The advent of Netflix’s online streaming option changed the way we consume entertainment, making things so convenient that the need for physical video stores got reduced to a notable extent. Even compared with theatres, you could watch an unlimited amount of content for the price of a single movie ticket, and that was something! Now, it is safe to say that Netflix dominates the streaming industry, but like any other great thing, it comes with its own set of limitations: unfortunately, Netflix is a widely available service, but all of it isn’t available to everyone , everywhere .
The thing about Netflix’s content is that it differs in every country; subscribers in various countries around the world can access only the content library of their location, and all other countries’ libraries are geo-restricted. This is why you must have noticed that many popular shows that are watched on Netflix in the United States are not available on your Netflix.
Obviously, content enthusiasts’ thirst for content cannot be satiated with a single library; they want access to all the local and international content they can get, and that necessitates using a VPN to unblock Netflix of other countries in their region
This is an easy and simple guide designed to show you how to unblock Netflix with a VPN in your country to allow you to access the complete range of content offered by Netflix around the globe.
How Does a VPN work?
Now that you’ve understood why Netflix blocks content, it’s time to understand how it does so. Then we can move on to how a VPN unblocks that content for you.
Netflix, along with other streaming services that geo-restrict content, employs IP detectors that detect your virtual location. That way, if you try to access American Netflix from anywhere outside the US, Netflix will know it and immediately block you.
This is where a VPN comes in: When you connect to a VPN and choose a US server, it masks your IP and encrypts your data, making Netflix think you’re accessing its US content library from somewhere within the US only.
Steps to unblock Netflix with the help of a VPN:
Let’s now take a look at simple and quick steps to help you unblock Netflix with a VPN:
- Choose a reliable VPN provider and install it on your device (Remember, VPNs that work for Netflix are rare, so choose carefully).
- Connect to a server depending on which Netflix library you want to access (for accessing the US Netflix library if you’re outside the US, for example, connect to a US server).
- Start streaming Netflix!
Why Does Netflix Unblock Libraries?
Considering Netflix is a leader in the streaming market with 18 million subscribers and growing, You may wonder why Netflix needs to block content based on users’ geographical locations instead of making all of its content available to everyone.
Well, Netflix doesn’t necessarily block content because it wants to, but because it has to… due to licensing agreements.
You may have noticed that when Netflix rolls out its originals, they’re usually available to everyone, but this isn’t the case with content that it purchases licenses of from movie studios and television networks. When TV networks come into the picture, while one TV network may happily allow Netflix to host its content on all its libraries, another TV network may not allow the same because they want to force people to watch the show on satellite/cable. This way, the network can also make money by selling TV ads.
Secondly, if you are an avid streaming enthusiast, you must have noticed that Netflix isn’t the only streaming giant that employs geo-restrictions in order to comply Netflix also competes for content licenses with other streaming services like Amazon Prime and Hulu . This is why certain titles are exclusively available on only a select few streaming services, sometimes even a single streaming service for a certain period of time.
Therefore, to avoid getting subjected to legal action and to stay on good terms with TV networks and movie studios, Netflix imposes geo-restrictions.
We hope this guide helped you understand why Netflix blocks content and how you can easily unblock Netflix using a VPN.
Happy streaming!
