How to Watch Netflix Outside the US

Netflix is an online streaming service that is only accessible in specific countries. Many love Netflix simply because it offers a wide range of internet videos to “Watch Instantly” on computers or mobile devices.

But in order to watch Netflix, you need to be at least in the US soil. In this article we’ll describe how you can watch Netflix outside US.

Just by visiting Netflix, the system would immediately determine your current location. And if you belong to a restricted geography, you basically cannot watch Netflix. If you try to watch videos on Netflix outside US, this would only get this message, “Sorry, Netflix is not available in your country yet.”

So if you live outside the US or is travelling abroad, you will surely miss all your favorite American TV shows. But if you think the only way to access Netflix is physically being in the US, you’re definitely wrong.

Even though the service is only available for US, the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, there are various services that can make you appear as if you are in any of the countries where Netflix is readily available.

How does Netflix determine my location?

When you try to stream Netflix videos, the server will immediately detect your IP address, and this would allow them to determine your current location. So if Netflix realize that you are not located outside the US, you will be prohibited to watch videos.

What we can do to trick Netflix into believing that we are in the US is to fake our IPS address with an acceptable American IP address. Once you are connected to the internet with a supposedly US IP, Netflix will then allow you to stream its wide range of video contents.

Services that Hide Your IP Address

The only way to access Netflix outside US is to use a US IP. There are different services that offer to hide your IP address. These services or tools act as the middleman between your computer and the internet; in this case it’s Netflix.

Use Proxies to access Netflix outside US

Proxy services are probably the most popular method for hiding IP addresses online. Most proxies offer free services, but the bad news is that they are being run by hackers and this is exactly why proxies are not ideal to use. Plus, proxies tend to slow down internet browsing.

To unblock Netflix, you have to choose a working proxy server and choose an IP address based in the US, before accessing the Netflix US website. This will help you bypass the content or regional filters and stream videos without any hindrance from Netflix’s part.

Pros: Most proxy servers are either free or noticeably cheap. Proxy websites allow you to browse through the Netflix database from within their browser itself. In case of paid proxy packages, you will also get access to dedicated IP changing software that will make the process of adopting an US IP address fast and easy.

Cons: Proxy servers are extremely slow. Free proxy servers are the worst of the lot. Apart from the usual distractions and annoyances of the advertisements, free proxy servers are easily clogged up by a large number of users vying for the same set of resources at the same time. Paid IP changing software isn’t terribly great either.

IP changing software usually hosts a large number of users and doesn’t possess the required number of servers to be able to offer good browsing speed. All of this leads to a bitter streaming experience, and buffering issues will be highly prominent. On top of the speed issue, Netflix is also quietly weeding out proxy services, and are known to block users trying to unblock Netflix databases using a proxy IP address.

Download and install Browser Add-ons

This is basically the easiest method of accessing Netflix outside US. Simply install a browser extension such as Media Hint and you can already watch videos on Netflix. The big downside with this tool is that it will only work with Chrome and Firefox web browsers. You can’t use it on Safari, IE, Opera or any other browsers including those for mobile devices or streaming device, like Roku, PS3, etc.

There are different browser add-ons available for a number of internet browsers, including Firefox and Chrome. These add-ons are similar to free proxy servers, which will help the user to choose an American IP address to unblock Netflix. Hola is one such browser add-on for Mozilla which will help you to unblock Netflix and a whole list of other geo-blocked channels.

Pros: Browser add-ons are fantastically simple to install and works without any significant impact on system resources. Most of these add-ons are free, making it one of the most economical options for accessing Netflix outside the US.

Cons: Some browser add-ons require extensive technical knowledge, especially for those add-ons available for Firefox and IE. The streaming experience is also questionable, and it is not possible to stream videos from Netflix without any buffering issues. Netflix might also block add-ons if they find them to violate their terms and conditions. Using a browser add-on won’t help during the sign-up process, especially for a Netflix account, as a US IP address is a must for signing up for a US based Netflix subscription.

Best Option: Connect Through a VPN Server

It’s worth mentioning that using the VPN service to access the web is the safest way of bypassing internet / geographic restrictions. Aside from unblocking Netflix, VPN will also encrypt all outgoing data from your network. Making your internet activities absolutely secured. But in order to use such service, you need to subscribe to a VPN provider.

Should I use a VPN to watch Netflix Outside US?

Among the 3 methods described above, VPN is the best option. It does not only bypass internet restrictions, it also makes you virtually invisible, thus having a private and anonymous internet browsing activities.

VPN works by masking your actual IP address with anything of your choice. If you want to use a European IP address or a US IP, you can basically do that with a VPN. Although it would still depend on the VPN provider you are subscribed to which IP addresses are available.

Configuring a VPN client app is not really a problem; installation tutorials are provided by the VPN service. What you need to worry about is finding the right VPN provider to subscribe to. You have to make sure that you only sign up to a VPN provider that can provide all your VPN needs.

We recommend that you subscribe to one of these two VPN providers: NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

NordVPN

Again, to use a VPN service, you need sign up to a VPN service. There are several VPN providers you can choose from but we recommend you to only subscribe to reliable brands so as to get the most out of your internet connections. Find out how you can use VPN to access Netflix anywhere you are.

ExpressVPN

Choosing The Best Method For Unblocking Netflix

The best method to unblock Netflix would be to subscribe to a VPN service provider. Of course, this will mean that you have to part with the subscription cost every month. However, the added benefits of online security and anonymity will be very much appreciable, especially during these times when hackers and information phishing agents are on the prowl looking to steal sensitive information from the unsuspecting user.

However, if you don’t want to spend any money on VPN and would like a free option, either free proxy servers or browser add-ons can get the job done. But keep in mind that there will be considerable buffering and streaming issues, and you would be pestered with advertisements and pop-ups throughout your usage duration.

If you would like to tell us about any other method to unblock Netflix, apart from the ones mentioned above, please let us know about it by sending us an email or listing it in the comments section below.

Signing Up For A US Netflix Account Outside US

You can sign up for a US based Netflix account outside the US by using your existing credit card. All you have to do is present a fake US address, followed by a valid zip code. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to open a US Netflix account.

• Subscribe to a VPN service provider to change your virtual IP location to the US
• Access the Netflix website and choose the US as the default location (if it isn’t automatically chosen)
• Sign up using a fake US address. You can make up any address, but while entering the PIN code, please use a valid PIN code. You can find one here
• Enter your credit card details to make the payment. In most cases, a Visa or MasterCard should work
• If the card is declined due to an address mismatch, you will have to choose alternate means to make the payment. This can be done by visiting a Netflix gift cards vendor. This should help you to receive payment details that can be entered at the signup/payment page at Netflix
• You can now access your Netflix account using the login parameters that you have chosen