How to Unblock Websites at School, Work or Abroad

In this section, we’ll first introduce our six favorite methods for unblocking a website. These are the most effective ways for you to access restricted content online.

We’ll then move onto four less reliable alternatives that you can also use.

1. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) is usually the most effective, safe, and reliable way to unblock a website.

It’s a piece of software that is designed to encrypt your connection and and tunnel all of your traffic through a remote, third-party server. This has the effect of hiding your IP address from the websites you visit and stopping your internet service provider (ISP) from spying on your activity.

VPNs are great at bypassing website blocks for two main reasons:

1. A VPN spoofs your location. By connecting to a VPN server in a location of your choosing, you can trick websites into thinking you’re based in that country. This lets you unblock ‘hidden’ content on streaming websites, like Netflix, and bypass geographic copyright restrictions that sometimes pop up on apps like YouTube or Twitter.

2. VPNs hide your traffic from ISPs, governments, and network administrators. With a VPN turned on, your connection goes to the VPN server before it goes to the website. This lets you bypass website blocks on work and school WiFi networks, because they won’t be able to tell that you’re actually connecting to the blocked website. VPNs are good at beating sophisticated censorship systems, like the Great Firewall of China, for similar reasons.

To learn more about VPN software, read our beginner’s introduction to VPNs or check our top VPN recommendations.

How to Unblock Websites With a VPN

Using a VPN varies depending on which service provider you choose. That said, most VPNs follow the same general steps:

1. Choose a VPN service and visit their website. There’s also mobile VPN apps available for iPhone and Android users.
2. Select your preferred payment plan. The longer you sign up for, the cheaper the monthly fee. There are also a small number of safe, free VPNs you can try.
3. Install the VPN. Use our detailed VPN setup guides to find out exactly how to do this on your specific device.
4. Open the VPN application. You may have to verify your account the first time you open it up.
5. Choose a server location. Find a VPN server in a location that will unblock the website you’re after. If you’re looking to stream US Netflix for example, select a VPN server in the US.
6. Hit connect. You’re connection will now be routed through that VPN server and you’ll be able to unblock websites and browse securely.

VPN: Pros & Cons

VPN Advantages

VPN Disadvantages

Hides your IP address from the websites you visit. Reliable way to unblock geographically restricted content. Wide choice of VPN server locations. Encrypts your connection. ISPs, governments, schools and workplaces cannot monitor your online activity. Protects all the internet traffic sent from your device, not just from your browser window. Most VPN providers have a dedicated customer support team.

Your privacy is entirely dependent on the trustworthiness of your VPN provider. Some collect, pass-on or sell identifying information about you. Can slow connection speeds, though this is usually negligible with high-quality VPNs. Most good quality VPNs require a subscription fee.

2. Use a Web Proxy

A web proxy is the best way to unblock websites without using a VPN. It is quick, easy, and often free.

In many ways, VPNs and proxies are similar. A proxy also acts like a middleman between you and your destination website.

When using a proxy, your internet traffic gets routed via an intermediary server rather than going directly to the website. The server then visits the site on your behalf and forwards you its content.

From the website’s perspective, your traffic is coming from the location of the proxy server. This hides your true IP address from the website, and makes it appear as if you’re browsing from another country.

You can therefore use a proxy site to unblock a website that is blocked in your location. Just make sure to pick a proxy server based in a country where your desired website is unblocked.

A web proxy will also allow you to unblock websites at school or at work. These blocks tend to focus on the restricted website’s IP address or URL. This means you can use a proxy site to unblock youtube or gaming websites.

When you browse with a proxy, you never actually visit the website yourself. The proxy visits the site on your behalf and forwards you its content. You can’t get blocked because you never actually connect to the banned IP or URL. It’s that simple.

There are lots of different types of proxy server, but most people use web proxies. Popular proxy sites include: Hide.me, HideMyAss, Whoer, and kproxy.

Web proxies do come with certain risks. Most importantly, they are not encrypted, meaning your ISP, government, school, workplace and hackers can all monitor your online activity.

For this reason, we strongly advise against using a proxy for anything involving personal or sensitive information.

Web proxies aren’t always the most reliable or safe way to unblock websites either:

• Proxy servers get overcrowded, causing slow connection speeds and even crashing.
• Web proxies work at the browser-level, meaning only traffic sent from the specific browser window you are using will be routed through the proxy server.
• Web proxies have been known to inject adverts into your browsing session. More worryingly, some have also been found to insert malware.

