See How to Access Blocked Websites

This Tutorial teaches you how to open websites that are blocked in your area.

Common reasons for websites being blocked include school or workplace restrictions, as well as region locks such as those found on YouTube.

1. 1
   Understand when these tricks will work. If the site that you're trying to access is blocked specifically on your computer, you may be able to access it by using the website's mobile version, IP address, or Google Translate. In the event that you're unable to access websites that are blocked on your Internet connection, however, you'll need to use a VPN.
   

   • VPNs can be difficult to install on monitored or controlled computers (e.g., library, school, or work machines); however, if you use a personal computer for work, you should be able to install the VPN while on your own wireless network.
2. 2
   Try using the website's mobile version. Many websites, such as Facebook and YouTube, have mobile alternatives that can be visited by typing "m." between the "www." section of the website's address and the website's name. Many blocking services do not account for the mobile versions of blocked sites.
   

   • For example, you would access the mobile version of Facebook by going to "https://www.m.facebook.com/" in your browser.
3. 3
   Search for the website's IP address instead of its usual address. You can find a website's IP address, which is its raw numerical address, on any major computer platform, after which point you can enter the IP address into the browser's URL bar the same way that you'd search for a regular address (e.g., "https://www.google.com/").
   

   • This won't work for all websites; some services hide their IP addresses, and others use multiple IP addresses which aren't always reliable.
   • If you don't have access to Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) on the computer on which sites are blocked, you can use a personal computer on an unrestricted network to find the IP address and then just use the address on your restricted computer.
4. 4
   Use Google Translate to hide the website's address. This method doesn't always work, but it provides a simple alternative to using a proxy site or a portable browser:
   

   • Go to https://translate.google.com/ in your browser.
   • Type your website's address into the left text box.
   • Select any language other than the website's original language for the right-most box.
   • Click the website's link in the right-most box.
   • Click the "Go to [Website]" link on the left side of the page if the website doesn't immediately load.
   • Click the Translate option if prompted.
   • Browse your site.
5. 5
   Use Wayback Machine to browse archived pages. The Wayback Machine site allows you to browse past versions of websites without actually going to the site in question. This won't help if you're attempting to check your Facebook feed, but you can use the Wayback Machine to view blocked research resources and the like.
   

   • Go to https://archive.org/web/ in your computer's browser.
   • Enter a website's address into the text field that's near the top of the page.
   • Click BROWSE HISTORY
   • Select a calendar day.
   • Review the results.
6. 6
   Use a VPN on a personal computer. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are always-on subscription services that route your Internet traffic through several different servers in different countries or locations. This effectively hides your Internet activity from anyone monitoring it, which likewise allows you to view sites and use services which are usually blocked in your area.

   • Most VPNs require a paid subscription, though some VPNs—such as Hotspot Shield—have a free version.
   • In order for your VPN to remain undetected, it must be on the entire time that you're online.

   Using the ProxFree Proxy

   1. 1
      Open the ProxFree site. Go to https://www.proxfree.com/ in your browser.
      

      • If this site is blocked on your computer, try using the HideMe proxy instead.
   2. 2
      Click the search bar. It's near the bottom of the page, to the right of the padlock icon.
   3. 3
      Enter your website's address. Type in the address of the website that you want to access.
      

      • You can select a different country to use by clicking the "Server Location" drop-down box and then clicking a different country's name.
   4. 4
      Click PROXFREE. It's a blue button to the right of the search bar. Doing so will search for your website.
      

      • If you selected a country significantly outside of your own for your IP address' location, the search results may take several seconds to a minute to display.
   5. 5
      Browse your site. Once the website loads, you should be able to use it like usual. Keep in mind, however, that your website's load times will likely be significantly slower than usual.
   6. 
      Using a Portable Browser
      
      
      
      1
      
      
      Understand how this method works. A few Internet browsers come equipped with built-in proxies that allow you to bypass web restrictions. These browsers are usually impossible to download on restricted computers, but a few of them have "portable" versions; you can install the portable version of such a browser onto a flash drive and then run the browser on the restricted computer from the flash drive.
      You'll likely need to use a personal computer on an unrestricted network to install the portable browser onto your flash drive.
      If the computer on which you're attempting to use the portable browser doesn't allow for USB connections, you won't be able to use a portable browser on it.

      2. 2
         Plug a flash drive into your computer. It should plug into one of your computer's USB ports.
         

         • Again, you'll most likely need to do this from a personal computer on an unrestricted network (e.g., your home computer).
      3. 3
         Open the Tor download page. Go to https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en in your browser.
      4. 4
         Click DOWNLOAD. It's a purple button in the middle of the page.
      5. 5
         Move the Tor setup file onto your flash drive. Go to the folder into which the setup file downloaded, then do the following:
         

         • Click the file to select it.
         • Press Ctrl+X (Windows) or ⌘ Command+X (Mac) to copy the file and remove it from its current location.
         • Click your flash drive's name on the left side of the window.
         • Click a blank space in the flash drive's window.
         • Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Command+V (Mac) to paste the file into your flash drive.
      6. 6
         Install Tor on your flash drive. To do so:
         

         • Windows - Double-click the Tor EXE file, select a language and click OK, click Browse..., select your flash drive's name and click OK, and click Install. Uncheck both boxes and click Finish when prompted.
         • Mac - Double-click the Tor DMG file, verify the download if necessary, and follow any additional instructions on-screen.
      7. 7
         Eject your flash drive. Now that Tor is installed on the flash drive, you can proceed with running Tor on your restricted computer without worrying about the installation being denied.
      8. 8
         Plug your flash drive into a restricted computer. This should be the computer on which you want to access a blocked website.
      9. 9
         Open Tor. To do so:
         

         • Open your flash drive if it didn't already open.
         • Double-click the "Tor Browser" folder.
         • Double-click the "Start Tor Browser" icon.
      10. 10
          Click Connect. This will launch Tor, which resembles an old version of Firefox.
      11. 11
          Go to a blocked site. Use the text box in the middle of the Tor welcome page to do so. Since Tor opens with a built-in proxy, you should be able to visit any site.
          

          • Keep in mind that site load times will increase due to your browser traffic being routed through different servers.