How To Skype In: China

Leo stared at his laptop in a bustling Shanghai cafe, the scent of oolong tea and fried dumplings filling the air. He needed to call his grandmother in London for her birthday, and he’d promised to use Skype so she could see his new apartment.

He remembered her warning as he tried to open the app store on his phone. It wasn’t there. Years ago, Skype had disappeared from major Chinese app stores, including Apple’s. If he had waited until he arrived to find the app, he would have been forced to hunt for a modified Chinese version that often faced more scrutiny and potential surveillance. How To Skype In China

Before he left home, his tech-savvy sister had given him a piece of advice: Leo stared at his laptop in a bustling

This is the story of how to stay connected using Skype while navigating the digital landscape of China. It wasn’t there

Leo opened his laptop, which already had the international version of Skype installed. He knew that while the "Great Firewall" blocked giants like Facebook and Google, . It wasn't completely blocked, but it was temperamental.