If you’ve been using a VPN on your Android TV and it’s no longer working, the channel you’re watching has managed to block the IP address your VPN has given you.
This has happened because your VPN is no longer able to stay one step ahead of the streaming service you’re watching’s VPN blocking techniques.
But don’t panic. There’s a number of fixes you can try to fix this problem.
This article will explain how you can fix Android TV not working with VPN and how you can prevent these issues from happening again.
See Also:
Android TV not working with VPN: Quick Fixes
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Delete Cookies
Cookies are small files that online services use to make your experience better. You may have noticed some websites or apps ask you to accept Cookies on Android TV.
These aren’t malicious. In fact, they can help improve your browsing and app usage. The problem with Cookies is they sometimes store information about your physical location.
The streaming services you’re watching can potentially access this location information to determine where you’re based. If the location you’ve selected on your VPN is different to your physical location, streaming services will be able to determine you’re using a VPN and block your connection.
To fix this, delete your Cookies on Android TV.
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Change to a different server
If you’re still running into issues watching Android TV with your VPN, try changing to a different server.
The current IP address your VPN has given you has probably been blocked by the streaming service you’re watching. Changing to a different server will give you a new one, and if it hasn’t been blocked, you’ll be able to watch Android TV with your VPN again.
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Upgrade to a better VPN
If changing to a different server didn’t fix the problem, then the streaming services you’re watching have managed to block all of your VPNs IP addresses on Android TV.
From here, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can wait for your VPN to release new IP addresses that haven’t been blocked. However, there’s no telling how long this will take. Also, as you’ve run into this problem already, it’s clear your VPN doesn’t have measures in place to stay ahead of the VPN blocking measures many streaming services use.
The best way to fix Android TV not working with VPN is to upgrade to a VPN that’s still compatible with the streaming services you’re trying to watch.
I recommend using a high-end streaming VPN such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) as it has the best setup for unblocking major streaming services.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) has numerous servers and IP addresses for you to use, and it plays a game of Cat and Mouse with major streaming services, where it replaces any blacklisted IP addresses with fresh, undetected IPs – therefore allowing users to stay one step ahead of streaming sites’ IP blocks
There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and it has an excellent support network so that you can be comfortable upgrading to their service.
Why has my VPN stopped working on Android TV?
The reason your VPN has stopped working on Android TV actually has nothing to do with the TV itself. It’s all to do with the streaming services you’re watching on Android TV.
Streaming services like Netflix, HBO MAx, Hulu and others, try to block VPNs from accessing their service because they could result in breaches of the copyright and licensing agreements these streaming services have with their content partners.
Using a VPN to stream shows outside of their broadcast zone could result in the streaming service facing massive fines because they would have breached their broadcast licenses.
To prevent these fines from occurring, streaming services try to block VPNs from accessing their services.
How do streaming services block VPNs?
Streaming services block VPNs using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than the number of IP addresses they can provide; this means that customers can use the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When these streaming services see hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, they know that it is a VPN, and it blocks it.
- Streaming services monitor for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- Streaming services team up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, Android TV will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.
These blocking techniques are effective. Lesser VPNs, especially free VPNs, struggle to get around these blocks, and they have all of their IP addresses blocked. This means you could potentially be wasting money on a subscription to a VPN that won’t work on Android TV.
Does Android TV still work with VPNs?
Android TV still works with VPNs. However, you need to use a VPN that can stay ahead of the VPN blocks that streaming services perform.
VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month) are very good at this. These VPNs work reliably on Android TV because they play a game and cat and mouse with the streaming services.
Inevitably streaming services sometimes identify an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month); however, it’s how these VPNs react to that that makes them the best on the market.
When these IP addresses are blocked, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month) will close them and open new ones.
This means there will always be an IP address for you to connect to, allowing you to stream shows on Android TV from anywhere in the world reliably.
The best VPNs on Android TV
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
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Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
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2. NordVPN 🥈
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
Read our NordVPN review.
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3. Private Internet Access
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
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Is using a VPN with Android TV legal?
Yes, using a VPN with Android TV is legal. Unless you’re trying to use a VPN in a country where VPNs are prohibited: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
Because Android TV is an operating system, you’re allowed to use it with a VPN. However, it’s important to know that using a VPN while accessing certain streaming services, sometimes goes against the streaming services terms of use.
Using Netflix as an example, when you access Netflix on Android TV you automatically agree to Netflix’s terms of use. This is a contractual agreement that defines what you’re allowed to do and are not allowed to do on Netflix. In here it says “You may access the Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer our service and have licensed such content.” And “You also agree not to circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any of the content protections in the Netflix service; use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Netflix service… We may terminate or restrict your use of our service if you violate these Terms of Use or are engaged in illegal or fraudulent use of the service.”
What this means is, if you access Netflix with a VPN, it goes against the services’ terms of use and Netflix is within its rights to ban your account.
This is common for most streaming services. Platforms like Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, BBC iPlayer and FuboTV have similar stipulations in their respective terms of use and could ban your account for using a VPN.
With that said, there are many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, like online privacy and anonymity. It’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be a heavy-handed and financially costly policy for streaming services to enforce.
In theory, if you’re trying to watch a streaming service (that you pay for) in a region where it does not traditionally operate, you risk having your account banned. However, as the best VPNs use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for streaming services to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from.
And there’s one final thing to note on the subject: noone has ever been banned anyone for using a VPN to access a streaming service.
For more information you can check out article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
