U.S. Netflix Potentially Accessible Wherever You Are

US Netflix Potentially Accessible

Netflix may be the ultimate streaming choice if you live in the U.S., but unfortunately, other countries are still struggling for equal access.

When Netflix started expanding the service across the globe, we thought its growth would have no limits. After all, it’s a cheap alternative to network television, that comes with more ncontent than anyone has the time to watch.


Well, that’s what was meant to happen. Instead, many countries got a service with barely any content, due to conflicts with local television networks which had already syndicated the shows. So, for example, because Friends ran on South African network television, you’re blocked from seeing reruns on Netflix.

For a while, subscribers could unblock U.S. Netflix by using proxies or VPNs. However, Netflix soon cracked down on these services.

But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! There are ways to get access to the U.S. Netflix even if you live or are visiting outside the country.

VPNs and Proxies

Originally, people would use proxies and VPNs to get around the Netflix block. The two services essentially do the same thing. They mask your location and make it look like you’re streaming from the US.

The major difference was that proxies are cheaper but insecure, as they don’t encrypt your data. Therefore, the encryption offered by VPNs became the gold standard.

Then Netflix started catching on and acted against these methods. Under pressure from authorities to crack down on unauthorized access, Netflix found ways to block many VPN services. Users started to see frustrating error messages asking them to turn their VPN off before viewing content.

This was frustrating not only to those with limited access, but also to those who wanted to secure their browsing regardless of what they were doing.

Initially, the tentative solution was to use Smart DNS servers. However, this was very unsafe, as it offered absolutely no encryption.

And so the VPN providers stepped up their game.

Some VPNs Still Work

Although not all VPNs will give you access to Netflix, there are quite a few that have managed to bypass Netflix’s block. These include ExpressVPN, Buffered, NordVPN, LiquidVPN, and more. Not only do these services allow you full access to Netflix, but they also provide strong security by scrambling your data and making it almost unreadable to outside sources.

The truth is, however, that not all services work all the time. What works today against Netflix’s block might not work tomorrow. Both Netflix and the VPN providers are working hard against each other to come up with better solutions.

So, while one VPN might not work now, it might work in a few days or weeks. Alternatively, a VPN that works now, might stop working (to access Netflix, at least), and struggle to recover.

For this reason, it is recommended that you do not buy a full year’s subscription, even at a discounted price, and rather go for short term options.

No VPN service is perfect, but it’s imperative you do the research before committing. If you make an educated choice, you’ll gain access to all American content. If you’re careless, however, you could end up with a useless subscription to a VPN that does not give you what you need.

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