Breaking the Barriers: 4 Ways to Watch YouTube Unblocked at School
Many schools enact a blanket ban on YouTube–which can actually interfere with education–leaving students and teachers alike searching for a way to unblock the popular streaming platform. If this describes your situation, read on; we’ve reviewed the top VPNs capable of blasting through school Wi-Fi restrictions to securely unblock YouTube, or any other site for that matter.
We also have some recommendations for unblocking YouTube without a VPN, one of which you can do from your phone in mere seconds.
With hundreds of hours of video uploaded every minute and one billion hours of clips viewed every single day, YouTube‘s popularity is unquestionable. However, as one of the most infectiously entertaining ways of procrastinating out there, many academic institutions and workplaces restrict access to the platform (or block access to it altogether). These firewall blocks can be frustrating, especially considering the wide range of tutorials and educational resources available on YouTube.
#1 Method: Unblock YouTube at School With a VPN
Justified or not, call schools filtering YouTube what it is: a (relatively harmless) form of censorship. And when it comes to beating censorship online, there is no tool more useful than a VPN. Today, we’ll show you which VPNs are best for unblocking YouTube, walk you through the process of doing so from school or anywhere else, then wrap up with a cautionary tale against so-called “free VPNs”.
Get past your school’s Wi-Fi restrictions and unblock YouTube with these VPNs:
- NordVPN – Best for School Wi-Fi – NordVPN may be the do-anything VPN, but they’re rather well specialized for breaking through unfair Internet restrictions like your school’s. Enjoy YouTube in complete privacy with the most trusted provider.
- Surfshark – Dirt cheap, unlimited simultaneous connections, advanced tunneling, and good network performance.
- ExpressVPN – Even better network performance, though more expensive.
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Our top VPN recommendations for YouTube
Each VPN has its own unique way of bypassing YouTube geo-restrictions: some rely on massive server networks with tens of thousands of IP addresses to burn against IP blacklists, while other providers employ more novel approaches, including obfuscation, static IPs, and more. Regardless, each on of our recommended services has proven itself capable of blasting through the toughest school firewalls to restore access to your favorite YouTube streams.
Here, we present to you the top 5 VPNs to unblock YouTube at school (or anywhere else for that matter):
1. NordVPN
- Highly affordable plans
- 5,400+ servers globally
- Strong security features
- Retains no metadata of your browsing
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Refund processing can take up to 30 days
NordVPN stands out for having one of the largest server networks on the market. With thousands of servers in dozens of countries, you’ll be spoiled for choice when configuring your connection speed and IP address location. Even better is NordVPN’s array of specialty servers, tailored to functionalities like securing a dedicated IP address, obfuscation to hide the fact you’re using a VPN, and even multi-hop encryption for stubborn firewalls. Dedicated software is available on all major devices and operating systems, so if whether you’re trying to get YouTube unblocked at school from your computer or your phone, NordVPN has your back.
Read our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
- Reliably unblocks Netflix US, UK, Japan, and more
- All 800+ servers are P2P-friendly, with private DNS and obfuscation
- Trial in confidence with a 30-day money back guarantee
- VPN home jurisdiction in British Virgin Islands is ideal for privacy
- Support staff manned by actual human beings 24/7
- Growing network doesn’t have same coverage as more mature VPNs
- Apps may be too simplistic for power users
Surfshark offers an ideal blend of features that make unblocking YouTube at school both easy and secure. Chief among these is their tunneling (OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, WireGuard) and encryption (256-AES-GCM) protocols, advanced provisions which have little trouble boring through even the toughest school Wi-Fi restrictions. What’s more, they allow for good connection speeds with minimal overhead and latency–ideal for watching YouTube videos in HD. If your school ever tries to object, rest easier knowing Surfshark keeps exactly zero logs of your activity on their network.
3. ExpressVPN
- Unblocks US Netflix
- 3,000+ super fast servers
- No DNS/IP leaks found
- Strict no-logs policy
- Great support (24/7 chat)
- Max 3 simultaneous connections
- Slightly more expensive than some other options
ExpressVPN, time and again, earns its reputation for being the fastest VPN service on the market. With a massive server network is nearly every country, you have a wide range of connection options. This will let you get virtually any IP address you want, as well as give you the option to choose the fastest available server (pick the one closest to you). ExpressVPN is ideally suited for streaming videos on platforms like YouTube, with unlimited bandwidth and server switching. This provider employs a strong no-logging policy covering everything from traffic to DNS requests and browsing history. This will ensure that your school doesn’t find out that you are using a VPN, even if they find a way to get the company on their side. Additional security features that will protect your connection include an automatic kill switch, that will shut down your internet if the connection is interrupted, plus an onboard DNS leak test.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
How to access unblocked YouTube sites at school
If you’re not sure how to get started with a VPN, all you need to do is follow the simple steps below. The entire installation and setup will only take a few minutes, and you’ll be able to stream content on YouTube anonymously. Whether you are operating a VPN via smartphone, desktop, or any other device, the short guide below will get you started.
