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How To Unblock YouTube At School On Chromebook Without VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, keeps your online activities private by coding your data so that no one can see what you're doing on the internet. This is useful for safeguarding your privacy and bypassing restrictions.

Luckily there are other ways to unblock YouTube on Chromebook!

Using Invidious

The various Invidious instances should work in the browser of any device.

Users can utilize Invidious to find videos, stream them, and even use features like comments and playlists, all while preserving a degree of anonymity and minimizing the amount of data shared with Google. Since it's an open-source project, it's maintained by the community and can be modified or hosted autonomously by different people or organizations.

Unblocking YouTube On Chromebook using Free DNS Servers

What Are DNS Servers?

Imagine you want to find a person's house, but you just know their identity, not their location. You’d probably consult someone who knows where they live, right?

In the internet world, DNS servers (Domain Name System servers) are similar to those helpful friends. When you type a website's name (like www.example.com) into your web browser, DNS servers translate that name into an IP address (a set of numbers) that your computer can recognize and use to access the website.

How Changing DNS Servers Can Help Bypass Censorship

Sometimes, certain websites might be blocked by your ISP or your school. They do this by forcing your DNS queries (requests to access a website) pass through servers that either send them.

Here's how changing your DNS servers can assist:

1. Different DNS Servers: By switching to a different DNS server (like Google's public DNS or Cloudflare's DNS), you might avoid these blocks. These alternative servers might not have the same exact restrictions or might not block the website you want to access.

2. Accessing Restricted Sites: If a particular DNS server is known for allowing access to certain websites, using that server can help you get around the restrictions imposed by your school.

There exist many complimentary DNS providers. This guide demonstrate how to set up OpenDNS, though you are able to replace the IP addresses using other providers if you would like to.

There is a big list of DNS servers here: https://public-dns.info/

Here are some of the popular ones:
Google: 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4
Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1

How to Change Your DNS Settings on a Chromebook

Following these steps will help you change the DNS settings on your Chromebook to use OpenDNS.

1. Open Google Chrome:

   • Click on the Google Chrome icon in your taskbar or find it in your app drawer to open the browser.

2. Access Chrome Flags:

   • In the address bar at the top of Chrome, type chrome://flags and press Enter.
   • You’ll be taken to a special settings page called “Chrome Flags.”

3. Find and Enable the Experimental Flag:

   • On the Chrome Flags page, you’ll see a search box at the top. Click on this search box and type Experimental static ip configuration.
   • If the flag appears in the search results, click the dropdown menu next to it and select Enabled.
   • If you don’t see this flag, you can skip to the next step.

4. Open Chromebook Settings:

   • Click on the time display or your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of your screen to open the system menu.
   • Click on the gear icon to open the Settings menu.

5. Access Network Settings:

   • In the Settings menu, look for Network or Wi-Fi. Click on this option.
   • You’ll see a list of available networks. Click on the network you are currently connected to (such as your Wi-Fi network).

6. Change DNS Settings:

   • In the network details window, click on Network or Advanced settings.
   • Scroll down to find the DNS settings. Click on the dropdown menu or link that allows you to enter custom DNS servers.
   • Enter the following DNS addresses:
     • Primary DNS: 208.67.222.222
     • Secondary DNS: 208.67.220.220

7. Save Your Settings:

   • After entering the DNS addresses, make sure to click Save or Apply if there is an option to do so.

8. Restart Chrome:

   • At the bottom of your Chrome window, you might see a message asking you to restart the browser for the changes to take effect. Click Relaunch or Restart. You may also need to reboot the entire Chromebook.

Unblocking YouTube On Chromebook using Free Proxy Servers

What Are Proxy Servers?

Let's imagine the internet as a big, open library where you can read and access all sorts of materials and information. Now, imagine there's a special librarian who controls what materials you can see based on certain rules. If the librarian doesn't want you to see certain books, they can block your access to those materials.

A proxy server is like a clever friend who can assist you get around this librarian. Here's how it works:

1. Your Request: When you want to access a website, instead of going directly to the librarian (which is like your internet connection), you request your friend (the proxy server) to assist you.

2. The Friend (Proxy Server): Your friend goes to the librarian, requests the book for you, and then brings it back to you. In this way, the librarian never realizes it’s actually you making the request.

3. Changing Proxies: If the librarian becomes aware of your friend and blocks their access, you can just ask a different friend (a different proxy server) to help you. By changing friends, you can keep accessing the content that were previously blocked.

In simpler terms, a proxy server acts as a middleman that helps you access content without the restrictions you would face directly. By using different proxies, you can get around internet censorship, which is like circumventing the librarian's restrictions.

How to Change Your Proxy Settings on a Chromebook

Adding a proxy server to a Chromebook is a bit like using a special route to get to a website. Here’s a simple way to do it:

1. Open Settings: Click on the time in the bottom right corner of your screen (where you see the clock and battery icon). Then, click the gear icon to open the Settings menu.

2. Go to Network Settings: In the Settings menu, find and click on “Network” or “Wi-Fi” (depending on your Chromebook version).

3. Select Your Network: Click on the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to. It should be listed under “Wi-Fi” or “Network”.

4. Open Proxy Settings: Look for an option called “Proxy” or “Network Proxy” and click on it. If you don’t see it right away, you might have to click on “Advanced” or “Configure” to find it.

5. Enter Proxy Information: You’ll need to enter details for the proxy server. This usually includes:

   • Proxy Server Address: This is the address of the proxy server you want to use.
   • Port Number: This is a number that tells your Chromebook which port to use to connect to the proxy server.
   • Authentication: If the proxy requires a username and password, you’ll need to enter those as well.

6. Save and Apply: Once you’ve entered all the information, make sure to save your settings. There should be a “Save” or “Apply” button to confirm.

7. Test the Connection: Open a new tab and try to visit a website to make sure the proxy is working.

And that’s it! Now your Chromebook will use the proxy server when you browse the web.

Where to find free proxies? We have a list here.

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