How to Unblock Restricted Websites and URLs

Using a virtual private network (VPN) is the most reliable way to access restricted websites and URLs.

VPNs work by encrypting your internet traffic and routing it via a remote VPN server. This hides your IP address and geographic location from the websites you visit.

It also prevents your ISP, government, and WiFi admin (e.g., at home, at work, or on public WiFi) from monitoring your web browsing activity.

VPN software is easy to download and install on a range of devices, including your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and even streaming devices like Firestick and Apple TV. This is why a VPN is the most versatile tool to unblock websites.

Surfshark’s apps for Mac and iOS devices.

But not all VPNs are created equally, though. Some come with obfuscated VPN servers designed to bypass strict internet firewalls in highly-censored countries, while others can’t even bypass streaming geo-restrictions on Netflix or Disney+.

For this reason it’s very important that you take your time to review a VPN before you start using it, to avoid disappointment or, worse, nasty surprises.

Iff you’re using a public or school computer, you may well find your that the network administrator has restricted access to software installs.

If that’s the case, you won’t be able to use a VPN application, in which case we recommend using a VPN (or proxy) browser extension instead.

As we mentioned above, if you’re using a public, school or work device, it’s likely you won’t be able to install software on it.

If that device is a computer, then there is a very easy to solution to get around the problem: a VPN (proxy) browser extension.

A proxy browser extension is a midpoint between a VPN and a web proxy. While it’s not as quick to set up as a web proxy, it is more effective and reliable at unblocking websites.

For instance, we were able to access restricted YouTube URLs using our preferred VPN extensions on Chrome, whereas most web proxies failed even at that relatively simple hurdle.

Some VPN extensions are completely free (like Windscribe’s and CyberGhost’s), but most are part of a VPN services’s paid subscription.

CyberGhost’s Free Chrome Extension unblocks multiple US streaming services, like US Netflix and Disney+.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of VPN browser extensions are actually proxies, and don’t offer the same level of protection and encryption as VPN software.

If you don’t want to set up a VPN extension on your web browser, then using a web proxy is the next-based tool available to you.

Since they are accessible via a web URL, web proxies are even simple to use. All you need to do is find a safe proxy site, enter the blocked URL you want to access, press enter, and the restricted content should appear.

Like a VPN, a web proxy works by routing your internet traffic through a remote server on its way to a website. This replaces your IP address with the proxy server’s IP address, and therefore hiding your real location from the website you’re visiting.

Hide.me’s web proxy unblocks simple text-based websites.

Free web proxies have some serious limitations, though. They only work in a single browser tab, and typically don’t bypass geo-restrictions in place on video websites like YouTube, Netflix, or Disney+.

This is largely because the IP addresses used by web proxies are rarely refreshed, and are used by so many users that it’s very easy for streaming services to identify and block them.

In all honesty, web proxies can’t compete with VPN extensions. In our tests, even the best ones failed to unblock social media websites like X and Facebook, as well as free web games like CrazyGames, Poke, and AGame.

Web proxies also carry some risk since none of your internet traffic is encrypted.

You also have to be very careful which web proxy you use. Some inject your traffic with ads and malware, or leak your real IP address to websites. Others have been known to capture usernames and passwords used to log into web accounts.

​Smart DNS is another type of proxy that can be effective at accessing blocked or restricted websites. It’s cheap, compatible with many devices, and is often used to unblock geo-restricted games and streaming services, especially on gaming systems.

Smart DNS works by rerouting your DNS (Domain Name System) requests through a proxy server in a country of your choosing. It therefore differs from proxy and VPNs, which redirect all of your traffic through the proxy server.

By only rerouting your DNS requests, Smart DNS services are able to achieve much faster speeds than a VPN or a web proxy.

Setting up ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS service, MediaStreamer.

These high speeds come at a cost, though. In fact, Smart DNS will not encrypt your traffic or even hide your IP address, unlike VPN or Tor.

This lack of encryption means network admins, ISPs, and governments can see which websites you visit, and therefore can still block you. It also means that your personal IP address might be banned, too.

We really don’t recommend using Smart DNS for bypassing censorship or accessing restricted websites at work.

Control D is the most beginner-friendly standalone Smart DNS service we’ve tested. It costs just $20.00 per year for existing Windscribe customers.

Some of our favorite VPNs, such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, also offer Smart DNS as part of their VPN subscription plans.

One of the easiest ways to unblock a website on your phone is to switch from WiFi to cellular data. This lets you access any app or site blocked by your network administrator.

You can also set up a Personal Hotspot on your smartphone, and then share the cellular connection with your tablet, laptop, or even Chromebook.

This method only works to bypass network-level blocks, though.

Also, some school- and company-issued devices are pre-configured to only use the institution’s WiFi, or have content filtering software installed into the device. In these instances, switching to mobile data won’t be a viable solution.

Go to your mobile settings to disconnect from WiFi and use 3G, 4G or 5G.

You’re also reliant on your data plan as well as the strength and coverage of your mobile carrier’s cellular signal.

The Tor browser is a free, open-source web browser built to maximize anonymity online, and available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android devices.

Tor works by encrypting your internet connection and then routing it through three volunteer-run servers, or nodes, known as the Tor network.

Using Tor ensures that websites cannot see your real IP address or geographic location. Instead, they see your connection as coming from the location of the exit node.

That said, Tor can be unsafe, with websites full of obscene material, phishing links, and malware.

In our opinion, the Tor browser should only be used to bypass strict internet firewalls imposed at the government-level. This is one of the reasons why it’s banned in certain countries, including China and Russia.

Its triple encryption and decentralized network architecture make it much harder for governments and their agencies to track online activity flowing through the Tor network.

Given its extremely slow speeds, and lack of IP location choice, Tor is not a good solution for most people. Plus, some workplaces, colleges, and schools actually block downloads of the Tor browser on the local network.