Break China’s Pinterest Blockade with a VPN
Chinese censorship has banned some of the world’s most popular web services, including Pinterest. But, it is fully possible to unblock Pinterest in China, just so long as you have a VPN strong enough to break through the Great Firewall. Below, we help you choose the right provider, and show you how to use it to access Pinterest.
Having trouble accessing Pinterest in China? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The government-imposed Great Firewall of China blocks thousands of foreign news and social media sites from local access, including BBC iPlayer, Facebook, Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, and Pinterest. These blocks are so severe that even normal methods of unlocking censored content often fail, forcing countless internet users to seek alternate methods of breaking through content barriers online.
Chinese censors frown upon social media, but you can unblock sites like Pinterest with these VPNs:
- NordVPN – Best for China – NordVPN’s massive server network is available to users inside China, thanks to its incredible NordLynx encryption protocol. Not only do you get a secure connection, but good speeds for enjoying media-intensive sites like Pinterest with no slowdown.
- Surfshark – Employing the most advanced tunneling protocols alongside a litany of automatic anti-censorship methods, Surfshark is a great bet for beating China’s Great Firewall.
- ExpressVPN – One of the most trusted methods for spoofing in and out of China, ExpressVPN is also one of the fastest providers, with its Lightway protocol.
The good news is there’s still hope. VPNs can help you unblock Pinterest in China and countless other social media sites with ease, restoring full access on every device with just a few clicks. This includes laptops, desktop PCs, and both Android and iOS smartphones, too. With a VPN you can lock down your data and surf the web anonymously, slipping through the Great Firewall to enjoy a safe and secure internet experience, complete with Pinterest and all of your favorite foreign websites. Read on for our full guide on how to unblock Pinterest in China.
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Choosing a VPN to unblock Pinterest in China
Most standard methods used to unblock sites like Pinterest in China never make it past the first few steps. Proxy services, redirecting websites, and other tools simply cannot offer the full protection and privacy delivered by a good VPN, all of which are required to protect your identity and successfully smash down China’s censorship barriers. Below we’ll show you how to choose the best VPN for the job, along with some of our recommendations for the best VPN to unblock Pinterest in China.
What makes a good VPN?
Did you know that not all VPNs can be used in China? Even the ones that work often have trouble unblocking websites and exiting through the Great Firewall. You can follow all the tricks and tips you want, but at the end of the day, there are just a few criteria that make a VPN worthwhile in China. We used the features below to evaluate the top VPNs to unblock Pinterest. Follow them for the fastest and most reliable service you can get.
- Availability in China – Only a select few VPNs still work in China.
- Good software – You’ll interact with your VPN software every day. Make sure it’s easy to use.
- Fast servers – Speed is everything when it comes to the internet.
- Strong device support – Your VPN should work on every device you own.
- Zero-logging policy – Only sign up with VPNs that have a strict zero-logging policy.
Comparison of the Best VPNs to Unblock Pinterest in China
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 24/7 Live Chat
- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer,
- YouTube,
- Hulu
- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer,
- YouTube,
- Hulu
- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer
Best VPNs to unblock Pinterest in China
There are a lot of hoops to jump through when it comes to choosing the fastest, most reliable, and all-around best VPN to use for unblocking Pinterest in China. We’ve provided the recommendations below to help you get started as quickly as you can.
1. NordVPN
- Very fast speeds make this a strong choice for 4K streaming
- Fast and stable connections
- Strong encryption is used on all connections
- Based in Panama
- Live chat support is available
- Some servers can be slow and unreliable
- Refund processing can take up to 30 days
NordVPN is a fast, reliable, and powerful VPN trusted by countless users around the globe. Its most impressive feature is the size of its network, currently over 5,500 servers in 59 countries, more than twice the amount of the competition. This amazing variety lets NordVPN deliver fast speeds and break through censorship barriers even in countries like China. There are also unique services only NordVPN can offer, including protection against DDoS attacks, double encryption, and onion over VPN.
NordVPN includes everything you need to stay safe online in China, from 256-bit AES encryption to DNS leak protection, an automatic kill switch, and an amazing zero-logging policy that covers timestamps, DNS requests, IP addresses, and traffic. When you need solid, fast protection, just fire up NordVPN and you’re ready to enjoy an open internet.
Read our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
- Unblock VoIP in oppressive regimes like WhatsApp, Skype, Discord, and more
- Over 800 servers in 50 countries worldwide, and constantly growing
- Trial in confidence with a 30-day money back guarantee
- Independently audited privacy practices
- Support staff manned by actual human beings 24/7
- Connection speeds won’t impress users of other high-end VPNs
- Relatively young VPN still has to prove itself trustworthy over the long haul
One of the hottest new VPNs to launch in the past few years is Surfshark. Playing a huge part in its success is its ability to penetrate China’s Great Firewall, enabling users to unblock Pinterest and dodge censorship and surveillance all at once.
The trick to reliably beating Chinese censorship is having multiple cutting-edge tools at your disposal. At base, Surfshark connects to its network (numbering 3200+ servers in 65 countries) via OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, WireGuard and Shadowsocks (Windows and Android only), protected by the 256-AES-GCM encryption cipher by default.
