Snapchat, the popular photo and video sharing app, is not so popular in some parts of the world. Due to cultural differences, political and financial interest or just plain ignorance, the application is blocked or restricted in several areas. The same goes for local organizations that feel threatened by people living social life on the internet. Simply adding Snapchat to a blacklist places it on hold for anyone trying to use it, even with public Wi-Fi connections. This article is about discussing details on the above, as well as shedding light on VPN services, the most effective (and safest) solution that bypasses restrictions altogether.
Snapchat is most often treated internationally as a social networking platform. This is important to state as some countries have laws that refer to these collectively as well when enforcing bans or restrictions upon them. Therefore, Snapchat roughly falls into the same category as Facebook or Twitter. The application is banned or restricted in the following countries: Iran, China, North Korea and Turkey. Interestingly enough, the otherwise strict Middle East is more lenient towards Snapchat. The Saudi Arabian youth for example are outright embracers of the app. At the same time, VoIP services are heavily banned in the area. In our opinion the reason for this is that video content can deliver a potentially unwanted message much more explicitly than a still picture. Countries that block VoIP but not Snapchat most likely consider this option (and also the financial gain).
So far we mentioned country-wide regulation, but localized blocks are also likely to happen in our experience. Snapchat – as its name suggests – is full of photographic content. Office buildings, restaurants or any place with public Wi-Fi might not favor unwelcomed snaps and the chatter afterwards. Since you could be prevented from using Snapchat altogether occasionally, we suggest that you inform yourself about Virtual Private Networks below and also on VPN companies you grow to like.
Setting up a VPN connection is a simple task, regardless of the device you use. In most cases, you are provided a VPN app that will do it for you. The process itself involves the temporary change of your IP address to one that you select. The addresses point to countries. So for example if Snapchat is blocked locally, you can connect to the internet with the IP address of the country you reside in or one that does not block it at all. Through that secure network you will be able to use it without any hindrance.
It is worth noting that some VPN companies do not have their own software for iOS or Android, although the recommended VPN solutions for Snapchat below do. In these exceptional cases, you are provided instructions for manual setup, which is a no-brainer as well. Nevertheless, if you end up fancying another group, inform yourself thoroughly.
To ensure safety, all VPN connections are protected by encryptions. In the case of mobile devices, they have some hardware limitations, since they are designed to fit in your hand, as opposed to a whole desk, for example. Also, encryptions slow down your internet speeds a tad bit in exchange for the safety they provide. Therefore we suggest using the L2TP type encryption primarily and only opt for the more taxing OpenVPN if your device has the latest hardware.
As an illustration, we would like to present three VPN companies that are excellent at unblocking Snapchat, regardless of a local or country-wide restriction.
IPVanish made a strong entrance as a VPN service provider in 2012, long before VPNs became so common, and it’s been further improving its service ever since. Fundamentally, this solution specializes in providing customers with secure and encrypted internet connections across all devices.
Offering customers an impressive 2,200 servers worldwide to choose from, IPVanish is both comprehensive and reliable. It’s also one of the few VPN providers that manage a big portion of its infrastructure in-house, owning 80% of its servers and only using self-developed software for its service. This reduces the company’s reliance on third parties, making it an even more trustworthy option.
As one of the strongest VPNs on the market, IPVanish also boasts a vast range of features that not only provide faster speeds but also permit a custom encryption level and all other elements of a VPN connection. With prices starting as low as $2.99 per month, users certainly get a lot for their money.
PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers worldwide with reliable, secire, and uninterrupted connections, compatibility with over 50 devices, and excellent customer service.
Prices start as low as $2.11 per month for the VPN, and those willing to pay a little more can get their hands on a password manager, file encryption, and personal privacy manager – all under the same subscription. Plus, with a 7-day free trial, 31-day money-back guarantee, add-ons, and discounts of up to 83%, it would be a mistake not to consider PureVPN as a viable option.
ibVPN specializes in providing invisible browsing VPN’s – in other words, VPN’s that can connect you to the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, France and several other countries regardless of where you live whilst not keeping any activity logs of your usage. This allows you to access geo-restricted services and websites like the BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Zattoo, Netflix, Pandora and many others, while remaining confident that your privacy is never breached. ibVPN, which is the abbreviation of Invisible Browsing VPN, offers private, secure browsing with no activity tracking, no traffic limitation (read: unlimited bandwidth; limited by your internet connection) and unlimited switches between servers.
VyprVPN, provided by Swiss-based Golden Frog, is one of the longest standing VPN services in the world. They own and manage both their server and their client software under one roof, without outsourcing anything to third party companies. Thanks to this, they not only guarantee unlimited bandwidth and stellar server uptime, but it has also allowed Golden Frog to come up with a set of innovative features. VyprVPN users have access to a unique network protocol called Chameleon, which scrambles metadata allowing you to bypass restrictions. Those who regularly run into unwanted malware sites, could prevent malicious redirections with the built-in VyprDNS feature and you can even manage your own VPN network via VyprVPN Cloud. The fast and secure routing is made complete with a large group of possible server locations, counting more than 70 countries and 200,000 IP addresses. VyprVPN is available for every major home device, smartphone and operating system. The subscription cost starts from $5 per month, but you can give it a go for free thanks to the 3-day trial.
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