You might often try to open a website on your browser and find it blocked. Everybody who uses the internet has probably come across this problem multiple times. So, what do you do if you find yourself blocked from accessing a certain website? You can either go back or find a way to access the website in such situations. Most users would surely choose the latter.
You might be blocked from a website for various reasons that we shall see here. Regardless, there are some ways you can still access it. So, read to know how to bypass your restriction to any website on the internet.
Why are You Blocked from a Website?
Censorship is one of the most common reasons why you cannot access certain websites. However, it is not the only reason for that. In some cases, you might fail to access a website simply because it is down. So, you might have to wait until the technical issues with the site are resolved.
You can use an uptime monitoring service to know whether the website is down. Apart from that, you can also ask a friend whether they can access the website causing the issue.
If it is not down, then your local authorities have probably restricted you from the website. Moreover, the owners might also sometimes block users belonging to certain regions from their site.
Simple Methods to Access a Blocked Website
You can access the blocked website quite easily with the right method. And, there are multiple ways to proceed with that. So, here are some effective ways to gain access to a restricted website:
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Switch to the Mobile Version
Mobile devices occupy almost half of the traffic received on certain websites. So, most of them use a responsive design to ensure a good user experience. You may only fail to access its desktop version when you are blocked from a website. But, the mobile is often unaffected by this, and you might be able to access them.
So, you must try using the mobile version of the blocked website if it has one. By adding “m.” after “www.” in the website’s address, you can do that. Apart from that, you should have the option to switch to the mobile version on browsers while using mobile devices. On Chrome, you can access this option through the menu.
But, what if the browser does not have a mobile version? If you are wondering, there are other effective methods to access it in such situations.
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Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to access pretty much any blocked website. So, this is yet another effective way to access restricted content on the internet. Not only that, but it is also the most popular way to do so. You will find a wide range of VPN services out there, some of which are free.
However, a VPN might not be a viable choice in all cases. Are you using a work computer to access the restricted website? Then, you are probably not allowed to download a VPN on it. Other than that, you can download one on your personal computer anytime and get started.
A VPN will encrypt your connection with the website to protect its data. So, it is a great way to ensure your data security and privacy.
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Use Google Translate
If you cannot access a website by searching for it in English, you can simply use a different language. So, open Google Translate on your browser and enter the website’s address on the left field. Then, opt for a language on the right field and click on the link to open the website.
Doing this should open the website in the exact language you have selected. And, you would usually get an option to translate it to another language. So, opt for English or any other language you prefer for browsing the website.
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Use the Cached Data
You can open the cached version of a website even when you cannot open its live one. Search the website’s name on the browser and check the results. You should see a downward arrow in the link given in green, right below the website’s name. Click on it and select the “Cached” option to open the site.
Are you unable to access the option to view the cached version? Then, you must have removed the cache file from the browser. In that case, you can try out the other methods we have mentioned here.
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Shorten the Website’s URL
Shortening the URL is usually quite effective in opening a restricted website on your device. But, how do you shorten a URL? If you are wondering, you can find various services online for doing that.
Open the URL shortener service you prefer and enter the website’s address there. Proceed with shortening it, and then copy the address that comes up in the result. Enter the new address in the search box to access the restricted website.
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Use the IP Address
If you fail to access the website using its URL, then you can simply use its IP address. In Windows systems, you can find this information easily with the Command Prompt. Open the Command Prompt as the administrator and enter “ping”. Then, look for the IP address among the information you see on the screen.
On Mac devices, you must open the Traceroute program in Utility. Enter the URL there and click on Trace. You would find the IP address next to “traceroute to (website’s name)”. Enter it in your browser to access the blocked website.
Additional Methods You Can Try….
You usually would not have to look for other methods if you try the above solutions. But, in case you are looking for other options, there are some viable ones. Using a proxy browser is one of the best among them. Apart from that, you must also consider changing the DNS server or using Smart DNS.
