If you haven’t noticed, it’s harder and harder to watch videos on YouTube without an account. And if you don’t have one yet, or just created one, then visit NewsVarsity.
There are a lot of ways that people use YouTube as a business tool. In fact, if you’re watching this video now from work, chances are that someone in your office uses the site at least once during the day.
However there may be times when a person who doesn’t have their own account wants to view a certain video “without permission” so to speak. This could be due to a number of factors – maybe they have access but don’t want to leave any evidence behind…maybe they lack trust within the organization…or maybe they’re just lazy. Either way – here are a few options to watch videos on YouTube without the account hassles.
#1: Watch It On Your Phone
This option is my favorite for when I’m out of the house and have some time to kill. If you have access to a device capable of downloading an app, then it’s really easy. Just download any YouTube-compatible video player that supports “offline” browsing, connect your phone to your computer via USB or bluetooth, then copy the video URL into the app’s search bar. Boom! Video onto your phone.
While this won’t work if there’s no wifi available where you are, it can great in airports or shopping malls when you have a spare moment and want to catch up on the latest news.
#2: Use a Proxy Server
Okay, this one is a little weird but it’s super effective. A proxy server is basically an organization that stores videos already accessible on YouTube in their own directory structure. All you have to do is point your web browser there, search like normal like you would with Google, and voila…the video loads instantly without any further work required!
Here’s what you need to get started: A free proxy service; access to the IP address of the server (usually found at home or public options); and patience while browsing through proxies until something works.
#3: Use Archive Replayer (ARCH)
Here’s another free option for those who don’t mind a little manual labor. Some people are trying to watch videos on YouTube without an account, but they don’t have it in them to search every channel manually. Luckily this isn’t necessary thanks to ARCH – Archive Replayer.
ARCH is meant for users who want to browse through the video library of a single YouTube channel, sifting through old updates until something interesting shows up. The site adds support automatically, so just visit the page and start browsing.
#4: Use This Crazy Proxy Hack
This one is for real geeks ONLY!!! There is even malware out there written specifically to kill proxy servers that provide access illegally over residential internet connections…but who cares! If you’re looking to use YouTube without having an account, then just forget about it. Nothing is worth this amount of time and effort!
Here’s how it works: Use a VPN or proxy server to connect to the internet through another location (United States for example). Visit the site, log in with your fake information…and don’t use Google Chrome!!! Instead, download Firefox or any other browser you have lying around. Then visit the website again, but this time using the browser instead of the standard one. For some reason this option won’t work on browsers other than FF after initial login – hence why we used firefox first!
“It’s also probably illegal if you’re reading this article at work right now, so pretend you never saw this and don’t mention it to your boss”, The Indian Jurist!
#5: Use a Dedicated Video Site
There are actually quite a few websites that specialize in hosting YouTube videos, and at the top of my list is TubeNinja . The site does require an account and won’t let you watch directly on its own…however there’s no need to worry. Just create an account and copy/paste your desired video link into the website’s search bar. Boom! Instant gratification with zero work required!
NOTE: Some censoring may take place when browsing channels if they’re linked from the main home page, but using keywords within the search field will always work.
#6: Use a Stream Option
This last one is the least effective and it doesn’t work for everything…but you can still watch some videos if you know how. It’s also free (because I’m nice I guess) and requires nothing more than a web browser like Firefox or Chrome. Here’s how it works: use the browser to visit Clip Converter. Paste your YouTube link into the search bar, then click “Start.” Choose MP4 as your format, and in about thirty seconds all of the available video formats will populate in their own column on the left side. Just scroll through them until you find one that works for your device! That does it! Now you can sit back and enjoy the latest YouTube videos…without an account!
