How to unblock YouTube

When visiting a foreign website, YouTube cannot access it? This is common, and many regions prohibit access to the largest video website. Not only at the national level, but universities or offices may also block YouTube. This article will cover several ways to lift YouTube access restrictions, but we discourage you from violating school or workplace policies.

Why is YouTube blocked?

YouTube is often considered the main distraction – people are watching cat videos there, right? This is the main reason why network administrators may need to disable YouTube in school or office.

While people may indeed spend a lot of time watching worthless YouTube videos, that's not the only reason people visit YouTube. It is also a major platform for video creators and a source of educational content. So, even if you are in school or workplace, you want to be able to access it.

Another common reason for blocking YouTube is web censorship. The level of censorship may vary – some countries ban YouTube platforms altogether, while others censor specific videos only. This can be a huge problem for country visitors who rely on YouTube to work or study. So, what should you do if YouTube is blocked?

Five ways to easily lift YouTube access restrictions

If you need to access blocked content regularly, we strongly recommend that you install good VPN software on your computer and use it for this purpose. Otherwise, you can try some other solutions like proxy servers or even Google Translate! Here are five best ways we can lift YouTube video access restrictions.

Using a VPN

The easiest way to bypass YouTube restrictions is to use a VPN app. ClearVPN is the best choice for Mac users. It is based on shortcuts, you don't have to think about where to switch to, just find the "Unlimit YouTube" option and activate it.

Use ClearVPN to unleash YouTube restrictions

Get the fastest VPN app and remove restrictions on YouTube and other streaming services, including Netflix, HBO, and more. A 7-day free trial is available on Setapp.

Free trial security test

Here is how to use ClearVPN to unlimit YouTube video access:

1. Install the app from Setapp
2. On the dashboard, select Unlock Streaming and Entertainment or type YouTube in the shortcut search
3. Click "Open YouTube" and wait a few seconds until activated.

Now you can visit youtube.com or directly access a specific video and play it.

Use a proxy server to unblock YouTube restrictions

If you don't have a VPN tool, you can try to use a proxy server to unlimit YouTube, but we do not recommend this method because it is less secure and may disclose your personal data. Unlike VPNs, proxy servers do not encrypt your data, they only filter your traffic through a specific server, changing your IP address – so it looks like you are in a different location.

You can find many proxy servers online, some are also available through browser extensions. If you decide to risk unrestrictions through a proxy server, you simply type the URL of your YouTube video on the proxy server site.

Watch YouTube content offline

The best way to unblock YouTube is to not lift it. If you only need a few YouTube videos, you can save them for offline viewing before heading to where YouTube is blocked. This way, you do not need to bypass any restrictions or violate the organization's policies.

We recommend a fast and reliable YouTube video downloader called Pulltube:

1. Install Pulltube from Setapp
2. Paste or drag and drop your YouTube video link into the app window
3. Choose quality, subtitles or trim videos as needed
4. Click the "Download" button.

It is very useful to have a tool like Pulltube on your Mac – in addition to YouTube, it is available on over 1,000 other sites including Vimeo, Facebook, and more. We also like its trimming feature, which allows downloading part of YouTube videos instead of the entire video.

Tip: If you get Setapp to access Pulltube and ClearVPN, we recommend you try MenubarX as well (it is part of the subscription, so you can get it for free). The app allows you to access your favorite websites from the menu bar. For example, Instagram, Twitter, Netflix, YouTube, etc. To watch YouTube videos in this so-called mini browser, launch the app and select the YouTube widget from the list of available widgets. Click on the video you want to watch and it will play in the menu bar. You can control the playback and volume of the video directly from the menu bar! Menubar X is a convenient way to multitask your favorite videos while they are playing in the background. Try it!

You can also use YouTube Premium to subscribe to save YouTube videos on your iPhone or Android phone. The operation method is as follows:

1. Open YouTube videos on your mobile device
2. Click the "Download" button
3. Select quality
4. Wait for the video to be downloaded.

This may work for those who don’t mind watching YouTube videos on their phones, but unfortunately offline viewing is disabled on Mac. Also, note that YouTube Premium subscriptions charge $11.99 per month, so only those who already subscribe are worth considering.

Use Tor to unlimit the restrictions

Tor is an anonymous browser that hides your IP address. It works by sending traffic through different servers - so that YouTube cannot detect your location. Tor looks like a good solution to access YouTube from anywhere in the world, and it works like a normal browser: just type youtube.com or your video URL into the address bar.

The problem with Tor is that it tends to be very slow, which is why video streaming is not its best use case. Because Tor sends traffic through many servers, it naturally slows the connection. That being said, Tor is a great tool to keep the network open to everyone – especially in countries where the internet is under severe censorship. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well with YouTube.

Tips for using Google Translation

This may sound strange. But it works! Obviously, you can access YouTube through Google Translate to bypass network restrictions – assuming Google Translate is not blocked. This may be a good solution for schools that usually allow websites like Translate.

Here are the ways to unblock YouTube via Google Translate:

1. Open Translation in your browser
2. Set the input language to "detection language" and set the output language to English
3. Paste YouTube URL into the input field
4. Click on the "Translated" link
5. Look! The video should open in a new window.

How exactly does it work? The problem is that the "translated" link has a Google domain name, not a YouTube domain name. If there is a network firewall, it will think you are visiting a Google website and therefore will not block the page. Note that this is just a one-time solution and doesn't always work.

in conclusion

If we have to choose the safest and most reliable way to unblock YouTube restrictions, we will choose a VPN. It allows you to bypass the network firewall without leaking your personal data, making it fast and efficient. Depending on your situation, you can also try downloading YouTube videos for offline viewing, or using workarounds like proxy servers, Tor, or Google Translate.

Setapp membership gives you access to ClearVPN, Pulltube, and MenubarX—apps that help you unlimit YouTube videos, download YouTube videos, and multitask your favorite videos while they play in the background. You can sign up for a free trial to try these apps and find out which method is best for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some YouTube videos banned or unreachable in my country?

Most likely they are being reviewed by your local government or organization. There are also copyright laws that allow content creators to limit the availability of their videos by location. For example, if a German TV station uploads a video to YouTube, they can authorize it to play only in Germany.

Is it legal to lift YouTube restrictions?

There is no answer to this question. Bypassing a network firewall in a workplace or school is not necessarily illegal. However, if your organization finds you have violated the policy, they may impose some kind of penalties. In some countries where web censorship is strictly enforced, lifting YouTube restrictions can be illegal, so make sure you understand local laws.

Is it legal to use a VPN to lift YouTube restrictions?

A VPN is the safest way to lift YouTube video restrictions, and in most cases it is legal to use a VPN to lift certain services, provided that the terms and conditions of these services are not violated. However, there are some countries that prohibit VPN use, so make sure you understand local regulations.

Which countries prohibit YouTube?

The list of countries that prohibit YouTube platforms include China, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, South Sudan and Eritrea. Some other places may block or restrict certain YouTube content.

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