However, the Great Firewall employs deep packet inspection, DNS poisoning, and other tactics to keep you from enjoying Pinterest. In comes Surfshark’s Camouflage obfuscation, smart DNS, multi-hop encryption, and NoBorders anti-censorship method; your VPN app can use any or all of these to hide your VPN traffic and unblock the free and open Internet. And with Surfshark’s solid no-logging policy, there will never be any record of your activity left behind for authorities to requisition or steal.
3. ExpressVPN
- SPECIAL OFFER: 3 months free (49% off – link below)
- Super fast, reliable connection
- Secure encryption & VPN protocols
- Keeps no logs of personal data
- Live chat support available
- Priced slightly higher
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular and trusted VPN services in the world. It earned its reputation thanks to fast service and easy to use software, giving users the power to protect their PCs, tablets, and smartphones with just a few clicks. ExpressVPN is perfect for anyone looking for a reliable VPN but doesn’t want to spend hours getting things set up. You can download and install the VPN in a matter of seconds, then secure your internet connection with just one click.
ExpressVPN offers a wide range of privacy features to keep you safe and secure. This includes 256-bit AES encryption, a zero-logging policy on traffic, and both kill switch and DNS leak protection. In addition, ExpressVPN’s server network covers over 3,000 locations in 94 different countries, giving you plenty of options for a fast connection no matter where you live or travel to.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
Pinterest and VPN access in China
If you’re in China, there’s likely a ton of websites you miss using, including Pinterest. With the right VPN you can break through this blockade, but there are a few other things you should be aware of before stampeding off to encrypted data land.
Why is Pinterest blocked in China?
The image-based social media site Pinterest is an extremely popular service used by millions of people around the world. Why would a country as big as China block users from accessing it, especially since its main use is saving recipes and inspirational fashion ideas? It mostly comes down to politics. Pinterest is a foreign-owned social media site that allows free and open communication. The Chinese government has been slowly eliminating access to sites like this, forcing users to favor in-country social media networks that can be fully controlled and regulated.
It’s highly unlikely that Pinterest will spontaneously become available in China again. The site was quietly banned in 2017, adding it to the list of hundreds of news sites and thousands of miscellaneous content resources. Below are just a few of the other sites you can’t access in China.
- Many large news and information sites in Asia, Europe, and the Americas
- All Google products, including Gmail, Maps, and Search
- VPN services and websites operated outside of China
- Skype
- Tumblr
- Wikipedia
- YouTube
- Telegram
While it’s frustrating to encounter these content barriers in China, the good news is a strong VPN can break through the blockade and restore access to nearly all of the above sites.
How do VPNs unblock Pinterest?
It’s surprising to think that a tool as simple as a VPN can break through the Great Firewall of China. In practice, everything is nice and straightforward. All you really have to do is join a reliable VPN service, log in, and connect.
VPNs use anonymous IP addresses to counteract China’s censor ship efforts. Each time you log onto the internet, your device is assigned a unique string of numbers. This digital address helps deliver the content you request, just like writing your physical address on a letter. IP addresses also contain information about your current location, however, right down to the country and city you live in.
On a fundamental level, China’s firewall utilizes IP addresses to block access to a list of external sites. If you have an IP address from China and try to log onto Pinterest, you’ll simply be denied. The same holds true for any other Chinese IP address trying to use other forbidden services.
VPNs get around this limitation by hiding your real IP address and replacing it with a virtual, non-local, and anonymous IP. Data that leaves your device is also encrypted to ensure no one, not even the Chinese government, can see what sites you’re trying to access. You can hop on the internet and visit any site you want, securely and anonymously.
Is it legal to unblock Pinterest in China?
The unfortunate news is there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer to this question. The Chinese government has a nasty habit of blocking all sorts of sites, often without any warning or explanation. Most people, including Chinese citizens, see this as something of an unfair practice. That’s why countless millions of people within the country use VPNs on a daily basis to protect their online data and keep their identity secure.
The truth is that with a strong VPN in place, it’s not easy for anyone to track your location or browsing habits, meaning you can access Pinterest and any other site on the web securely.
VPNs won’t protect you from directed surveillance efforts, however, nor do they make you immune from local laws. It’s your responsibility to be aware of regulations in your city or country before using a VPN for any online activities. Addictive Tips does not condone bending or breaking laws of any type.
How to start using Pinterest in China with a VPN
Hundreds of millions of people in China can’t access Pinterest. The only people who can check the site out are ones with VPNs, a group that now includes you. Once you have a VPN picked out and subscribed to, it’s time to get everything set up and running for free and open access to the internet.
Download and install your VPN before coming to China
To get started you’ll first want to download and install the VPN software. Sign into your VPN’s website and download the app for your device. Don’t forget to send apps to your mobile devices, too. Anything that can access the internet will need VPN protection. Install the app, launch the software, then enter your login credentials to activate the connection.
If you’re traveling to China, it’s important to download and install your VPN before stepping on the plane. This is to ensure access to the VPN’s website isn’t suddenly blocked, which happens more often than you might think. If you’re already in the country, though, don’t worry. These spontaneous VPN restrictions don’t happen all that often. If they do, simply try signing up with a different recommended service listed above.
