Unblocking websites is easy – here are 7 methods

1. The best way to unblock websites: use a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) works by routing data from your device via a VPN server as well as encrypting every bit of info. This keeps your IP (Internet Protocol) address secret from the website you’re visiting and hides your traffic from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

A good (read: premium) VPN is the most comprehensive way to overcome blocks no matter what form they take. Some of these are network firewalls blocking IP and DNS addresses, DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) routing through your browsing data, and websites looking up your IP and restricting access based on your location.

A VPN has you covered on this front. Here’s how you set it up:

1. Sign up for a VPN;
2. Install the app;
3. Connect to a server (if you’re geo-blocked, connect to a server in a country where you would be allowed access);
4. Success!

The best part is that unlocking websites isn’t the only benefit of a VPN, but that’s beyond the scope of this article, so follow the link to learn more about the possible VPN features.

2. Use a browser extension

On the topic of VPNs, there’s a similar option to it – browser extensions that let you access restricted content the same way a VPN does. You can set up a Chrome extension basically just like you set up a VPN:

1. Get a VPN;
2. Open ‘’Chrome Web Store’’ and choose the ‘’Add to Chrome’’ option;
3. Log in and connect to a server you like.

Even though you do get to access blocked sites this way, keep in mind that a browser extension only encrypts the browser data.

3. Use a proxy

A proxy routes your traffic via proxy servers… and that’s it. It’s like a very cut-down version of a VPN, and the only thing it does is give you a different IP. That said, since your traffic will be routed via a proxy, local firewalls shouldn’t block you as they’ll only see you connecting to the server, not the website you’re actually aiming for.

To use a proxy, do this (we’re going to use the Chrome browser as an example):

1. Search for a “proxy server list.”
2. Note the IP and port of the server you want;

3. Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser and choose Settings;

4. Enter “proxy” in the search tab and choose Change proxy settings;

A DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable website addresses (www.surfshark.com) into IP addresses your device understands (104.20.174.77). Usually, your device uses the DNS closest to your location, which allows websites to block content based on your DNS, and for DNS providers to stop providing website addresses.

To change your DNS on Chrome: 

1. Find a new DNS address online;
2. Open Chrome Settings by opening the three-dot menu on the upper right; 
3. Enter “DNS” in the search bar and choose the Security result;
4. Navigate down to Use secure DNS and toggle it on;
5. Choose one of the provided DNS services or enter the one you found via Custom.

Since a DNS is changed by fiddling with software settings, you don’t need administrator access to install programs or apps. It also works on platforms that don’t support app installs. On the other hand, it doesn’t work against IP-based blocks.

5. Get a Smart DNS

A Smart DNS is like a mix of a DNS and proxy. The service maintains a list of websites. When it detects that you want to reach a website or a service that engages in geo-blocking, it routes your traffic via a proxy to make it accessible. Because you’re not using a proxy all the time, your internet traffic is usually faster.

A good way to get a Smart DNS is to be a Surfshark subscriber and follow this tutorial on how to use Surfshark Smart DNS. One of the bigger benefits is that you don’t need to install it, but unlike a VPN, it doesn’t encrypt your connection or deal with sophisticated blocks.

6. Embrace the Tor browser

The Tor (The Onion Router) browser ensures the anonymity of users’ traffic by routing it through multiple random nodes that only know the IP address of the previous node. The traffic remains anonymous due to this multi-layered (hence the ‘onion’ bit) routing system.

Here’s how you can get on the Tor train:

1. Download it from Tor Project’s official website and install it;
2. Launch the browser;
3. Wait for it to set up a connection;
4. That’s it!

The Tor browser is free to use, and it hides your IP, which is nice. Unfortunately, your ISP can be suspicious of Tor use. Another downside is that Tor sacrifices everything it can on the altar of security, so it’s very slow – definitely not fit for streaming. And considering that you can’t choose the country in which the end node will be, it wouldn’t work for accessing country-specific content.

7. Change browser or device permissions

Sometimes, the restrictions you face aren’t all that sophisticated. In fact, it can be as simple as your system or browser permissions being tampered with, or a firewall standing in the way. In these cases, unblocking websites is pretty easy to do.

Firefox

Go to the ‘’Tools tab’’ → ‘’Page info’’. A menu should open up and, on it, there’s a ‘’Permissions’’ tab – select it. There, you can uncheck various permissions your browser gives to the website you’re visiting.

