How to unblock YouTube on your computer

YouTube is the biggest video streaming site on the internet, worldwide. Videos range from educational, entertaining, to motivational and so much more.

Websites can be blocked and unblocked for whatever reasons. You may discover that a certain  website is blocked on your computer when you click the link and it does not open; yet your internet access is good and you have access to every other site, but that one.

One of the best ways to unblock YouTubeis through the use of a VPN. VPNs basically help you pretend that you are in another location, which breaks the blockage barrier and allows you to surf.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN), is a technology that is created to encrypt your data and disguise your identity while you browse the worldwide web. It hides your IP address, which makes tracking your real location physically and online impossible.

The best VPNs for windows and MacBook are:

VPNs for Windows	VPNs for MacBook
Express VPN	NordVPN
Hotspot Shield	TunnelBear
Cyberghost	Proton VPN
Proton VPN	Windscribe
hide.me	Hotspot Shield

 Other ways in which you can unblock your YouTube are as follows

Use shorter links to access the site

This is a very simple and efficient method used to unblock any website. It works in almost all cases. There are various sites such as Bitly, TinyURL, or goo.gl which shorten the URL for free. Simply go to any of the sites having copied your URL, paste it on the box provided, and the site will generate a short link within seconds. Use the generated short link to access YouTube.

Changing your restricted sites list

One of the possible reasons why your YouTube is blocked is because it is on your list of restricted sites. This may be the case especially if you share your device with other users. You can check the list and remove the restriction by going to your computer settings> network and internet> proxy> restricted sites> remove the site you want to unblock.

If you are using Google Chrome

Click the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, then click the settings option. Go to advanced settings, then open proxy settings. It will redirect you to your computer proxy settings, to which you will follow the steps mentioned above. 

Using chrome extensions

Click the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, then click the settings and go to extensions. Add an extension that will work as a VPN and a firewall, for example Zenmate, or SetUp VPN which are free of charge.

Check mode of blockage

If the blocked address is in http form, you can try to reconnect with https instead. For example, if http://www.youtube.com refuses to work; you can try https://www.youtube.com/. 

Likewise, if it was “https” blocked, you can try “http” only to see if you can access the website. The term “https” represents a secure connection while the “http” is the unencrypted version of the website URL.

Check error message

The error message may indicate restrictions on the software by a family account. In this case, there is little to do unless the admin with access to the passwords changes it.

Other browsers

There are browsers like TorBrowser and Opera Neon browser, which have mechanisms that can bypass the blockage. Other web browsers have VPNs incorporated within them that can help overlook the restrictions and allow you to access the site.

Command prompt

Click the search bar at the bottom left of your desktop screen and type “Command Prompt” or simply ‘cmd’. Right click and choose the option ‘run as administrator’.

Open the cmd and the notepad.Write “ping localhost” without the “” into the command prompt.Copy the IP into the notepad file, hit tab and write localhost.

Ping the website you want to unblock in the command prompt, as in “ping www.website.com” once again without the “”. Copy and paste the IP of the site into the notepad file, hit tab and write the link to the site, without http://, as in “www.google.com”. Hit enter and repeat the previous step. It ought to turn out like this:

localhost

www.website.com

www.website.com

Save the notepad file into your desktop as “host.” with the “”, if it acts up, leave it as host with the “.”

Go to My Computer>Your Hard drive>WINDOWS>system32>drivers>ect and drag the notepad file into that folder.After doing this, the website will be unblocked.

A different method using cmd

Open the command prompt, ping the website you want to unblock by typing “ping www.website.com” without the “”, copy the IP next to “Reply From”, paste the IP into your address bar to browse.

Use a translator

Yes, the language translators such as Google or Microsoft Translate; can be used to bypass the blocked sites as well. Open any of them, then copy the blocked site address you want to view. It will translate the URL into a preferred language and even provide the link if present. This method will not work in all cases.

Website could be down

It is also important to note that websites may not be accessible due to challenges on their end. Their servers are prone to problems that affect user accessibility to the site.  If the server is down, give it some minutes to an hour then go back and try to reconnect.

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways to unblock YouTube or any other website on your computer. From using a VPN  to using command prompt on your computer. Explore any of the recommended steps above to find the one that works best for you.

FAQs

Do I need to have my VPN on throughout using YouTube?

Yes. If you turn it on, your IP address will be hidden and you will gain access to blocked sites. The vice versa applies.    

Is VPN illegal?

No, it is legal in most countries. Ensure you check for VPN regulations within your country or region before using one.