For more information about the different types of proxy server and their potential dangers, you can read our Proxy vs VPN guide.

How to Unblock Websites With a Web Proxy

To unblock a website using a web proxy:

1. Visit a web proxy site. In this example, we’ve used hide.me.

   Screenshot from Hide.me’s web proxy service.

2. Type in the URL you want to unblock. Remember, you’ll be able to bypass the website block, but your school or work WiFi administrator will still be able to see what you’re doing.
3. Select a proxy location. Pick a country where the website you’re trying to access is unrestricted).
4. Click ‘visit anonymously’. The website should appear unblocked on your screen.

Web Proxy: Pros & Cons

Web Proxy Advantages	Web Proxy Disadvantages
Free and easy to use. Hides your IP address from the websites you visit. A quick way to bypass geo-blocks or access sites blocked at school or work. Most web proxies have a selection of server locations you can choose from.	Not encrypted. ISPs, governments, schools, workplaces and other malicious actors can spy on your activity. Can sometimes run slowly or crash due to overcrowded servers. Known for injecting adverts and sometimes malware into your browsing session. Only works at the browser level.

3. Use the Tor Browser

Tor (or The Onion Router) is a browser designed to ensure maximum anonymity online. If staying anonymous is your primary concern when unblocking websites, Tor is the solution.

Initially created for the US military, the Tor browser is a popular free technology run by volunteers around the world.

When using Tor, your internet traffic gets routed through at least three randomly-selected servers on its way to the website you’re visiting. It also gets wrapped in multiple layers of encryption.

At the final server — or ‘exit node’ — the last layer of encryption is decrypted and the traffic is sent onto the target website.

Tor differs from proxy servers and VPNs because it is decentralized. There is not a single, remote server through which all traffic is channeled.

Instead, the task of keeping your online identity hidden is shared across multiple servers which get randomly reassigned every ten minutes. When configured correctly, Tor conceals your true location from the sites you visit.

Instead of seeing your IP address, websites see the IP address of the exit node.

Tor also hides your online activity from your government, ISP, and anyone else on your network. The layers of encryption applied to your data ensure that anyone trying to spy on your browsing habits will face a series of illegible letters and numbers.

It’s possible to bypass geographical website blocks using Tor

However, Tor is far from simple or reliable. Although possible, it is difficult to choose exactly which server locations you’d like your data to pass through.

What’s more, Tor’s layers of encryption and multiple nodes mean it is extremely slow. This makes Tor far from ideal for high bandwidth activities, like video streaming and file sharing.

As such, Tor is not the most consistent method of circumventing geo-blocks — especially when it comes to high bandwidth services like Netflix. For reliability and flexibility, try a proxy or a VPN.

It’s worth noting that your ISP, school, or workplace can still see that you are using Tor even if they don’t know what you’re doing on it. For this reason, Tor isn’t a sensible option for unblocking websites at work or school.

How to Unblock Websites With Tor

To use Tor:

1. Go to the Tor Project’s download page. You can download into onto any Windows, Linux or MacOS computer. There’s also an Android smartphone app.
2. Select your operating system and download the corresponding .exe file.
3. Open the file and select your language using the drop-down menu.
4. If you’re happy with the recommended settings, press connect. Tor will set-up and you’ll be able to unblock websites and browse anonymously.

It’s important to remember that using Tor comes with risks. If you don’t configure your browser properly and modify your behavior, it’s incredibly simple to reveal your identity.

For more detailed information on how to install the Tor Browser and stay safe while using Tor, you can read our Tor vs. VPN guide.

Tor: Pros & Cons

Tor Advantages	Tor Disadvantages
Strongly encrypts your data. Decentralized network. Provides maximal anonymity online. Free to use. Hides your IP address from the websites you visit. Can unblock geo-restricted content (though this is unreliable).	Difficult to control the location of the exit node. Very slow. Not currently available on iOS devices. Commonly associated with criminality.

4. Use an IP Address Rather than a URL

Sometimes it’s possible to unblock a website by ignoring its URL and accessing it through its IP address instead.

Everyone knows that web pages have an associated IP address. If you input this IP address into the address bar of your browser, you will be taken straight to the website you’re looking for.

For example, Google’s homepage has the IP address 216.58.215.46. Typing this into your browser has the same effect as typing https://google.com.

