Watching Chinese video abroad and seeing “only available in mainland China”?
In short: many shows are only licensed for mainland China, and video services decide where you are from where a few playback requests come from. Make those requests come from China and the show plays. With Homeway that’s one tap on the moon gate, on your TV, phone or computer — and the video itself still streams from the server nearest you, so nothing slows down.
Messages you might see
- “This video is only available in mainland China” or “Playback isn’t supported in your region”;
- “Due to copyright restrictions, this content isn’t available in your region”;
- a live TV channel showing a black screen, or “playback paused for copyright reasons”;
- you can see a show’s poster and description, but only the trailer or clips will play.
Why it happens
When video services buy the rights to dramas, variety shows, sports and live TV, they often only get rights for mainland China. To honor those deals, the service checks your region when you press play, mainly by looking at which country’s network a few requests — such as playback authorization and fetching the stream address — come from. Abroad, those requests come from overseas, so playback is blocked.
It has nothing to do with membership: paid accounts hit the same region restriction abroad. Switching phones or reinstalling the app won’t fix it either.
How to fix it
Option 1: Homeway (recommended)
Homeway only forwards the few region-check requests made by supported Chinese video apps to China. The video itself still streams straight from the server nearest you, and your other apps connect directly as usual.
- Install: get Homeway on your TV, TV box, phone or computer — see the setup guides.
- Sign in with an email code; on a TV, scan the QR code with your phone. New users get a 7-day free trial, no card required.
- Light the moon gate: tap the moon gate on Homeway’s home screen. When moonlight fills the gate, you’re on.
- Reopen your video app: fully close the video app, open it again, and play the show.
Option 2: a VPN or accelerator back to China
These also get around the region restriction, but they usually send all of your device’s traffic — including the video itself — through servers in China. Expect buffering at peak hours, and slower local sites while it’s on. See Homeway vs. a VPN back to China for the differences.
Option 3: the service’s international version
Some services offer an international app or site for overseas viewers that isn’t region-locked, but its library is usually different from the China version, and many popular dramas, variety shows and live channels are missing.
Still blocked with Homeway on?
- Make sure the moon gate on Homeway’s home screen is lit. Phones and TVs only allow one VPN-type app at a time, so turn off any other VPN first.
- Fully close the video app and open it again. Some apps hold on to your previous region, and a restart usually gets things playing. With the browser extension, just reload the page.
- Check that the app is supported. Homeway focuses on popular Chinese video apps and sites, and doesn’t cover other China-only websites and apps.
- Still not working? Email the app name, the show and your device model to support@homeway.tv and we’ll look into it.
FAQ
I’m a paying member — why is it still “mainland China only”?
Membership and region restrictions are separate. The region check is about where you are; membership decides which shows you can watch. With Homeway on, members-only content still needs you to sign in to your own membership in that app — Homeway doesn’t provide video memberships.
Does it work for live TV channels?
Yes. Live TV, sports and gala broadcasts in video apps are region-restricted too, and with Homeway on you can watch them live along with viewers in China.
I have a Samsung or LG TV. Can I use it?
Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs aren’t supported natively yet. Plug in an Android TV box and install Homeway and your video apps on it — see the TV box setup guide.
Does Homeway affect my other apps?
No. Homeway only forwards the few region-check requests from supported video apps. Local streaming sites, browsing and games connect directly as usual, with no switching on and off.
Is Homeway free?
Yes, you can use it for free. New users get a 7-day free trial from their first sign-in, on TV and phone, with no card required. When the trial ends you move to the Free plan automatically and can keep using Homeway on one phone at no cost. To use it on a TV, a tablet, a computer or several devices, subscribe to the Standard or Family plan.
Shows keep buffering? See how to fix buffering when watching Chinese video abroad.
Try Homeway
New users get a 7-day free trial, no card required. Works on your TV, phone and computer.