If you’re trying to watch STIRR outside the US, you’ll notice it doesn’t work. Even if you have an active subscription to STIRR it still won’t work.
This is obviously frustrating. But, don’t panic, there’s an easy way to fix this problem. All you need to do is make STIRR think you’re watching it from within the US.
To do that, you need a reliable VPN.
This article will explain how to watch STIRR outside the US with a VPN. Read on to the end of the article to find out the best VPNs to watch STIRR outside the US.
See also:
- Pluto TV not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)
- How to watch Pluto TV outside the US: The EASY way! (September 2023)
How to watch STIRR outside the US: Quick Guide
To watch STIRR outside the US, you need a US IP address. Follow these simple steps to get one:
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Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
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Download and install the new VPN app
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Select a server in the US
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Watch STIRR outside the US
How to download the STIRR app outside the US
If you’re outside the US, you won’t be able to find the STIRR app on your device. This is because you aren’t accessing the US version of your app store.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to download the STIRR app on both Apple and Android devices.
All you have to do is follow these steps:
Apple
- Download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and connect to a US server
- Create a new iCloud account for free
- The reason we recommend creating a new iCloud account is so you can have two different accounts in two different locations. For example, I have my iCloud account I use every day set to my home country and I have my other iCloud account based in the US. That way I can switch between them when I need to without having to change the location of my main account.
- Login to your new iCloud account
- Once you’ve created a seperate iCloud account you need to set its location to the US. Go into settings, logout of your main account (if you’re still logged in) and log in to your new account.
- Open your account
- If you go into settings on your Apple device, your account name will be at the top of the screen. Click that to open your account settings.
- Select Media and Purchases
- Select View Account
- Once you click View Account this will prompt you to enter your password. When this is done, you’ll be taken to a new page.
- Tap Country/Region and select the US
- When you open Country/Region you’ll see “Change Country or Region.” Click on this and select the US.
- Go to the App Store and Download STIRR
- Once you’ve changed your region to the US, make sure you’re still connected to a US server on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month). Now you’ll have access to the US version of the Apple App Store. From here you’ll be able to find the STIRR app. Download it.
Android
- Create a new Google Play account and login to it on the Google Play store
- Download and install ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) on your Android phone
- Connect to a US server on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
- Open up your Google Play Account
- Click Settings
- Click General
- Click account and device preferences
- Change your location to the US
- Put in your credit card details
- Close Google Play and open it again (you should be on the US version of the Google Play Store)
- Download and Install STIRR
Why doesn’t STIRR work outside the US?
STIRR is a streaming service that’s only available for US-based customers.
The copyright and licensing agreements that STIRR has with its content partners state that the streaming service is only allowed to broadcast its content in the States.
If STIRR breached these agreements it could face severe financial punishments. To protect itself and prevent that from happening, the streaming service blocks anyone outside the US from accessing its content.
These blocks are why STIRR isn’t working for you.
How does STIRR block my connection?
STIRR’s geo-blocking technology works by scanning your IP address when you connect to its service.
Whenever you go on the internet, your device is given a unique IP address. This is used to form a communication line between your device and the website or app you’re visiting, in this case, STIRR.
The bad thing is, in order for this communication to work, your IP address needs to contain information that discloses your physical location.
When you connect to STIRR it scans your IP address for this location information and if it finds you aren’t in the US it’ll block that connection.
How can I get around STIRR’s blocks?
In order to connect to any website or online service, you must have an IP address. You can’t turn it off.
Fortunately, you can change your IP address, so it looks like you’re connecting to STIRR from a different country.
In order to get around STIRR’s blocks, you need a US IP address. This will unblock STIRR when outside the US, because now when the streaming service scans your IP it will think you’re inside its broadcast zone (the US).
The easiest way to get a spoof US IP address is using a reliable VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), because both of these VPNs work well with STIRR.
Does STIRR block VPNs?
Yes, STIRR does try to block VPNs from accessing its service.
It doesn’t have the ability to block VPN providers in their entirety, it can only identify and block the IP addresses that a VPN provides. It does this using three main techniques.
- Streaming services constantly monitor for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. This test is basic. But cheaper VPNs will fail it, meaning your connection isn’t fully secure and will be blacklisted. Good VPNs such as NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) will not fail this basic test.
- There are GeoIP databases that collect IP information and verify the IP address you are connecting from. If your VPN is using an IP address in one of these databases, you won’t be able to stream STIRR outside the US.
- STIRR makes its own IP checks. If the channel detects a large number of connections coming from the same IP address simultaneously, they know that that is an IP address provided by a VPN, and they will blacklist that IP address.
Which VPNs work with STIRR?
There are many VPN providers out there. Some are good, some are not so good.
The not so good VPNs are more likely to be caught by STIRR’s blocking techniques because they don’t have measures in place to stay one step ahead of these checks.
This can result in the VPN no longer working with STIRR and more importantly it could result in you wasting money on a subscription to a lesser VPN.
Good VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) do have measures in place to get around these checks. When STIRR identifies and blocks an IP address provided by these VPNs, both ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP and open a new one.
This allows you to consistently and reliably watch STIRR from outside the US.
The best VPNs to watch STIRR outside the US
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.
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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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