How to Install a VPN on Amazon Fire TV Stick

If your chosen VPN service has a custom app for the Amazon Fire TV Stick, all you have to do is download and install it onto your device.

Here’s how to install a VPN application on your Fire TV Stick with ExpressVPN, as an example:

1. Open the Amazon App Store on your device
   
2. Search for your VPN’s app (e.g. ExpressVPN)
   
3. Click ‘Get’ to install the VPN onto your device – you’ll usually need to enter your Amazon account passcode to confirm
4. Open the app, enter your login details and you’re good to go

Once you’re logged into the VPN app, you then need to connect to a VPN server location before launching an application on your Firestick.

If you encounter setup issues, we recommend contacting your VPN’s customer support team for assistance.

If you’ve chosen a VPN service that doesn’t offer have a native Fire TV app, but it provides an .apk file, you can sideload the application onto your Firestick.

Firstly, you need to change your Firestick’s settings so it will allow you to install third-party apps.

1. Once you’ve booted up your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, navigate to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Device’
2. Locate ‘Developer Options’ and toggle on both of them – ‘Debugging’ and ‘Apps from Unknown Sources’
3. Go back to the ‘System’ menu, click ‘About’ and then select ‘Network’
4. Note down the IP address of your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick and set it to one side

Your Firestick will now allow you to install apps that aren’t available on Amazon’s App Store.

Once you’ve completed the steps listed above, you can now install .apk files in your Fire TV device.

For this method to work, you’ll need a second-generation Firestick (or newer) and the official download URL for the .apk file of your VPN service. You can find this in your VPN’s account area.

1. Open your Fire TV, search for ‘Downloader’ and install the ‘Downloader App’
2. Run ‘Downloader App’ and enter the download URL for your VPN’s APK file
3. Once the download is finished, you’ll see a prompt to install the app. If this doesn’t happen, open the downloads section in ‘Downloader’ and select the APK file

Your VPN app is now installed and ready to use – all you need to do is log in and connect.

1. On your Fire TV, go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Applications’, and select ‘Manage Installed Applications’
2. Find the VPN app you sideloaded onto your Fire TV and click ‘Launch Application’ on the sub-menu that pops up
3. Enter your username and password for the VPN service – this may require you to use a Bluetooth mouse to make it a little easier
4. Once you’re into the VPN app, simply select a server location and hit ‘Connect’

If your chosen VPN service doesn’t have an .apk file, you can still install it on your Firestick with a small element of manual configuration.

This alternative method involves downloading the VPN app onto an Android device and then transferring it to your Firestick.

In addition to an Android device with access to the Google Play Store, you’ll also need at least a second-generation Fire TV Stick. Second-generation devices have the model name “LY73PR.”

Also, before beginning this method, you must first prepare your Firestick for the sideloading process.

Here’s how to sideload a VPN onto your Firestick using a second Android device:

1. Download and install an app called ‘Apps2Fire’ from the Google Play Store, as well as the Android app for your chosen VPN service
2. Open the app, tap the menu icon in the top right-hand corner, and then tap ‘Setup’
3. Where it says ‘IP address of your Fire TV’, enter the IP address you noted down when you changed the network settings of your Firestick, and then tap ‘Save’
4. Tap the menu icon again, select ‘Upload Apps’, then select the VPN app you want to use on your Fire TV
5. The VPN app should automatically install on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

If your chosen VPN service doesn’t have a Fire TV Stick app, or a .apk file, you also have the option of installing the VPN on your home router.

If this is your chosen method, you need to make sure you have a VPN-compatible router, and an account with a VPN that supports router setup.

Once you’ve established you can install your chosen VPN at router level, here’s the main to do:

1. Log into your router admin dashboard.
2. Flash your router with VPN-compatible firmware if it doesn’t already support OpenVPN natively.
3. Configure the router with your VPN service provider’s configuration files.
4. Connect to the VPN.
5. Test the VPN connection for any IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
6. Connect your Firestick to the VPN router’s WiFi.

