Accounts Receivable - Summary of Changes in Loss Allowance of Accounts Receivable (Detail) - Impairment of accounts receivable [member] - CNY (¥) ¥ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Disclosure of financial assets [line items]
Beginning balance	¥ 9,557	¥ 7,269
Additions	5,105	5,833
Written-off	(3,072)	(3,545)
Ending balance	¥ 11,590	¥ 9,557

The amount of additional allowance for credit losses of financial assets recognised in profit or loss. [Refer: Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets]

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Note Expiry date 2021-01-01
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2020-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=7&code=ifrs-tx-2017-en-b&anchor=para_16&doctype=Standard&book=b
-URIDate 2020-01-01

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_AdditionalAllowanceRecognisedInProfitOrLossAllowanceAccountForCreditLossesOfFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of an allowance account used to record impairments to financial assets due to credit losses. [Refer: Financial assets]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Note Expiry date 2021-01-01
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2020-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=7&code=ifrs-tx-2017-en-b&anchor=para_16&doctype=Standard&book=b
-URIDate 2020-01-01

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_AllowanceAccountForCreditLossesOfFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfFinancialAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The decrease in an allowance account for credit losses of financial assets resulting from the utilisation of the allowance. [Refer: Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_UtilisationAllowanceAccountForCreditLossesOfFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CreditImpairmentOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=chl_ImpairmentOfAccountsReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: