Thanks to the convoluted nature of geography-based licensing among the major studios, streaming services with international reach can have much more comprehensive selections of TV shows and movies in a different country. That\u2019s why savvy viewers have long used VPNs \u2013 virtual private networks \u2013 to expand their options. Change your location from the US to the UK and, voila, you suddenly have access to Friends<\/em> and The Office<\/em> on Netflix again.<\/p>\n That\u2019s great if you\u2019re watching on a phone, tablet or PC, where installing and activating a VPN is as generally as simple as visiting the device\u2019s app store. But streaming through a VPN is a bit more challenging on a TV. Thankfully, there are quite a few ways to get that VPN-filtered content on the biggest screen in your home. Below, we\u2019ll walk you through unlocking geo-blocked content on your TV.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have a VPN subscription, we\u2019d suggest choosing a service from our list of best VPNs<\/a>. And with the notable exception of Proton VPN<\/a>, we\u2019d strongly recommend avoiding any free VPN options.<\/p>\n The easiest way to install a VPN on your smart TV is to download it from the built-in app store \u2013 if your preferred VPN is available. Among the top smart TV platforms, Amazon\u2019s Fire TV and Google TV are your best bets for built-in support. If your set doesn\u2019t run those operating systems, you can add them to any TV with a free HDMI port for as little as $30. Meanwhile, the pricier Apple TV supports a growing list of VPNs as well. Roku, unfortunately, does not support built-in VPN apps.<\/p>\n Amazon\u2019s Fire TV operating system has a wide range of content to binge-watch, as it comes with access to Prime Video\u2019s expansive catalog. Thankfully, its user interface is easy to navigate, making installing a VPN a breeze.<\/p>\n To set up a VPN, navigate to the Fire TV app store and search for the VPN service to which you\u2019re subscribed. Fire TV has multiple options on the app store, including most of the services mentioned in our aforementioned best VPNs<\/a> list.<\/p>\n From there, the process is pretty simple: Download the app, log in and connect to the VPN. When you obfuscate your IP address using the VPN and connect to a different country, you\u2019ll unlock its Prime Video content library.<\/p>\n Google TV is a smart TV operating system with a sleek user interface that supports thousands of apps, including VPNs and streaming platforms. As with Fire TV, just download your VPN app of choice, input your credentials and run it before activating the streaming service you\u2019d like to check out. While Google TV doesn\u2019t have as robust a VPN library as Fire TV, it currently has a wider selection than Apple TV (see below).<\/p>\n If you want to install a VPN on your Apple TV directly, you\u2019ll need tvOS 17 or later. If not, you can follow our alternative workarounds below.<\/p>\n For those with tvOS 17 and later, setting up a VPN on your Apple TV is simple. However, it\u2019s important to note that it doesn\u2019t support many services, so you\u2019ll have to double-check that the VPN you subscribe to has Apple TV compatibility.<\/p>\n There are two distinctions between screen casting and mirroring. The former is when you stream content on a device, cast it on your smart TV and still use the device for other purposes without interrupting what you\u2019re streaming. The latter is when you show everything you\u2019re doing on your device on your TV. For example, if you\u2019re streaming a movie and tab out, your smart TV will mirror everything you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n As with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in vehicles, there are Apple and Google flavors of screencasting: AirPlay and Google Cast (formerly Chromecast<\/a>). In each case, you start by running your VPN of choice on your phone or tablet, firing up your streaming app, starting your movie or TV show and simply clicking the AirPlay or Google Cast icon when streaming the video. If your TV doesn\u2019t have AirPlay or Google Cast built-in, you can buy a set-top box that supports one or the other.<\/p>\n AirPlay is probably the most well-known casting and <\/em>mirroring technology, and it currently works on a wide range of smart TVs and set-top boxes. I screencasted from my iPhone XR with a VPN enabled to my Samsung UHD TV and everything worked without a hitch.<\/p>\n On the Google side, click the icon with a TV and Wi-Fi rays to start casting your content to the big screen.<\/p>\n Note that Amazon is working on a rival screencasting platform called Matter Casting<\/a>, but it\u2019s not widely supported yet.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to fiddle with wireless protocols, an underrated and lesser-known way to stream video to your TV using a VPN is via an HDMI cable. You\u2019ll need an HDMI cable and (for some devices) an HDMI dongle, such as one that converts a USB-C port to HDMI. Once connected, your laptop, phone or tablet screen should be displayed on your TV\u2019s screen. At that point, just fire up your VPN, start your streaming app (or browser) and maximize the window.<\/p>\n All of the methods above describe ways to get VPN streaming access on a single TV. But if you want a whole-house approach \u2013 in which you could, for instance, watch UK Netflix on every device on your home network \u2013 you\u2019d want to investigate accessing the VPN at the router level. Just note this is for advanced users only, and is far and away the most challenging method of the bunch.<\/p>\n This requires installing a new router, or making major modifications to your existing one. Furthermore, it generally requires installing a custom firmware on a router, which usually means voiding the hardware manufacturer\u2019s warranty. And even then, you\u2019ll need an expert user in the household who knows how to engage and disengage the VPN and customize its settings, as leaving it turned on all the time can interfere with non-streaming activities, including simple things like shopping online.<\/p>\n All that said, a more streamlined whole-home option for ExpressVPN<\/a> users is to try out that provider\u2019s AirCove<\/a> router models. (Note that Engadget has not yet tested these models.) Because they are ExpressVPN\u2019s own hardware, they include warranty coverage and support through the company.<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow to stream video to your smart TV using a VPN<\/h2>\n
Fire TV<\/h3>\n
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Google TV<\/h3>\n
Apple TV<\/h3>\n
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AirPlay or Google Cast from a VPN-enabled device<\/h3>\n
HDMI from a VPN-enabled device<\/h3>\n
Whole-house VPN access: Set up a VPN on your router<\/h3>\n