Bypass YouTube's Regional Filter
YouTube has millions of videos, but many aren't available to watch outside of the region they were uploaded in. This is often due to copyright laws to prevent unauthorized viewers. There are several ways that you can get around these restrictions. There are multiple websites you can visit that will load videos for you through their servers, bypassing the region filter. If you are getting blocked a lot, you can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to unblock all of your internet traffic.
Contents
Steps
Using a YouTube Proxy Site
- Visit a YouTube proxy site. These are websites that operate servers in multiple countries, allowing you to bypass regional restrictions. Popular sites include:
- ProxFree (proxfree.com)
- UnblockYouTube (unblockyoutube.co.uk)
- Zalmos (zalmos.com)
- Select a server in the country you want to pretend you're from. Some proxy sites, such as ProxFree, will allow you to select which server you want to connect to. Select a server located in the country that has access to the video. For example, if the video is only available in the United Kingdom, select the UK server.
- This may take some trial and error if you don't know where the video originated from. You may have to try different servers until you find one that works for the video you want to watch.
- Load the YouTube website through your proxy. Enter "youtube.com" into the URL field on the YouTube proxy site. This will load the YouTube page through the proxy site. You'll likely see a bar at the top of the screen for the proxy site you are using. The YouTube page will load in whatever language is native to the server's location.
- Find the video you want to watch. You can use the search function in YouTube to find the video, or if you have the video's URL you can just paste it into your proxy site's URL field. If the server you are connected to is able to view the video, you will be able to watch it.
- Try a different server if the video still won't load. Remember, you'll need to connect to a location that is able to view the video. Your best bet is to connect to a server in the same location that the video was uploaded from. You may have to try several different servers until you find one that works.
- Not all YouTube proxy sites allow to select the server you want to connect to. Search "YouTube proxy" using your favorite search engine to find more YouTube proxy sites.
- Avoid logging in to YouTube while using a proxy site, as you'll be sending your login information through the proxy service on its way to YouTube. It could be intercepted by an untrustworthy proxy.
- Bypass an age-restricted video. If the video requires you to login to view the age restricted content, remove the /watch?v= part of the URL and replace it with v/. Load this altered URL in the proxy and you will bypass the age verification system. This will allow you to watch the video you need to watch without having to compromise your login information through the proxy.
Using a VPN Service
- Know when to choose a VPN over a free proxy. VPN (Virtual Private Network) services off many more servers that you can choose from, and are much more secure than the free proxy. If you upload a lot of videos to YouTube and need to be able to bypass regional filters and log in with your account, you may want to consider paying for a VPN service.
- VPNs are also a good choice if you find yourself locked out of lots of content and service online, as it will unblock all of your internet traffic.
- You can use a VPN on your mobile device as well.
- Choose a VPN. There are lots of VPNs out there, so you'll need to do a little research. Look at reviews and investigate their customer security and privacy claims. You'll also want to find one with a variety of servers around the world, especially if you look at YouTube content from lots of different regions. Avoid free VPN services, as these are usually slow and not very secure or trustworthy.
- When you sign up for a VPN, you will be given a username and password, as well as connection details for the different VPN servers. Some VPN services include their own custom VPN client, but you can use the VPN service built-in to your operating system to connect as well.
- Connect your device to the VPN. The process for connecting varies depending on the device you are using. Once you are connected, all of your internet traffic will be routed through the VPN. See Connect-to-a-VPN for instructions on connecting to a VPN in Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android.
- Windows - Open the Start menu or screen and search for "VPN". Launch the VPN connection wizard and enter in your VPN server and user login information. Your VPN will appear in the Networks list.
- Mac - Open the System Preferences menu and select "Network". Click the "+" button and select "VPN" as the interface type. Enter your server and user login information. Your new VPN will appear in the Network list from the menu bar.
- iOS - Open the Settings app and select "General". Select the "VPN" option and then tap "Add VPN". Enter in your server and user login information. The VPN icon will appear in your notification bar when connected.
- Android - Open the Settings app and tap "More" under "Wireless & networks". Tap the "VPN" option and then tap the "+". Enter in the VPN server and login information. A VPN icon will appear in the notification bar when you're connected.
- Open YouTube. Now that you're connected to your VPN server, you can visit the YouTube website or open your YouTube app. Because you're connected through a secure VPN, you can login without worrying about your credentials being stolen. YouTube will load the version of the site for the location of the server you are connected to.
- Find the video you want to watch. Search for the video or copy and paste the URL into your browser's address bar. Since all of your traffic is routed through the VPN, you'll be able to load the videos without any problem in any browser (as long as the server you are connected to is in a region that is allowed by the video).
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