How to Unblock Instagram at School in 2024

by SwitchVPN Team

How many times a day do you check your Instagram?

If you are like me, it is very possible that you try to access Instagram many times over the course of an hour!

The problem is, what if you are trying to access your social media sites on your school computer only to find the Instagram app blocked?

Or what if you are using your own device but find that your school's WiFi is the culprit, as social media platforms are commonly blocked from access if you are on the school's network.

Thankfully, there are some tried and tested ways to access blocked content, including Instagram, from school.

Keep on reading for some of the best solutions to unblocking Instagram in 2022.

Use A Virtual Private Network (VPN Server)

Using a reliable VPN service is the most fool-proof way of accessing Instagram or other blocked websites from school.

When you use one of the reputable VPN providers, like SwitchVPN, you can connect to a VPN server outside your school network to send your traffic through a remote server instead of your school's blocked server.

Your VPN service will offer a VPN app compatible with your Android or iOS device, as well as a VPN browser extension. The VPN browser extensions can be used on your Mac or Windows desktop.

While connecting to a proxy server will also help you get around your school's blocks sometimes, a VPN will actually encrypt your internet traffic. This gives you an added layer of privacy when you are using social media online, which is particularly important in this day and age.

It is also important to note that a free VPN will not be the best choice for getting past social media blocks, as these free VPNs are usually the first to have their IP addresses blocked.

Use Mobile Data

Using your mobile data is another simple way to easily unblock Instagram at school.

Using your school computers or your own devices on the school's Wifi, your school is able to track your internet connection.

Mobile data usage will allow you a direct connection between your devices and your ISP (Internet Service Provider), so your school admin will not be able to view your activity online.

When you use your mobile data instead of your school WiFi network, you will then be able to access Instagram on your mobile devices, circumventing any school networks.

You can also connect your school computer to your mobile hotspot, but this is not a great idea unless you are using unlimited data plans.

If you do not have an unlimited data plan, try giving one of the other choices a shot instead.

(You can also create a USB toolkit if you load your portable browsers on your USB and then connect it to your school's device for Instagram.)

Use a Proxy Server

A proxy server acts like a quick intermediary between the device you are using and the internet, keeping your IP and location hidden while you try to unblock websites.

Proxy servers can be a good way to get past basic blocks online.

When you use a web proxy, though, you should be aware that Instagram does block IP addresses of some proxy servers.

To find a proxy server that will work best, there are some more reliable free proxy servers that have been proven to work better at getting through these blocks.

Use Smart DNS

A DNS server is a Domain Name System server.

Smart DNS helps bypass DNS filtering on the Instagram platform by using a custom DNS. This new DNS will ideally be able to bypass the domain name filter to let you unblock Instagram and access blocked sites.

Smart DNS works by encrypting your DNS requests and sending them through its own servers.

Your network traffic is not encrypted using a DNS server, though, and you will also see that your IP address will remain the same.

Use Tor Browser

Tor browser is a good way to make sure you are online with secure connections.

Tor is a portable browser that is like a beefed-up proxy. Instead of rerouting your DNS request once, it routes it through a whole channel of servers worldwide.

When you use Tor, your school will not see any website you are trying to access, and it will also be blocked from seeing your URL. All it will see is an IP Address that continues to change.

This is a very reliable method of getting around Instagram blocks since it is very tricky to put a free proxy on your blacklist, as all of the Tor servers would need to be on it.

So, why is this not our top method to use if you want to unblock Instagram or streaming services online?

Well, because it sends your traffic through multiple servers, it is very slow! This will especially be annoying if you are waiting for your friends' pictures or videos to load!

Reasons Why Schools Block Instagram

There are a few main reasons why schools block access to Instagram and other social media sites.

For one, schools want students to focus on learning and studying instead of on what their friends wore on any given day, or how their crush looked on his or her vacation.

If you are supposed to be studying or paying attention in class and you keep watching funny YouTube videos, trying to unblock video games, or heading to your Instagram login, your education will suffer.

Next, your school may be trying to protect its own network from malware or viruses that could infect the school computers. To do this, they might just block a whole slew of websites that they deem unsafe.

Finally, it is actually the law for schools to block certain sites based on the Children's Internet Protection Act.

According to this law, schools can get funding for filtering the internet or tracking usage. Getting this funding or these discounts are contingent on following the regulations.

Ways Schools Block Instagram

The ways in which your school may block Instagram are:

  • It may block certain sites by using an auto-filter. This filter may search pages for banned words and then block them. Unfortunately, this might also block pages that are completely harmless and actually useful.

Another way is that it may create an actual list of blocked URLs or IPs. When this happens, you will see a warning page when you try to access a blocked URL. Instead of creating a blocked list, sometimes schools actually create a list of allowed sites instead, specifying which IPs and URLs are allowed and blocking everything else.

How To Choose The Best VPN To Unblock Instagram At School

To choose the very best paid VPN for getting Instagram unblocked, look for:

  • Great online security: Choose a provider that offers AES 256-bit encryption, a no-logging policy, a Kill Switch, and IP and DNS leak protection. SwitchVPN fits the bill!
  • Good Speed: Your provider should have great speed if you are using it for Instagram, since you don't want to sit around and wait each time a picture or video is loading. SwitchVPN offers good connection speeds, making it a great choice for Instagram.
  • Wide Server Network: If you are looking to do more than just unblock Instagram, you might need to switch servers to one that is in a different country. The broader the server network, the easier it is to access content in any region.
  • Social Media Success: Make sure you will be able to use your VPN with other services, like, for instance, if you install apps for Facebook or Snapchat in addition to Instagram.
  • Compatibility: Your VPN should be compatible with your Mac, Windows, Android, or iOS devices.

SwitchVPN meets all the above criteria. It also offers split tunneling, so you can send some of your traffic through your encrypted tunnel while choosing to send other traffic through your regular network.

Why Use SwitchVPN

SwitchVPN is our top service provider recommendation if you are looking to unblock Instagram at school.

SwitchVPN has a network of over 250 servers in more than 43 countries, and it offers users great online protection features like a Kill Switch, military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and a choice between protocols like IKEv2, PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, or SSTP. We recommend using OpenVPN.

If this is your first time using a VPN, you should know that you can either test this one out for 3 days for only $1 or opt to sign up for a regular subscription with the assurance that you can get a full refund within the first 30 days if you choose to cancel.

We think the real subscription is the best way to get a real taste of what this VPN has to offer, so we would recommend this option.

FAQs

How do you get your Instagram unblocked at school?

To unblock Instagram at school, you can either:

  • Use a reputable VPN provider to change your IP addresses
  • Connect to one of the proxy servers
  • Use your mobile data instead of the school WiFi on your mobile phone
  • Use Tor
  • Use Smart DNS

How do you unblock Instagram on a school Chromebook?

To unblock Instagram on your Chromebook, a VPN is a simple fix.

Many of the top VPNs support Chromebooks and actually have guides that will show you how to connect to ChromeOS.

First, it is important to make sure your Chromebook is unlocked!

How can I use Instagram on a school network?

The best way to unblock Instagram at school on your school network is to use a VPN like SwitchVPN.

Conclusion

Unblocking Instagram from school is actually pretty easy if you use one of the tricks listed in this article.

Our favorite workaround if you find Instagram blocked is to connect to a VPN server outside your school's network!

Try SwitchVPN Today!