Please note that router setup varies across VPN services. Make sure you consult your VPN provider’s router configuration instructions.

If you can’t install a VPN on your router, you can also run it on your Windows PC and share the connection to your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.

Depending on which version of Windows you’re running, you’ll need to set up either a mobile hotspot or a virtual router. Once that’s done, you can connect your Firestick to the VPN running on your PC.

To make sure your computer supports running a virtual router:

1. Type cmd into the Windows search bar
2. Right Click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator
3. Enter the following: netsh wlan show drivers
   
4. Press Enter
5. If you see “Hosted network supported: Yes”, your computer can host a virtual router

Windows 10/11 Mobile Hotspot Setup

Here’s how set up a mobile hotspot on Windows 10 or 11:

1. Install your chosen VPN onto your PC (if you become stuck you can consult our guide to installing a VPN on Windows)
2. Navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot, then toggle Mobile hotspot to On
3. Navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Change adaptor options. Right-click on [VPN service provider name] Tap Adapter > Properties
4. Select the Sharing tab, then tick the box labelled Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection
5. Open the drop-down menu and select the hotspot you just created and press OK
6. Connect to your new network from your smart TV as you would any WiFi network

If you want to stop the mobile hotspot, navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot and turn the Mobile hotspot toggle to Off.

Windows Virtual Router Setup

For Windows versions older than 10, you’ll have to set up a virtual router. This is more complex than just setting up a mobile hotspot.

1. Connect your PC to the internet by WiFi or ethernet
2. Install your VPN of choice
3. Re-open the Command Prompt
4. Type: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=NETWORKNAME key=PASSWORD
   Instead of ‘NETWORKNAME’ and ‘PASSWORD’ you should enter the name and password you want to use for your new network
5. Press Enter
6. Type: netsh wlan start hostednetwork and press Enter
7. Next up, press Windows key + R to open Run
8. Type in ncpa.cpl then press OK
9. In the Network Connections menu, right click on the connection called [VPN service provider name] Tap Adapter and select Properties
10. Navigate to the Sharing tab, then check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection
11. Select your new virtual router from the drop-down menu, then press OK
12. Make sure your VPN is set to use the OpenVPN protocol, then connect
13. Connect to your new virtual router from your smart TV, just like you would with a normal WiFi network

To disable the virtual router you will need to enter the following into Command Prompt: netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Sharing Your PC’s VPN Connection with Your Firestick

Here’s how to share your PC’s VPN connection with your Fire TV Stick:

1. Open Command Prompt on your PC, type ‘netsh wlan show drivers’ and look for the line that says ‘Hosted network supported: yes’ – keep this window open
2. Install your VPN provider’s desktop app onto your PC
3. Go back to the command prompt window and follow instructions how to start up the virtual router
4. Open Network Connections in your computer’s Control Panel
5. Locate the network you created along with a TAP adapter
6. Right-click on the list item, click ‘Properties’ and then ‘Sharing’ – then check ‘Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection’
7. Select the name of your network in the drop-down menu

Once your device is set up, connect your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to the new Windows PC WiFi connection.

Connecting your Firestick to the VPN via your Mac is a little easier than on a Windows PC, as Macs have built-in VPN capability.

You’ll be using the connection sharing feature to create a manual connection to your chosen VPN server.

However, the macOS built-in VPN client supports a limited number of VPN protocols. It does not support OpenVPN.

To share the VPN connection from your Mac to your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick:

1. Ensure that your Mac is connected to the internet via an Ethernet cable.
2. Create your VPN connection on your Mac using manual configuration, following our Mac VPN setup instructions
3. Connect to the VPN, open ‘System Preferences’, ‘Sharing’ then ‘Internet Sharing’
4. Check the box labeled ‘WiFi’ and select ‘WiFi Options’
5. Choose ‘WPA Personal’ and type in your network name and password
6. Click OK and then check the box next to ‘Internet Sharing’, then ‘Start’

Now you can connect your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to your Mac’s shared VPN network via WiFi.