How to Unblock Websites at School, Home, or Work

The best solutions to access blocked websites, videos, & content

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 13, 2024 Fact Checked

Blocked websites can be frustrating when trying to stay connected to friends and family. Many people face internet censorship filters that are put in place by governments or internet service providers. You might even have difficulty surfing the web at school or at work. Some restrictions do not allow browsing on popular sites, like YouTube and Facebook. Luckily, there are free methods to help you bypass these filters and unblock these blocked websites. You don’t even need to be tech-savvy to do it.

How to Use a VPN or Translation Site to Unblock Websites

Use a VPN (virtual private network) to change your IP address and reroute your internet use through a private server, which allows you to bypass blocks. If you don’t want to download or purchase a VPN, try running your URL through a proxy or translation site.

1

Use a Virtual Private Network.

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A VPN masks your IP address from another location, allowing access to blocked sites. Using a VPN is more secure and anonymous than using a web-based proxy server. Once you add a VPN, you won’t need to go through hoops to visit sites anymore. Just open your browser and surf the web.
- Most VPN software requires payment, but some can be used free with ads.
- If you don't have administrative privileges on your computer, as is common for employees at work or students at school, you will not be able to use this method.
- This method is ideal for accessing blocked websites on your phone. All you have to do is visit your app store. Many of the same software brands available for computers also have a version for phones.
- The most popular VPN providers include: NordVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark.
- All you need to do is download, install, and open the VPN to visit the blocked site.

2

Use a web-based proxy server.

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Sign into the web-based proxy server and enter the blocked site's URL. Proxy servers act as medium, visiting a blocked site for your computer and showing it to you. However, they are less secure than VPNs and offer less anonymity. Some proxies might monitor your online activity.
- A good proxy service will not have too many ads or popups. Advertisements are very common and can be a big downside to using many free proxy servers.
- This is the best option if you're using a public computer, like one at work or school since you don't need to download any additional software.

3

Install a VPN or proxy browser extension.

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Some sites might be too complicated for a simple web-based proxy to unblock. If you're trying to use YouTube, Twitter (X), Amazon, or other dynamic sites, the web-based proxy or installed VPN might not work correctly on its own. In this case, a browser extension can do the trick.
- Some larger VPN services have browser extensions bundled in your purchase.
- You can find lots of proxy browser extensions available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

4

Use the IP address instead of URL.

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There's a chance that the blocker is blocking the URL and not the IP address. A URL is what you usually use, like https:.//facebook.com, and an IP address is a series of numbers, which you don't normally use.
- To find a website's IP address on Windows and Mac, do this:
  - Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) and enter ping (name of the website). It'll look like this: ping facebook.com.
    - You can also use the command nslookup (name of the website) in Command Prompt or Terminal. The website's IP address will be under "Non-authoritative answer" for Windows, and next to "Address" for Macs.
  - Press Enter and take note of the string of numbers you see. The repeated set of numbers is the IP address. ^{[1]
    X
    Research source}

5

Use the Tor browser.

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Use the Tor browser as your normal browser to visit blocked sites. If you have admin privileges on a computer, download Tor from its site and use it to visit blocked sites. Since it hides your IP from the destination server and hides the destination server's IP from your ISP, Tor is a very effective tool for bypassing blocked sites.
- Tor is very slow compared to the other options, so it's not the first solution.

6

Use Google Translate.

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Enter the web address of the blocked site in Google Translate. These sites can act as a proxy by using them to read a page and then sending a translated version to you.^{[2]
X
Research source} This allows you to access the information on a website without actually visiting.
- Go to https://translate.google.com/ and click Websites at the top of the translation section. Enter the site's name and press the arrow icon. The site will reload in translated form, but you might not be able to click elements or links like you can on the original site.
  - You don't have to translate the site to a language you don't know for this to work! You can simply translate it into your language, even if it's English to English.

7

Use a dynamic IP address.

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A different IP address will get you access to blocked sites. Not everyone has a dynamic IP address, however. To see if you have a static or dynamic IP address, write it down, restart your router, and compare your IP addresses.
- If you have a different IP address when your router restarts, try visiting the blocked site again.

8

Use an HTML to PDF converter.

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If you don't need to see the site, but just need the content, this might work. This method converts all the text on the blocked site to a PDF you can easily open.
- To convert a webpage to PDF, find an online converter, like Webpage to PDF, enter the site you want to see, and click Convert.

9

Use a URL shortener.

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Some unsophisticated blockers can be easily bypassed this way. However, this isn't a reliable method because many blockers are more sophisticated than this.
- To do this, find a URL shortener online. There are plenty that offer this service, but tinyurl.com is the most popular.
- Enter the blocked website and shorten that URL.
- Enter the shortened URL into your browser's address bar.

10

Using a different DNS.

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A different DNS might work to unblock blocked sites. It's important to use any address that's not from a non-ISP organization like Google, OpenDNS, Cloudflare, or Trust DNS. Here are many ways you can change the DNS on your device:
- On Windows 10:
  - Open Settings > Network & Internet > Change adapter options (under "Advanced network settings").
  - Right-click the connection you want to change and click Properties.
  - Click "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and then click Properties below the "This connection uses the following items:" box.
  - Select the option, "Use the following DNS server address" and use the following empty fields to enter the addresses for the DNS you selected.
  - Click OK when you're done to close the window.
- On Windows 11:
  - Open Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings.
  - Click View additional properties under the connection you want to edit: Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
  - Click Edit next to the DNS assignment and change it to "Manual."
  - Enable IPv4 and enter the preferred and alternate DNS addresses.
  - Click Save once you're done to close the window.^{[3]
    X
    Research source}
- On Mac:
  - Open System Settings > Network.
  - Select the network that you want to edit.
  - Click Details > DNS.
  - Click + to add a new DNS and enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address.^{[4]
    X
    Research source}
  - Click OK to close the window.

11

Switching to data on a phone.

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Blocked sites won't be blocked if you aren't using the network that's blocking them. This is the most straightforward way around a network block if you're browsing the internet on your phone or if you can connect to your phone's hotspot to use mobile data instead of the Wi-Fi network.
- All you have to do is turn off Wi-Fi on your smartphone to use data to browse. (the Wi-Fi icon is in Control Center for iPhones and Quick Settings on Android).
- If you're using a computer, turn on your smartphone's hotspot (if you can) and connect to that.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you block or unblock websites on your internet browser?

Yaffet Meshesha
Computer Specialist
Yaffet Meshesha is a Computer Specialist and the Founder of Techy, a full-service computer pickup, repair, and delivery service. With over eight years of experience, Yaffet specializes in computer repairs and technical support. Techy has been featured on TechCrunch and Time.

Yaffet Meshesha

Computer Specialist

Expert Answer

All browsers allow you to block and unblock certain websites. For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, go to your settings which is on the top right. Click on the three horizontal lines or three vertical dots, then click on settings. Navigate to the security and privacy section and find the option to “block contents.” From there, you'll be able to list or un-list websites that you want to block or unblock.

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My dad blocked it so the WiFi will only let me go on certain things; how do I unblock that?

Community Answer

It really depends on the setup your dad has. A solution could be using a VPN or changing your DNS settings.

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How can I unblock private sites?

Community Answer

You cannot unblock private sites.

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Tips

Always be careful when using a proxy server. Some proxy websites can track your personal information.

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If you can't load a page on your phone through the network, the quickest fix is to turn your Wi-Fi off and use your cellular data to access the site.

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