The reason you’re seeing the “VPN/Proxy Detected” error (when connecting to YouTube TV via an IPVanish VPN) is simple: YouTube TV has (obviously) detected that you’re using a VPN.
Below, I’ll go into detail about how YouTube TV has figured out that your IPVanish internet connection with end-to-end encryption is, in fact, a VPN connection. But if you’re just looking for a quick fix, take a look at the “Quick Guide” in the following section.
Before you do that, it’s worth noting that IPVanish isn’t one of the best VPNs you can use for streaming geo-blocked content. It’s frequently blocked by Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer – pretty much every major streaming service.
If you want a quick and long-term fix to this problem, I recommend using a better VPN such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
IPVanish not working with YouTube TV: Quick Guide
There are three ways you can try and fix IPVanish not working with YouTube TV. Follow them in order below:
Total Time: 4 minutes
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Delete Cookies
When surfing the web, you may have noticed some websites ask you to accept cookies. These aren’t dangerous files. They’re actually designed to make your online experience better.
These cookies can contain information about your online location, and YouTube TV can access this information. If you’re outside of the US, YouTube TV will use these cookies to determine you’re outside of its broadcast zone and will block your connection.
This can happen if you’re using IPVanish or not. So a good place to start when trying to fix this issue is deleting your cookies.
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Change to a different US server on IPVanish
If deleting your cookies doesn’t work, the next step is to change to a different US server on IPVanish.
There’s a good chance IPVanish has stopped working with YouTube TV is because the streaming service has been able to block the IP address that IPVanish has given you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of IPVanish’s IP addresses won’t work with YouTube TV.
If you change to a different US server on IPVanish, you’ll be given a different IP. If this IP hasn’t been blocked by YouTube TV, then IPVanish will work with the streaming service again.
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Upgrade to a better VPN
If deleting your cookies and changing to a different US server hasn’t resolved the problem, then YouTube TV has managed to blacklist all of IPVanish’s IP addresses.
You can either wait for IPVanish to catch up with YouTube TV and release new IP’s however, that isn’t as easy as it sounds and could take some time.
If you’re trying to fix the issue quickly, the easiest way is to upgrade to a VPN that has measures in place to get around YouTube TV’s VPN blacklisting techniques. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
How does YouTube TV block IPVanish?
YouTube TV blocks IPVanish using three main techniques. The first method is YouTube TV monitors for IP, WebRTC, and DNS leaks. This is mainly used to catch out lesser VPNs. IPVanish isn’t a lesser VPN, so this probably isn’t how YouTube TV is blocking your VPN.
The second method involves YouTube TV teaming up with GeoIP databases, such as MaxMind. These databases verify the IP address you’re connecting from. If your VPN is using an IP address that’s on one of these lists, you won’t be able to watch YouTube TV. This is more likely how YouTube TV has blocked IPVanish however, the main technique the streaming service uses to block IPVanish is all to do with the IP addresses IPVanish can provide.
YouTube TV monitors for an abnormal amount of connections connecting to its service from the same IP address (abnormal means more than an average household.) IPVanish has more customers than IP addresses, and this means customers connecting to YouTube TV share IPs. When YouTube TV sees more than an average household amount of connections coming from the same IP, it knows this is an IP provided by a VPN, and it blocks it.
Can I still watch YouTube TV with a VPN?
Yes, you can definitely still watch YouTube TV with a VPN. You can still use IPVanish. However, you’ll have to wait for IPVanish to release more IP addresses that haven’t been blocked by YouTube TV. And this could take a long time.
If you want to fix the issue now, then all you need is a VPN that has measures in place to get around YouTube TV’s VPN blocking techniques. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) can do this. When YouTube TV blocks an IP provided by these VPNs, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP and open a new one. This will allow you to reliably watch YouTube TV from anywhere in the world, and it will help prevent all of their IP addresses being blocked by YouTube TV.
Why does YouTube TV block IPVanish?
Although YouTube is accessible all over the world, YouTube TV is only available in the United States. The streaming service only has the rights to broadcast its content in the US.
To avoid potential copyright and licensing issues, YouTube TV prevents users outside the States from accessing its service.
YouTube TV blocks IPVanish simply because it’s a VPN. VPNs are a well-known way to acquire an anonymous internet connection and trick YouTube TV into thinking you’re trying to watch the service from within the US. This is why YouTube TV tries to block VPNs.
This isn’t specific to IPVanish. YouTube TV tries to block any VPN that could allow users outside of its broadcast zone to access its content.
How to fix IPVanish not working with YouTube TV
There are a few steps you can take. You can delete your cookies or change to a different US server on IPVanish however, the most reliable way to fix this problem is to upgrade to a better VPN.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) are able to stay one step ahead of YouTube TV’s VPN blocking techniques, and they’ll allow you to reliably watch the service from anywhere in the world without running into the errors you’ve come across with IPVanish.
The best VPNs to watch YouTube 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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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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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
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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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