Chrome

Open the browser; there are three vertical dots in the top right corner – click on them, then choose the ‘’Settings’’ → ‘’Privacy and security’’ option in the menu on the left. In the drop-down menu, click on ‘’Site settings’’ and change the permissions of your choice. Voila!

Android (Chrome)

Visit the website → click ‘’More’’ → ‘’Info’’ → ‘’Permissions’’ → ‘’Reset Permissions.’’

Microsoft Defender Firewall

Go to ‘’Settings’’ → ’’Update & Security’’ → ‘’Windows Security’’ → ‘’Firewall & Network Protection’’ → select your profile, go to ‘’Microsoft Defender Firewall’’ and turn the firewall off.

Mac

Some restrictions might be turned on, so to make sure you’re in the clear, follow these steps: click on the apple icon at the top right screen corner → ‘’Screen time’’ → ‘’Content and Privacy’’. There, you can check if there are no restrictions that you don’t intend on keeping.

iOS

Go to ‘’Settings’’ → ‘’Screen time’’ → ‘’Content & Privacy Restrictions’’ → ‘’Content Restrictions’’ and check if everything is according to your needs.

Other honorable mentions 

The above-mentioned methods aren’t only the ones out there – they’re just the best/only good ones around. Here’s a short list of other methods you might read about:

1. URL shortener: use it to shorten the URL of the website you want to visit and then use the shortened link – this will overcome the most basic blocking methods at, say, your school. 
2. Google Translate: slap the URL of the website you want to see in the translation field and click the “translated” link. It may work, but probably only for text-based content. 
3. IP address: if a very basic block is literally blocking just the URL, getting the website’s IP address (google “whois lookup”) and using it instead may work. 
4. Google Cache: it’s a version of the website that Google has saved. Try searching for the site on Google, then click the down arrow next to the result, and choose “cached.”
5. HTML to PDF converter: obviously useless for streaming and video, this can nevertheless let you read a webpage if you enter its URL into an online HTML-to-PDF converter. 
6. HTTPS to HTTP: we do not recommend this at all, but you may get around very basic blocks by switching to the less secure HTTP protocol instead of HTTPS. The way to do it is different for every browser. 

Why are websites blocked? 

I’m going to lay out three main reasons why you’re reading an article on how to unblock websites:

1. Bandwidth preservation and discipline: schools and workplaces usually care about these two reasons. By, say, blocking YouTube, they can preserve the network’s capacity and keep you more concentrated on work.
2. Regional agreements: before the rise of streaming, a lot of broadcasting and licensing agreements were forged around the world. Some of those agreements impede your access to entertainment today as streaming services are obligated to make parts of their libraries unavailable in certain countries.*
3. Censorship: this is where the country’s government decides that it doesn’t want to give the population access to specific websites and services to promote its agenda.

Whatever the case may be for websites to be blocked, a VPN is the surest way to overcome those blocks.

*Surfshark does not encourage using a VPN in any way that would potentially violate the Terms of Service of other service providers.

Is it legal to unblock websites?

The big words here are “it depends:”

1. Outside of a handful of countries, using a VPN isn’t illegal, so you’re not breaking the law just by using it. Of course, if you carry out illicit activities while using a VPN – like pirating movies – you could still get in trouble. 
2. Using unblockers on streaming sites may violate their terms and conditions, and there have been cases of them blocking users.
3. When the government takes part in online censorship, it can get pretty serious. However, it really depends on the local law, and no hard-and-fast rule applies here. 

So, you see, in most cases, simply unblocking YouTube will cause you no harm. 

In short: Use the best unblocking solution

Now that you know how to unblock a website, you need to choose which method is the best for you. We’d recommend using a VPN as it is the most powerful tool at your disposal. And, hey, if it doesn’t work out for you, Surfshark has a 30-day money-back guarantee!

FAQ

How do I unblock all websites?

By using a VPN or a proxy, changing your DNS, or using the Tor browser. Just don’t use a free VPN.

How do you unblock websites on Google Chrome?

To change permission settings for a specific site on Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open the browser and go to the website;
2. On the left, next to the address bar, there should be a lock icon – click on it;
3. Click on the ‘’Site settings’’ and change any permission setting you want.

What are the websites that unblock websites?

There’s no such thing, but there are website extensions that do the unblocking; some great picks would include Surfshark, Nord VPN, and Windscribe, just to name a few.