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How To Unblock YouTube At School On iOS Without VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, protects your online activities private by coding 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 iOS!

Using Invidious

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

Users can take advantage of Invidious to find videos, view them, and even use features like comments and playlists, all while keeping a degree of anonymity and minimizing the amount of data shared with Google. Since it's an open-source project, it's community-driven and can be altered or hosted independently by different users or organizations.

Unblocking YouTube On iOS using Free DNS Servers

What Are DNS Servers?

Imagine you need to locate a person's home, but you only know their name, 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 like those helpful people. When you enter a website's name (like www.example.com) into your web browser, DNS servers translate that name into an IP address (a numeric address) that your computer can understand and employ to access YouTube on iOS.

How Changing DNS Servers Can Help Bypass Censorship

Sometimes, some websites might be blocked by your internet service provider or your school's authorities. They do this by making your DNS queries (requests to find a website) pass through servers that either send them.

Here's how changing your DNS servers can help:

1. Different DNS Servers: By changing to a new DNS server (like Google's public DNS or Cloudflare's DNS), you might bypass these blocks. These alternative servers might not have the same restrictions or might allow access to the website you wish to visit.

2. Accessing Restricted Sites: If a particular DNS server is known for not blocking certain websites, using that server can help you get around the restrictions put in place by your school.

There exist several complimentary DNS providers. The following steps explain how to configure OpenDNS, however you are able to substitute the IP addresses with alternative options if you prefer.

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 Settings on iOS

Step 1: Open Settings

1. Access the Settings App:
   • Locate the "Settings" app on your iOS device. It usually looks like a gray gear icon.
   • Tap the "Settings" app to open it.

Step 2: Navigate to Wi-Fi Settings

1. Select Wi-Fi:
   • In the Settings menu, tap on "Wi-Fi". This will display a list of available Wi-Fi networks.

Step 3: Access Network Details

1. Find Your Network:

   • Locate the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to. Your connected network should have a checkmark next to it.

2. Open Network Information:

   • Tap the information icon (i) next to your connected Wi-Fi network. This icon is usually a small circle with the letter “i” inside.

Step 4: Change DNS Settings

1. Configure DNS Settings:

   • Scroll down to the "DNS" section within the network details.

2. Edit DNS Configuration:

   • Tap on "Configure DNS". By default, this is set to "Automatic".
   • Change it to "Manual" to enter your custom DNS settings.

3. Add DNS Addresses:

   • Tap "Add Server" to input DNS addresses.
   • Enter 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 into the list. You can add multiple DNS addresses if needed.

4. Save Changes:

   • Once you have entered the DNS addresses, tap "Save" or simply go back to apply the changes.

Step 5: Restart Your Connection (Optional)

• To ensure the new DNS settings take effect, you might need to disconnect and then reconnect to the Wi-Fi network. You can do this by toggling the Wi-Fi switch off and on again or by turning your device’s Wi-Fi off and then on.

Your iOS device is now configured to use the custom DNS settings for the selected Wi-Fi network. If you connect to a different Wi-Fi network, you will need to repeat these steps for each network where you want to use custom DNS settings.

Unblocking YouTube On iOS using Free Proxy Servers

What Are Proxy Servers?

Let's imagine the internet as a big, open library where you can explore and access all sorts of books and information. Now, imagine there's a special librarian who controls what books you can see based on certain rules. If the librarian doesn't want you to see certain materials, they can restrict 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 ask your friend (the proxy server) to help you.

2. The Friend (Proxy Server): Your friend goes to the librarian, asks for the website 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 find a different friend (a different proxy server) to assist you. By switching proxies, you can continue to access the content that were previously blocked.

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

How to Change Proxy Settings on iOS

Here's how to add a proxy server on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings:

   • Tap the Settings app on your home screen. It’s the app with a gear icon.

2. Go to Wi-Fi Settings:

   • Tap Wi-Fi at the top of the Settings menu. Make sure you’re connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to configure the proxy for.

3. Select Your Wi-Fi Network:

   • Find your current Wi-Fi network in the list and tap on the (i) icon next to it. This will open the network’s details.

4. Configure the Proxy:

   • Scroll down to find the HTTP Proxy section.
   • Tap on Configure Proxy.

5. Choose Manual Setup:

   • Tap Manual to enter the proxy details manually.

6. Enter Proxy Information:

   • In the fields provided, enter the Server (the address of the proxy server) and the Port (the port number for the proxy server).
   • If your proxy requires authentication, also enter the Username and Password in the appropriate fields.

7. Save Your Settings:

   • Once you’ve entered the details, tap Save (or just go back to the previous screen).

8. Close Settings:

   • You can now exit the Settings app.

Your iPhone or iPad will use the proxy server for internet connections over the Wi-Fi network you configured. If you want to stop using the proxy, just go back to the same settings and select Off under the HTTP Proxy section.

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

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