How to Install a VPN on Amazon Fire Stick

The main reasons for using a VPN on Firestick are to unblock locked video content or protect yourself while using Kodi:

1. You want to watch more video content

   Loads of content on Fire TV is geo-restricted, so you may not be able to access certain videos or apps depending on your location. A good VPN service will unlock all of this content.

2. You need to use any Kodi add-ons

   A reliable VPN service is also essential if you’re planning on using any Kodi add-ons such as Yoda or Exodus Redux.

   Why is this, though?

   Because you may accidentally stream copyrighted content, which could land you with a hefty fine – or even a prison sentence!

   Using a VPN with Kodi hides your true IP address so your streaming activity is private.

   Check out our guide to installing a VPN on Kodi for step-by-step instructions to get you started.

3. You don’t want your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to see what you’re doing online or throttle your speeds

   ISPs all over the world monitor your internet and can slow down your internet connection speed depending on the websites or apps you use.

   This means that streaming Netflix or BBC iPlayer on your Amazon Fire TV Stick could be a lot faster.

   That doesn’t seem fair, right?

   You can prevent this from happening with a secure VPN, as it will prevent your ISP from being able to see what you’re doing online.

In order to use a VPN on an Amazon Firestick, you’ll need:

• A Fire TV (or Fire TV Stick v2 or higher) updated to the latest version of the operating system
• An account with your chosen VPN service.

If you don’t have a VPN yet, take a look at our best VPN apps for Firestick and the best free Firestick VPNs. You can download most of them directly onto your Firestick from the Amazon App Store.

If you have any issues installing the VPN app onto your Firestick, or your chosen VPN provider doesn’t have an app for Amazon devices, it is possible to connect to a VPN via your router, Mac, or Windows PC. We’ll cover this in methods 3, 4, and 5.

It’s also possible to sideload a VPN app onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, but this is a little more complicated and will require you to change the settings on your device. We’ll walk you through this process step-by-step in methods 2 and 6.

Remember to check your email address and verify your VPN account before you continue, or your VPN connection may not work on your Firestick.

Even though Fire TV operates closed software, it’s one of the easiest devices to set up with a VPN. 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.

To get started:

1. Open the Amazon App Store on your device
   
2. Search for your provider’s app (e.g. ExpressVPN)
3. Click ‘Get’ to install it 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

You then need to connect to a VPN server location before streaming any content on your Amazon device. Those looking to watch something specific may need to connect to a certain server – e.g. if you want to watch BBC iPlayer, this will only work via a UK server.

If you encounter any issues while installing a VPN app onto your Amazon Fire TV Stick, simply contact your VPN’s customer support team and they should be able to help you out. If you can’t do that, most VPN services have step-by-step installation guides on their website for most popular devices, anyway.

Currently our highest recommended VPN service for Firestick is IPVanish, but we also recommend CyberGhost, PrivateVPN, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN.

If you’re looking for a free VPN to use on your Amazon Fire TV Stick we recommend using Windscribe.

If you’ve chosen a VPN service that doesn’t offer a custom app for Firestick, it’s still possible to install it with a little bit of work. 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 then need to check if your chosen VPN service makes its Android APK file available to download directly from its website. You should only download these types of files directly from your VPN provider; any third-party files could be infected with malware and damage your device.

For this method to work, you’ll need a second-generation Firestick (or newer) and a download URL for the APK file of your VPN service.

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 you can’t find a VPN service you like that offers a custom Fire TV Stick app, or you’re having difficulty downloading the app onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, you also have the option of installing the VPN at router level. This way, all internet-connected devices in your home will be automatically protected via WiFi.

If this is your chosen method, you need to make sure you sign up to a VPN service that’s compatible with routers. Most of our best overall VPNs are, as well as many others – just check the ‘Platforms & Devices’ sections of the VPN review to make sure.

Most VPN services will also make it clear on their own websites whether or not they can be installed on routers. If you’re not sure, speak to a member of customer support.

Also make sure that your router supports VPN clients — most ISP-issued routers do not.

The safest and most secure VPN protocol to use with your router is OpenVPN. However, not all routers support OpenVPN. Some support PPTP instead, but this protocol is considered very insecure and can be hacked in minutes.

Once you’ve established that you can install your chosen VPN at router level (and preferably using OpenVPN), here’s the basic process:

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.

For more ways to set up your router you can take a look at our router installation guide.

Unfortunately we can’t give you a step-by-step guide for each individual router model, but most premium VPN services will provide detailed setup instructions for popular brands of router.

ExpressVPN, for example, offers manual configuration guides for 15 different types of router on its website. ExpressVPN also provides a router applet to make set up super easy.

If you can’t install a VPN on your router, you also have the option of running it on your Windows PC and then sharing the connection to your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.

First, you’ll need to set up a virtual router on your computer, and then you’ll connect your Firestick to the VPN through that. Once you’ve connected to the VPN on your PC, the Fire TV Stick’s traffic will be encrypted too.

We’ll walk you through the basics:

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 the instructions in Method 2 of our VPN TV installation guide 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, just connect your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to the new WiFi connection from your Windows PC, rather than directly to your router.

Connecting your Firestick to the VPN via your Mac is a little easier than on 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.

Please note that PPTP is a very insecure VPN protocol, and L2TP/IPSec has security flaws, too. For this reason, we don’t recommend this installation method and it should be a last resort.

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 – you’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to do this in our Mac VPN guide
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.

If your chosen VPN service doesn’t have an APK file, it’s still possible to install it on your Firestick with a small element of manual configuration. You’ll need to first make sure it’s at least a second-generation version of the device, and you’ll also need an additional Android device with access to the Google Play Store.

This method involves downloading the VPN app onto the second Android device first, then transferring it to your Firestick. You can check what generation of Firestick you have by the model name on the outside of it – second-generation devices have the model name “LY73PR.”

Before beginning this method, make sure you complete the steps outlined at the start of Method 2 to prepare your Firestick for the sideloading process.

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

Once you’ve done this, you then need to follow the steps outlined in Method 5 to launch the VPN app, log in and connect.

If your VPN provider offers a custom app for the Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, they should be your first port of call if you need further assistance. Remember: a first-generation Fire TV Stick may not work with all VPN services.

If you’re connecting through another device, like a Mac or Windows PC, you will need to contact your provider for further guidance.

A handful of VPN services provide support specifically for Fire TV Stick users – you can find these here:

• IPVanish
• CyberGhost
• PrivateVPN
• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN

Alternatively, don’t hesitate to email us any questions – you can find the email address below.