Under certain conditions, this trick can be used to unblock a blocked website.

Occasionally, schools and workplaces may block a website based on its URL rather than its IP address. In these cases, all you have to do to circumvent the block is to source the website’s IP address and then input it into your browser’s address bar.

This method works for blocks that are URL-based. However, it should be noted that some websites prohibit direct IP access.

In other cases, a website might be built on an IP which directs you somewhere other than their website. YouTube, for example, has the IP 172.217.18.206. But if you input that into your address bar, it will take you to the Google homepage. Using an IP address would therefore not enable you to unblock these websites.

You should use the IP address if you suspect that the website block is solely URL-based. This is most likely to occur with local networks, such as at school or work.

Using the IP address won’t help you unblock websites that are geographically restricted. This means that you won’t be able to access Netflix or BBC iPlayer from overseas using this method.

How to Use an IP Address to Unblock Websites

The hardest part is finding the blocked website’s IP address. Fortunately, even this is pretty straightforward:

1. Find an online tool like Geotek’s IP Checker.
2. Enter in the domain of the blocked website. Click ‘Check’.
3. The site’s IP address will appear in the box below.

   Screenshot from Geotek’s IP Checker tool.

4. Copy and paste the IP address into your browser. If the block is URL-based, the website should load unblocked.

Using an IP Address: Pros & Cons

Advantages of using an IP Address	Disadvantages of using an IP Address
Quick and easy way to circumvent simple website blocks. Useful at school and work.	Only works when the block is URL-based. Cannot unblock websites that prevent direct IP access or are built on misdirecting IPs.

5. Use Google Cache

Search engines store back-up copies of web pages in order to improve loading speeds. This means that sites like Google and Bing retain older versions of websites which can be used to bypass certain restrictions.

If the website you’re seeking to unblock is simple, mostly text-based, and doesn’t require any login credentials, then using Google’s cache might be the answer.

If the page is regularly updated or performs real-time data processing, a cached version might not be very useful.

Caches also only store text — so if images or video are crucial to the website content, you will have to use a different method.

How to Use Google Cache to Unblock Websites

To access a cached version of a blocked web page, follow these simple instructions:

1. Find the blocked web page on Google search results.
2. Select the drop-down icon next to the site’s URL.

   Screenshot from Google of the ‘Cached’ option.

3. Click the ‘Cached’ option. You should be taken to a stored version of the site, even if you’re blocked from viewing its current iteration.

Google Cache: Pros & Cons

Google Cache Advantages	Google Cache Disadvantages
Great for simple, text-based pages that aren’t regularly updated. Can be used at school and work. Can bypass geo-blocks on websites.	Does not store multimedia items so cannot be used to unblock video streaming services. Unlikely to be the most up-to-date version of the page. Cannot unblock websites that are complicated or require login details. Not every page has a cached version.

6. Use the Wayback Machine

Similar to Google Cache, the Wayback Machine is a service that stores old versions of almost every website in the world. Users can then choose between a range of previous iterations to access.

The service — provided by archive.org — is another way of accessing restricted websites by viewing old copies.

The Wayback Machine won’t help you unblock websites that require login details and it is unlikely to house the website’s latest version. However, it does support image, video and audio — something Google Cache does not do.

How to Use the Wayback Machine to Unblock Websites

To unblock a website with the Wayback Machine, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to web.archive.org.
2. Enter the blocked website’s URL into the search box. Hit your enter key.
3. You will be shown a calendar with all versions of the website that are stored on the Wayback Machine.

   Screenshot from the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.

4. Select the most recent version by hovering over the date and clicking on the snapshot time-stamp.
5. The restricted content should appear on your screen.

Wayback Machine: Pros & Cons

Wayback Machine Advantages	Wayback Machine Disadvantages
Easy to use. Huge selection of old website archives. Can unblock sites at school and work. Stores multimedia content.	Unlikely to be the website in its current form. Does not work for websites that require login credentials. Does not store every web page.

Alternative Ways to Unblock a Website

Here are some alternative methods for unblocking websites. While they might still work, they are much less reliable.

7. Switch to Mobile Data

Mobile data is what your smartphone uses to connect to the internet when you’re away from WiFi.

You can switch to using mobile data in two ways:

1. If you’re on a smartphone, turn off WiFi and browse with 3G or 4G instead.
2. If you’re on another device, use the settings on your smartphone to turn it into a personal hotspot. You can then connect your device to your smartphone and browse using the smartphone’s mobile data.

