HBO has just released its new reality show, FBoy Island. Unfortunately, the show hasn’t been released in the UK. However, there’s an easy way you can watch it right now.
All you need is a US IP address. And the best way to get one is with a reliable VPN.
In this article, I’ll explain how you can get a US IP address and how to watch FBoy Island in the UK reliably.
See also:
- HBO Max not working with VPN? There’s an EASY workaround!
- NBC not working with VPN? Try these EASY FIXES!
How to watch FBoy Island in the UK: Quick Guide
Follow these simple steps to watch FBoy Island in the UK:
Total Time: 2 minutes
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Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) -
Download and install the new VPN app
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Open your new app and connect to a server in the US
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Go to HBO Max
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Create an HBO Max account (see more below)
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Watch FBoy Island in the UK
How to create an HBO Max account in the UK:
HBO Max is a US-based streaming service. If you’re outside of the US, you’ll run into errors when trying to connect to the service.
After downloading ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month), you’ll no longer run into the “HBO Max is not available in your region” error. However, recently HBO Max has started using a second layer of security by only allowing payments for an HBO Max subscription from a US credit card or PayPal account. There are a few ways you can get around this:
- You can ask a friend or family member in the US to create an HBO Max account for you
- You can use an American Express credit card
- You can purchase an HBO Max gift card from mygiftcardsupply.com and create an account from anywhere in the world. (Mygiftcardsupply is a trusted and reliable website where you can purchase a variety of gift cards from anywhere in the world.)
The first two options aren’t eligible for most people. The easiest way to create an HBO Max account in the UK is using gift cards. Follow these steps below to create an HBO Max account using gift cards in the UK.
- Go to mygiftcardsupply.com
- Search for HBO Max cards
- Choose between a USD$25, USD$30, USD$50 gift card (note that standard HBO Max costs USD$14.99/month)
- Select if you want to make a one-off purchase or a repeat purchase every few months
- Proceed to checkout and confirm your purchase with your email address
- You’ll receive an email with a link. Click on that link, and that will give you access to your HBO Max gift card
- Connect to a US server on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month)
- Create an account at www.hbomax.com
- Go to HBONOW.com/gift and enter the 10 or 12 digit code from the back of your gift card.
- Choose your State or Territory, enter your ZIP Code, (this needs to be a US state or territory/ zip code. You can do this by googling) and then choose Continue.
- Click I have an account: Choose the Sign in link. Enter your account email and password. Then, choose Sign In and Redeem
- Return to www.hbomax.com
- Watch FBoy Island in the UK
Why can’t I watch HBO Max in the UK?
HBO Max is a US-based streaming service that’s only available for US customers.
If you try and access the streaming service in the UK, HBO Max will block your connection.
It does this because you’re outside of its broadcast zone. HBO has copyright and licensing agreements that it must abide by. These agreements only allow it to broadcast its content in the US.
If HBO breached these agreements, it could face severe financial punishments. To prevent that from happening, it stops anyone in the UK from accessing its content.
How does HBO Max block my connection?
When you connect to HBO Max, the streaming service scans your IP address.
Every time you go online, you’re given a unique IP address, and this is used to communicate between the website or app you’re going to, in this case, HBO Max and your device.
In order for this communication to work, your unique IP contains information detailing your physical location. When HBO Max scans your IP, it’s looking for this information, and if it finds you aren’t in the US, it will block your connection.
If you have a US IP address, the streaming service will think you’re in its broadcast zone, and you won’t run into errors when trying to watch FBoy Island.
The easiest and most reliable way to get a US IP address is using a VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month).
How can I get around HBO’s geo-blocks?
To get around these blocks, you need to fool HBO Max into thinking you’re accessing its service from within the US. To do this, you need a US IP address.
A VPN makes it very easy to change your IP address and unblock HBO Max.
How do VPNs work?
When you connect to a VPN server, all of your online data is encrypted into an unreadable code.
This makes it impossible for HBO Max to determine your physical location, and it gives you an anonymous internet connection. This is great. However, you still need to make HBO Max think you’re in the US to watch its content.
Fortunately, VPNs allow you to do that as well. The best VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month) allow you to select which server you want to connect to. When you do this, all your internet data is sent to that server, where it’s decrypted and distributed to a local internet service provider in the country where that server is based. This will give you an IP address from that country.
To unblock HBO Max, all you need to do is select a US server, and in less than a second, you’ll be given a US IP address.
Now when you connect to HBO Max, it will scan your IP, see that it’s based in the US, and you’ll be able to access its content.
It’s that simple.
Will any VPN work?
Not every VPN will work. This is because HBO tries to block VPNs.
It does this because they’re well-known ways of watching the streaming service outside of its broadcast zone. And could be the cause of broadcast rights breaches.
HBO blocks VPNs by identifying the IP addresses they provide. This is a problem for lesser VPNs, especially free ones, because it’s significantly easier to identify IP addresses provided by these VPNs.
HBO monitors for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address. Usually, only 8-10 (an average household) devices connect to HBO Max via the same IP address. Because free VPNs have a lot of customers and not enough IP addresses to keep up, they force users to share IPs.
Now when HBO sees hundreds of connections coming through to HBO Max via the same IP address, it deems it as abnormal and will block that connection. Over time HBO will be able to identify all the IP addresses that these VPNs can provide and that VPN will no longer work. This could mean you’ve wasted money on a subscription to a VPN that won’t work.
The best VPNs, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month), have measures in place to get around these blocks. When HBO identifies and blocks an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month), they’ll close that IP address and open a new one. This simple process will allow you to watch HBO Max reliably in the UK, and it means you won’t have any issues when trying to stream FBoy Island.
The best VPNs to watch FBoy Island in the UK
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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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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