Are you looking for information on how to access YouTube videos blocked in your country? Perhaps there’s a particular video that you wanted to watch, and your heart sank when you found out that it’s not available in your region? In any case, you’d be glad to know that there are a few things that you can do to circumvent such restrictions.
In this article, we will discuss three ways to unblock videos on YouTube as we go over the following:
Why Are Some YouTube Videos Blocked?
Before we discuss how you can unblock YouTube videos, it’s essential to understand why it’s happening in the first place. Why are some YouTube videos blocked while others are readily accessible to you? It’s a good question, and the answer will help you understand the workarounds presented later in this article.
YouTube blocks access to specific videos for two reasons. The first one is that the owner of the video may have restricted access to their work to particular regions. This is primarily due to licensing issues.
Another reason why specific videos are blocked on YouTube is that the content may go against local laws. In this case, watching said video might be illegal, and circumventing the block is generally discouraged unless you employ a method that adequately covers your tracks (more on that later).
How to Unblock YouTube Videos
Now let’s get on with the focus of this article—how to get YouTube unblocked! It’s not as difficult as you might think, and unblocking videos on YouTube is something that just about anyone can do with little technical knowledge.
Consider the following methods:
Downloading YouTube videos
Inarguably the most straightforward method to get around content restrictions on YouTube is to download the video for offline viewing. Many applications on the Internet enable you to do just that.
One good example is a free online tool called “Online Video Converter”. You just put in the link to the YouTube video that you’re interested in and set the format for your video download. Clicking on the “Start” button will automatically begin the conversion and download process.
Other YouTube video downloaders work similarly and include the following:
Note that while it’s not illegal to download videos on YouTube, doing so is a violation of Google’s Terms of Service. Also, you’d be bypassing ads that help support the content creators, which is generally frowned upon. Hence, we recommend downloading YouTube videos only as a last resort for when you must watch the video offline and have no other recourse available to you.
Proxy Servers
Another method to watch YouTube videos blocked in your region is to use a proxy server service, which lets you access content as though you are in a different region. All that you need to do is select a location where the video is readily accessible. Most proxy servers work as a browser extension, which you will need to enable before watching your desired video on YouTube.
While quick and simple, the downside to using proxy servers to unblock YouTube videos is that users don’t get data encryption and comparable Internet security measures. Hence, you must trust the proxy service provider not to do anything malicious with your data. Still, if your only interest is to watch blocked content on YouTube, then data security is less of a concern.
That said, you should not use a proxy service to watch videos that may be deemed unlawful in your area. An unencrypted connection means that your viewing activity is visible to the government and your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
If you want to go the proxy route, then here are a few service providers that are well worth considering:
Notice that all of the proxy networks mentioned above are paid services. While there are free proxy services on the Internet, most (if not all) of them are very limited in terms of performance and are hardly worth using. More importantly, some free services are known to collect user information without permission to sell to the highest bidder.
VPN (Virtual Private Networks)
Perhaps the best way to unlock blocked content on YouTube is to use a VPN service. The latter is similar to proxy servers in that you’re routing your data connection to an external server to bypass YouTube’s blocking restrictions. The only (and most important) difference is that a VPN takes extra steps to encrypt your connection as well as implement a wide range of cybersecurity features—DNS leak protection, anti-malware, and the like.
Most reputable VPN services on the market use the AES 256 data encryption protocol, which is widely regarded as the strongest in the world. Governments and big banks use them to secure data communications, transaction details, and other sensitive information. With a VPN, you don’t have to worry about whether someone is looking over your shoulders as you circumvent geo-restrictions and watch blocked videos on YouTube.
Another good reason to use a VPN to unblock videos on YouTube is that they can be surprisingly easy to implement. Most reputable VPN companies offer an app that users can download and install on their devices. Just run the VPN app, choose a server location (where the YouTube video isn’t blocked) and enable the VPN connection—it’s that easy!
If you wish to go the VPN route to access blocked content on YouTube, then we recommend the following premium VPN services:
Again, you would want to avoid free VPN services as they generally offer limited performance and sell the personal information of their users for profit. After all, there’s no point in unblocking a YouTube video when it takes forever to load and you sacrifice your online privacy in the process.
Summary
So there you have it—three ways to access YouTube videos blocked in your country! As you might have already realized, you need not let content restrictions stand in your way of watching your favorite videos. You just have to be smart about it and learn about the best way to protect yourself while doing so. For this reason, we recommend the use of an excellent VPN service that not only enables you to access all of the content that you want online but also protects all sensitive information in the process. Also, if you want to watch Youtube without ads check this post.
