China · Keep your number
Can I receive texts and bank codes in China?
First trip to China? Keep access to your usual number while using a travel eSIM for internet. Check your home carrier before you fly.
The short answer
Yes, if your home plan supports SMS roaming in China and your original SIM has network reception. A data eSIM does not replace that line. Bank-code delivery also depends on the sender.
Two lines. Two jobs.
For mobile data
OrientPass travel eSIM
Mobile data in China for your internet apps. No German or Chinese phone number and no standard SMS.
For your phone number
Your home SIM
Your existing number for calls and texts. Check availability and overseas charges with your provider.
Important: turning off data roaming does not prevent every possible charge for calls, texts or voicemail. Check your home contract before leaving your home line active abroad.
Choose your data for China
Use OrientPass for mobile data while keeping your original SIM enabled for its number. Choose by trip length and data needs. Buying more gigabytes will not improve SMS reception.
Données de voyage
Chine
5GB
30 jours
1 eSIM · 1 appareil · Données uniquement
Données de voyage
Chine
10GB
30 jours
1 eSIM · 1 appareil · Données uniquement
Which part of using two lines needs help?
Choose the situation you see on your phone. Open one answer at a time; you can return to the plan details without losing your place.
Am I using the right SIM for data?Check the travel data line, home-line roaming and automatic data switching.
Will my home SIM use mobile data in China?
Keep the travel eSIM selected for mobile data, with home-line data roaming and automatic data switching off. Check all three settings separately. Keeping your home number active can still incur charges for other services.
Use this check at your covered destination after installing the travel eSIM. At home, prepare the settings but keep your usual data line until departure. This tool cannot inspect or change your phone.
Look at the mobile-data selection in Settings. The default voice line, signal bars and an eSIM’s name do not confirm this.
Check the original line itself. This is separate from turning roaming ON for your travel eSIM as its instructions require.
Check the available data-switching or backup-data setting for your model. If you cannot find or confirm it, choose Not sure and use the device guide.
Check the three settings
Answer from your phone settings, not from the signal icons. Choose Not sure if a setting is missing or unclear.
Answers stay on this page, are not saved or sent, and reset when you leave or change language.
Then check the connection
- At the covered destination, keep the travel eSIM selected and its required roaming setting on. Once the three settings are confirmed, briefly turn Wi-Fi off and open a small webpage.
- If the page does not load, return to Wi-Fi and use the connection guide. Keep the eSIM installed. Do not enable the home line’s data roaming to make the test pass.
A page loading confirms internet access at that moment; it does not prove which carrier billed it. Recheck the selected line in Settings. During calls, dual-SIM data behaviour can differ by phone and carrier; do not change settings just to keep data working without checking the consequences.
Connection still not working? →Calls, texts, voicemail and Wi-Fi calling follow your home carrier’s terms. If you do not need your home number, you can switch that line off after checking your alternatives; ordinary SMS to it will then be unavailable over the cellular network. Do not delete the profile.
A travel data plan supplies internet for your apps; it does not control your home carrier’s bill. Choose from the current plans on this page if you still need travel data. Buying more data does not correct a wrong line setting.
Compare China data plans ↑Does selecting a travel eSIM prevent every roaming charge?
Settings guidance checked:
Will WhatsApp keep my number?Separate an existing account, a verification request and an app that will not connect.
Will my WhatsApp number change with a China eSIM?
No. Choosing a different SIM for mobile data does not change the number registered in your existing WhatsApp account. Keep that account. A travel data plan supplies internet access; it does not replace your account or its verification.
Your existing WhatsApp account
Friends use the same account they already know. You do not need to give them a new number just because you choose a travel data line.
Your travel eSIM
Provides mobile data in its covered destination. It does not receive SMS or ordinary phone calls for your original number.
Choose what is happening
WhatsApp is already working on this phone
- Before departure, check the number shown in WhatsApp Settings under your profile. Keep your existing account; do not use Change Number just to install a travel eSIM.
- At your covered destination, select OrientPass for mobile data and follow its roaming instructions. Keep home-line data roaming and automatic data switching off; check the device guide below.
- If you also need bank SMS or ordinary calls, your original line has a separate role. Check its availability and charges with your carrier. WhatsApp working does not confirm SMS reception.
WhatsApp asks me to verify my number again
- Use the number registered to your account. A data-only OrientPass eSIM cannot receive its SMS or phone-call verification code.
- Follow the verification options actually offered by WhatsApp. If it requires SMS or a call, the original number must be reachable; check roaming service and charges with its carrier. Some previously configured recovery options may be offered, but do not assume they are available.
- Do not buy extra data to solve an account-verification problem. Never share a verification code with OrientPass or another person. Use WhatsApp’s official help if you cannot regain access.
