How To Unblock YouTube Easily [7 Different Ways]

There’s a plethora of reasons that explain why you may not be able to access the video you’re looking forward to watching: traveling to a new location, schools and workplaces blocking access, countries censoring YouTube, creators restricting their videos and more. This section explores more of this in depth.

Here are the most common reasons why YouTube videos get blocked:

Network-Level Blocks

YouTube has often been referred to as a free university due to the amount of educational content available to anyone at the click of a button. For students and employees, this is a helpful resource to turn to, but it can also be a major distraction affecting their productivity and exposing them to inappropriate content. This is why network-level blocks are sometimes implemented by network administrators in schools, colleges and workplaces to restrict access to YouTube across an entire network.

Age Restrictions

Age restrictions are put in place to prevent access to videos that are deemed inappropriate for youth. YouTube community guidelines specifically state that age restrictions may be placed on videos that are not in violation of their policies but may not be suitable for viewers under 18.

Age-restricted content includes themes such as child safety, harmful or dangerous activities, nudity and sexually suggestive content, violent or graphic content and vulgar language. This is done to protect minors from inappropriate content.

Copyright Infringement

YouTube has strict policies against copyright infringement, and videos that violate these policies can be removed or blocked. This is done to protect the rights of content creators and prevent illegal distribution of copyrighted material.

Inappropriate Content

YouTube also has policies against content that is deemed inappropriate, such as hate speech, violence and sexually explicit material. The policies cover various types of content, including spam, deceptive practices, sensitive content, violent or dangerous content, regulated goods and misinformation. Videos that violate these policies can be removed or blocked.

Regional Restrictions

Video owners sometimes restrict their videos to be watched in certain regions because of licensing rights. This means that certain videos may not be accessible to viewers in certain areas. This is commonly referred to as “geo-fencing.” YouTube does not have control over these restrictions, as they are determined by the creators.

National Censorship

There are a number of countries that have banned YouTube over the years. Examples include China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Turkmenistan. Some other countries have, at one time or another, blocked YouTube due to religious or political reasons.

This is often done to control the flow of information and prevent citizens from accessing content that the government deems inappropriate or harmful. Such content includes hate speech, violation of national laws, videos that promote violence and criticism of government officials, religion or rulers.

There are several easy steps you can follow to unblock YouTube and enjoy uninterrupted video streaming. For example, if YouTube is blocked due to your location, you could use a VPN or proxy server. You could also use the Tor Browser, Google Translate or try accessing the video via a web extension.

Here’s how to unblock YouTube seven different ways:

1. With a VPN

A VPN works by encrypting your internet connection and routing it through a remote server, making it appear like you are accessing the internet from a different location. This tool masks your IP address, protects your online identity and allows you to bypass any regional restrictions or filters and access YouTube from anywhere in the world.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using VPNs to unblock YouTube:

1. Choose a reliable VPN service that works with YouTube. We ranked the best VPN services based on 30 factors such as transparent pricing, number of server locations, customer experience and number of devices it can cover. Some of the best VPNs include NordVPN, TorGuard VPN, and TunnelBear.
2. Sign up for the VPN service and download the VPN app onto your device.
3. Open the VPN app and connect to a server location where YouTube is not blocked.
4. Once connected, open your web browser and go to YouTube to access the blocked videos.

However, using a VPN does come with some limitations. VPNs are not foolproof and can be susceptible to malware and online attacks. Free VPN services may have limited bandwidth and slow speeds and may not offer the same level of security as paid VPN services.

In other words, free VPN services may even sell user data or run ads that are infected with malware, so to enhance your data privacy, you want to consider investing in a paid VPN. Additionally, some countries have strict laws against the use of VPNs, they are either banned or regulated so it’s important to research the laws in your country before using a VPN.

2. With a Proxy Server

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between you and the internet. It allows you to change your IP address, bypass geo-restrictions and access blocked content. To simply use this resource, you need to find a proxy server that’s located in a country where YouTube is available and enter the proxy server’s IP address and port number in your browser’s settings. The proxy server goes ahead to route your traffic through a different IP address, allowing you to unblock your preferred YouTube content.

You’ll need to choose a good proxy service with fast speeds, good uptime and unlimited bandwidth (so they don’t throttle your connection). We recommend using proxies that are HTTPS-enabled as well, which means they encrypt all of their traffic so nobody can see what sites you’re visiting or what data is being sent back and forth between them.

