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How To Unblock YouTube At School On MacOS Without VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, protects your online activities private by encrypting your data so that others 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 MacOS!

Using Invidious

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

Users can use Invidious to locate videos, watch them, and even use features like comments and playlists, all while keeping a degree of anonymity and cutting down on the amount of data shared with Google. Since it's an open-source project, it's maintained by the community and can be altered or hosted separately by different individuals or organizations.

Unblocking YouTube On MacOS using Free DNS Servers

What Are DNS Servers?

Think of you want to find a person's home, but you just know their identity, not their location. You’d probably ask someone who is aware of where they reside, right?

In the internet world, DNS servers (Domain Name System servers) are like those helpful people. When you enter a website's name (like www.example.com) into your browser, DNS servers convert that name into an IP address (a numeric address) that your computer can understand and use to access YouTube on MacOS.

How Changing DNS Servers Can Help Bypass Censorship

Sometimes, certain websites might be restricted by your ISP or your school's authorities. They do this by making your DNS queries (requests to access a website) pass through servers that either redirect them.

Here's how changing your DNS servers can assist:

1. Different DNS Servers: By changing to a new 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 not blocking certain websites, using that server can help you circumvent the restrictions put in place by your school.

There exist several free DNS providers. The following steps demonstrate how to set up OpenDNS, but you may swap the IP addresses using any of the others if you choose.

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 DNS Servers on macOS

Here’s a step-by-step guide for changing DNS servers on macOS, designed to be easy to follow for beginners:

1. Open System Preferences:

   • Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen.
   • From the dropdown menu, select System Preferences.

2. Go to Network Settings:

   • In the System Preferences window, click on the Network icon. It looks like a silver globe.

3. Select Your Network Connection:

   • On the left side of the Network window, you’ll see a list of network connections (such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet). Click on the network you are currently using. For Wi-Fi, click on Wi-Fi. For a wired connection, click on Ethernet.

4. Open Advanced Settings:

   • With your network selected, click on the Advanced button in the lower-right corner of the window.

5. Go to DNS Tab:

   • In the Advanced settings window, click on the DNS tab. This tab is where you can change your DNS server addresses.

6. Add New DNS Servers:

   • You’ll see a list of DNS servers on the left side of the window. To add new DNS servers:
     • Click the + button below the list of DNS servers.
     • Enter the DNS server addresses you want to use. For example, to use OpenDNS, enter:
       • 208.67.222.222
       • 208.67.220.220
   • You can enter these addresses one by one, pressing the + button each time.

7. Remove Old DNS Servers (Optional):

   • If you want to remove existing DNS servers, select them in the list and click the – button below.

8. Apply Changes:

   • Once you’ve added the new DNS servers, click the OK button to close the Advanced settings window.
   • Back in the main Network window, click Apply to save your changes.

9. Close System Preferences:

   • You can now close the System Preferences window.

That’s it! Your Mac will now use the new DNS servers you’ve set. This should help with faster and potentially more secure browsing.

Unblocking YouTube On MacOS 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 books 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 books.

A proxy server is like a helpful ally who can help you get around this librarian. Here's how it works:

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

2. The Friend (Proxy Server): Your friend goes to the librarian, requests the website for you, and then brings it back to you. In this way, the librarian never knows 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 switching proxies, you can continue to access the content that were previously blocked.

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

How to Change Proxy Servers on macOS

Setting up a proxy on macOS can seem a bit tricky, but I'll break it down into simple steps. A proxy server helps you connect to the internet through a different server, which can be useful for various reasons like privacy or accessing content that might be restricted.

Here’s a beginner-friendly guide:

1. Open System Preferences:

   • Click on the Apple icon (🍎) in the top-left corner of your screen.
   • Select "System Preferences" from the drop-down menu.

2. Go to Network Settings:

   • In the System Preferences window, click on "Network."

3. Select Your Network Connection:

   • In the Network window, you’ll see a list of connections on the left (like Wi-Fi or Ethernet). Click on the one you're using. For example, if you’re connected to Wi-Fi, click on "Wi-Fi."

4. Open Advanced Settings:

   • After selecting your network, click the "Advanced…" button in the lower-right corner.

5. Go to the Proxies Tab:

   • In the new window that appears, click on the "Proxies" tab.

6. Configure Proxy Settings:

   • Here, you'll see a list of proxy options. The specific one you need to use will depend on what type of proxy you have (like HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS).
   • Check the box next to the type of proxy you want to configure. For example, if you have an HTTP proxy, check the "Web Proxy (HTTP)" box.
   • Enter the proxy server address and port number provided by your proxy service into the fields next to the type you selected. This information is usually given to you by the provider of the proxy service.

7. Apply the Settings:

   • After entering the required information, click "OK" to close the advanced settings window.
   • Back in the main Network window, click "Apply" to save your changes.

8. Test Your Connection:

   • Open a web browser or any app that uses the internet to make sure everything is working through the proxy.

And that’s it! Your Mac should now be using the proxy server for internet connections. If you run into any issues or need to use a different type of proxy, just adjust the settings following these steps.

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

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