American Netflix has almost twice as many titles as its version for the UK market. Then why would those living in the USA want to access the UK-intended video library? The truth is that British Netflix has many shows and movies other regional versions simply don’t provide. Whether you want to explore what’s out there in the overseas catalog or you’re a British traveler missing your favorite shows, you should learn how to watch UK Netflix in the US. This simple yet comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know, so be sure to check it out.
Table of Contents
Why are the UK and US Netflix not the Same?
The main reason why Netflix offers different content for different countries is that it tries to cater to local viewers. This is true that tastes vary from region to region, and the same set of titles won’t fit all. Besides, ordering content for country-specific audience supports local production businesses.
Along with that, copyright agreements also make a contribution to dissimilarities. Oftentimes, the right to distribute content in a certain region belongs to another company. Therefore, Netflix just can’t violate the law and bring this film or show to its audience. Plus, it may simply decide not to offer certain titles for broadcasting within some countries because they cost too much or they won’t find many viewers.
Be that as it may, regional versions of Netflix significantly differ from the US Netflix. Yeah, it seems unfair that Americans can get about 6000 titles while the British get only 5700. On the other hand, their video library has many hidden gems Americans can’t wait to discover.
A VPN is the Best Solution to Unblock UK Netflix
There is no better solution to access geo-blocked content than a VPN. Whenever you put these apps in action, they change your IP address and, consequently, your geo-location. Any website that analyzes your location will think that you’re in a totally different country than you really are. If you decide to get a UK-based IP, Netflix will consider you as a UK user. As a result, it will unblock its British video catalog for you.
Along with enhancing anonymity through masking user IP addresses, VPNs also encrypt Internet traffic. This helps protect sensitive data from monitoring and theft.
Besides VPNs, you can opt for proxies or Smart DNS to change your IP address. However, you should know that they fail to provide security features. This makes a VPN a superior tool, which not only unblocks streaming services such as Netflix but also ensures the highest level of privacy.
The VPNs we Recommend for Watching UK Netflix
Netflix is fully aware that there are VPNs able to circumvent its geo-blocking measures. Since it doesn’t want to get in trouble with its partners and copyright holders, it was forced to introduce a sophisticated system to detect unblocking services and blacklist them. For this reason, not that many VPNs (and even fewer proxies and Smart DNS) are able to connect to Netflix without errors. As a user, your task is to find services that really work, not only on paper but also in practice.
Besides that, a provider of your choice must supply a variety of servers in the UK since they ensure UK IP addresses to unlock local Netflix. You should also demand outstanding connection speed (because you don’t want lagging streaming), breeze-to-use apps, industry-standard security features, easily-accessible tech support, and an affordable subscription.
‘How to find all this in a single provider?’ you may ask. You can invest your time in research but you don’t have to because we’ve already done this work for you. Our team put several dozens of popular providers to the test to see which ones would be a good fit for unblocking UK Netflix in the USA. This is what we found:
NordVPN
Known as one of the biggest virtual private networks, NordVPN offers 400+ servers in the United Kingdom. Totally, the service boasts 5400+ units in 59 countries. Its capabilities are impressive as well. NordVPN’s security features and flexibility are praised by industry experts and users alike, especially military-grade encryption and the absence of logs. When it comes to video streaming, the service offers a handy SmartPlay feature. It allows quickly connecting to servers suitable for Netflix. It also supplies excellent speeds for streaming. NordVPN has a few more cards up its sleeve including SyberSec to ward you off malicious websites, specialized servers, and dedicated IP addresses. All in all, NordVPN is the best choice to watch UK Netflix in the US. Especially, when you can get a huge discount for a 2-year and 3-year subscription.
ExpressVPN
Whether you’re looking for super fast-streaming and flawless user experience, ExpressVPN is right up your street. The company developed its network the way to provide maximum capacity. This means that whatever server you connect to, you will never suffer from slow-downs. ExpressVPN’s proprietary software is something the company can rightfully be proud of. You will enjoy its user-friendly interface and ample functionality. The apps deliver easy one-click access to four UK locations along with other 3000+ servers in 94 countries. The features we love the most in ExpressVPN are the TrustedServer technology, Split Tunneling, unbreakable encryption, and Network Lock (aka Kill Switch). Pick ExpressVPN if you value convenience that comes with great flexibility. ExpressVPN can be yours with a 35% discount for a 12-months plan (it is backed up with a 30-days money-back guarantee).
PureVPN
With 6500 servers around the world and 170 in the UK, PureVPN prides itself on being a service suitable for any task. Look for yourself – the fast connection speed is ideal for hassle-free streaming, well-designed apps ensure you spend mere seconds to fine-tune functionality for your needs, and cutting-edge encryption is a guardian of your online security. As any self-respecting VPN, PureVPN doesn’t collect potentially threatening details about your internet activities and the company itself is registered outside the Five Eyes spy alliance (which is also great for your security). Other features worthy of note include Kill Switch, 10 simultaneous connections, Split Tunneling, as well as premium Port Forwarding and Dedicated IP add-ons. And all this is available at an incredibly affordable price that lowers even more if you’re ready for a long-term commitment.
How to Watch UK Netflix in the US with a VPN
VPNs have so many features under the hood but you don’t have to be a tech expert to use them. In fact, they provide one of the easiest apps around. To get the UK Netflix in USA with a VPN, you just need to follow these steps:
- Get one of the VPNs we recommend for UK Netflix.
- Download the VPN app for your device and install it.
- Launch the VPN, and connect to a server located in the UK.
- Log in to Netflix, and now you can watch the UK Netflix library in the USA.
That’s all you have to do! Please note that prior to connecting to any server, it’s best that you contact your provider and learn about the suitable options. If you chose a server your VPN recommended but you still see a streaming error, you should try to clear your cache and cookies, change the time zone to the UK, disable IPv6 (if you use a Windows computer), and try to log in from a different (preferably, desktop) device.
Can I Use a Free VPN?
In a nutshell, free VPNs are no good to access streaming services, especially those with VPN detection systems. Their server networks are too small to avoid blacklisting. Even if they get to connect you to a chosen video service, you are sure to hate how slow and glitchy they are. The worse part, however, is that free VPNs endanger your privacy. Nothing is really free in this world, so think about it. They collect data about your browsing activities and sell it to whoever is going to pay. So, are you sure you want to use slow, ineffective, and dangerous apps? Our job is to warn you, but the final decision is on you.
Conclusion
Netflix is notorious for banning VPNs and other unblocking tools to prevent users from switching between country-specific libraries. This makes it extremely hard to find an effective method to watch UK Netflix in the US and vice versa. Luckily, there are a few VPNs still going strong despite the attempts to blacklist them. Make sure to check them out in the list above. With any of these VPNs, you’ll be able to access many new titles while dramatically improving your online security. All of these providers offer a money-back guarantee, so you can try them without risk.
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