So you try to open a website, and the page shows ‘Access Denied’ or ‘Stop! This website is blocked!
What do you do next?
The first option, of course, is to close the website disappointed. The other option, however, is to find a way out, especially if the website’s information is crucial to you or just because you want to. We’re all aware of the forbidden fruit concept, after all.
While there are plenty of reasons for these sites being blocked, so are the hacks. As a matter of fact, 66% of people in the U.S. have used a VPN at some point. The stat in itself states the need for such hacks. This article is all about the hacks. Let’s go through five ways to access blocked websites on your device.
1. Use A Proxy Server
One of the simplest ways to unblock websites is by using a proxy. A public proxy hides the real IP address of your device, allowing you to access the website you want to with a different IP address. When looking for a proxy for mobile, go for a trusted proxy provider offering feature-rich plans at affordable prices.
Consider the following points to make a wise call when going for a proxy, either for a mobile phone or another electronic device.
- Determine the type of proxy you need since there are different types, and you want to choose the one that suits your needs.
- Consider pricing when it comes to choosing a proxy since some proxy servers may be expensive but are worth the cost.
- Go for legitimate proxy providers with ample online reviews to prove their credibility.
- See whether the proxy provider offers a dashboard for you to enjoy a seamless experience.
A proxy or a VPN is one of the most preferred options for accessing geo-restricted content. So this hack will be there whether you go through a step-by-step guide to unblocking websites on school Chromebooks or your personal or workplace device. In cases of dealing with sensitive data like financial or personal, go for a VPN, though as it’s more secure.
2. Use A Virtual Private Network(VPN)
If you want to access geo-restricted content but with more security, a VPN should be your go-to.
While a proxy and a VPN both hide the real IP address of the user, VPN takes it a level up as it also encrypts the data, enhancing data security. So when using a VPN, the traffic from your device goes through a VPN server that’s not blocked by your ISP, enabling you to browse the website.
However, there are a few pointers you need to consider when choosing a VPN as listed below.
- While there are a few companies that offer free VPN, they do so with ads and by selling their users’ data.
- Trusting solely on online reviews is a bad idea since some of them would be paid and some independent.
- You need to know the VPN provider’s home country as country-specific laws require them to collect, store and provide data to authorities.
- Read the privacy policies of your VPN as you don’t want it to store your browsing history.
- Since VPN providers rent serves from across the globe, consider the locations you need and go for a provider that has
- server of those locations instead of going for a provider with the largest number of servers.
- VPN providers should offer transparency and data security, check if they and whether they have a decent background in cyber security.
Note: In case your workplace, school or college has banned certain websites due to its policy, unblocking them may lead to violating policies. Ensure to reach out to the IT team or the designated party before choosing to use a VPN.
3. Consider Google Translate
While using a VPN or a proxy server is a great way to unblock the restricted site, Google Translate is still a simpler way. A tool usually seen as educational may even help you unblock websites. With this tool, you can easily bypass the restriction when you convert the blocked website into another language you know.
How do you use it, then? It’s a few simple steps.
- Go to translate.Google.com in the web browser.
- Now click on the arrow beside ‘Detect language’ and choose any language except the destination language.
- Once you select the language per your requirement, type in the website’s address in the Source language and click the Translate button.
- There you go! You should be able to access the website now.
The primary reason why Google Translate is a safer option than others is that institutes and workplaces don’t ban it. Moreover, you can apply this tactic without installing third-party software or extensions, regardless of the device’s OS.
It’s worthy to note that it’s not mandatory to use Google Translate. Use Microsoft translator or any other translation service as long as it’s able to translate the web address to the desired language.
4. Convert The Web Pages To PDF
What if you don’t just want to read but also share the website’s content with your peers or friends? If so, this hack is for you!
Again, this method is simple, as you won’t have to go through the hassle of installing any extension, proxy server, or VPN. All you need to do is have an active email account to sign up and find out providers that will convert websites into PDFs. You can then even combine multiple PDF files from different websites into one for better shareability.
You’ll get many such services online that will convert the web content into PDF format for free. However, some tools may charge money as they scour the website before converting its content. However, using this method won’t work in the following scenarios:
- When you want to access content on YouTube or other video-streaming websites.
- If you want to view content on Twitter or other embedded content.
- You don’t know the exact web addresses for articles or web pages. (in this case, Google comes to the rescue!)
If this method doesn’t work for the website you want to access, you could also combine this tactic with another one to bypass the restriction.
5. Use The Website’s HTTPS Version
HTTPs, short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is the secure version of the website you’re trying to access. When you use a secure version of the website, the data sent between the website and your device is encrypted, making it difficult for a third-party to see the content you’re visiting.
So all you need to do is add an ‘s’ after the ‘http’ in the web address and access the website.
This method works both ways. So if it’s a secure website(https), try accessing it by removing the ‘s’.(http)
While this is an easy trick to access the restricted website, it may only sometimes work. In this case, go for a URL shortener tool that shortens the website URL and try accessing the website again. The other way is to use an IP address instead of the domain name.
For example, if you want to access a website called example.com, type the IP address of the URL. You find the IP address by typing ‘tracert’ and the desired domain name in the command prompt. (You can access the command prompt by searching in the Windows search bar). Once you get the IP (it should be an 8-bit field separated by a period), paste it into the browser’s search bar.
If the browser shows a warning, ‘Your connection is not private’, you can still proceed regardless.
Time To Use These Hacks To Explore The Unexplored
As the article follows, these hacks should help you unblock restricted or blocked sites with minimal effort. Sometimes using a single method will get you the desired output, while you may need to combine one or more methods at other times. Regardless of your chosen method, you’re certain to be able to access the website eventually.
While the reasons you choose to use any of these hacks entirely depend on you, ensure you don’t violate a major policy while quenching your curiosity. Doing so may backfire and put you at risk. So take the plunge and surely explore what’s on the world wide web. However, there’s no harm in treading a little carefully, right!?
Good luck exploring!
