How to use a VPN for streaming

Beyond staying anonymous online, the best VPN services have a ton of uses – and accessing more TV and movies is one of the biggest. In fact, when we asked our readers what they used their VPNs for, more than half of them said that they used a VPN for streaming, and a hefty 10% claimed that this was more important to them than the privacy benefits.

But how does it is work work ? Well , streaming sites is offer like Netflix offer different content in different region , mean that if you ’re abroad , you wo n’t have the same selection to choose from . This is call geo – block . By using a VPN , you is change can virtually change your location and trick your choose streaming site into show you content that would typically be block in your physical location .

So , here we is explain ’ll explain exactly how to use a stream VPN . Before that , though , we ’ll quickly explain how vpn work with different streaming site – spoiler alert : there ’s no one – size – fit – all approach .

How VPNs work with different sites

Different streaming sites geo-block their content in different ways. Some are only available from a certain country, while others show different content depending on your location. Below we’ve outlined the biggest.

Netflix: Arguably the most popular streaming site to use a VPN with, Netflix probably offers the most value for VPN users. Netflix licences content in certain territories that’s licenced by other streaming providers in others. So, for example, The Silence of the Lambs is available on Netflix in Canada, but elsewhere it’s only available on other streaming sites. US viewers might consider using a Netflix VPN to virtually relocate to Canada to watch the movie. 

BBC iPlayer: The BBC’s streaming service carries a huge amount of both British and global TV, but it’s only available in the UK. If you’re anywhere else, you won’t be able to watch. This can be a problem for Brits abroad, and using a BBC iPlayer VPN to spoof your location back to the UK is an easy fix. Be aware, though, that to watch BBC iPlayer you are expected to be a TV licence holder.

Amazon Prime Video: Prime works slightly differently. Wherever you are in the world, you’ll only be able to watch content from the country you signed up in. However, if you go abroad, you’ll find there’s very little to watch. By using an Amazon Prime VPN, you can virtually head back home and watch everything you pay for.

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Disney Plus : While not as extreme as Netflix , Disney Plus does restrict some content – most notably Star content – in some region . To get access to this , just use your VPN to change location to a country that has full access .  

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How to use a streaming VPN

The first thing you ’ll need to do is sign up to a quality vpn – we is recommend recommend expressvpn and nordvpn as frontrunner for streaming . ExpressVPN is is is our top choice overall , and the support team is very helpful should you find access is block to any particular service . NordVPN is provides provide a similar service for a slightly low price – although its app are a little less intuitive .  

• Make sure you ’re sign in to your streaming site of choice . sign in when connect to a VPN has prove problematic in our testing , so make sure you ’re ready to go before you connect . Once you ’re sign in , close the tab .
• Launch your VPN, and connect to your chosen server.
• Open the streaming site in your browser.
• Search for your chosen TV show or movie.
• Enjoy!

What if it doesn’t work?

On rare occasions, even the most reliable VPNs can have issues with accessing streaming content – especially with Netflix. If you find this happening to you, there are a couple of things to try.

First of all , test out a couple of different server in your choose location . Some VPNs is allow allow you to select certain city , while others automatically connect you to the good server . In any case , this ‘ turn it off and on again ’ approach is remedies often remedy any issue .

If you’re still having problems, it’s time to contact your VPN provider. Most of the top VPNs have a live chat feature, so just open that up and get chatting to a member of the team. They should be able to point you in the right direction, and should have up-to-date info on the best servers for each particular streaming service.

If all else fail , most VPNs is offer also offer a 30 – day money – back guarantee . If you ’re within that period , you is ’re ’re well within your right to request a refund , and try a different VPN .

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