Is Reddit blocked in China?

Yes, Reddit is blocked in China as of the time of writing, although it could be available from inside the country when you read it, as access has been intermittent over the years. Just press the “Check” button above for the most up-to-date information.

Originally, Reddit never seemed to catch on among Chinese users, so the government didn’t bother to block it like it did with many of the other Western apps and websites where politics are debated and the content is mostly user-generated. As a result, the social network was not perceived as a threat. However, it is currently blocked, so the Chinese government’s opinion of Reddit may have changed.

When Reddit was blocked in China, the reasons were never clear as to why. The last reported outage was June 26, 2015. Sometimes the social network is hit with a temporary ban lasting only for a few hours, and sometimes for days. There’s really no rhyme or reason that’s clear to an average user.

One could surmise that some information deemed harmful to Communist Party rule in the country surfaced on the site, but the Chinese government isn’t exactly posting transparent notices about why it decides to block some sites and not others. Your best bet, when visiting the country, is to have a VPN on hand so if things change while you’re there, you’ll be prepared.

Tip: While Reddit has only periodically been blocked in the past, many of the most popular sites, including Google and Facebook, are. To access them, you will need a VPN.

How to unblock Reddit in China

If you’re an avid Redditor and are planning a trip to China, you may want to get a VPN beforehand. Just because reddit isn’t blocked today doesn’t mean it won’t be blocked tomorrow.

The easiest way to access Reddit, and any other website censored in China, is to use a VPN. A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts all of a device’s internet traffic and routes it through a server in a remote location of the user’s choosing. In this case, you would simply use a VPN to connect to a server in a country where Reddit is not blocked.

Here’s how to unblock Reddit in China:

Sign up for a VPN that works in China. We recommend NordVPN.
Download and install the VPN app, making sure to get the correct version for your device.
Open the app and sign in with your account username and password. You might also be required to enter an activation code upon first setup.
Select a server location outside of China. Closer servers tend to be faster, such as those in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Click the Connect button and wait a few moments for the connection to be established.
Once the connection is established, you can freely surf Reddit threads as usual.

VPNs normally require a paid subscription to use. A reputable VPN will not impose either data caps or bandwidth limits. It should offer strong security, no traffic logs, and plenty of servers to choose from.

Our top recommendation is NordVPN, which offers 7,500+ servers in more than 115 countries, with 100+ obfuscated servers in over 15 countries that hide your VPN usage, fast and well-protected connections, and easy-to-use apps for popular device platforms.

Note: We highly recommend purchasing, downloading, and testing your VPN before departure. Most VPNs’ websites, apps, support, and documentation are blocked in China, so it’s best to be prepared before you arrive.