I am signed in, but messages will not send
- With OrientPass selected for mobile data, turn Wi-Fi off briefly and try two different websites. If neither loads, use the connection checks below before changing your WhatsApp account.
- If other sites load but WhatsApp does not, check the exact in-app error and WhatsApp’s help. Hotel Wi-Fi and your travel eSIM use different networks; success on one does not establish access on the other.
- Keep the installed eSIM and your account while checking. More gigabytes do not remove an app restriction or complete account verification. Tell support whether other websites load, without sharing login codes.
Keeping your number and reaching WhatsApp are separate questions. App access can vary with the network, location and service restrictions. OrientPass does not guarantee WhatsApp availability or account recovery.
Choose data for the trip, keep your account
Compare the live China plans on this page by allowance and validity. Their current routing is shown here; a routing label is not an app-access guarantee. Video calls and media use data from your allowance.
Current plan routing
- 5 GB · Routage international (Hong Kong)
- 10 GB · Routage international (Hong Kong)
Does internet stop during a phone call?Check what happens after the call and read the limits for your phone model.
Why does my China eSIM stop loading during a call?
A call on your home number can interrupt data on your travel line. This depends on your phone and settings; it does not by itself mean your allowance is empty. Check again after the call before buying more data.
1. Notice which kind of call it is
A normal call to your home number uses that line’s voice service. A WhatsApp call uses an internet connection. The two are different; the China data plans on this page do not include ordinary phone calls or a new number.
2. Check after the call ends
At a covered destination, confirm the travel eSIM is still selected for data and has its required roaming setting enabled. Keep home-line data roaming and automatic switching off. Briefly turn Wi-Fi off and open a small webpage. Do not make a chargeable test call.
3. Follow the result
If browsing returns, note that it stopped only during the call; this is a useful clue, not a diagnosis. If it still fails, return to working Wi-Fi and follow the connection guide. Keep the eSIM installed and record your phone model and what happened.
Do not enable home-line roaming or data switching just to keep a map loading. Calls, voicemail and carrier Wi-Fi calling have their own availability and charges. Check China conditions with your home provider; having travel data does not make these services free.
iPhone: why leaving data switching off can pause data
Pixel and other Android phones
Before heading out, save the hotel address and booking details offline. For an internet call, agree on an app both people can use. App availability and call quality can vary; Wi-Fi calling from your carrier is a separate service.
Need mobile internet for apps between calls? Compare the live China plans on this page. More gigabytes do not change your phone’s dual-SIM behaviour or add voice minutes.
Compare China data plans ↑Will a bigger eSIM plan stop internet dropping during calls?
Is carrier Wi-Fi calling the same as a WhatsApp call?
Official guidance checked:
A data plan does not include home-carrier calls or SMS, supply bank codes, or guarantee that every app works. Check your home carrier’s charges before keeping that line active.
Before flying: keep access to your number
At home, one plan usually handles both internet and texts. In China, you can split those jobs: the travel eSIM supplies data, while your usual carrier remains responsible for texts to your number.
Examples for European home SIMs
Germany · +49
Ask your carrier specifically about China, incoming texts and any roaming block. Do not assume the terms from your last European trip apply. Telekom explains that you keep your usual number when the line connects to a local network. Other carriers may have different conditions.
Telekom: staying reachable abroad ↗Austria · +43
Check your own roaming plan and any overseas-service block. A1 distinguishes blocking all overseas services from switching off data roaming on your phone. If you need texts, confirm that your entire home line is not blocked in China. Ask your own carrier if you use another provider.
A1: check roaming and service blocks ↗Switzerland · +41
Check China under your own subscription; do not carry over the terms for trips to Germany or Austria. Swisscom customers can review roaming limits and included services in Cockpit. Ask separately about receiving texts in China. Other Swiss carriers have their own conditions.
Swisscom: Cockpit and roaming limits ↗Three checks before you travel
- Check with your bank: does approval use SMS or an authentication app? Set up an offered backup method before flying and test your access.
- Ask your home carrier: can my number receive texts in China? Is there a service block? What charges may apply to calls, texts and voicemail?
- Check that your phone supports both lines at the same time. Use OrientPass for mobile data, with home-line data roaming and automatic data switching off.
An SMS code and an app approval are different: an ordinary text needs your original cellular line. An authentication app uses internet and its own registration. Mobile data alone cannot replace an SMS.
Find the settings for your phone ↓These carriers are examples of specific checks, not OrientPass partners. A successful check before departure cannot guarantee later code delivery. If your SIM is from another country, make the same checks with its provider.
Choose the data line on your phone
Open the guide for your device. You need an unlocked phone that supports your SIM and eSIM combination at the same time. Menus vary by model, software and region.
