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- Using Invidious |
- Using a VPN |
- Using Tor |
- Tips |
- Warnings
Want to watch a blocked YouTube video in your country? You can easily bypass YouTube's regional filter by faking your location. If you just want to watch a video or two, try Invidious, which you can use in your web browser. For a more reliable long-term way to bypass YouTube region blocking, use a VPN—there are even free options. You can also use the Tor browser to fake your location. Read on to learn easy ways to bypass YouTube blocking videos in your region.
Quick Steps
- Go to redirect.invidious.io in a web browser.
- Select a server in a country that isn't blocked.
- Search for the video or paste in the URL.
- Watch the unblocked YouTube video.
Steps
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Go to https://redirect.invidious.io . Invidious is a website that links to multiple servers you can use to watch YouTube videos that are blocked in your country. The links on Invidious are frequently updated, as servers sometimes go offline after a while.
- To find out which countries can access the video, go to https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi and enter the video's URL.
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Select a server. At the time of writing, you can use Invidious to fake your location to Japan, Germany, Chile, Finland, and the Czech Republic.Advertisement
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Search for the video you want to watch. Some servers allow you to paste the URL of the video into a form to pull it up, while others require you to search for the video. Once the video comes up, you can click the Play button to watch it, even if it's blocked in your region.
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Install a VPN that allows you to change your location. A Virtual Private Network allows you to hide your computer's real IP address behind a different one. If your VPN has a server in a country that isn't blocked by the YouTube video you want to watch, you can select that country to unblock the video.
- To find out which countries can access the video, go to https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi and enter the video's URL.
- Most free VPNs are slow, not as secure as paid options, and don't have as many regions. However, if you just quickly want to watch some YouTube videos that are blocked in your country, you can try a free option like Proton VPN's free plan , which has servers available in the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, and the US. [1] X Research source
- Check out our guide to choosing the best VPN for your needs.
- Reputable paid VPN options that let you change your location include Mullvad, Proton, SurfShark, and Private Internet Access.
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Turn on your VPN. If your VPN has a desktop or mobile app, open it and toggle on the VPN. This will activate the VPN for your internet connection.
- Each VPN has different connection steps, so consult your VPN's online support page if you don't know how to enable it.
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Select a country or region. Select a country other than the one in which you're currently located. As long as the country you select isn't blocked by YouTube for the video you want to watch, you will be able to view it.
- You may have to try several different countries before you find one for which the content isn't blocked.
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Watch your YouTube video. Open YouTube and search for the video you want to watch. Click or tap the video that you want to watch to open it. If the video is allowed in your VPN's region, you will be able to watch the video like usual.
- Adjust your VPN's regional settings if you still can't watch the video.
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Download and install Tor on your computer. You can use the Tor web browser to spoof your location to watch YouTube videos blocked in your region. To download, go to https://www.torproject.org/download , click your operating system, and save the installer. Once downloaded, double-click the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install Tor.
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Open the Tor configuration file. First, open Tor at least once to create the file. Then, you'll need to open the configuration file for editing in a text editor like Notepad for Windows or TextEdit for Mac. Here's how:
- On Windows:
- Double-click the Tor Browser folder on your desktop.
- Navigate to the Browser > TorBrowser > Data > Tor subfolder.
- Right-click the file called torrc and select Open with > Notepad .
- On a Mac
- Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G .
- Paste ~/Library/Application Support/TorBrowser-Data into the field and click Go .
- Double-click the Tor folder.
- Control + click the file called torrc and select Open with > TextEdit .
- On Windows:
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Add the ExitNotes line. Go to the first empty line and paste ExitNodes {} StrictNodes 1 into the file.
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Find the country code for a country where the video isn't blocked. To find out where a video is allowed, go to https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi and check the allowed list. Write down a few of the allowed country codes (e.g., CN for China, DE for Germany, MX for Mexico).
- To make sure Tor has a relay in the countries you choose, go to https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html and type the two-digit county code into the search form.
- It's best to choose a few countries in case some don't have servers available.
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Enter a country code between the two curly brackets. For example, ExitNodes {de} StrictNodes 1 . Add multiple country codes by inserting more brackets and separating them with commas like this:
- ExitNodes {de},{cn},{mx} StrictNodes 1
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Save the file and restart Tor. Press Ctrl + S (PC) or Cmd + S (Mac) to save the open text file, then close and reopen Tor.
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Click Connect and watch the blocked YouTube video. Once you connect to the Tor network, you should have an IP address from one of the countries you entered into the torrc file. When you play the YouTube video that was blocked, YouTube will think you're in the country you're connected through and play the video as normal.
Common Questions
How can I watch 18+ videos on YouTube without proving my age?
The easiest way to bypass the age filter is to create a new 18+ Google account. If you don't want a Google account, you can use 4K Video Downloader to download the video or try Freetubeapp.io.
How can I block adult content on YouTube?
Enable restricted mode on YouTube by clicking your profile photo, selecting Restricted Mode , and clicking Activate Restricted Mode .
How can I stop my child watching inappropriate videos?
Create a YouTube Kids profile for your child, and use your parent account to limit explicit content. You can also block specific videos and entire channels this way. [2] X Research source
Tips
- Many videos that are "region-locked" in the U.S. are just blocked for U.S. IP addresses, meaning that most non-U.S. IP addresses can view the videos.Thanks
- Videos can be blocked for various reasons, including but not limited to licensing rights that make content available only to specific regions, or government censorship.Thanks
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Thanks
Warnings
- Avoid entering your YouTube account information when using free VPNs or proxies.Thanks
References
About This Article
If you want to bypass YouTube’s regional filter, which locks certain videos depending on what country you’re in, keep in mind that doing so may be illegal. If you want to proceed anyways, you can use an online proxy service like ProxFree. To do this, open the ProxFree YouTube proxy site and scroll down to the “Server Location” section. When you’re at this section, select a country different from your own where the video might not be blocked. Then, type youtube.com into the address bar above the “Server Location” section and click “PROXFREE.” Look for the blocked video in the YouTube search bar, and then select it to begin playing it in a ProxFree window. If the video still says it’s blocked, try using a different country in the “IP Address Location” drop-down menu. For more information, including how to bypass YouTube’s regional filter with a VPN, read on!
