Help with your China SIM, before you fly and after you land.
Install on home Wi-Fi. Switch it on when you land. If something breaks, the person who answers has used this line in China.
Live chat is not loading right now. Email reaches the same people.
Install the eSIM at home
The QR code and this site may not load from inside China. Scan it while you are still on your own Wi-Fi.
iPhone (iOS 17+)
- Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Data.
- Add eSIM, then Use QR Code.
- Scan the code from your email. The profile downloads in under a minute.
- Name it DRACIX and turn Data Roaming on for this line.
- When you land, make DRACIX your Cellular Data line. Keep your own SIM for calls.
Android (13+)
- Settings, then Network & Internet, then SIMs.
- Add SIM, then Download a SIM instead.
- Scan the code from your email and wait for the download.
- Tap the new SIM and turn Roaming on.
- When you land, make DRACIX your Mobile data SIM. Keep your own SIM for calls.
Before you fly
Get the apps you will need
WeChat, Alipay, Didi and Baidu Maps. App stores can be slow inside China even on our line.
Bookmark your orders page
Data used, top-ups and the QR code, from anywhere.
Know what a data-only line cannot do
Didi registration and some Alipay shops want a Chinese phone number. Google, WhatsApp and Slack need nothing extra.
Troubleshooting
No signal after you land
Restart the phone. It forces a fresh network registration and fixes most first connections.
Signal, but nothing loads
Data Roaming has to be on for the DRACIX line. iPhone: Settings > Cellular > DRACIX > Data Roaming. Android: Settings > Network > SIMs > DRACIX > Roaming.
Google is still blocked
The phone is using your home SIM for data. Make DRACIX the active data line.
The eSIM says No Service
Airplane mode off, wait 30 seconds. Still dark: airplane mode on and off again to force a scan.
Stuck searching for a network
Pick one by hand: Settings > Cellular > Network Selection. China Telecom first, then China Unicom.
Slow and dropping out
Turn off any VPN app. Nothing here needs one, and a VPN on top adds latency and drops.
Contact support
Live chat
Chat is not loading on this device, and it does not run inside mainland China without the line up. Email gets to the same people.
Email support
Setup, billing, refunds, anything not urgent. We reply within 4 hours, 09:00 to 18:00 UK time, Monday to Friday.
Urgent
You are in China and the line has stopped. Send your order number and ICCID (on your orders page) and we jump the queue.
Frequently asked questions
How does the eSIM work?
It joins China Mobile, Unicom or Telecom like a local SIM, and the traffic comes out in London. You get a UK address, so Google, WhatsApp and Slack open. No VPN app.
Which phones work?
Any eSIM phone from 2018 on: iPhone XS+, Galaxy S20+, Pixel 3+, most recent Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus. iPads and Surfaces with eSIM too. No eSIM? Posted card or the router.
What happens when my data runs out?
You slow down, you do not stop: 5 Mbps on Standard, 10 on Pro, for the rest of the day. Resets at midnight UTC, 08:00 in China.
Do I keep my number?
Yes. Data only; your own SIM stays in for calls and texts.
Where does it work?
All of mainland China on all three networks. 5G in the cities, 4G nearly everywhere else, including the high-speed rail. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan too.
How fast is it?
100 to 300 Mbps on 5G in the cities, about 120 ms to the UK. 20 to 80 Mbps on 4G. Real numbers, on the speed tests page.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, in full, if you used under 1 GB on the whole trip. Email or chat and we refund it. Over 1 GB, no refund. Mi-Fi deposits come back in full when the router is back in working order.