This will allow you to bypass firewalls in WiFi networks – the sort of block often in place at school or work – because you are no longer using the WiFi to connect to the Internet.

You will also be using a different IP address when you switch from WiFi to mobile data. This means that website restrictions targeted at your WiFi router’s specific IP address can be avoided.

That said, the new IP address will still identify you as being in roughly the same physical location. You therefore won’t be able to access geo-blocked content with this method.

It’s also worth noting that mobile data costs money. Depending on your phone contract, you might only have a set amount to use a month. Switching to mobile data to unblock websites will quickly eat into your data allowance.

How to Switch to Mobile Data

To switch to mobile data when using your smartphone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select WiFi.
3. Toggle the tab to switch WiFi off.
4. A 3G or 4G symbol should appear at the top of your screen, signaling mobile data use.

To switch to mobile data when using a desktop or other device:

1. Open settings on your smartphone.
2. On iPhone, select Mobile Data and then Personal Hotspot. On Android, select Network & Internet and then Hotspot and Tethering.
3. Turn on Personal Hotspot and, if asked, change the password to whatever you want.
4. On your desktop (or other device), search for available WiFi networks.
5. Your smartphone should appear as one of the options.
6. Once you connect to it, you’ll start using mobile data for your internet session.

8. Use the Website’s RSS Feed

RSS feeds are an old-school way of keeping up-to-date with new updates to a website.

Via an RSS reader, users receive simplified versions of any new content that is added to a website. This comes straight to the user’s phone or desktop computer automatically.

RSS feeds allow you to view snippets of information on a website without actually visiting the website. They can technically be used to view restricted content from blocked websites, because the updates come to you rather than the other way round.

RSS feeds have become much less common as the internet has evolved. It won’t always be the case that your blocked website has an RSS feed you can access.

However, if the website has no feed, it is possible to create one for yourself using certain online tools.

How to Use an RSS Feed

1. If you haven’t already, get yourself an RSS reader. Feedly is a popular option.
2. Find the URL of the RSS feed for the blocked website. If you can’t access the website directly (and are unable to find the RSS URL elsewhere), try adding /feed/ to the end of the website’s URL – e.g. www.top10vpn.com/feed/. This works if the site is powered by WordPress.
3. Once you’ve found the correct URL, paste it into your RSS reader’s search box.
4. Click follow and fill in the subsequent details. You will then automatically be sent updates whenever the website is updated.

If you need more help setting up an RSS Feed, check out Lifewire’s detailed guide.

9. Change the Network Proxy

Some institutions — especially libraries and colleges — use transparent proxies inside their network. These proxies inform the target website that they are a proxy, and pass them the user’s true IP address.

Transparent proxies are used to channel the traffic from every device on a network (e.g. all of the computers in a library) through a single server. This helps the administrator carry out content filtering or activity monitoring. Public WiFi networks often use transparent proxies to stop users accessing high-bandwidth content.

Often these networks will make use of more than one transparent proxy. As such, a website block might exist on one of the proxies and not the other(s).

It is therefore possible to unblock a website by just switching between the network proxies — a process known as proxy surfing.

The problem with proxy surfing is you need to know the IP address and Port Number of the alternative proxy server in order to switch to it.

Proxy surfing also won’t allow you to bypass geographic restrictions because your IP address remains in the same physical location.

How to Change the Network Proxy

You can change your Network Proxy through your browser.

The below steps apply to Google Chrome on MacOS specifically, but can easily be adapted for users of other web browsers.

1. Select Preferences (sometimes labeled Settings) from the Chrome drop-down menu.
2. Click Advanced on the left-hand panel of the page.
3. Go into the System tab and then open your computer’s proxy settings.

   Click System and then Open Your Computer’s Proxy Settings

4. Check the Web Proxy box and input the alternative proxy server’s IP address into the box on the right. Type the port number into the box after the colon.

   Tick Web Proxy and input the relevant details

5. All of your traffic will now be routed through that proxy instead.

10. Use Google Translate

Surprisingly, Google Translate can sometimes help you access a blocked website.

You can use the service to translate a URL into your preferred language. Google then provides you with a link to a ‘translated’ version of the web page.

The translation works as a makeshift proxy server and on occasion will allow you to unblock a website.

Using Google Translate is a novel but unreliable way to access a blocked website.