Need texts sent to your usual number? Keep that line enabled for ordinary cellular SMS. OrientPass provides mobile data only. Check availability and charges for your original line with its provider.
My phone or these settings are missing
Do not guess from a similar model. Check the exact model, country variant and supported SIM combination before buying. If the travel eSIM is already installed, keep it while checking the manufacturer’s instructions.
Check my exact phone →iPhone: choose your data line
For an unlocked iPhone supporting dual SIM and eSIM. Menu names may vary by iOS version; the linked Apple guide illustrates the settings.
Name your lines
Give your plans clear names under Settings → Cellular, such as “Home” and “OrientPass”.
Select OrientPass for data
Choose the travel eSIM under Cellular Data. Enable data roaming on that line as instructed in your installation guide.
Turn off home-line data roaming
Open your home line and switch off data roaming. Keep the line active only if you need its services and have checked your terms.
Check automatic data switching
Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching if you do not want the home line to take over data. Mobile data may then be interrupted during a call on the other line.
Samsung Galaxy
Your menu may say SIM card manager rather than SIM manager.
Choose the data line
Open Settings → Connections → SIM manager. Under Mobile data, select your OrientPass eSIM. Give the lines clear names so you can tell them apart.
Manage your number separately
Check that your home line is enabled if you need its texts. Call and text preferences are separate from the data line. Choosing them does not make overseas calls or texts free.
Check roaming and data switching
Follow your installation instructions for roaming on the travel eSIM. Check available automatic data-switching options to avoid the other line unexpectedly taking over data. Names and locations vary by model; use the Samsung guide for your device.
Google Pixel
Even on an eSIM-capable Pixel, the SIM combination you can use simultaneously depends on the device and provider.
Select OrientPass for mobile data
Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. Select OrientPass as the default for mobile data. Manage your call and text preferences separately.
Turn off automatic data switching
If you do not want the home line to take over data, turn off Switch mobile data automatically where available. Follow your travel eSIM instructions for roaming and review your home-line roaming settings separately.
Check what happens during calls
Data-line behaviour during calls differs between Pixel models. Turning off automatic data switching can limit features for calls on both SIMs. Check the Google guide and your provider’s terms; selecting a data line does not guarantee free calls.
Check the result after arrival
Check mobile data and SMS separately. A working website shows an internet connection; it does not prove that a code sent to your usual number can arrive.
At a covered destination, first confirm OrientPass is selected for mobile data and automatic data switching is off. Briefly turn Wi-Fi off and open two different websites. Turn Wi-Fi back on afterwards if you need it. This check uses some of your data allowance.
In China and your verification code is missing?
First check whether the service expects an SMS or an in-app approval. SMS goes to the registered phone number, not your travel data eSIM. Working mobile internet alone does not prove that your original number can receive texts.
Check the destination first
Check your original line separately
Your travel eSIM’s signal bars do not tell you whether your original SIM has registered on a network.
- Check that the original line is enabled and flight mode is off. Keep the travel eSIM selected for mobile data.
- Follow your home carrier’s instructions for roaming access and network registration in China. Ask about any block on incoming SMS. Do not turn on home-line data roaming as a generic SMS fix.
Next step
If the original line cannot register, contact its carrier with your device model, location and displayed network status. OrientPass cannot remove another carrier’s service block.
What did you find?
Check dual-SIM settings →Choose a different situation ↑Check SMS service on the original number
Signal on your original line is useful, but it does not confirm that incoming SMS works. Keep the travel eSIM selected for internet while you check the number receiving the code.
- Confirm that the number shown by the bank or app belongs to the enabled home line. Check the messaging app’s blocked-sender and spam folders without disabling its protections.
- If ordinary SMS to that same number also fail, ask your home carrier whether incoming SMS roaming in China is available for your contract and whether a service block needs attention. Do not enable home-line data roaming or buy more travel data as an SMS fix.
Next step
Tell the carrier your phone model, current country, displayed network and when SMS stopped arriving. Use its official support channel. Keep passwords, verification codes and installation QR codes private.
What did you find?
Check my home carrier before changing settings →Choose a different situation ↑Check the sender’s verification process
A WhatsApp or iMessage message is not an ordinary SMS test. Check that messages arrived as SMS to the same registered number.
- Check the registered number and the service’s retry instructions. Follow any timer or error shown instead of repeatedly requesting codes.
- Use an alternative verification method only if the service offers it and you can access it. Otherwise contact the bank or app through its official help channel.
Next step
Explain when you requested the code, the error and whether ordinary SMS arrive. Do not share passwords, one-time codes or your eSIM installation QR. Extra data cannot fix a registered-number or sender-side problem.
What did you find?
