methods / official-apps-mirrors
Find the official app or mirror of a blocked site
Short answer
Reach a blocked service through its own app or mirror - never through search-result 'mirrors'. Download from the operator's site or the verified store listing, check the publisher/domain, and bookmark the official onion. The genuine route keeps your account out of a mirror's hands.
A blocked service - a social platform, a messenger, a gaming service - is rarely just a website. It is an app, a web domain, and usually several official channels. Reaching it the right way is the difference between getting back in and handing your account to a counterfeit. This guide is the method for finding the service's real app or official mirror, taught once and applied to any blocked site.
The one rule that beats every scam
The official source is the operator's own channel, and only that. For anything that involves your identity - a login, an account, a payment - a "mirror" you found is a trap by construction [2]. The genuine app or web mirror comes from:
- the operator's own website/announcement,
- a verified official store listing (the one whose publisher is the operator),
- an official onion address published by the operator (see our official onion guide),
- our site pages, which record the status and official channels per site.
The Tor Project's download page is the pattern everyone should steal from: it lists the official stores and installers with no third-party mirrors [1]. If a blocked service publishes the same, that is your source.
Check a download before you trust it
A few checks, in order, defuse almost every mirror scam [2]:
- The domain. Is the "mirror" on the operator's own domain (or their stated one)? A look-alike domain (
-help,.site, a changed character) is not a mirror - it is a fake. - The store listing publisher. In the app store, the publisher/developer name must be the operator. A listing that merely shows the logo but a different publisher is a counterfeit.
- The signer. On desktop, the downloads link to a verification by the operator's signing key; where offered, do it (the Tor Project documents this precisely [1]).
- The
.onioncheck. For an onion, compare the address character by character from the operator's own page, never from a list our list follows that same rule.
Which official route fits your block
The right route depends on the block layer - decide first with OONI Probe [3] or the symptom table in the general guide:
| Block | Official route that fits |
|---|---|
| The website is filtered | the service's own app, or its official onion/mirror address |
| The web app refuses weapon but the API works | the operator's official desktop/mobile app |
| You just want to read | the archive for static content, or the official onion |
| The block follows the network | a tunnel (WARP, Psiphon, Tor) plus the official route |
Two cautions for the app route:
- An official app is not an unblock by itself. The app still needs a route to the service; on a filtered network you pair it with the right transport [2].
- "Modded" or unofficial app files are the malware vector: only the official store build or the operator's own signed file counts [2].
For per-site specifics - which layer, which official channels - our site directory is the maintained list, and a fresh OONI measurement on your network is the up-to-date one [3][4]. Use both and you are never guessing.
One more reality check before you commit to an app: an official app is only as official as the account behind it. Where a platform gates content behind a login, the genuine route is still the operator's own sign-in - a mirror that "logs you in" is routing your credentials somewhere. When in doubt, prefer the service whose official onion or site needs no extra identity, and treat anything that asks for your password before the operator's own page does as a fake [2][4].
FAQ
Is an unofficial 'mirror' ever safe?
For reading static content, a page like the archive or Google's translate view is fine. For anything that needs a login or payment, an unofficial mirror is a credential-harvesting pattern - the only safe mirror is the operator's own.
How do I know the app store listing is real?
Check the publisher/developer name shown in the listing - it must be the operator, not a company using the logo. Cross-check the publisher name against the operator's own site, and read the download requirements before installing.
The official app works on mobile but not on Wi-Fi. Why?
The app still needs a route to the service, and your home or work network may filter the service's domains. Confirm which network is failing, then pair the app with encrypted DNS or a tunnel - the mobile-vs-Wi-Fi guide has the diagnosis.
Can I verify an official onion address?
Yes - the operator publishes it on its own site. Compare it character by character in the Tor Browser and bookmark it once verified, exactly as the onion guide shows.
What is the fastest official route to a blocked social site?
The operator's own published onion or app link, verified from their site - it bypasses most network filters and never touches a public mirror.