Border officers in China can inspect electronic devices, and there are reports of device data being copied on entry. Here is what the advisories say, what the counter-espionage rules mean for the files on your phone, and how to arrive carrying nothing sensitive.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026 · Sources listed at the foot of this page
The U.S. Department of State places mainland China at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the use of exit bans on U.S. and other citizens without a fair and transparent process, and the risk of wrongful detention under broad national-security laws. Businesspeople, academics and journalists have been interrogated and detained. [U.S. State Department]
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office publishes its own advice on local laws, detention and entry rules for China, which is worth reading alongside the U.S. advisory. [UK FCDO]
This is a short summary for context. Advisories change; read the official advisory for your nationality before you travel. We are a data-security company, not a travel-safety authority.
Regulations under China's Counter-espionage Law, in force since 1 July 2024, let state security officers inspect and search electronic devices, including smartphones and computers, with approval from superiors. Separately, there are reports of customs officers inspecting and copying data from travelers' phones and laptops at ports such as Shenzhen and Shanghai, and of scanner apps being installed on some Android devices to read messages, contacts and media. [Radio Free Asia] [Mayer Brown]
Assume that the phone in your pocket, and everything it can open, can be inspected and copied on entry. Messages, photos, saved documents, and any account you can reach on an unlocked device are all in scope, and a copy taken at the border does not go away when you leave.
Set up a SpaceBox on a device that stays home, then send it the files you would not want inspected. Do this before you leave, while you still have unrestricted internet. They are encrypted on your phone and sealed to the home device, and your phone keeps no copy.
Cross the border with a device that has nothing sensitive on it and no account attached. Assume networks and devices can be inspected, and keep it that way for the whole trip.
Your files were waiting at home the whole time. You open them on your SpaceBox once you are back, with keys that never left that device.
Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, under keys exchanged with post-quantum ML-KEM-768. The app on the phone you carry acts only as a sender: it stores no files and holds no account or personal data. Do the offload before you enter China, since access to services outside the country can be filtered or blocked once you are there. We do not claim the app is hidden; the protection comes from the data not being on the device. For larger archives, SpaceBox Ground adds more room.
General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official advisory for your nationality before you travel. SpaceBox is not available to residents of the EU and EEA during the beta.
Advisory levels and local laws change. The links above are the primary sources; check them for the current position before you travel.
Set up a SpaceBox at home, move your sensitive files to it before you fly, and cross the border with a device that has nothing on it. Free to start, no card, no email.