If Windscribe isn’t working or has stopped working with BBC iPlayer, don’t panic. There’s several fixes you can try to resolve this issue.
The reason Windscribe isn’t working is because the BBC has managed to identify and block all of the IP addresses Windscribe currently has available.
Below is a list of steps you can try to fix Windscribe not working with BBC iPlayer. Follow these in order. If one doesn’t work, move on to the next one until you can watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN again.
See also:
- TunnelBear not working with BBC iPlayer? There’s an EASY fix! (September 2023)
- Hotspot Shield not working with BBC iPlayer? There’s a SIMPLE fix! (September 2023)
- StrongVPN not working with BBC iPlayer? This EASY fix only takes 2-minutes! (September 2023)
Windscribe not working with BBC iPlayer: Fixes
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Delete Cookies
BBC iPlayer uses Cookies to streamline your experience with the streaming service.
Cookies aren’t dangerous files; however, in order to make your online experience better, they sometimes contain information about your physical location.
The BBC can potentially access this information, and if it finds you’re outside of its broadcast zone (the UK), it will block your connection.
To make sure your Cookies aren’t causing Windscribe not working with BBC iPlayer, delete your Cookies.
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Change to a different UK server
Windscribe isn’t working with BBC iPlayer because the IP address it has given you has been identified and blocked by the BBC.
The good news is, the BBC cannot block Windscribe completely. The bad news is it can block the IP addresses it provides.
But just because this IP address has been blocked, it doesn’t mean all of Windscribe’s IPs have been.
Changing to a different UK server will give you a new IP address, and if that one hasn’t been blocked by the BBC, Windscribe will work with the streaming service again.
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Upgrade to a better VPN
If you’ve made it this far without fixing Windscribe not working with BBC iPlayer, then the BBC has managed to identify and block all of Windscribe’s IP addresses.
Most VPNs have techniques to stay ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques. However, if this is happening, Windscribe’s measures are no longer working.
You can wait for Windscribe to release new IP addresses that haven’t been blocked by the BBC. However, that could take a long time. And also, you’ll need to wait for Windscribe to upgrade its techniques to get around the BBC’s blocks because if it doesn’t, the new IP addresses will inevitably get blocked as well.
To fix the issue properly, 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 Windscribe?
The BBC tries to prevent all VPNs from connecting to BBC iPlayer. This isn’t something that only happens to Windscribe.
It does this to protect itself from potential copyright and licensing infringements that arise when the BBC broadcasts its content outside of its broadcast zone (the UK.)
Because Windscribe allows you to watch BBC iPlayer outside of the UK, the BBC prevents IP addresses provided by the VPN from connecting to its service.
These blocks are why Windscribe is no longer working with BBC iPlayer.
How does the BBC block Windscribe?
VPNs like Windscribe have to play a constant game of chase with BBC iPlayer. In order to be compatible with BBC, iPlayer VPNs need to constantly stay one step ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques.
As the BBC changes their techniques, VPNs need to evolve as well. If a VPN cannot update and upgrade its measures to stay ahead of the BBC, it’ll no longer work with BBC iPlayer.
Seeing as you’ve run into issues watching BBC iPlayer with Windscribe, it’s clear that the VPN is no longer doing that.
The BBC blocks Windscribe, using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is all to do with the IP addresses Windscribe can provide. Windscribe 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 a Windscribe 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 the streaming service. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) are good options.
Both of these VPNs have plenty of UK IP addresses, they have fast UK servers, and most importantly, they’re very good at getting around the BBC’s VPN blocks. This is because they constantly update and evolve their techniques to stay ahead of the BBC.
When the BBC blocks an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one. This simple process will allow you to watch BBC iPlayer reliably anywhere in the world. And it will prevent you from running into the same issues you have come across with Windscribe.
The best VPNs to watch 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
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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
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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: 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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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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