How much data do you need in China?

Open Task Manager and check network activity under Processes. Pause a nonessential transfer in the app itself, then look again. This helps find ongoing traffic; it does not show your remaining eSIM allowance.

Save your work and check that the laptop is connected to your phone’s hotspot. Keep the test short: observing traffic still uses data. If little allowance remains, disconnect first and check downloads on trusted Wi-Fi.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Select Processes and look at the Network column beside the apps you recognise.
2. Open an app with ongoing traffic and pause its nonessential download, stream or cloud sync using that app’s controls. Return to Task Manager and watch whether its activity falls.
3. If needed, select Performance → Wi-Fi to see overall activity on the wireless connection. A quiet moment does not mean transfers will stay stopped; check again before leaving the laptop unattended.

What the numbers do not tell you

Activity or transfer-rate readings are not remaining gigabytes. Task Manager does not know the eSIM balance or the phone’s own use. A browser can include several tabs and downloads; this view does not reliably identify the individual website. Other network connections can also affect what you see.

Unfamiliar process, blank reading or managed laptop?

Do not use End task on unfamiliar Windows processes, stop security services or bypass company controls. A blank or zero reading is not proof of zero usage. Save your work, disconnect the laptop from the hotspot and ask IT if you cannot identify the transfer. Resume essential updates and backups on trusted Wi-Fi.

Pause OneDrive sync for a hotspot session, then resume on trusted Wi-Fi. Check the paused status for each account. The pause expires automatically; it is not a permanent data block.

Before departure, save essential files for offline use and check they open. During a pause, do not assume changes have reached another device or a colleague.

1. Right-click the OneDrive cloud in the Windows taskbar, or Control-click it in the Mac menu bar. Choose Pause syncing and select 2, 8 or 24 hours.
2. Confirm the cloud shows Paused. Personal and work OneDrive accounts can be paused separately; check each one you use.

After the hotspot session

On trusted Wi-Fi, open the paused cloud and choose Resume syncing. Check the activity panel for completion or errors. Sync also restarts when the selected pause ends, even if you are still using the hotspot.

The cloud icon or pause option is missing?

Use Microsoft’s icon help below. On a managed work device, ask IT. Do not unlink accounts or delete files just to save mobile data. If other transfers continue, review those apps or disconnect the laptop from the hotspot.

This only controls OneDrive sync. Browser downloads, other backup apps and the phone can still use the shared allowance. Pausing does not recover used data or extend your plan.

Pause Drive for desktop and check its sync status before connecting your laptop to the phone hotspot. Prepare needed files on trusted Wi-Fi first. Pausing desktop sync does not stop browser downloads or other apps.

Need a booking PDF offline? While still on trusted Wi-Fi, find it in the Google Drive folder. On Windows, right-click → Offline access → Available offline; on Mac, right-click → Available offline. Wait for it to finish, then check the file opens without internet. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides need separate browser offline setup.

1. Open Drive for desktop from the Windows system tray (check hidden icons) or the Mac menu bar. In the redesigned app, use the Pause button; check Sync status to confirm the pause. Older layouts may differ — use Google’s current guide below.
2. Check the account shown, especially if you have both work and personal files. Keep the app running when using streamed files saved offline. Avoid opening cloud-only files or starting browser uploads while on the hotspot.

When you have trusted Wi-Fi again

Reconnect the laptop to that Wi-Fi, resume Drive syncing and check the sync status for outstanding work or errors. Until synchronization finishes, an edit saved on this laptop may not be available on another device.

Cannot find the app or confirm it is paused?

Save your work and disconnect the laptop from the hotspot while checking. For a managed work or school computer, ask your administrator. Do not disconnect your Google account or delete files to save data: disconnecting a streaming account removes its offline files.

This controls Drive for desktop, not all laptop traffic. It does not restore used eSIM data or guarantee Google Drive access on every connection in China. Choose a plan for the mobile use you still need, including hotspot use.

Turn off automatic joining for your phone hotspot, then disconnect when finished. Changing a join preference alone does not end the current connection. Choose the Windows or Mac steps below.

Save online work first. Read the hotspot name on your phone so you change the right network.

Mac · Check both joining settings

1. In System Settings → Wi-Fi, open Details beside the connected hotspot. Turn off Automatically join this network, if shown.
2. Back in Wi-Fi settings, check Ask to join hotspots. If a menu is available, choose Ask To Join or Never instead of Automatic. Names and available options vary by macOS version.
3. Disconnect from the phone hotspot, or turn Wi-Fi off on the Mac if you need no Wi-Fi connection. Check the connected network name before resuming downloads.

If these controls are missing or managed, ask your IT team. To use the hotspot again, select it deliberately. Keep the travel eSIM installed; these Mac settings do not add data or stop the phone’s own usage.