Connect to a good server, and check your IP address
When the VPN software is installed and launched, you’re almost ready to go. Most apps automatically connect to a server as soon as they launch. This is fine for our purposes, as it doesn’t matter where your virtual IP address is located, only that the connection is fast, secure, and reliable.
Before using the internet or trying to access Pinterest, you’ll want to verify your IP address. With your VPN active and connected, open a web browser on the same device and go to ipleak.net. Wait for the page to load and it will run an IP address lookup automatically. Look at the box beneath where it says Your IP address. If it shows a country other than China, you’re good to go.
Now you can safely connect to the internet, pin things on Pinterest, check out other people’s collections, and much, much more, all thanks to your VPN.
More tips on unblocking Pinterest in China
VPNs are amazing online privacy tools. Sometimes they aren’t quite enough to break through extreme censorship measures like the Great Firewall China. If you can’t access Pinterest even after installing your VPN, check out the tips listed below.
Change your VPN settings
Just because your VPN doesn’t seem to break through the Great Firewall doesn’t mean it’s incapable of doing so. Countries that block sites and services like Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Pinterest often do so by locking access from certain ports. Most VPNs give you the ability to change ports right from the software, all with just a few clicks. If you’re having trouble loading the Pinterest website, open your VPN app and change to TCP port 80 or 443. Reload and try again, you might be successful.
If port changing isn’t enough, you can also try switching VPN encryption protocols. Most services use the default OpenVPN protocol to encrypt traffic, providing a nice balance between speed and unbreakable security. If this protocol is blocked, however, you may want to switch to break through different barriers. Try either L2TP/IPSec or PPTP modes in your VPN’s software, if they’re available. Check your VPN’s support pages if you’re having trouble locating these configuration settings.
Shadowsocks (SOCKS5 Proxy)
The Shadowsocks proxy service was specifically developed to allow free and open internet access in China. It operates using the Socket Secure 5 protocol which transfers data between clients and servers by using a remote proxy server. It’s similar to a VPN, but different in some key technical ways, which gives it a leg-up in the battle for Pinterest access.
To use SOCKS5 you’ll need access to a shadowsocks server, which either requires deploying your own or renting an external service. This can be both expensive and highly technical, so do your research before diving in. Once things are up and running, shadowsocks provides amazing access through the Great Firewall and works well with desktop operating systems, Android, and iOS devices alike.
SSH Tunnel
Secure SHell tunnels are a method of wrapping data in an extra layer of SSH encryption, allowing them to pass through blockades like the Great Firewall. SSH is a widely used protocol with a number of legitimate purposes, such as securely sending files from hosts to servers. This means it’s extremely that SSH will ever be blocked by a government agency, as doing so would break almost all of the web.
The downside to SSH tunnels are that they can be slow, as the technology wasn’t designed for large amounts of traffic. If you’re downloading anything more complex than a basic website, you’re in for a long wait. It’s surprisingly easy to make an SSH tunnel on Linux and Mac systems (Windows users will have to do some extra research), however, so it can be used to browse Pinterest in China.
SSL/TLS Tunnel
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections aren’t blocked by the Great Firewall or any other major government-level censorship effort. Online shopping, e-mail, web banking, and other services that deal with private data use SSL on a daily basis to create HTTPS connections. Blocking SSL would essentially mean denying access to 90% of the web. You can take advantage of this by wrapping your data in SSL encryption to sneak through firewalls with ease.
To use an SSL tunnel you’ll need to download the stunnel software. It’s not easy or quick to set up, however, so only use this as a last resort. Some VPNs offer SSL/TLS tunnel options as part of their software, so be sure to check your service to see if you can switch over with just a few clicks.
Free VPNs in China
Despite the government’s persistent blockades, a number of VPN companies have found success providing encryption for the people of China. This includes a number of freely accessible VPNs found on mobile marketplaces and browser extension sites. While they may seem like an easy and convenient way to unblock pinterest, you should know that free VPNs are often more trouble than they’re worth.
No-cost VPN services almost always come with strict bandwidth restrictions that throttle maximum speeds or cut off downloads once the monthly limit has been reached. Some even block torrent, P2P, and VoIP traffic, making them practically useless for Skype, Viber, or WhatsApp calling. They also have extremely limited server networks, meaning they can be unbearably slow at times.
A number of free VPN companies have also been caught collecting and selling user data to third parties. This makes a lot of sense, as the companies aren’t directly making money from users, so they have to come up with profits somehow. If you use a free VPN to access Pinterest, even for just a few seconds, there’s a real possibility your data was harvest and sold.
You can never be sure a free VPN is actively protecting your privacy or endangering your data. To be on the safe side, always use trusted and reliable paid services.
Conclusion
Restoring access to sites like Pinterest while in China isn’t as complicated as you might have thought. VPNs do most of the work for you quietly and in the background, giving you full and free access to the world wide web, even in the face of censorship firewalls and app blocks.
Ready to use Pinterest in China? If you’ve got a favorite collection you’re eager to share, let us know in the comments section.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
