From film trailers and foodie videos to videos of cute animals falling over, there is a video for everyone on YouTube. Users turn to YouTube for educational videos, day-in-the-life style vlogs, product roundups, and so much more. As great a resource as it can be, it is not possible to access all of the content available on YouTube in every single country.
Some countries even block YouTube, where it is completely unavailable on public WiFi. Due to licensing agreements and copyright issues in some countries, you won’t be able to see certain videos and video creators can even decide to block certain countries from watching their videos.
How Can I Watch YouTube Videos Not Available In My Country?
For anyone wanting to watch content on YouTube from a location where YouTube is restricted, “this video is not available in your country” is a common error message that you might receive. However, there is a great way to get around these problems that you might face on YouTube. VPNs are the most effective workaround for this problem of being unable to stream certain content on YouTube due to your location. A VPN will encrypt your internet connection and make it go through a server in a location of your choosing. It provides you with a new IP address and this location that you choose is where sites such as YouTube will perceive you to be watching from.
Paid for VPNs are usually better quality than free ones as they give you a larger network of countries to choose from, allow for maximum security and work quickly on your laptop, mobile or computer. Make sure you choose your VPN carefully, as not all VPNs are created equally!
How Can I Use a VPN For YouTube?
Using a VPN for YouTube is super easy and will not take you long at all to set up, even if you have never used a VPN before. We’ll walk you through the process to get you up and running in as little time as possible.
- Download your VPN software.
- Connect to the server in the country that the video you want to watch is from or available in.
- Open YouTube and watch your video!
It truly is as simple as that. If the video does not work at first, make sure to clear your cookies so that there are no remnants of your past location and try again. If you are using a Windows laptop or computer, then there are certain VPNs that are better than others. We tried and tested some of the top VPNs for Windows in order to give you our verdict.
Does YouTube Detect VPNs?
YouTube may ban regional material or restrict features, particularly for services like YouTube TV or Premium, because it may identify VPNs using techniques like IP address blacklisting and multiple data point analysis. You can try connecting to a different server, deleting the cache and cookies in your browser, switching to a different browser, or using a VPN with obfuscated servers to get around the blocks if your VPN is discovered.
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What Can I Watch On YouTube With a VPN?
When you have a VPN set up on your device, you will gain access to much more content on YouTube. Having the VPN will allow you to watch content that may only have a license to play in a certain country, or videos that may be blocked in the country where you reside. Moreover, YouTube’s paid content is also only available to a certain number of countries. YouTube Premium is only available in 16 countries around the world, including the US, UK, Korea and Australia.
Once you have paid for the content, switching your VPN server to one of these countries will allow you to watch YouTube Premium videos even if your country does not have it. A VPN might also find you a better deal, with some countries charging less for movie rentals and TV Shows! Make sure you check the geographical restrictions of the video you want to watch before setting up your VPN server.
Where is YouTube Banned?
YouTube is banned and censored in a certain number of countries for a range of different reasons. If you are living in these countries, then using a VPN will help you access YouTube and its videos at home. The countries where YouTube is banned or restricted are:
- China
- Eritrea
- Turkmenistan
- Tajikistan
- South Sudan
- Iran
- North Korea
It is important to note that YouTube is also blocked in certain schools, institutions and other WiFi networks. Having a VPN installed on your device will allow you to get around these blocks most of the time.
Is It Illegal to Use a VPN For YouTube?
Unless you use a VPN illegally in a nation that prohibits or restricts them, you cannot be prosecuted for using one. There are different degrees of VPN restrictions in places like China, Russia, and Egypt, and using a VPN to access information might result in fines or other repercussions.
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Why Should I Use a VPN For YouTube?
A VPN for YouTube will allow you to do multiple new things when watching your regular content, whether that be foodie videos or educational tutorials. You will be able to unblock region-locked videos, allowing you to access videos and content that is normally exclusive to the residents of certain countries. Moreover, YouTube is even blocked in some countries, and a VPN will allow you to bypass this ban.
In addition to this, a VPN gives you privacy by channelling your web traffic through a dedicated IP address. Connecting to a VPN will mean that you can use the site without being tracked or watched. It will not be associated to your Google ID and it will be hidden from your ISP and network administrator. If YouTube detects malicious activity coming from your VPN’s IP address, then it may ban your connection. However, YouTube does not usually block reputable VPN connections and a good VPN service can have this problem fixed in a matter of hours. This trick also works for Netflix, meaning you can watch American Netflix and stream the latest shows and films that you otherwise would not be able to access in a different country.
Can a VPN Cause YouTube Videos to Buffer?
YouTube videos may lag when using a VPN since it adds extra stages for your data, which might slow down your connection, particularly if you use a slow VPN service or a server that is far away or overloaded. However, by avoiding network congestion or internet throttling, a top-notch VPN with dependable, quick servers can occasionally enhance viewing.
