What was the last TV series you binged? There is a whole bunch of great content available online, but sometimes it can be challenging to find the shows you want on the services you have.
Because of location locks and different rights deals, there can be shows available on one service in the USA and not available on the same platform in the UK or Australia, for example.
It can be super frustrating, but you don’t have to accept it.
To help you access the online content you want, we’re going to give you a complete step-by-step guide to watching overseas shows by using a VPN.
Step 1 – Download a VPN
When you connect to the internet, your approximate location is logged through your IP or internet protocol address. This tells the website you access where in the world you’re based.
While this may not sound like a problem, when you want to watch a Spanish show on Netflix or to access content on the UK-based BBC, you’ll be blocked because of your location.
To overcome this, you need a VPN. When you download a VPN software, it allows you to change the location where websites think you are.
When you choose a VPN, you want to pick one that gives you control over where you connect from – some free versions don’t have this option. If you can’t control your VPN’s location, you’ll still not be able to watch overseas shows.
Step 2 – Set your VPN location
You can usually install a VPN on any device, including:
- Your smart TV;
- Your tablet;
- Your phone;
- Your PC and laptop.
When you have the VPN set up, you first need to connect to the internet through the country you need to be in. If you want to watch a show broadcast on the UK-based BBC, you’ll want to set your location to the UK, and if you want some Canadian content, you’ll want to set yourself to Canada, for example.
You can do a super quick check whether your VPN is set to the right location by looking at a Google Search page.
Simply go to Google, search for anything you like, and scroll to the bottom of the page. Here, you’ll see an approximate location that should match the VPN country you’ve connected to.
Step 3 – login to your chosen service
There are hundreds of different online streaming services available across the world. Some are free and others are paid – you’ll still need to pay for services like Netflix or Hulu even if you have a VPN.
Once your VPN is set to the right country, simply log in to the service you want to use. You don’t need to do anything special at this point, simply log in with your existing data.
Once you log in, the site or service will pick up your IP address. This means it will show you the content available to a user in that country.
If you want to change your location after one show to watch content from a different country, you may need to close down the app or platform, change your VPN location, then log back in. It might feel a little annoying, but it’s worth it to watch your favorite shows!
Step 4 – Watch!
When you find the show you’re looking for, simply press play on your device, and it should work fine.
It is possible that some services will recognize a change in location due to cookies on your device. If you get an error message or you think your streaming service hasn’t recognized your changed location, you may need to try and watch in an incognito or private browsing window.
Watching overseas content
Using a VPN can be a great way to access overseas content. If you’re on an overseas trip and want to keep up to date with your favorite show, a VPN will not only let you watch it but it will also make sure your connection to hotel WiFi is protected.
You can access a whole world of different content when you can hop around the world with a VPN connection.
Featured image credit: Freepik
