Safe Access
A calm, practical guide for reaching the open internet — and staying safe — through the shutdowns and filtering.
This page works even with JavaScript turned off, and it is deliberately light so it loads on a slow connection.
Last reviewed: July 2026
First of all: reading is safer than writing
To read anything on this site you do not need to identify yourself — no account, no email, no name. Just read and leave. The risk begins when you write to us or subscribe from an account tied to your real identity. More on that at the bottom of this page.
How to reach the open internet — and this site
No tool is magic, but these are the ones that have held up best in Iran. Try them one at a time; if one will not connect, move to the next.
Tor Browser with Snowflake
The most reliable option — proxies that are almost impossible to block.
- Get Tor Browser from torproject.org. If that address will not open, email gettor@torproject.org with just “windows” or “android” in the body, and you will receive download links from Dropbox, Google Drive, and GitHub. The Telegram bot @gettor_bot does the same.
- When connecting, open the Connection settings and choose the “Snowflake” bridge. Snowflake routes you through the home internet connections of Western volunteers, so it looks like ordinary traffic to the authorities.
Tor bridges (if Tor will not connect)
When the default connection is blocked, fetch a fresh bridge.
- Inside Tor Browser: Settings → Connection → Bridges → “Request a bridge”.
- Or message @GetBridgesBot on Telegram and send /webtunnel (or /obfs4).
- Or open bridges.torproject.org and click “Just give me bridges!”. You can also email bridges@torproject.org from a Gmail or Riseup address.
Psiphon
Light, simple, and widely used in Iran — for mobile and Windows.
- Get it from psiphon.ca. If that is blocked, email get@psiphon3.com and it will send you the app, or a safe link, by return mail.
- Install it, press Start, and Psiphon finds the fastest route out on its own.
Orbot — for phones
Routes the traffic of your phone's apps through the Tor network.
- Available for Android and iOS, and it supports obfs4 and Snowflake bridges. Good when you want just one app — a browser or a messenger — to go through Tor.
nthLink
A simple app for opening blocked sites; it only sees your country of origin.
- Available for Android and iOS. A low-friction choice when you want something quick and easy.
Being honest: during a full blackout, nothing may work
When the government seals the international gateways, the network becomes a filtered domestic intranet where only a few local sites — banks, government services — stay reachable, and in those hours no tool is guaranteed. These tools work best under heavy filtering, or when connectivity comes back partially. Some Iranians use Starlink, but owning it in Iran is illegal and can be traced — that decision is yours, made with the risk in view. Keep a few tools ready side by side, and be patient.
What we do with your privacy — no make-up
We will not tell you something that is not true. Here is exactly what this site does with your data:
What is genuinely private
- No account, no password, no login. Reading asks nothing of you.
- No advertising trackers, no social-media pixels, no mouse or session recorders on this site.
- The only cookie we set remembers your chosen language — it does not track you.
- Our server holds your IP address for a few seconds only, to block automated attacks; it is never written to disk and is cleared constantly.
The honest caveat
- Being honest: the site still runs two analytics tools — Vercel Analytics (cookieless, aggregate page counts, sent to our US host) and, if the operator has enabled it, Google Analytics. So this is not “zero tracking.”
- Tor Browser blocks these analytics by default — one more reason to use it. We are also working to switch them off on the Persian pages.
- We cannot see who you are — but your internet provider and network can see that you connected to us, unless you use Tor or a VPN.
A few simple safety habits
- Keep your phone, operating system, and apps updated — security patches close many of the holes attackers use.
- Use Signal for conversations, put a lock on it, and turn on disappearing messages.
- Download tools only from official sources. Many “free VPNs” passed around in Iran are malware or state traps.
- Set a strong device passcode and keep disk encryption on (it is on by default on modern phones).
- At checkpoints and protests, phones get seized and searched. A phone that is powered off and encrypted is the hardest to open; in a risky moment, turn off face and fingerprint unlock and use a passcode — a finger or a face can be forced far more easily than a number in your head.
- Do not screenshot or reshare anything that identifies you or others. Clear your browser history, and do not save this site to your home screen under an obvious name.
Never contact us from an account tied to your real name
- From inside Iran, do not fill in our newsletter or contact form from an account tied to your real identity or to your Iranian home connection. Timing, IP address, and email can expose you.
- If you must reach us, do it over Tor, from an anonymous mailbox (for example Proton or Tuta, created over Tor) — never from your everyday email.
- Remember: the newsletter and contact form are entirely optional. You never need to identify yourself to read anything here.
Sources
- Tor Project — Getting bridges (support.torproject.org)
- Tor Project — GetTor, download when torproject.org is blocked
- Tor Project blog — Update on Internet censorship in Iran
- Iran International — Volunteers abroad deploy tech to pierce Iran's internet iron curtain (24 Jan 2026)
- Psiphon — Uncensored internet access (psiphon.ca)
- Access Now — Help #KeepItOn in Iran
- arXiv — Iran's January 2026 Internet Shutdown (2603.28753)
Written with respect, and with care for your safety. Take care of yourself.