How to Use Google Translate

Follow these simple steps to unblock a website with Google Translate:

1. Go to Google Translate.
2. Copy and paste the domain name of the blocked website into the left-hand box.

   Screenshot of Google Translate.

3. Change the source language (left box) to anything other than English (or your desired language).
4. Change the destination language (right box) to your desired language.
5. Follow the link provided in the translation. The page should load unrestricted.

Websites are usually blocked by authorities like your Internet Service Provider (ISP), government, school, or work. In other situations, websites themselves may block certain users from accessing their content.

It is important to note that an inability to access a website does not always mean it is blocked. It is also possible that the website is down for maintenance or because of technical issues.

To check, simply input the URL you’re trying to access into a free monitoring service and it will tell you whether the website is working or not.

If the website is working and your internet connection is functioning well, it is likely that the website is being blocked by a third party.

In this section we’ll cover the four most common reasons why a website might be blocked.

1Geographical Restrictions (or Geo-Blocks)

A geo-block is an internet restriction based on your physical location. Businesses and websites will use geo-blocks to prevent users in specific countries from accessing their services.

Similarly, a government or ISP might use geo-blocks to prevent users from accessing foreign content that they have deemed inappropriate.

Websites are able to find your physical location by checking your device’s IP address.

If you’ve ever been traveling and tried to stream your favorite Netflix show or access a website that you use at home, only to find the website is ‘unavailable in your location’, then you’ve experienced a ‘geo-block’.

While online censorship exists in every country to some degree, there are some governments that aggressively block thousands of foreign websites, generally for political reasons. Sometimes these blocks are permanent — as is the case in China – or temporary, like when a government blocks social media during civil unrest.

A geo-block might be imposed for a number of reasons:

• Government Censorship. Repressive governments often take measures to control the information that citizens can access within their borders.

  Sometimes this is done to protect vulnerable members of society (e.g. blocking pornographic sites for children), but often it is done simply to serve their own geo-political strategies.

  Geo-blocking can be used to censor content that originates overseas, or limit the reach of users in a certain location.

• Copyright and Licensing Laws. Content licensing laws often require geographical restrictions in order to meet their terms and conditions.

  Certain streaming services — like Netflix or BBC iPlayer — use your IP address to alter their libraries depending on the country you’re visiting from. This is because certain shows are only licensed for users in specific countries.

• Operational Costs. Some companies limit their services to certain countries to save on operational costs. Smaller businesses might be unable to meet the demand of users from other regions, or unable to comply with the legal obligations that come with serving them.

  We tested 500 US news websites and found that over half block access from users in Europe because they are unable — or unwilling — to comply with GDPR requirements. This is an example of geo-blocking.

If you are experiencing geographical restrictions, use a VPN to unblock the websites you’re visiting.

2Blocked Websites at School and Work

Schools and workplaces often place restrictions on the internet use of their students and employees.

This type of website block is usually intended to reduce distractions and increase productivity, although they might also be used to protect children and prevent malware.

Typically, blocks at work and school apply to gaming and gambling sites, social media platforms, and video streaming services. In theory, they can apply to any website the administrator decides to censor. Often, administrators can implement these blocks on individual devices like Chromebooks as well as on the network itself.

If you’re trying to unblock a website at school or work, use a proxy.

3Parental Controls

Parents and guardians can use parental controls to protect children from the more unsavory corners of the internet.

With parental controls, caregivers can specify a list of websites they want to prevent their child from accessing.

Parental controls are usually implemented directly onto the child’s device using pre-installed settings or a third-party application like Net Nanny.

You can also apply parental controls to your home WiFi network so that any device that connects to it assumes the same website restrictions.

To find out more about how to implement parental controls, check out Internet Matters’ dedicated guide.

4Personal Bans

Website moderators can issue personal bans on specific users if their terms of service have been breached.

These are individualized blocks, typically found on forums or gaming websites. They are designed to stop a specific user from accessing the site in the future.

Often personal bans will be enforced after a user has broken the site’s rules in some way — by trolling or spamming, for example.

On websites like Facebook, users can issue personal bans to other users. This will block another user from accessing your personal profile or sending you messages.

In most cases, personal bans apply to a user’s account regardless of IP address or physical location. The steps in this guide will not help you circumvent personal website blocks of this sort.

If you’ve been banned from a website based on your IP address, use a VPN or a proxy server to access the website.