How to Access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube in China in 2025

If you know anything about social media and restrictions, you know that major social media applications like Instagram and YouTube are restricted in China.

In fact, Instagram has been restricted since 2014; accessing it will display an “error” message, and you won’t be able to find the application on any of the Chinese app stores.

Right about now, you’re wondering how in the world you would be allowed to access your favorite social media applications among all these restrictions.

To tell you the truth, there is a straightforward, less complicated, and quick way to access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube in China, and here’s how you can do it.

Why are These Websites Blocked in China?

The main reason behind the Chinese Government blocking many websites is because they are scared that they would lose control over the citizens.

With the internet available to every citizen, they can afford free and open access to information happening across the world.

As the rule of the Chinese government is based on communism, they control what the citizens hear, see, and speak.

If the people are aware of all these facts and how other governments are treating their citizens, they might realize that their rights are being taken away from them.

To achieve freedom, the citizens might revolt against the government, and to prevent this from happening, many websites that provide outside information are banned.

As a result, applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are also restricted because they allow freedom of speech to the citizens, which the Government deems as a threat to their country.

On the contrary, restricting these applications allows the Chinese people to emulate and develop similar applications to fill the void; as a result, increasing the Chinese economy.

Not just that, statistics show that China is the leading country in surveillance and keeping track of its citizens.

The Great China Firewall ensures that all data coming in and going out is tracked and regulated by the Government.

It is complicated to bypass because the system keeps updating itself every few minutes.

Simply put, the Government knows who’s walking on the streets, who’s visiting which kind of different outlets, and who’s searching what on Google.

They have cameras everywhere and monitor everything.

What are the Best Ways to Access Blocked Websites in China?

There are several ways to access blocked websites in China, but as the Great Firewall of China is extremely powerful and advanced, there is very less chance of getting access to the websites.

Here are some of the ways you can try to access the blocked websites.

• Use HMA Proxy: HMA Proxy is one of the prominent websites with a proxy service. Using HMA Proxy, the users can enter the URL of the website they are wishing to visit.
  In addition, they can connect through a specific server from the drop-down provided. Along with these, the user also gets to encrypt the URL, disable cookies, and the best part is that it can remove the scripts.
• Visit Cached version of the website: Google offers cached versions of the websites to the users, which are the faster local copies of the websites that come in handy to the user in case of weak bandwidth.
  Sometimes the websites that are blocked can be accessed using the cached version, so there might be a possibility to unlock the blocked websites.
• URL Shortner: The simplest way of accessing a blocked website is through the URL shorteners such as Bitly and TinyURL. By shortening the link, the website blockers might unblock the website for you.
• IP Address: Another simpler way to visit blocked websites is using the IP address instead of using the domain name, which tricks the website blockers, and the user might gain access to the website.
  To find the IP address of a specific website, you can use the Whois lookup tool, which provides website information and its IP address.
• TOR Browser: TOR browser is one of the great ways to unlock blocked websites, and in addition, it provides great anonymity and security to the user while surfing the internet.
  All the user needs to do is install the TOR browser and visit the website they are wishing for.

Even though these are some of the great ways to unlock blocked websites, the chances of actually unlocking the website depend on the type of web blocker.

Ways such as URL and IP address work only on unsophisticated web blockers, whereas the rest of the ways might work on sophisticated ones.

Apart from all these ways, the most effective and efficient way to unlock blocked websites is through VPNs.

A good VPN can easily unblock blocked websites with the help of its advanced security features.

How to Access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube in China

Here’s a simple solution to this huge problem: Virtual Private Network, also known as a VPN.

Let’s face it.

You don’t want to know whether your social media applications are blocked in China unless you are planning to travel to the country or live there for some time.

In these cases, if you want to maintain your presence online, you will need something to bypass the Great China Firewall while being discreet so the Government is not privy to your online activities.

Not many applications or softwares can do this besides a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network can allow you access to your restricted social media applications while ensuring your safety from the Government.

They can do this because that’s what they are created for. A VPN is an invisible tunnel that stretches from your location to the destination of your data.

If you want to browse the internet, the VPN tunnel is created from your device to your preferred destination.

The good part about this is that your data remains within the walls of this tunnel.

Similarly, all data encapsulated within the VPN tunnel is converted into strings of codes, so hackers and scammers trying to steal your data cannot decrypt it.

This is only a straightforward way a VPN keeps your data safe; there are other features for this. However, not all VPNs have the caliber to perform in this manner.

Some VPNs may lack in this aspect, whereas others may excel. The important thing is to know which VPN to pick and which to ignore.

If you are oblivious to this, don’t worry because we have suitable VPNs to help you unblock all major social media applications in China.

Here are the VPNs for China that we recommend:

1. NordVPN 
2. Surfshark
3. Atlas VPN

If this means nothing to you and you would like more details on each of these VPNs, you don’t have to look for them separately because we have compiled all the necessary information below.

Just keep scrolling, and you’ll understand why we recommend these VPNs among all other VPN services.

1. NordVPN

Recommended Guide: NordVPN Review

One of the best VPNs for China is NordVPN.

It can unblock all primary social media applications in China while securing your data and ensuring the Government does not track you.

A security company develops NordVPN, and they know where to tighten the screws to guarantee full security.

Another important thing you should know about this VPN is that it is based in Panama.

It makes it stand outside the jurisdiction of intelligence alliances like the fourteen eyes, which is an added benefit because that means they can never request user data from this VPN company.

However, you do not have to worry about your data being logged because NordVPN is very strict regarding its no-logs feature.

They make sure no user data is logged, and they ensure they don’t track your online activity.

