employer or campus networks block outbound connections. Ask the network owner before buying anything.

Common questions

Does Google Classroom work in China?

Not on a normal Chinese connection: GreatFire's latest test from inside mainland China, on 18 August 2026, found it blocked. With a Throughwire router at home, Google traffic goes through Throughwire automatically, so the children's laptops need nothing installed.

Can my children call their grandparents on WhatsApp?

Yes, with Throughwire. On the home Wi-Fi the router carries WhatsApp calls, and on a phone outside the home the Hiddify app does. WeChat calls work without Throughwire if the grandparents use WeChat.

Do WeChat and Alipay still work with Throughwire on?

Yes. On a Throughwire router they stay on your normal Chinese connection automatically, so payments and mini programs behave as they would without Throughwire. With the phone app on, they usually work too; if a payment or mini program misbehaves, pause the app for that moment.

Can we buy the router in China?

Yes. GL.iNet routers from JD.com or Tmall work with Throughwire. China-market units hide GL.iNet's own VPN menu, but Throughwire doesn't use that menu.

Does it work in a serviced apartment?

Usually, yes. Plug the router into the apartment's network socket or modem. If the building's network blocks outbound connections, ask the building manager or contact us before you buy.