If you find yourself making calls to China often, you may want to switch your phone plan to a carrier that has a reasonable international calling rate. Many companies cater to folks who make a lot of international calls.
You’ll use this same code when making any international call from the United States.
Area codes in China will be between two and four digits. For example, you would dial 10 for Beijing, 21 for Shanghai, and 514 for Yangzhou. [1] X Research source
For example, if you are calling a landline in Anshan, China you will dial: 011 86 412 XXXX XXXX. If you are calling a cell phone number in China, you will dial: 011 86 1XX XXXX XXXX.
If you are using your phone, take the extra precaution of turning off your data by going to your phone’s settings and shutting off the “Cellular” setting. This setting should be one of the first things you see when you go to your phone’s settings. Switching this setting to “off” will turn off your data until you set it back on. If you leave it on and your WiFi goes out during your call, you could wind up having to pay international rates.
WeChat and Skype are the most popular VoIP applications that currently work in China. They each have different features and fees associated, so it is best to have some sense of your needs when researching these options. You can also get a VoIP phone that operates using an IP Network. These phones are also known as IP phones, and they include features that differ from traditional phones. Because they send and receive calls over IP Networks, they also have different operating requirements from traditional phones. [4] X Research source
Remember that each of these applications has different requirements and fees associated with the type of international call. Maybe download a few that seem like they will work and try them all out until you find your favorite.
Make sure you are connected to WiFi and switch off “Cellular” in your phone’s setting (this will be right beneath the Bluetooth setting) to be sure you don’t accidentally use your data.
