Why is it impossible to receive or send email in China?

You may have had issues sending emails from your laptop or mobile device from many locations (e.g. at home, at work, staying in a hotel, visiting another city or country). This is due to the fact that the SMTP server allocated to you by your ISP only functions when you are connected to the internet via that ISP.

Once you connect to the Internet via a different network, your capacity to send emails is lost! This is a security mechanism employed by ISPs to prevent spam from being sent through their servers, but it's an annoyance for laptop and PDA users who wish to access their email while traveling, such as on a work trip to China.

chinese email

Why am I unable to access my Hotmail account in China?

Many mobile users in China and other countries switch between their standard email client and a web-based email client such as Hotmail. Obviously, it is possible to use a web-based software from any location on the planet, but these systems have their own disadvantages. Not only are you required to use an extremely poor email address (such as sam7878@theblog.net), but it's also difficult to maintain track of your emails when you switch between multiple email accounts. Who requires drama? Wouldn't it be easier to use the same email account and email client wherever you are? That is our opinion.

SMTP is the internet protocol used to transmit email to China. When you send an email, it is sent to your SMTP server, which passes it to the intended recipient. Obviously, in order to send email, a functional SMTP server is required! SMTP2Go is an always-available SMTP server that operates wherever you are in the world.

What alternative email services and browser apps are available in China?

Westerners in China can still use their preferred services and applications, including Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, Bing, and Yahoo. Other services, like Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, Google, Snap Chat, Twitter, and Dropbox, are, however, restricted.

You might want to check out Baidu, the most popular browser in China.

Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail are accessible email services in China. Additionally, Skype and WhatsApp are operational at the time of writing.

Will Gmail emails that are sent to China be delivered?

Yes, delivery will be made. The question is however irrelevant! The receiver determines the email's delivery.

The email you sent from Gmail begins from Google servers, is then transmitted to the Chinese email service server, and is eventually delivered to the recipient. Therefore, the recipient will receive your email in China.

If the receiving email address is a Gmail, the user can access the Gmail account over a VPN.

How to use Gmail without a VPN in China.

Do you wish to use Gmail without a VPN in China? You can simply link your Gmail account to an alternative email address that is accessible in China.

Simply navigate to your Yahoo! Mail settings, choose Account > Add Another Mailbox, and select Google. Add your Gmail account's credentials, and you're done.

Next time you want to check your Gmail account, simply log in to your Yahoo! Mail account and check or send emails from the Gmail account you've linked to Yahoo! Mail.

You Do Not Pay for Roaming Data

You may choose to use local WiFi to access the internet and switch to your roaming data when you wish to use blocked services (Facebook and Gmail) in China.

A VPN can be used.

If you are utilizing WiFi or a local carrier's sim card in China, you may decide to utilize a VPN to access Gmail and other prohibited web services.

It appears that downloading and setting up VPN service in China can be a complex process. Therefore, it is preferable to have your VPN operational prior to travel in order to prevent the hassle of VPN configuration upon arrival in China.