In several countries, including China, LINE is restricted. We’ll demonstrate how to unblock it using a VPN and discuss the best VPN for the purpose.
LINE is a popular instant messaging program among users worldwide owing to its attractive stickers and emoticons, as well as value-added features such as free phone calls and file transfers. Regrettably, other nations, such as China, have completely blocked the app. Additionally, LINE has its own set of geo-restricted content—some stickers may be accessible in Japan and South Korea but not elsewhere. That’s unfortunate for die-hard LINE fans who can’t get enough of Brown and Cony.
We’ll show you how to access LINE (if it’s unavailable in your place of residence) and download stickers that the business prohibits based on your location in this post. This is best accomplished via the use of a premium VPN service.
To get the best results, follow this step-by-step tutorial:
- The first step is to create an account with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider. A VPN offers you access to many server locations and makes it look as if you’re surfing the web from the United States.
- Subscribe to the service and download the appropriate software for your phone.
- Clear your cookies and restart your device to delete any previously stored location identifiers.
- Log onto your VPN provider’s website and establish a connection to an Asian server, such as one in Japan, South Korea, or Singapore.
- Open the LINE application and begin using it regularly.
Which VPN is the best for LINE?
In this section, we’ll walk you through our selection of the best VPN for a fast and reliable connection. We suggest it according to the following criteria:
- Numerous server sites in Asia.
- Connection speed and stability.
- Strict encryption mechanisms ensure that your location stays unknown.
- Convenience of usage.
- Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS applications.
NordVPN
NordVPN is a seasoned veteran of the VPN industry, having been around for more than a decade. Due to the company’s length, it has produced an impeccably designed product that is straightforward, simple to use, and an ideal choice for expert customers seeking customized possibilities.
It’s another VPN provider that emphatically refuses to save any customer data. This contains surfing patterns, timestamps, and information about the server. NordVPN has received governmental demands to hand over user data but has been unable to comply due to its policies. Government agencies took it a step further and physically seized servers, but nothing was discovered.
The firm offers you to choose servers depending on your special needs, such as anti-DDoS, video streaming, double VPN, Tor over VPN, or P2P—however users wishing to use LINE will likely need to connect to a normal VPN server. Additionally, there are 5,000+ servers located in several countries, with over 400 of them in the Asia Pacific area, including facilities in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
It also adheres to rigorous encryption requirements. By default, NordVPN employs 256-bit AES encryption and 2,048-bit SSL keys. Protection against DNS leaks is enabled.
It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android.
Is it necessary to utilize a free VPN?
On the internet, free VPNs abound and are aggressively promoted by their various providers. This may be an attractive alternative for cash-strapped consumers in need of a fast fix. However, proceed with care—some free VPNs have been caught red-handed installing monitoring cookies, data mining, and selling them to the highest bidder.
This is because even ostensibly free VPN services are registered corporations. They must cover employee wages, server leasing, and other related costs. It serves as an excellent reminder that when the product is free, you become the product.
You cannot anticipate the same degree of service as you would with a commercial VPN. Without a doubt, broadband throttling, lax encryption standards, and data limitations will occur. Additionally, you may be required to wait in line if the service has surpassed its user limit. The icing on the cake? Numerous intrusive advertisements and the possibility of infection with malware. In response to these concerns, we suggest that you avoid free VPNs.
Certain VPNs to avoid
One of the primary disadvantages of utilizing a VPN is the inability to ensure the security of your privacy, anonymity, and data at all times. While the VPN we recommend has avoided similar issues, not all VPNs are made equal. Some have a horrible track record of abandoning users. We advise you to stay away.
Here are two examples:
Hola VPN
Israel-based Hola, a popular Chrome VPN plugin, previously boasted an astounding user base of around 50 million. Despite this trust, the firm opted to use its critical mass to transform it into a gigantic botnet. This meant that a portion of each user’s bandwidth was wasted on DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) assaults and the illicit distribution of copyrighted content.
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a well-known free VPN service that is used by millions of people worldwide. Regrettably, it seems as if users’ rights have been abused.
In July 2017, a privacy advocacy organization filed a lawsuit alleging that the corporation used coercion to install tracking cookies on user devices and sell the data collected to third-party advertising. According to the organization, Hotspot Shield knowingly intercepted HTTP requests and rerouted e-commerce traffic to partner sites to collect affiliate commissions.
For instance, if a user of Hotspot Shield puts in a request for a website such as nike.com, it would be sent to a competing firm. That is incorrect.
Although the charges have not been proven in the court of law and we are not leaping to conclusions just yet, we believe you should avoid using the service until it is cleared. Your privacy and data security are significantly more critical.
We believe that a VPN should not be used to mask one’s identity or engage in unlawful activity. However, VPN providers must be transparent and forthright with their customers about their logging procedures. It should be held responsible if it breaches these terms of service.
What is a virtual private network (VPN)?
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are sophisticated software programs that assist in masking your present location and making it look as if you are accessing the internet from another nation. The VPN service tunnels your data via an intermediate server situated in a distant region of the world. Because all communication is encrypted and protected, it’s very impossible for nosy surveillance agencies or pesky hackers to eavesdrop on your online activities.
In China, I am unable to access LINE. What am I to do?
If you’re attempting to log into the LINE app in China via a standard internet connection, you’re wasting your time. For years, the app has been prohibited across the nation, and you will continue to see an error message indicating that the service is unavailable. The only way around this obstacle is to subscribe to a VPN.
If you follow the step-by-step instructions at the start of the post, the messaging app should function normally.
LINE is now secure. Is it still necessary to use a VPN?
While LINE adopted end-to-end encryption by default last year, similar to competing services WhatsApp and Viber, this does not imply the service is suddenly accessible in areas where it has been restricted. While encryption protects your communications, which is a fantastic step by the firm, the chance of a backdoor remains.
Although companies such as Facebook and WhatsApp will deny the existence of a backdoor, the reality is hard to ascertain. A VPN will increase the security of your chat experience while also unlocking stickers and enabling access to the service if it is temporarily unavailable.
For the best experience, we suggest using a VPN when talking on LINE.