Does Google Maps Work in China?

What is Google Maps?

Google Maps is a comprehensive mapping service developed by Google, offering detailed geographical information, satellite imagery, street maps, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for travelling by foot, car, bicycle, or public transportation. It is widely used globally for navigation and location-based services.

Is Google Maps Available in China?

No, much like other Google services, Google Maps is entirely inaccessible within Mainland China. There are 4 key reasons why it is inaccessible:

• Blocked domains: All Google services, including google.com/maps and the mobile apps, are filtered by the Great Firewall.
• No offline escape hatch: The app still needs Google servers to calculate routes, so pre-downloaded maps fail too.
• APIs time out: Server-to-server or JavaScript calls to Google Maps domains never reach Google’s edge from inside China.
• Billing barriers: Even if you tunnel traffic, Google now requires a foreign billing profile, which is hard to set up from China.
  

What Tests Prove It Is Inaccessible?

This is a connectivity test from AWS’s (Amazon Web Services) China Northwest-1 region.

This is a Google Maps loading test using Chrome as the browser via China Telecom broadband.

What Workarounds Currently Exist?

Switch to local map SDK (Gaode, Baidu, Tencent).	AppInChina supported the path.	Limitations
VPN / Corporate tunnel	Only for internal tools	Too slow and legally sensitive for public apps
Foreign roaming SIM	Travelers	Expensive, not scalable
Switch to local map SDK (Gaode 高德地图, Baidu 百度地图, Tencent 腾讯地图).	AppInChina supported path.	Requires code changes & GCJ-02 coordinate handling

How Can AppInChina Help?

AppInChina offers a tailored solution for businesses looking to expand into China but currently use Google Maps in their tech stack. Our one-stop solution provides your business with a fully compliant and effective method of deploying Google Maps in China. 

What we deliver	Benefit to you
Auto-switching Map SDK: one drop-in wrapper that calls Google Maps overseas and Gaode/Baidu/Tencent inside China	Keep one global code-base; no forked app.
Coordinate conversion API (WGS-84 ↔ GCJ-02)	China uses the GCJ-02 coordinate system (different from the standard WGS-84), which can cause location accuracy issues. automatically convert coordinates so your overlays, markers, and analytics data align correctly.
ICP-licensed China hosting & proxy	Compliance guarantee with the mandatory ICP filing registration done by AppInChina with low-latency traffic for dashboards and APIs.
Regulatory & publishing services (licences, Chinese app stores, data-residency)	Launch in less than 6 weeks with all relevant licenses so that your deployment is compliant with local law and regulations.

Contact us to arrange a free call with our engineering team. We will design a tailored solution to guarantee that your deployment in China is compliant, smooth, and hassle-free.