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How To Get Free Wifi At Shanghai PVG Airport

Last Updated April 22, 2021 William Tang

You are here: Home » China » How To Get Free Wifi At Shanghai PVG Airport

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If you're like me, when you land in a new airport, one of the first things you do is look for free wifi.  Now what frustrates me the most at an airport, or anywhere as a matter of fact, is how 1) there isn't free wifi and 2) they make you jump through hoops to connect.  Free wifi is becoming more and more an expected service and the good news is that the Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of those airports.  That said, it is a little trickier than most places to connect which is why I decided to put together this quick post.

Methods of connecting to #AirportPVG-Free-WiFi

#AirportPVG-Free-WiFi Popup

The wireless network or SSID that you're looking for on your phone is #AirportPVG-Free-WiFi and once you're connected, this will pop up.

If you look at the bottom, there are two options for logging in.  The first method is by SMS and the second is by a special username and password.

Let me help you walkthrough both methods so that you won't be without data when you land in Shanghai.

Method 1: via SMS

This method only works if the SIM card you have in your phone can connect to a cellular network in China when you land.  I, for one, had issues primarily because I realized after the fact that I hadn't enabled international roaming but that's another story.

I would say that this is the easiest method because all you have to do is pop in your phone number and with any luck, you'll receive a text message with the code you can use to log in.

Not much explanation is needed here as this is pretty easy to do.

Method 2: via Username and Password

You'd think this is easy but especially if this is your first time in Shanghai and you don't speak the language, it'll be trickier than you think.

Let's break this up into two parts: arrival and departure.

Arriving at PVG

If you're landing in Shanghai, you're going to have to wait until after customs and picking up your bags until you can get a username and password.  This means only when you go out into the public arrivals hall will you be able to start this process.

Thing is, they don't exactly have an information desk for you to go to.  In the name of automation and convenience, they've actually installed machines near the door you exit.

Location of the Wireless Password Machine in Shanghai
Wireless Password Machine at PVG

Once you're at the machine, change the language to English and follow the instructions that will lead you to scanning your passport below.  Once your passport has been scanned, a slip will be printed from the machine.  Use this username and password to log into the wifi.

Wireless Username and Password At Arrivals in PVG

Departing PVG

Now if you're leaving Shanghai, it's a little different which is why I wanted to highlight this new set of steps.

Similar to arrivals, you're going to need to look for a machine to print out one of those slips.  The machine you're looking for is between gates 75 and 77.  It's a little hard to spot unless you know what you're looking for.

Location of Wifi Password Machine At PVG Departures

This machine is actually a little different from the arrivals one (don't ask me why) and it's a console that seems to do a bunch of different things.  I couldn't figure out how to switch it to English so I've taken a sequence of photos to show you what you need to tap on to get things going.

Ultimately, what you want to do is get the machine to scan your passport.  Once approved, it'll print out a slip with the username and password and that's how you'll be able to log in.

The one thing to be careful of is that I had a lot of trouble scanning my passport.  It's a larger glass scanner and what I learned after numerous attempts is that you have to place your passport at the top left corner of the scanner.  Otherwise, it won't be able to successfully read your passport.

Looking for activities to do in Shanghai when you're in the city?

Shanghai: Get Your Guide

More on Shanghai

Top 10 things to do in Shanghai

24 Hours in Shanghai For Less than $25

Where To Stay In Shanghai – A Guide To The Best Hotels and Neighbourhoods


Well that's it!  Hopefully you'll be able to get on the wifi at PVG.  If anything, ask the help desk at the airport for “free wifi” and they should be able to point you in the right direction.  Best of luck!

What you should read next

  • Where To Stay In Shanghai – A Guide To The Best Hotels and Neighbourhoods
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How To Get Free Wifi At Shanghai PVG Airport
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Filed Under: China 16 Comments

About William Tang

William is the Chief of Awesome at Going Awesome Places which is focused on off-the-beaten-path, outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring others to travel, writing detailed trip itineraries to help others plan their own trips, and providing helpful tips and tricks to guide readers to travel better. He is based in Toronto, Canada but you'll find him on the road more often than not. Make sure to learn more about William to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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  1. Vasily says

    November 1, 2018 at 8:44 AM

    Super-cool post, man. Thanks a lot for the hints.

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      November 3, 2018 at 12:41 AM

      You’re welcome. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Ella says

    September 20, 2018 at 7:54 AM

    Hi, I was wondering are the gates 75-77 located in the international departures? Also does the wifi have an expiration time? Or can we use it as long as we want? I’m only curious because I have a 6 hour layover in a couple weeks :(

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      September 20, 2018 at 11:39 PM

      Yes this is for the international departures location. In terms of duration of the wifi, I don’t believe they expire within 6 hours but I can’t remember for sure. I think it’s good for the full day but I could be wrong.

      Reply
  3. Pey says

    September 17, 2018 at 2:16 AM

    HI there, thanks for sharing the above info. May I know how about transit in PVG? Any machine for me to access while awaiting for my next flight? Many Thanks. :)

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      September 17, 2018 at 11:15 AM

      Do you mean in terms of accessing a computer while at the airport for your next flight? As far as I know, I haven’t seen any open machines that you can use. Your best bet is a lounge but otherwise I don’t think there are any free computers to use.

      Reply
  4. Becks says

    August 10, 2018 at 8:56 AM

    Great advice Will! Will try it out next time I fly through SHA.

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      August 10, 2018 at 10:34 AM

      Thanks!! Should be pretty easy to do once you know what to look for :)

      Reply
      • Khate says

        January 11, 2020 at 11:17 AM

        But you can’t access Facebook and gmail if you don’t have a especial device

        Reply
        • Will Tang says

          January 12, 2020 at 12:38 AM

          For that you’ll need a VPN!

          Reply
  5. slughog says

    March 6, 2018 at 4:29 AM

    and if that screen does not “pop-up”? 😡

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      March 6, 2018 at 3:48 PM

      If it doesn’t pop up, I’d recommend going to your browser and going to any website. My go-to is usually tsn.ca but you can try something like starbucks.com and hopefully that’ll trigger a redirect.

      Reply
  6. Bobby IP says

    February 26, 2018 at 9:49 PM

    woww excellent, this article is very useful for everyone who would like to go to Shanghai. as we know, this city (mostly in China, not Shanghai only). it is not quite easy to find or use English very well

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      February 26, 2018 at 10:54 PM

      I know! That’s why when I figured out how to get wifi at the airport, I thought this would be useful for travellers.

      Reply
  7. Jp says

    February 11, 2018 at 9:56 PM

    Amazing walkthrough I will be passing though pvg at the end of February.

    Reply
    • Will Tang says

      February 11, 2018 at 11:17 PM

      You’re welcome! Should be pretty easy to do once you know where to go :)

      Reply

author will tang going awesome places profile photoHey, my name is Will and I'm here to help you travel to some awesome places around the world and my home country of Canada by providing insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists.

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