On the other hand, you can opt for web proxies if you intend to quickly unblock a single YouTube video. Web proxies are a type of proxy server that can be accessed through a website. By forwarding server requests to a proxy server, web proxies communicate with the website on your behalf. Some web proxies are devoted specifically to YouTube, which eases the process for you.

There are, however, several cons of using a proxy server to unblock YouTube. Proxy sites are often unencrypted, which means that your information, including usernames, passwords and payment details, could be exposed and eventually fall into the wrong hands. It’s recommended to use a VPN instead to be assured of better security and privacy.

3. Using Tor

If you prefer to unblock YouTube videos through a web browser, the Tor Browser is a good option. Tor (The Onion Router) Browser is a free and open-source web browser that allows you to anonymize your online activities and bypass geo-restrictions. To use Tor Browser, you’re required to download and install the software from the official website.

Tor’s main strength lies in its ability to offer a high level of anonymity, but this typically comes at the cost of slower browsing speeds when compared to VPNs or proxies. It’s worth noting that the Tor Browser has been associated with illegal activities due to its use for accessing the dark web, thereby giving it a negative reputation. However, Tor is safe and legal and you should use it with care.

4. With Google Translate

Google Translate is a free translation service that allows you to translate text and web pages from one language to another. Though the method seems a bit unnatural, you can actually use this tool to unblock YouTube content.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Google Translate to unblock YouTube:

1. Head to the Google Translate page.
2. Set output language to English.
3. Input the inaccessible YouTube URL in the search bar (left area of the page).
4. Click and copy the link that pops up in the right output area.

This method, however, may not work on all videos. The translation process may also result in slower video loading times and lower video quality.

5. With a Browser Extension

A browser extension or add-on allows you to add extra functionality to your browser. To unblock YouTube, you could find and install an add-on that allows you to do this. These extensions are available for popular web browsers such as Chrome or Firefox.

When downloading extensions, do proper research so you don’t end up with an add-on that’s not reliable or secure and may even contain malware that can harm your device. Apart from security concerns, some extensions may end up slowing your browser and consuming more resources, which can impact your browsing experience.

6. Modify Its URL

This is a clever and quick method for students and employees to unblock YouTube. Network administrators often block websites by adding their URLs to a blocklist. This means that if the main URL of YouTube, http://www.youtube.com, is blocklisted, you can try bypassing this by typing https://www.youtube.com into your address bar instead. This may trick the firewall on your network and allow you to access the site.

While this method may be effective in some cases, it’s not foolproof. Network administrators may also block the HTTPS URL of YouTube, rendering this method useless. This method also won’t work for content that is censored or geoblocked in your region as that’s more encompassing.

7. Download YouTube Videos

This is a common hack, however, it is considered a violation and may result in legal action. Therefore, while it may be a viable way to unblock YouTube content, we do not  recommend downloading videos off the platform.

As common as this method is, downloading videos using third-party services is considered illegal by YouTube and violates its Terms of Service. Here’s what it says:

“The following restrictions apply to your use of the Service. You are not allowed to: access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any part of the Service or any Content except: (a) as expressly authorized by the Service; or (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders…”

Unblocking YouTube sure has its quirks. That includes legal consequences which may or may not be favorable. It generally depends on the specific circumstances and policies involved.

For students and employees attempting to bypass their institution’s network to access YouTube, this may result in punishment and other disciplinary actions. For countries, especially those involved in national censorship of YouTube, it’s considered illegal to bypass content restrictions or even use a VPN to gain access. It’s important to check YouTube’s terms of service and copyright laws to see that you’re not violating any before attempting to unblock a YouTube video.

Bottom Line

Security and privacy remain topics of concern in unblocking YouTube. We’ve discussed various methods such as using a VPN, proxy or even accessing YouTube via Google Translate. However, the best choice usually boils down to using VPNs.

A VPN is known to provide quality security but that heavily depends on the quality of the VPN service. A free or low-quality VPN can put your online security at risk and expose your personal information to hackers, especially if the VPN provider in question keeps logs of your online activities. This doesn’t just apply to VPNs but web browsers and add-ons that keep logs of your online activities. You can, however, avoid all these by choosing a reputable VPN service that’s known to offer maximum security and privacy.