If you’ve been using BlueStacks with a VPN and you’re constantly running into buffering issues, slowdowns or errors, your VPN doesn’t use a protocol that is fast or secure enough to use BlueStacks without issues.
This can be frustrating, especially if you’ve subscribed to a VPN and it’s not working.
The good news is, there’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve these problems.
Follow the below steps in order. If the first fix doesn’t work, move on to the next one until you can use BlueStacks with a VPN without problems.
See also:
- Binance not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (November 2021)
- TikTok not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (November 2021)
- YouTube not working with VPN? Here are some EASY fixes you can try! (November 2021)
BlueStacks not working with VPN: Quick fixes
Before you go through the fixes, determine if it’s actually your VPN that’s causing the issues.
The reasons you’re running into buffering, slowdowns and errors with BlueStacks could be due to your internet speed and or your RAM.
To use BlueStacks, it’s recommended you have broadband internet and at least 4GB of RAM.
To test your internet speed, turn off your VPN and visit Speedtest by Ookla – The Global Broadband Speed Test. This will provide you with your current internet speed. If it’s below the BlueStacks average, call your internet service provider.
If there aren’t any issues with your internet speed, continue to these steps to fix BlueStacks not working with VPN
Change to a different server
If BlueStacks is running slow with your VPN, it could be due to the location you’ve selected for your VPN server.
The further a VPN server is from your location, the higher the latency. Latency is the delay between a user’s action and a web application’s response to that action.
To put it simply, latency is the amount of time it takes for your data to travel from your device, through the VPN server, to BlueStacks, and back to your device.
If the VPN server is closer to your location, the latency will be lower, and this will speed up the connection you have with BlueStacks.
Connecting to a different server on your VPN could give you a faster connection to BlueStacks, and it could fix issues you’re coming across with your VPN.
Switch between TCP/UDP
If your VPN has the option, try switching between TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol).
A VPN protocol is a set of rules used when your VPN is communicating with its server.
Generally, UDP is a faster protocol; however it cannot retransmit lost data packets like TCP can.
Change to a different protocol than the one you’ve been using, and that might increase the speed and make the problems you’re having using a VPN with BlueStacks go away.
Restart your device
VPNs use complex encryption algorithms to give you an anonymous internet connection. These algorithms could be in conflict with your device.
Restarting your device could potentially resolve that conflict, so BlueStacks runs smoothly again.
Restart your router
This one isn’t possible if you’re away from home, but if you have access to your router, try restarting it.
Similar to restarting your device, the VPN could be in conflict with your router. Restarting allows your VPN to restart with a new set of data, and this could resolve that conflict.
Upgrade to a better VPN
If the above fixes don’t work, then your VPN doesn’t have a protocol fast enough to use BlueStacks without problems.
You need to upgrade to a VPN that has a fast, secure protocol that works well with BlueStacks. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
This VPN uses its own Lightway protocol that’s fast, secure, and lightweight, meaning you won’t run into buffering issues when using BlueStacks.
Are all VPNs the same speed?
VPN speeds are dependent on the VPN protocol they use.
A VPN protocol is a set of rules used to communicate between the VPN client and the VPN server.
These protocols are designed for different functions. Some of them prioritise security, while others prioritise speed.
The most common protocols are OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Wireguard. The first two prioritise security, while Wireguard prioritises speed but isn’t as secure as the other two.
What VPNs are fast enough for BlueStacks?
The VPNs that work the best with BlueStacks are the ones using a protocol that prioritises both speed and security. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is the best VPN for this.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) developed its own protocol, Lightway.
Lightway is designed to be super fast and incredibly secure, and this protocol makes it a very good when using Bluestacks.
Lightway is a light weight protocol, with 2,000 less lines of code than other protocols. It’s open-source software meaning it’s available for anyone to view and critique. Most testers have found it’s incredibly secure, and the fastest protocol currently available on a VPN.
This means ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is a fast and secure VPN that prevents buffering, slowdowns and errors when using BlueStacks.
Below is a list of VPNs that all use fast and secure protocols. All of these VPNs work well with BlueStacks and won’t be slow or contain errors.
The best VPNs for BlueStacks.
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022
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
Special Offer for you!
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.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. 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).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. 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.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
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
(30-day money-back guarantee)
