One of the major benefits of the internet is the freedom it gives people to access information from any part of the world at any time. However, not all websites and content on the web are accessible in all parts of the world. There are certain regulators especially governments that ban the usage of certain apps and websites in their countries. For instance, most of the apps from us-based tech companies do not work in China.
There are also certain apps and websites that are region-locked for justifiable reasons. For instance, most food delivery and ride-sharing apps can only be accessed in certain regions. This is done to avoid unnecessary traffic from other regions outside the coverage of the service.
If you want to bypass any of the restrictions we have just shared, using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the answer. With a VPN, you can access any website or use any application no matter where you are. Let’s discuss how you can do this.
How does a VPN unblock banned websites and apps?
To understand how a VPN unblocks banned websites and apps, you first have to first understand how VPNs work. When you install and enable a Virtual Private Network for Windows device on your computer or smartphone, it will encrypt all your data as you interact with apps and websites on the internet. Encrypted data is unreadable; so, anyone in between, including your ISP or government won’t know your IP address or the websites you are trying to access.
The fact that no one is able to trace the websites and apps you are interacting with makes it almost impossible for regulators to block you from accessing the banned websites in your country. That’s why people in Russia can still access Facebook and Instagram despite being recently banned by the government.
Accessing region locked sites and content
If your country is not within the region where certain apps and content on streaming platforms can be accessed, a VPN can help you unblock such restrictions. When a VPN is enabled on your device, all your data first goes through the servers of the vpn extension service provider before being redirected to the website or app you are trying to access.
This way, your request will appear like it is coming from the region where the VPN server you are connected to is located. Remember VPNs also allow users to choose the servers they would like to connect to. In this case, if you want to access region-locked content and websites, simply choose a server that is in a country within the unrestricted regions.
To get all the above features, you need to use a reliable VPN that has multiple servers located in various regions. Surfshark is one of the most reliable Virtual Private Network for Windows devices and all the other desktop and mobile operating systems. Such VPNs give you the option to select a server of your choice from thousands available in different countries.