How to Unblock Netflix

You probably use Netflix, the streaming site that lets you watch all kinds of content for a single monthly price. What you may not know is that Netflix has even more content than you can see by browsing the main page. The way you access this additional content is also the way you bypass blocks that prevent you from accessing the site at all.

Why Unblock Netflix?

You probably know that Netflix is ​​a big company with customers all over the world. However, not everyone can choose from the same content. The Netflix library changes, sometimes even drastically, depending on the country you are in. For example, in the United States, Netflix has a much larger selection of TV shows than other countries.

For the same reason, other countries will have shows specific to that country or have shows running on another streaming service in the US. The range of films can vary greatly between countries, with the UK and EU countries generally offering a lot more than US Netflix does.

The reason for this geographic fragmentation of the libraries is mainly due to licensing agreements. The company releasing a film or TV show may have a deal with Netflix to show it in, for example, the US, Canada and Germany, but has a deal with another streaming service or network for the viewing rights in France or Spain.

It could very well be that a movie you’re burning to is on Netflix, just not in your country. This can be a bit frustrating: instead of using the Netflix subscription you’ve already paid for, you might have to pay money for another service instead.

If you can’t even access Netflix

Another issue is that on some networks, you can’t access Netflix at all. A good example is if you’re trying to watch it from work, or, a little more seriously, if you’re stuck behind the Great Firewall of China. In these cases, you probably won’t even take a look at the website, just see an error code from your network administrator.

In the case of your work or school, these blocks are there so you don’t waste time – even if you just want to finish an episode on your lunch break. In the case of China and other countries without Netflix (not many of them), it’s less about wasting time and more about maintaining ideological purity. Luckily, there is a very good way to bypass any kind of blocking, and that is VPNs.

Using a VPN to unblock Netflix

Virtual private networks are the best – and in practice the only – way to get to other countries’ Netflix libraries or to bypass blocks. In short, a VPN makes it appear as if you are accessing a website like Netflix from a different location. For example, if you’re in France and want to watch US Netflix, use your VPN to make it appear like you’re somewhere in the States.

As a bonus, a VPN also secures the connection at the same time. Not only can you crack different Netflix regions, you can browse without worrying about being stalked by marketers or anyone interested in what you’re doing online.

Using a VPN is easy: you just launch the program, choose a server from a long list of locations around the world, and that’s it. Regardless of which website you visit, it is assumed that you are accessing it from the location you have chosen. Check out our beginner’s guide to NordVPN to get an idea of ​​how it works.

First of all, a VPN is an online service like any other: you pick one you like, pay a subscription fee, and use it as long as the subscription lasts. Different VPNs offer different features, prices, and interfaces, so it’s worth looking around; We have a complete guide on how to choose the best VPN for your needs.

Choosing a VPN for Netflix

However, if unblocking Netflix is ​​your main reason for buying a VPN subscription, there’s a catch: not all VPNs work equally well with Netflix. This is because Netflix doesn’t like people accessing libraries from regions other than their own and has some advanced VPN detection systems in place.

As a result, some VPN services don’t get through to Netflix at all, some only work intermittently, while others get through fairly often. However, no VPN always works with Netflix, it really depends on the server in the location you choose. Some servers work better than others, which means you might have to go through multiple locations before you find one that works.

Also, don’t worry about getting in trouble for using a VPN: if you get detected, Netflix will just push you to a page that only has its own shows. You are free to try again or just turn off the VPN with no repercussions.

Another problem is that VPNs aren’t generally free — or at least the ones that work with Netflix aren’t. The best VPNs can cost you as much as $100 a year, although some smart purchases might fetch you half that — or even less. You can also try decentralized VPNs, they seem to crack Netflix quite successfully, although they are more difficult to use than regular VPNs.

For our money, however, we really like ExpressVPN for getting through to Netflix, as well as for a number of other reasons. If getting the most out of your streaming subscription is your top priority, we recommend taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee to see if you like it.