Streaming websites like Netflix, Hulu or the BBC offer an excellent way to fill up your lazy weekend, but they come with certain limitations.
Because these companies still do licensing deals on a country-by-country basis, a lot of the TV shows you might want to access and watch, might be locked down to a specific geographical region.
Even if you’re traveling to another country and want to catch up with your favorite shows, you might be confronted by the dark reality of not being able to access them while you’re there.
Fortunately, there’s a way to get around these pesky location restrictions, so you can watch your favorite shows no matter which country you happen to find yourself in.
How to stream your favorite shows from anywhere?
Well, the first method to do it would be to install a VPN. A VPN or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. In very simple terms, a VPN connects your device (PC or mobile) to another computer (called a server) somewhere on the Internet and allows you to browse the web using that computer’s internet connection. So if the server is set up in a different country, it will appear if you are coming from that country.
There are many mobile apps offering VPN services, but we recommend you install one of the most well-known ones like for example ExpressVPN.
Simply download the app, log-in with your email address and tap on the white button in order to connect to a VPN. You can choose to connect to a server from a specific country by tapping on the smaller Choose Location button.
ExpressVPN is available for free for 7 days, then you will need to sign up with a plan. The cheapest one starts at $8.32/month.
Mask your IP to unlock content
If for some reason you don’t want to use a VPN, there’s another alternative. You can install a browser extension that will conceal your IP and thus your GPS coordinates. These tools will allow you to route traffic through a proxy server, thus hiding your IP.
You can try and give Proxmate a try, although getting it on board your mobile device requires you to install an additional app. Get the Yandex browser from the play store and then install Proxmate from this link. From there, tap on the blue Add to Chrome button to install it in your browser.
The extension will allow you to unblock content, but will also shield your computer from pesky intruders. There’s a wide selection of channels you can request access and you can browse them by country.
Note that Proxmate works on a subscription basis. A 1-year bundle will take you back with $17.95 and will unlock features such as browsing from multiple countries.
Just remember one thing, all these TV platforms are constantly tweaking their apps to block these sort of geo-busting technology. A good example of that is the Hola app. So if something breaks or is not usable anymore, it might mean you have to wait for a fix. Or start using another solution.
Netflix, for example, has one of the most sophisticated VPN detection systems, but a few VPN apps have managed to stay one step ahead of Netflix. And ExpressVPN is among these apps, so don’t be afraid to use it.
