If you’re trying to watch BBC iPlayer on your iPhone or iPad with NordVPN and it’s not working, don’t panic. There’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve this issue.
The reason it’s not working is because BBC iPlayer has managed to identify and block all of the IP addresses NordVPn can provide on those platforms.
Below is a list of fixes. Follow these in order. If one doesn’t work, move onto the next one until you can watch BBC iPlayer on your iPhone or iPad with a VPN again.
- StrongVPN not working with BBC iPlayer? This EASY fix only takes 2-minutes! (September 2023)
- ExpressVPN not working with BBC iPlayer? Here’s an EASY 2-minute FIX! (September 2023)
NordVPN not working with BBC iPlayer on iPhone and/or iPad: Fixes
Total Time: 2 minutes
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Delete Cookies
Some websites ask you to accept Cookies. These are small files designed to streamline your online experience.
They aren’t dangerous files. However, to make your online experience better, Cookies sometimes contain information about your physical location.
Whether you’re using NordVPN or not, the BBC can potentially access this information, and if it finds you’re outside of its broadcast zone, it will block your connection.
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Change to a different UK server
NordVPN isn’t working with the BBC iPlayer because the IP address it has given you has been identified and blocked by the streaming service.
The BBC cannot block NordVPn completely but it can block the IP addresses it provides.
Changing to a different UK server will give you a new IP address and if the BBC hasn’t blocked that one, NordVPN will work again.
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Upgrade to a VPN that works with BBC iPlayer
If deleting your Cookies and changing to a different UK server doesn’t fix NordVPN not working with BBC iPlayer on iPhone and/or iPad. Then the BBC has managed to block all of Nords IP addresses.
This has happened because NordVPN isn’t staying one step ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques.
You can wait for Nord to release new IP addresses that haven’t been blocked. However, that could take a long time.
To fix the issue reliably, you need to upgrade to a VPN that’s still compatible with BBC iPlayer. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
Why has BBC iPlayer blocked NordVPN?
The reason the BBC tries to prevent VPNs from connecting is due to copyright and licensing issues.
The BBC only has the rights to broadcast its content in the UK. It does not have international broadcast rights.
To prevent copyright and licensing issues from arising, the BBC blocks users outside of the UK from accessing its content.
Because NordVPN allows you to watch BBC iPlayer outside its broadcast zone, the BBC blocks NordVPN IP addresses from connecting to its service. These blocks are why NordVPN is no longer working with BBC iPlayer on your iPhone or iPad.
How does the BBC block NordVPN?
The BBC is constantly trying to block VPNs. This isn’t unique to NordVPN it happens to all VPNs.
Although you may have been using NordVPN with BBC iPlayer on your iPhone or iPad reliably for a while, VPNs constantly have to stay one step ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques. And in this case, NordVPN has fallen behind.
The BBC blocks NordVPN, using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is all to do with the IP addresses ExpressVPN can provide. ExpressVPN has more customers than IP addresses, and this results in customers having to share IPs. The BBC monitors for an abnormal amount (more than a standard household) of connections coming from the same IP address. When it sees hundreds or thousands of connections coming from the same IP, it knows that this is an ExpressVPN IP address, and it blocks it.
- The BBC monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- The BBC teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, the BBC will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.
Does BBC iPlayer still work with VPNs?
Yes, BBC iPlayer still works with VPNs. However, you need a VPN that is still compatible with BBC iPlayer. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) has plenty of UK IP addresses, it has fast UK servers, and most importantly, it’s very good at getting around the BBC’s VPN blocks.
When the BBC blocks an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month), the VPN will close that IP address and open a new one. This simple process will allow you to watch BBC iPlayer on your iPhone or iPad reliably anywhere in the world. And it will prevent you from running into the same issues you have with NordVPN.
The best VPNs for BBC iPlayer
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
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%
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3. 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)
4. 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)
Is streaming BBC iPlayer with a VPN legal?
There are only a handful of countries (spot the authoritarianism link) where using a VPN is illegal; these are: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
If you’re outside these countries and are using a VPN, you’re legally allowed to do so. However, it’s important to know that using a VPN with BBC iPlayer may breach the service’s terms of use.
In here it states: “You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, or to watch or download BBC programmes on iPlayer when you’re in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. If you’re outside these areas you need to check if your country has its own TV licensing scheme.”
What this means is if you’re accessing BBC iPlayer in a location that doesn’t have a TV licensing scheme with a VPN, then the BBC is within its rights to ban/block your connection or account.
However, with BBC iPlayer being a free streaming service that doesn’t require any sort of subscription, you aren’t obliged to accept a contractual agreement meaning there’s less restrictions when it comes to using a VPN with the streaming service.
This means, although BBC iPlayer will try and stop you from accessing its content with a VPN. It won’t ban your account for using one.
Also, BBC iPlayer has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.
For more information you can check out our article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
