YouTube is an important video-sharing platform with billions of users. However, YouTube allows people to share videos that some may find offensive. One way to combat this is by setting your YouTube account to restricted mode and blocking age-restricted videos on YouTube.
If a YouTube video is behind an age restriction, it means that you cannot watch the video without entering your birth date or at least proving you are over 18. These limitations exist as YouTube is funded by advertisers who do not want to target anyone under 18. There are many ways of bypassing these age restrictions on YouTube. Read on to find out!
1. Download Blocked Content
YouTube offers an option to download blocked videos as MP4 files so you can play them on your computer or mobile device. To do this, right-click on the video and select “Save As.” With this method, however, you won't be able to view it online again unless you re-upload it again later.
There are many web download tools and software, the most famous of which are Y2mate and 4K download. If you are looking for a more comprehensive download tool, you can read this article:
Top 37 Youtube Video Downloaders in 2022 (Free and Paid)
2. Watch YouTube Via Proxy
If you don't want to download content that you can only view on YouTube, then using a proxy service is another option. You may have heard of online proxies before — they're used by people worldwide who wish to protect their privacy or avoid government censorship. Proxies also allow users to bypass blocks on specific sites like Facebook, Twitter, and other popular destinations that their network administrator or ISP provider may block.
If you want to bypass age restrictions on YouTube, one option is to download the actual video file from the site and play it locally on your computer or portable media player. This can be done by selecting “File” in the menu bar at the bottom of any YouTube page and selecting “Save Video As…” This will download the video as an MP4 file and place it in your computer's default download folder.
Step 1: To play back this file, double-click on it and choose “Open With…” from the dropdown list, which appears when clicking on it with your mouse cursor.
Step 2: You should see a list of all installed media players capable of playing back MP4 files (such as VLC Media Player).
Step 3: Select one from this list and click “OK.”
3. Create a YouTube Account with the Right Age
Creating a new account with an older birthdate allows you to view age-restricted content like feature films and music videos. To do this:
Step 1: Sign out of your existing account and sign in again with an older birthdate over 18 years old (for example, if your birthday is June 12th, 2006, change it by adding 20 years).
Step 2: Go to youtube.com/create acctt in a new browser tab and click “Continue.”
Step 3: Fill out all the required fields and click “Save and continue.” You'll now see a list of available YouTube users. Click on the one with the same first name as yours but a different last name (or vice versa). This will create a new YouTube user account for you where you can watch age-restricted content.
4. Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to connect to the internet using a different IP address than your actual one. This means that if you connect to a server in another country, your connection will be seen as coming from that country instead of your own. This has several advantages, including helping you avoid censorship and bypassing geographic restrictions on content such as Netflix shows or Hulu videos.
VPNs are an easy way to unblock age-restricted content on YouTube since they mask your true location so well. Many VPNs will allow you to access geo-restricted sites while still keeping all of your data encrypted, so no one will know what sites you're visiting!
5. Install TamperMonkey and Greasyfork Script
TamperMonkey is a browser extension for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera that allows users to run custom JavaScript scripts. One script, in particular, “YouTube Unblocker for YouTube,” is designed to unblock videos on YouTube.
To use this script,
Step 1: Download and open the file by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer or Finder.
Step 2: You'll be prompted with a message saying, “Do you want to allow this extension to change your settings?”
Step 3: Click “Allow,” and then you'll see another dialog box asking if you want to install the extension.
Step 4: Click “Install” and restart your web browser so the new script can take effect.
6. Using the “NSFW YouTube” Method
NSFW is a tool that you can watch YouTube videos without signing in for a YouTube account. It provides a search box where you can search for the content you are interested in or a specific YouTuber.
NSFW site: https://www.nsfwyoutube.com/
This is the easiest way to bypass age restrictions on YouTube videos, but it can be risky. Plenty of fake NSFW sites trick users into signing up for subscriptions and giving away their credit card information. If you want to use this method, download a free VPN like CyberGhost first so that your personal information stays private when visiting these sites.
7. Turn off Content Restrictions in the YouTube App
YouTube is no stranger to age restrictions. The video platform has had a system in place for years that allows users to block access to inappropriate content.
The good news is you can turn off YouTube's content restrictions if you have an Android device or an iPhone. Here's how it works:
Turning off age restrictions on YouTube for Android
Step 1: Open up the YouTube app on your Android device and tap on your profile icon at the top left corner of the screen.
Step 2: Then tap on Settings > General > Content Restricted Mode.
Step 3: Turn off the toggle next to “Restricted Mode” to disable this feature.
Turning off age restrictions on YouTube for iPhone
Step 1: Open up the YouTube app on your iPhone and tap on your profile icon at the top left corner of the screen.
Step 2: Then tap on Settings > General > Content Restriction.
Step 3: Turn off the toggle next to “Restricted Mode” to disable this feature.
Bottom Line
If you want to watch an age-restricted video on YouTube, you'll need to prove that you're not a minor by signing in or signing up for a YouTube account. If a YouTube video has an age restriction, it means that the video is deemed inappropriate for minors and, therefore, isn't visible without approval. This is done to keep children from watching explicit adult content, but if you're looking to view this type of content, then using the workaround above should do the trick. Enjoy!