Review preparation and carrier checks →Choose a different situation ↑Check internet access and app registration
An approval in a registered banking or authentication app is different from receiving an SMS.
- Open the official app directly and follow its instructions. Check whether another webpage loads over your chosen data connection.
- If the phone has no internet, use the connection guide. If other pages load but this app fails, follow its official support or recovery process. Connectivity does not guarantee approval.
Next step
Do not delete or reinstall an authentication app as a generic connectivity fix. Re-registration may require access you do not have while travelling. Follow the provider’s official recovery instructions.
What did you find?
Check the phone’s internet connection →Choose a different situation ↑Chat works, but does ordinary SMS work?
A working chat is not an SMS test. First identify the message type, then check the line that receives it. The China data plans shown here do not add SMS service to your existing number.
iMessage or WhatsApp arrives
These chats can use an internet connection. That does not confirm that your home number can receive a bank’s SMS.
Check the number registered with the bank and whether its prompt asks for an SMS or approval in the bank’s app.
An iPhone message bubble is green
Green can mean RCS or SMS/MMS. Colour alone cannot identify an ordinary SMS; RCS also depends on carrier support.
Read the message-type label in the conversation. If you cannot establish the type, do not assume your number has passed an SMS test.
An ordinary SMS reaches the same number
This is useful evidence that the number can receive SMS at that moment. A particular sender’s verification code can still fail.
Choose “Other SMS arrive” above. Follow that sender’s retry timer or recovery instructions; buying more data will not fix its verification process.
Before departure, check Settings → Apps → Messages → Send & Receive on your iPhone. Confirm the existing number or email you use. Changing the data SIM is not a reason to replace the number registered with your bank.
iMessage asks to activate your number?
Phone-number activation can send a chargeable SMS and take up to 24 hours. Do not repeatedly switch iMessage off and on while verification is pending. Ask your home carrier about international SMS and use Apple’s activation guidance.
Read Apple’s activation guidance ↗For a German, Austrian or Swiss number, use the separate carrier checks above. Data roaming, SMS and iMessage activation have different conditions; no universal free-SMS promise applies.
Your original carrier decides roaming availability and charges. Wi-Fi Calling depends on the carrier and country; do not assume it delivers SMS in China. Prepare a supported backup verification method before departure.
Need mobile data as well?
The China plans on this page provide internet for compatible phones. They do not include a phone number, receive bank SMS or approve an account.
Compare current China data plans ↑Guidance checked:
Does my China eSIM include a Chinese phone number?
No. OrientPass China plans provide mobile data, not a Chinese number or SMS. For an app’s verification code, use a number you already control and keep its SIM reachable. App registration is separate from mobile internet.
What is the app asking for?
A phone number with a country selector
An SMS code that has not arrived
A mainland Chinese number only (+86)
Prepare before leaving Europe
- Install the official app and complete its supported registration while your existing number is reachable. Save your sign-in details securely.
- Check SMS access and possible charges in China with your home carrier. App approval, bank approval and mobile-data service remain separate.
- If the app rejects your number or asks for identity documents, follow its official help. No passport upload at OrientPass checkout does not waive another service’s checks.
Alipay and DiDi: registration versus internet access
Your travel eSIM connects the apps to the internet. Your existing number and the app’s own checks handle registration.
Get connected
Use OrientPass mobile data for maps, payments and booking a ride while you are out.
Keep your number reachable
Alipay and DiDi support registration with foreign phone numbers. Keep access to the number you register in case a verification code is needed.
Set up the app before you fly
Register and link a supported payment card in advance. The app and your bank decide whether your account and card are accepted.
A data plan does not include SMS or a Chinese number. It does not guarantee verification codes, account approval or successful payments. Identity checks may be required.
Install the official apps, register with a number you can access and follow their card-linking instructions. Check overseas SMS reception and charges with your home provider. Keep an alternative way to pay available.
Before you buy
Do I need a plan with SMS for bank codes?
Do I need to change my WhatsApp number?
Will I get a Chinese phone number?
What changes on Android?
Do I need data roaming on to receive texts?
Can I use an OrientPass China data eSIM for a +86 verification code?
Does buying a data eSIM approve my Alipay or DiDi account?
WhatsApp works in China. Does that mean I can receive bank SMS?
Should I buy more eSIM data when a verification code does not arrive?
Does a green iPhone message prove that SMS works in China?
Do my contacts need a new number when I use a China data eSIM?
Can more travel data fix a missing WhatsApp verification code?
My home SIM has signal in China. Why are no SMS arriving?
How do I check both lines after arrival?
Sources and review
OrientPass editorial team · Content reviewed on
Based on manufacturer documentation and our current data plans. Not an on-device network test in China or a guarantee of bank-text delivery.