If you are still hung up on the security aspect, know that this VPN service has many security features to protect your data in China or anywhere else.

One of these features includes Double VPN, which means your connection is rerouted through two different VPN servers for more robust encryption and better security.

Similarly, you get another multi-hop feature, which hops your IP address from one location to the other, so the Government or any other organization cannot locate your exact point of origin.

This feature especially comes in handy when you want to unblock restricted content. With NordVPN, you receive more than 5,000 servers in 60+ countries worldwide.

This means you never have to worry about connecting to servers no matter where you are in the world. You can quickly connect with a physical server near your location.

The benefit is that you get fast internet speed since you are close to the physical server. Moreover, when it comes to speed, NordVPN does not back down.

The speed you get with this VPN is more than enough for browsing, streaming, and scrolling through social media in your free time.

NordVPN promises multiplatform connectivity support along with simultaneous multiple-device connection support.

Regarding pricing, all plans are flexible and affordable.

Speaking of customer support, they are available around the clock with instant response and support.

2. Surfshark

Recommended Guide: Surfshark VPN Review

Suppose you are looking for a budget-friendly VPN with enough features and security to bypass the Great Firewall of China and access all your social media applications.

In that case, Surfshark VPN is one of the great options to choose from. Moving on, you don’t have to worry about security features because Surfshark VPN has you covered.

You get 3,200+ servers in 100 countries worldwide, making it very easy and accessible to connect with a physical server from China or anywhere else in the world.

With smooth connectivity, you get fast internet speed. Specifically, you retain 273 Mbps of speed which is plenty for browsing the internet and even steaming 4K videos online.

This reminds us that if you are in China and want to access the US Netflix library, you can do that with this VPN.

Surfshark VPN has an Obfuscation feature that spoofs your location and makes it seem like you are accessing a particular website or application from a different location.

With that, you can relax because this VPN service can unblock all major social media applications, whether YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

You can be sure to be in touch with all your friends and family through these applications, even if you are in China.

Surfshark VPN also has a split-tunneling feature which is excellent if you want to play games or download torrents online.

This feature allows you to direct all your internet speed to a single application, so it works faster without lags.

In the end, you get all of this for a very affordable price, starting at $2.30 monthly for 24 months.

In addition to these flexible and affordable pricing plans, you get multiplatform compatibility, and the best part is that it comes with no restrictions on simultaneous device connectivity.

Along with these, you also get outstanding customer support who are available all around the clock.

We recommend that you get this VPN for your travels to China and anywhere else in the world.

We guarantee this VPN will help you anywhere you go or live. Give it a try and see for yourself.

3. Atlas VPN

Recommended Guide: Atlas VPN Review

Atlas VPN is another excellent VPN that can surely help you access all social media platforms in China.

In an affordable package, it gives you enough functionality and features to protect your data throughout your trips or stay in any country.

Atlas VPN usually markets itself as a lightning-fast VPN.

It ensures you will never have any problems with the internet speed, even when you aren’t receiving full speed. Yes, this may increase the chances of data leaks.

However, Atlas VPN has IKEv2 and WireGuard encryption, making it less prone to data leaks.

Moreover, if you are still worried about this, you should know that the VPN service has an excellent kill switch in place.

This kill switch immediately cancels your connection with the internet when you lose your connection with the VPN, so your data does not leak through any unauthorized servers.

Regarding social media, Atlas VPN can easily unblock the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

It has thousands of servers in more than thirty-seven countries worldwide, making it possible to unblock your favorite social media applications and can also access geographically locked content.

Speaking of devices, you will be happy to know that Atlas VPN is one of those few VPNs which offers unlimited simultaneous connections along with multiplatform compatibility.

Hence all your devices are covered without any restrictions.

Regarding pricing, Atlas VPN is one of the few VPNs that offers flexible and affordable plans with great security features.

We are confident this is an excellent VPN to serve all your needs in China and help you unblock all your major social media applications.

How to Use A VPN to Access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube in China

Using a VPN to access social media applications in China may seem like a hassle or an impossible task, considering how strict their firewall is and how good the Government is at keeping track of its citizens’ online activities.

Even so, you can quickly be able to use a VPN by simply following the steps below:

• Choose a VPN from the three VPNs mentioned above.
• Subscribe to the VPN according to the subscription plan that is suitable to your needs.
• Download the VPN on your preferred device.
• After downloading the VPN, log in using your registered credentials.
• Once logged in, select the servers you want to connect with.

That is all you have to do to use a VPN in China to connect with your favorite social media applications.

How to Select the Best VPNs that are Capable of Unblocking Websites in China

Here are some of the key factors that one needs to look into before selecting the VPN,

• As we are visiting blocked websites, our IP should be hidden to prevent tracking. Hence the VPN must offer IP hiding support.
• As we are using the VPN to surf the web and use applications (geographically locked content), it should offer unlimited bandwidth and great buffer-free streaming.
• Advanced security features such as AES-256 encryption, Kill Switches, Threat and leak protection, Private DNS, and many more are a must to keep the user safe and secure.
• Keep the user free of data leaks and privacy concerns. Hence it must come with a strict no-log policy.
• The VPN must support simultaneous connection for at least 5 devices at once, along with wide compatibility.
• All the plans must be flexible with affordable pricing, and customer support must be available all around the clock.

FAQs

In Summary, the best VPNs in 2025 are;

Conclusion

We hope this post was beneficial to you in figuring out how to access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube in China.

We hope you have found the best VPN that will be able to help you with that, and we are confident these VPNs will serve you very well.

Give them a try, and let us know how your experience was using them!