Signal

Signal has been blocked in mainland China since March 2021. Its website was blocked by 15 March, according to the censorship monitor GreatFire.org, and from 16 March users could no longer send messages or make calls without a VPN.

Key facts

• Status: blocked in mainland China, works in Hong Kong
• Since: 15–16 March 2021
• Official reason: none given
• Access today: only through a VPN

Why did China block Signal?

China gave no official reason. Asked about it, a foreign ministry spokesman said he was “not aware of the situation”. Signal was one of the last Western messaging apps that still worked in China, and its end-to-end encryption means the state cannot read users’ messages.

The app had grown quickly in early 2021, when a WhatsApp privacy policy change pushed many users worldwide to switch. Sensor Tower estimated the iOS version had been installed close to 510,000 times in China. Signal had also become popular with privacy-conscious users and the Uyghur diaspora.

What happened just before?

The block came a month after China shut out Clubhouse, an audio-chat app that had briefly hosted open discussions of sensitive topics. Signal had also stopped working without a VPN a few times before March 2021, but each time service came back. This time it did not.

Is Signal still banned in China?

Yes. Signal remains blocked in mainland China, although it works normally in Hong Kong. At the time of the block the app was still listed on Apple’s China App Store, a sign that the restriction was applied at network level rather than through the store.

Where else is Signal blocked?

China is not the only country to cut off the app. Russia blocked Signal in August 2024, citing laws against terrorism and extremism. In China, Signal joined Telegram and WhatsApp on the list of banned encrypted messengers.