To enforce licensing agreements struck with content owners, Amazon uses geo-location technology to detect your location and change the content library accordingly.
The platform also uses specific VPN detection methods to block VPNs and proxies, which change your IP address and make you appear in a different city or country.
You’ll know your VPN is being blocked by Amazon if you see the below error message:
Amazon uses VPN detection methods to block access outside of permitted regions.
Luckily, there are several ways to get around Amazon Prime Video’s VPN error and fix your VPN not working.
Below is a list of fixes and workarounds, if your VPN isn’t working with Prime Video:
1. Change Your Amazon Account Country
The most common reason why a VPN isn’t working with Prime Video is because you haven’t changed the country linked to your account.
Even the most effective VPNs for Prime Video won’t work if you’ve not changed your account country.
Changing your Amazon country means creating a brand new account in the country you require. You can use the same email address and billing details, at least.
Once you’ve opened a new account, and you’ve connected to a VPN server in the relevant country, you can unblock geo-restricted content previously unavailable.
2. Switch to a Different VPN Server
Content platforms like Prime Video monitor IP addresses that access their audio and video inventory.
If the same IP address is used by hundreds or thousands of users at any one time, it often indicates it belongs to a VPN or proxy service. Fortunately, they cannot keep track of them all.
Simply changing VPN server, and therefore your IP address, can sometimes work to bypass Amazon’s VPN blocks.
Amazon’s advanced VPN detection methods don’t just look at your IP address, though. They also look at other traffic data and patterns to identify and block VPN access.
If you keep running into issues, contact your VPN’s support team and ask for a list of servers they recommend for unblocking Prime Video or Freevee.
3. Update Your VPN Client
Sometimes the reason why your VPN isn’t working with Amazon Prime Video is because the VPN client installed on your device is out of date.
Older versions of VPN software often suffer from compatibility issues and are less effective than more recent versions.
To avoid this problem, make sure you’re always using the latest version of your VPN’s software.
4. Change VPN Protocol
Another potential workaround worth trying is to change your VPN’s protocol.
That’s because VPN protocols work in different ways to each other, and use unique encryption and tunneling methods.
While we have found this workaround to work at times, it is not as reliable as upgrading to a VPN we’ve verified to consistently unblock Prime Video.
Nonetheless, you can find and change your VPN protocol within the app’s settings. Try each protocol available until you find one that works, hopefully.
Change your VPN protocol to one optimized for streaming.
5. Delete Your Cookie and Cache Data
Browser cookies and cached files track your internet behavior. These web identifiers may contain traces of your real geo-location.
Amazon can use this stored browser (or app) information to figure out that you’re using a VPN, and block you.
Deleting your cookies and cache in your web browser can be an easy fix to unblock Prime Video.
Below are quick step-by-step instructions on clearing browser cookies and cache on Chrome, Safari, and even on Amazon Fire TV devices.
How to Clear Cookies and Cache in Chrome:
- Launch Chrome and click on the ellipsis (the icon with three vertical dots at the top right of the window).
- Click on More Tools, then Clear browsing data, and from the Time Range drop-down menu select All time.
- Tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
- Close and then reopen your Chrome browser.
- Visit the Amazon Prime Video website.
Clearing cookies and cache files in Google Chrome.
How to Clear Cookies and Cache in Safari:
- Launch Safari, go to the Safari menu then click Preferences.
- Click the Privacy tab > Manage Website Data.
- Type Amazon into the search bar, select it, then click Remove.
- Close and reopen Safari.
- Go to the Amazon Prime Video website.
Clearing cookies and cache files in Safari.
How to Clear App Cache on Your Fire TV:
- Open your Fire TV device and navigate to the Settings cog icon.
- Select Applications.
- In the Applications menu, click on Managed Installed Applications.
- Navigate to the Prime Video app and select it..
- In the app’s settings, select Clear cache and then Force stop.
- Head back to the Home screen and launch the Prime Video app.
6. Disable IPv6 Addresses
Amazon Prime Video can use your IPv6 address (if you have one) to determine your geolocation.
Sadly, many VPNs still don’t support IPv6 connections, therefore your true location will be visible if your ISP has assigned you an IPV6 address.
Follow the instructions below to disable IPv6 on your device.
How to Disable IPv6 on Windows:
- Open Network & Internet settings.
- Select Network & Sharing Center > Properties.
- Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
How to Disable IPv6 on Mac:
- Open System Preferences and click Network.
- Click Advanced in the bottom right. Click the TCP/IP tab.
- Click the dropdown menu next to Configure IPv6 and choose Off.
- Click Ok > Apply.
You can also use our bespoke tool to check if your VPN is leaking your IPv6 address.
7. Upgrade to a Streaming-optimized VPN
If all of the above fixes and workarounds fail, then your VPN simply isn’t good enough.
This isn’t too surprising since in our experience many VPNs can’t bypass Prime’s VPN blocks. We found that only 32 VPNs work reliably with Prime without being detected.
That’s because changing your IP address isn’t always enough. You really need a streaming-optimized VPN that can better mask its traffic and bypass stricter VPN detection methods.
Only the best Prime Video VPNs have constantly changing IP addresses and obfuscation technology that successfully evades detection.
To beat the Prime Video VPN error, we currently recommend using ExpressVPN.
8. Use Smart DNS
Another option to unblock Prime Video is to use a Smart DNS proxy.
Highly-rated VPNs, like ExpressVPN, include a Smart DNS service with their VPN subscription.
Smart DNS proxies route web traffic through a proxy server and then onto the destination website or app. The main difference with a VPN is that a proxy doesn’t encrypt (or obfuscate) traffic.
While we prefer VPNs over proxies because of the enhanced privacy and security they provide, smart DNS proxies can sometimes be more effective at bypassing Amazon’s geo-restrictions.
Moreover, Smart DNS is useful if you want to unblock an app, or just a content library, on devices that don’t support VPN software.
On devices such as Apple TV and games consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, using Smart DNS is a simpler solution to bypassing geo-blocks.
The VPNs with the most effective Smart DNS solutions for streaming are:
- ExpressVPN (MediaStreamer)
- Surfshark
- Windscribe (Control D)
Updating our IP address with ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer.
9. Buy a Residential IP Address
One of the checks Amazon runs on IP addresses is whether it is a residential or a non-residential IP address.
Many VPN servers are located in data centers, which is easy for a service to see through IP and DNS server checks.
If a VPN isn’t sophisticated enough and can’t hide its VPN traffic from Amazon, it will likely get blocked if detected.
A workaround that has worked in most of our streaming tests over the years is to purchase a residential IP address from your VPN provider.
Residential IP addresses belong to everyday ISPs like AT&T and Comcast, and you will appear as a regular home user on a standard ISP connection.
Very few VPN services offer residential IP addresses, though. Windscribe is the only top streaming VPN with residential IPs in the USA (Chicago, Dallas) and Canada (Toronto).
Windscribe’s residential IP addresses work with Prime Video.
We tested Windscribe’s Chicago AT&T IP address and it accessed the Prime Video US catalog without issues.
But, residential IPs aren’t cheap. Windscribe charges $96.00 per year for one, with no option to pay monthly and no refunds allowed.
EXPERT ADVICE: Residential IPs and Dedicated IPs are not the same. A dedicated IP address still belongs to a data center and therefore is more likely to be blocked by a streaming platform.
