Fortunately, there are a few easy methods you can use to watch restricted YouTube videos without having to move to a different country!
1. Unblock YouTube
Unblock YouTube is a great choice for watching restricted YouTube videos, simply because of how simple and quick it is to use. Its main forte is that it only requires the URL of the video you want to unblock. Just tell it where to go, and it’ll load up for you – easy! To use Unblock YouTube, find the search box at the bottom of the page.
Next, take the URL of the video you want to unblock and paste it into this box. When you hit Go, Unblock YouTube picks a server from Europe and loads the video from that location. This does unfortunately mean that if it picks a server from a country which is also blocked from watching the video, it won’t load there either! Due to its ease of use, however, it can work as a quick and easy tool.
2. ProxFree
ProxFree is a great solution if you want to tweak additional settings, such as the location of the server you want to use to watch the video. Not only does this make Proxfree more customizable than Unblock YouTube, but the latter actually recommends ProxFree to those who need a few more options in order to watch restricted YouTube videos. To use it, scroll down and input your video URL into the box with “www.youtube.com” written within it. Then set up the options you need in order to unlock the video. “Server Location” should be set to the location closest to you. “IP Address Location” should be set to the location you’d like YouTube to think you’re visiting from. For instance, if you’re in the US and want to watch a video that only people in Canada can see, you should set Server Location to the US and IP Address Location to Canada.
Click the ProxFree button to start the service. It should then show you the video without it being blocked. If it doesn’t, try other countries in the IP Address Location option until it works.
3. TubeUnblock
If the above methods don’t cut it for you, you can try TubeUnblock instead. TubeUnblock works differently to the other methods, as its goal is to mirror YouTube’s videos so people can watch them without being blocked. The most convenient part about it is that you can use it the moment you come across a blocked video on YouTube. TubeUnlock has set up its mirror so that its URLs are similar to YouTube’s own. This allows users to find the mirrored version of the video by simply replacing the “YouTube” part of a blocked video’s URL with “TubeUnblock” like the following image.
When you press enter, you’ll be redirected to the TubeUnblock.me mirror of the video. This won’t have the country restrictions that YouTube has, so you’ll be able to watch it.
4. Using a VPN
The first two methods we covered are what’s known as “proxies.” Proxies work by redirecting your traffic through a server based in a different country from the one you’re in. That way when you go to load the video through a proxy, YouTube believes you’re viewing from the proxy server’s location. This allows you to watch videos from outside your country’s restrictions. As far as the extent of what proxies can do, however, that’s all there is to it; there’s no real measures for privacy or security other than simply redirecting traffic. If you want to unlock a single video that’s blocked in your country, a proxy can do a fine job. A VPN, however, can act as a more personal and powerful way to watch outside your restrictions. VPNs can be a little complex, and given how they use the CPU to encrypt your data, they can take a toll on slower machines. If the security of your connection is important to you, however, a VPN is definitely worth looking into. Before you hop into the world of VPNs, make sure to read up on some myths about what VPNs can and can’t do. Once you’re done, check out some VPNs you can install via Chrome extensions.
Freedom to Watch
When you want to watch a video that’s restricted in your country, it can be a huge hassle. By using one of these services, however, you should be able to watch restricted YouTube videos to your heart’s content. Have you ever had to bypass a YouTube country restriction? How did you do it? Let us know below.
