YouTube is the largest video platform in the world. You can get virtually any type of video on YouTube. From educational videos to sports, entertainment, and even politics, you can get any of the videos for free. A non-governmental body, the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies, ranked YouTube as the leading learning tool for students across different levels of education. Thus, it is surprising that many schools and educational institutions decide to block access to YouTube within the school premises. While the distraction argument is valid, one sees that students stand to lose more than they gain, if YouTube stays blocked within the school premises. 

In this article, we will discuss the use of VPNs to unblock YouTube in schools and also answer some frequently asked questions about the topic. 

Best VPNs for unblocking YouTube at school

  • Express VPN – is most certainly the best option on this list. Express VPN provides exceptional speed, excellent security (each server has its private encrypted security), and a network of 3000+ servers in over 90 countries. It provides simple apps for every platform, including Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Windows. Express VPN offers a 30-day free trial, after which you can choose one of 3 pricing options; yearly, six-month plan, and monthly plan
  • ProtonVPN – If you’re looking for a VPN that offers adequate value for money, ProtonVPN is your best bet. It’s proven to be slightly cheaper than ExpressVPN while still giving all of the necessary features. ProtonVPN is super private, boasting features like Secure Core which routes your traffic through an ultra-secure server before bouncing it to another, which adds an extra layer between you and your activity.
  • NordVPN: This VPN has about 5400 servers in more than 60 countries of the world. This means that you cannot run out of the countries where you can connect to access YouTube or any other social media platform blocked by your school. The VPN also uses Lightway Protocol, which accounts for the reliable and fast speed that the VPN offers. As a result, you can binge on your favorite streaming platform, using this VPN.
  • Surfshark VPN: The major selling point for this VPN is its fast speed. You need to ensure that the VPN you use for accessing your favorite social media platform has a fast speed, else, you will not enjoy the browsing process. Surfshark provides the ultimate value for money as it offers strong security, very fast streaming speed, and connections that you can rely on. It has about 3200 servers in 65 countries, giving users unlimited options.
  • IPVanish: IPVanish is one of the leading VPNs in the world. It is more popular for its security features, which include military-grade encryption that ensures that nobody to track your activities on the internet, as well as other benefits. IPVanish has about 2000 servers in more than 50 countries. This means that users of this VPN service can access content in more than 50 countries.

How to unblock YouTube at school

1. Choose a good VPN service

If you want to unblock YouTube in your school, you will need a VPN. Here is why, to block YouTube in your school, the school installed local network blockers on the school computers and the school wi-fi. These blockers restrict your phone from accessing YouTube. However, with VPN, you can bypass the restriction and access YouTube.

As you may have noticed, there are many VPN services out there, each with varying types of offers and services. However, not all VPNs can allow you to access the social media platform. While some do not have enough speed, some VPNs do not have the necessary servers that allow you to connect to YouTube. This is why you need a very good VPN service. Therefore, you need to choose a VPN that is effective in bypassing the restrictions placed by your school on YouTube.

In choosing the ideal VPN service, you may need to consider the following factors

  • Security and Privacy: An ideal VPN service should keep your connection and data safe from third parties, including your Internet Service provider. This means that the VPN must feature powerful encryption, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and a leak protection protocol. These features are some of the basic security protocols that an ideal VPN service should possess. There are some extra security features that high-end VPNs possess
  • Server selection: this refers to the number of servers available on a VPN service. Here is why this factor is important; the server available on the VPN determines the number of options you have in bypassing the restriction and accessing YouTube. Therefore, if a VPN has 5000 servers, this means that you have 5000 different options to access YouTube.
  • Value of Money: Not every VPN is worth the price tag that comes with it. Therefore, the value you receive for using the VPN must be worth the price tag. This is why it is advisable to go for affordable VPN services with premium offerings. This way, you get quality VPN services while paying less.  
  • Speed: This is another vital factor that determines how much you enjoy using the VPN. Nobody wants to have a slow browsing experience, especially when there is content or an educational video on YouTube that you need to watch. This is why you need to ensure that the VPN you choose has a fast internet speed.

By considering the factors discussed above, you are more likely to choose a very good VPN service that will help you unblock YouTube within your school premises.

2. Create an Account or Login

If you are new to the selected VPN service, you will need to create an account before you can use the VPN service. To do this, you will need to provide certain pieces of information, such as your email address, preferred username, and preferred password.

If you have an account with the VPN service before, all you have to do is log in with the information you already provided when creating the account.

3. Connect the VPN to a server near you

You need to connect the VPN to any of the servers available. You should choose a VPN near you. This will make the connection faster and also ensure that the content available on YouTube is relevant to your location.

4. Connect to YouTube and Enjoy

Once you are connected, you can open YouTube and start tweeting, retweeting, and following all the conversations on one of the largest digital opinion aggregators in the world. If you are not able to load the content, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, and reloading the page. It should work this time.

FAQs

Can I use a free VPN to unblock YouTube at school?

Some VPNs do not charge you to use them. These VPNs are free and can help you unblock YouTube. However, it is not advisable to use these free VPNs. First off, these VPNs have invasive privacy policies that allow them to monitor your web activity and also use store your data. Also, the speed and overall service on these free VPNs are usually poor, thus, it is not advisable to use them.