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How to Use Surfshark with Netflix & Fix It Not Working

Simon Migliano
Simon Migliano

Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more. Read full bio

  2. Guides
  3. Streaming & Unblocking
  4. Using Surfshark with Netflix

The Short Answer

Surfshark works with 9 Netflix regions: The US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Singapore. If it’s not working for you, make sure you’re connected to one of these countries and clear your browser’s or the Netflix app’s cache.

illustration of a man filling in the final piece of a Netflix puzzle with a piece branded with the Surfshark VPN logo

The content available on Netflix varies depending on your IP address. To bypass these geo-restrictions and make the most of your Netflix subscription, you can use a VPN service like Surfshark to change your IP address to one from another country.

While Netflix has been aggressively blocking VPN and proxy connections, Surfshark continues to prove it’s able to beat the Netflix ban in many popular countries.

Quick Guide: How to Watch Netflix with Surfshark

  1. Subscribe to Surfshark and download the app.
  2. Open the app and log in.
  3. Connect to a server in one of the following countries: Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, UK, and the US.
  4. Open Netflix and stream the content you want to watch.

If Netflix detects your VPN connection, see our workarounds below.

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Does Surfshark Work with Netflix?

Based on our latest tests, Surfshark still works with US Netflix and 8 other regions.

While connected using WireGuard, we’ve always been able to stream content exclusive to the American library, like The Great British Baking Show, without encountering any error messages or buffering.

Surfshark with Netflix

We used Surfshark to access geo-restricted Netflix content from the US.

However, for some other libraries, such as Brazil and Mexico, we had to switch between a few servers to find one that worked.

Disappointingly, Surfshark is completely blocked from accessing some popular libraries, including Australia, Germany, Japan, and Turkey. We were only able to stream Netflix originals while connected to these countries.

You can see our full test results in the table below:

While Surfshark performs admirably, there are simply better VPNs available for Netflix. Windscribe unblocks 23 more Netflix libraries, and ExpressVPN and NordVPN work with at least 8 more.

How to Use Surfshark to Watch Netflix

Here’s how to watch Netflix using Surfshark:

  1. Subscribe to Surfshark and ensure you have an active Netflix subscription.
  2. Download Surfshark onto your device. Surfshark has apps for every popular device, including PCs, smartphones, Fire TV, and Apple TV.
  3. Connect to a VPN server in a compatible country: Surfshark unblocks the following catalogs: Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, UK, and the US.
  4. Open Netflix and start streaming the content: You’ll now have access to video titles that were previously inaccessible.

The video below shows us unblocking Netflix using Surfshark on our computer:

How to Fix Surfshark Not Working with Netflix

Netflix blocks VPNs as it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its licensed content everywhere. As a result, you may experience your VPN not working with Netflix.

Surfshark is one of the better VPNs for Netflix, but you may still run into the Netflix proxy error or find that you can only access Netflix’s original content.

Netflix Error Message

Netflix’s ‘Pardon the interruption’ streaming error message.

Here are some easy workarounds to help get Surfshark working again with Netflix.

1. Connect to a Compatible Country

As previously mentioned, we’ve discovered that Surfshark only works with Netflix in the US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Singapore.

To stream geo-blocked Netflix content, you must connect to a server in one of these countries. Connecting to a server outside of these countries will result in being blocked from accessing Netflix.

You can use uNoGS to check if the title you’re trying to access is available in one of the supported countries.

Surfshark VPN Server List on IOS

The server locations list in the Surfshark iOS client.

2. Connect to a Different VPN Server in the Same Country

Netflix blocks VPN services by blocking IP addresses from known VPN servers.

However, not all servers in a country are necessarily blocked. For example, we couldn’t access the UK Netflix library while connected to Surfshark’s Edinburgh server, but we still could while connected to its Glasgow one.

You may need to try several different servers before you unblock the Netflix location you want to access.

Below is a list of Surfshark servers that we recently tested and found to work with specific Netflix regions:

Netflix Region Compatible Surfshark Server
India Mumbai
Canada Toronto & Montreal
UK London & Glasgow
US Dallas, Chicago & New York
France Paris & Bordeaux
Italy Milan & Rome
Brazil Sao Paulo
Mexico Queretaro
Singapore Singapore

3. Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies

Most websites, including Netflix, collect location data through browser cookies and cache files. This data is used to determine your physical location, even if you’re connected to an overseas VPN server.

Clearing your cache ensures that the browser uses the current data provided by your VPN’s IP address and should force it to show you the respective Netflix library.

Here’s how to clear your browser cookies and cache in Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome and select the three-dotted icon at the top right of the screen.
  2. Click More Tools and select Clear browsing data
  3. Tick the Cookies and other data and Cached images and files checkboxes
  4. Click Clear data
  5. Relaunch Google Chrome
  6. Stream Netflix
Clearing Netflix's cookies and cache from Chrome

Clearing Netflix’s cookies and cache files in Google Chrome.

4. Use a Different Encryption Protocol

If you can access your Netflix library, but the content is stuck on the loading screen, you may need to change the encryption protocol.

Follow these steps to switch to a different VPN protocol within the Surfshark app:

  1. Go to the Settings page.
  2. Click or tap VPN Settings.
  3. Ensure the protocol is set to WireGuard.
  4. Restart Netflix.
Choosing the WireGuard protocol in Surfshark's app

Changing to the WireGuard VPN protocol in the Surfshark app.

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