The mistake is waiting for hotel Wi-Fi in Pudong. Apple's China store does not list the usual foreign VPN apps, and Google Play does not open. If the installer is not already on the laptop, the trip starts with no Gmail and no way to fetch the client.
Do this the week before the flight:
- Download the Windows or Android app and sign in
- Use the three complimentary days of Meridian while you still can reach us
- Open one location, connect, and load a site you will actually need
- Save the account ID somewhere that is not only inside the app
A travel eSIM can wake a phone. It does not install a desktop client. The laptop is the machine people use for mail, tickets, and work, and it needs the file before the plane.
Qiao for foreigners in China is built around that order: install first, unlimited traffic, WeChat left on the local path. Plans are on the pricing page.