Best VPN for Firestick

You need to use a VPN on your Amazon Fire TV Stick if:

1. You want to watch more video content

   Loads of content on Fire TV is geo-restricted, meaning you may not be able to access certain apps or videos depending on your location. To unlock all of this content, you’ll need to install (or sideload) a VPN on your Fire TV Stick.

2. You use Kodi add-ons

   If you’re going to be using any Kodi add-ons, such as Yoda or Exodus Redux, using a secure VPN service is an absolute necessity.

   Why is this, though?

   Because you may accidentally stream copyrighted content, which can lead to major penalties and fines if you get caught out. Using a VPN hides your IP address so your streaming activity stays private.

3. You don’t want your ISP to throttle your speeds

   ISPs have the power to slow down your internet connection speed depending on the websites or apps you use. This happens all over the world, especially in the US where Net Neutrality has been repealed.

   When using a reliable VPN service on your Fire TV Stick, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, so you won’t suffer from speed throttling and can stream in buffer-free HD.

Adding a VPN to your Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube is very simple. There are four ways to do it (although method #1 is easiest):

1. Download your chosen VPN app from the Amazon Fire TV app store

   Of course, this only works if your chosen VPN service has a custom Fire TV Stick app. Most VPN providers will offer setup guides on their own websites, but we also walk you through the process in our guide to How to Install a VPN on Fire TV Stick.

2. Sideload an Android VPN app from another Google Play-connected device

   This method involves a few more steps but is a good alternative if the VPN service you’ve chosen doesn’t provide a native VPN app for Fire TV Stick.

   You can either sideload onto your Fire TV Stick using an APK file or you can use a second Android device – the first method is more popular and certainly easier.

3. Set the VPN up on your router

   If your chosen VPN service doesn’t offer a custom app for Fire TV Stick or an APK file, the next easiest option is to install it on your router. This is also good for households with a lot of connected devices, as it means you won’t have to install the VPN on each one.

   Take a look at our VPN router installation guide here for a step-by-step walkthrough of the setup process. Remember to check if your router is compatible with your chosen VPN service before you sign up, though.

4. Share your Internet connection via your PC or Mac

   Another option if your VPN lacks a native app for Fire TV Stick is to share the VPN connection with another app, such as a PC or Mac. It’s easier on Mac than it is on Windows, but both methods are manageable even for VPN newbies.

Once the VPN app is installed on your Fire TV:

1. Open the VPN app and connect to a server location of your choice
2. Then, open the app that you want to access – for example Netflix
3. You’re all set!

The answer is yes, and we’ve rounded up our top free VPN services for Fire TV Stick here. The reality, though, is that most free VPNs just aren’t up to scratch, as we found out in our recent investigation.

You can try out most of the best VPNs for Fire TV Stick for free, though. Simply take advantage of the VPN’s money-back guarantee – these range from seven days up to a full 30 days. All you have to do is cancel before the end of the refund period and you’ll get your money back.

We’ve produced several guides on how to get popular VPN services for free. These include IPVanish, ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Just remember to cancel before the end of the money-back guarantee to avoid being charged for a longer subscription.

You can also check out our top free trial VPNs here. These will give you a good idea of what certain VPN services are like to use on Fire TV Stick, however, some of them do come with certain limitations and restrictions.

There are over 6,000 Fire TV apps available on the Amazon App Store. Some of the most popular free apps on Fire TV Stick are:

• NBC
• CBS
• ABC
• BBC News
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Twitch
• NFL.com

Of course all the most popular streaming apps are also available on the Amazon App Store:

• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• Hulu
• HBO
• BBC iPlayer

Bear in mind that not all VPN services will work with these apps, though. Check out our recommended VPNs for streaming if accessing these sorts of services is a dealbreaker for you.

There are other ways to stream geo-restricted content on your Fire TV Stick without using a VPN service, however some of them just won’t be as effective.

Some of these other methods include:

1. Changing your DNS settings

   Changing the DNS settings on your Fire TV Stick allows you to spoof your IP address without using a VPN service. Be warned though, your traffic won’t be encrypted if you use this method.

   There are several guides online to changing your DNS settings, just be sure to check that the changes have worked on an IP-checking like as browserleaks.com.
   

2. Changing time zone

   Changing the time zone on your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick can sometimes be enough to make it look like you’re connecting in from a different country, and therefore allow you to access a larger library of content.

   It’s easy enough to change your time zone in the Fire TV Stick settings menu, but again, there are loads of online guides that walk you through the process.

3. Changing the country of your Amazon account (for Amazon Prime Video)

   Some users have reported that changing the country associated with your Amazon account also works well to stream geo-restricted content, but this is a slightly more lengthy process.

   You’ll have to have a foreign address at the ready (from the country you want to appear to be connecting from) and you’ll still only be able to access content from that specific location.

While some (or all) of these methods may work, your online privacy will be compromised without a reliable VPN service, so we really recommend you use one of the five VPN recommendations above with your Fire TV.

Once you’ve purchased your Amazon Fire Stick, there are no additional fees to use the device itself. While there are some free apps and channels available on the Fire TV Stick, you’ll have to purchase subscriptions for the majority of content on there.

Services that require a subscription include:

• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• Hulu
• Sling TV
• HBO

As well as many more. If you already have an Amazon Prime account, though, you’ll be able to access all of the content on Amazon Prime Video at no extra cost.

If you have a first generation Fire TV Stick, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to use a custom VPN app, as most of these can only be used on newer devices.

If your Fire TV Stick is a first generation device, the only way you’ll be able to install a VPN is by sideloading it. The easiest way to do this is using an APK file (as we explained above) – this requires a little more work but is still pretty straightforward.

Amazon Prime is perhaps one of the most efficient streaming services when it comes to blocking VPNs. Therefore, there are very few reliable VPN services that still work to stream content from Amazon Prime Video.

Even the best overall VPN service for Fire TV Stick, IPVanish, has confirmed that it isn’t currently working to access Amazon Prime Video. When we spoke to ExpressVPN, though, a member of the customer support team advised us that the VPN service should work with Amazon Prime.

Our best advice is to contact your chosen VPN service to check whether or not it will allow you to access Amazon Prime before signing up to a long-term subscription. Alternatively, use the free trial or money-back guarantee period to test it out for yourself.

Changing the country on your Amazon account is really easy and could allow you to access content that wouldn’t otherwise be available to you. All you have to do is:

1. Go to your Account, click ‘Manage Content and Devices’ then click ‘Settings’
2. Under ‘Country Settings’, hit ‘Change’
3. Enter an address from the country you wish to appear to be connecting from
4. Click ‘Update’ and the changes will be applied to your account

Although this isn’t as effective as using a VPN to change your IP address, it could still work to stream content from another location.

Changing the DNS settings on your Amazon Fire TV Stick will make sure that all of its DNS requests are routed through the secure VPN tunnel.

In order to configure your Fire TV Stick’s DNS settings correctly, you’ll need to have a DNS address to hand. Either contact your chosen VPN provider or visit OpenNIC to find a suitable DNS address.

You’ll also need the IP address of your router before you start.

1. On your Fire TV Stick, forget your usual WiFi network, connect to it again, then click ‘Advanced’ where you’d usually enter your password
2. Enter the IP address of your router under ‘Gateway,’ but change the last digit to one that isn’t already assigned between 2 and 255
3. Under ‘Network Prefix Length,’ enter the number 24
4. Enter your primary and alternative DNS addresses under ‘DNS1’ and ‘DNS2,’ then click ‘Connect’

Once this is done, you’re good to go.