- First thing’s first: choose your VPN provider. We recommend you opt for one of the recommended VPN providers to increase your chances of bypassing tough firewalls. Furthermore, you’ll be able to use one of the deals available to our readers only. Once you pick the right subscription for you, sign up on the provider’s website. Find, download, and install the app suitable for your device and operating system. For example, if you are browsing from a Windows PC on campus, make sure the software you are downloading is compatible.
- Now that the app is on your device, launch it and sign in using your new account credentials. With most providers, the app will automatically connect to the fastest available server. For the purpose of accessing unblocked YouTube sites at school, this could be exactly what you need. If, however, you want to get an IP address from a specific location or to utilize a specially configured server, you can select a node manually with just a few simple clicks. Give the app a few moments to connect. That’s basically it – you are ready to securely stream Youtube content.
- Before you get started binge watching, we strongly recommend that you verify your connection to make sure the VPN is working properly. Visit ipleak.net through your browser. This page runs an automatic IP address lookup, so all you need to do is give it a few moments to load. Once it does, see that the “country of origin” matches the IP address of your chosen location. If it doesn’t match, there may be an IP leak and you should contact your VPN provider’s customer support to resolve the issue. If it is working, you are good to go.
#2 Method: Use a Proxy to Unblock YouTube at School
A proxy is similar to a VPN. It routes your traffic through the proxy service. This means the school thinks you’re accessing a proxy website, not YouTube. As long as they haven’t blocked the proxy site, you’re golden! You’ll be able to stream YouTube no problem.
YouTube Unblocked is one example of a web proxy that lets you watch YouTube at school. We like this one because we can search for the video right from this site, but it also accepts URLs. So, it’s perfect whether you know what you want to watch or you don’t!
#3 Method: Watch YouTube at School With a Mobile Hotspot
We love this trick because you don’t really have to do anything. A mobile hotspot lets you unblock YouTube for school because it switches the network away from the school’s and to your own. For example, if YouTube is blocked when using your phone on the school’s Wi-Fi, simply switch to your mobile provider’s network. This will effectively bypass the school’s Wi-Fi, which also disables any restrictions they have on YouTube.
Similarly, you can use your phone as a hotspot for all your other devices. So, if you need to bypass the YouTube block at school from your laptop, for example, turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi so it switches to mobile, then connect your computer to your phone’s hotspot. This works for any device that can connect to a Wi-Fi network. Just be sure to pick your phone’s hotspot instead of the school’s Wi-Fi. Smart, right?
To make a hotspot from your phone, open the Settings app and search for hotspot or look through the network or connection settings for that option. Just remember that your mobile provider might charge extra for hotspot usage, or throttle the speed after a certain amount of data is used.
#4 Method: Get a Browser Extension to Unblock YouTube
Another quick way to open YouTube at school when it’s blocked is through a browser extension. Like these other methods, this one bypasses your school’s YouTube block. That’s really the only way to watch YouTube at school if it’s “turned off” for you.
Unblocker for YouTube is a Chrome extension that works really great for this. The free plan will unblock YT but if you want to avoid ads, remove the watermark, and get higher streaming speeds, you can pay for the Pro plan.
If you don’t like that one, we also recommend the YouTube Unblocked extension.
YouTube censorship and privacy
YouTube is available to users in most countries with few restrictions. Some exceptions include nations with harsher internet laws, including China, North Korea, and Iran. These blocks are usually associated with political or inappropriate content. When it comes to school campuses and offices, however, YouTube is often restricted (or blocked) for entirely different reasons.
Many organisations, schools, and universities block YouTube in order to preserve the internet for practical purposes. Put simply, this means that they would rather students and employees to use the local bandwidth for work. While the idea behind these blocks seems somewhat logical, it can be pretty frustrating if you spend all day at school and want to take a break and watch a video on YouTube, but cannot. This is why many students choose to use a VPN service. Unfortunately, YouTube is not the only service that is often blocked on school premises. Other major entertainment websites tend to be either blocked or restricted through firewalls, including Facebook, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
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FAQ
Can I use a free VPN to unblock YouTube?
There are free VPNs available that can unblock YouTube. However, your connection is inevitably going to be very slow. Also, no-cost VPNs have to make money somehow, so they often keep log your data and sometimes even show ads. For just a few dollars more, you can get a (much) better quality of service, plus peace of mind that your VPN isn’t actively destroying your privacy.
Can I unblock YouTube at school without a VPN?
Yes. There are proxies that work very similarly for unblocking YouTube. You can also turn off your Wi-Fi at school and switch to a mobile connection to be free from the school’s restraints on YouTube and other sites.
Why is YouTube blocked at my school?
YouTube streaming brings with it not only distractions from school work but also a load on the network. School admins realize this and that’s why you can’t watch YouTube at school.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
