As I reside in Greece, plenty of times, I have to go out of my way and move to another location (virtually) to enjoy some of my favorite movie and tv shows. My top picks are NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN, as they stand out the most in terms of performance and reliability.
Quick Guide: How to Bypass VPN Blocks in 3 Easy Steps
- Download & install a VPN. My favorite pick is ExpressVPN, as it is swift and constantly refreshes thousands of IP addresses to ensure you can avoid VPN IP blacklisting. It is one of the few VPNs with which I have not encountered an “Access Denied” message from Disney+, and I consider Disney+ one of the most stubborn services. NordVPN has also worked great in unblocking Netflix and Disney+ for me so far.
- Connect to a server. You will appear to be in whatever country the server is in.
- Start bypassing VPN blocks! Visit sites while hiding your location and activities!
The Best VPN for Bypassing Blocks: ExpressVPN
I consider ExpressVPN to be in a league of its own in terms of performance and features. Below you will find the short version, but my review of ExpressVPN was delightful.
ExpressVPN Key Features:
- Fast speeds to watch, browse, and game.
- Stability, no interruptions.
- 3,000+ VPN servers in 160 VPN server locations in 94 countries worldwide to easily avoid geoblocking.
- Five simultaneous device connections on multiple devices.
- 30-day money-back guarantee. In essence, you can try the service for free for 30 days
- Works with: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Vudu, and more.
- Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, Apple TV, and more.
ExpressVPN has superfast servers, so you can get the highest quality results for gaming, streaming, and more while you avoid blocks. In my review, I tested ExpressVPN with multiple servers to evaluate its speed, and I admit I was impressed.
ExpressVPN for Gaming
While gaming and streaming on Twitch, I had no problem reaching almost the maximum upload and download speeds. You won't be experiencing any lag or buffering with such rates. Even the ping on shooter games remains virtually close to your original one unless you select VPN servers far away from you. So, for instance, I sometimes do this when I stream for a lot of hours and I'm worried about the ISP throttling my upload rate.
To be clear, if anyone suggests using a VPN while playing a competitive shooter game, they probably have no idea what they are talking about. When I play Fortnite at 50-68ms, I will not use any VPN, even if it's the best one, as it will get me to the 80-100ms region. Still great for most online content.
As well as being fast, ExpressVPN's server network is reliable. While I tested the speeds on various streaming sites, I almost forgot I was bypassing blocks as they didn't manage to stop me once. My connection didn't drop on my laptop or phone when I logged into Amazon Prime UK. You might be surprised how easy it is to avoid blocks with this VPN.
ExpressVPN's Wireguard Version – Lightway
Moreover, I love the new Lightway protocol, which works seamlessly and runs smoothly. It has turned out to be super fast and reliable so far. One of the best parts of the process is editing blog posts using a VPN without any latency.
ExpressVPN – The Premium Price Tag
My only indictment against ExpressVPN is the premium price tag. It's comparatively quite expensive for a VPN service. Thankfully, it offers discounts and deals that make it a very tempting deal as you receive the most premium VPN service in return.
Despite being an affiliate marketer, I will not insist on people purchasing such a premium service. If ExpressVPN is above your budget, you should look at NordVPN and Cyberghost, which offer services of pretty comparable quality without the price tag. ExpressVPN is more of an option for those who want and can afford the best VPN service for privacy and unblocking.
You might be wary of signing up for a subscription without experiencing the service first –I know I usually am. With ExpressVPN's money-back guarantee, you could test out the service for 30-days and see if it's for you, and it will only take a conversation to get your money back if you aren't satisfied.
How To Bypass VPN Blocks (Netflix, Disney+ & More) Easily
- Choose a quality VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN because of its speedy and secure servers that give you access to more than 90 different countries.
- Sign up for the service. Create an account using the details you want linking to your subscription.
- Download your chosen VPN. Install it on whatever device you wish to bypass blocks on. A selection of apps or browser extensions will be available depending on the type of device you use.
- Sign in to your new VPN. Use your VPN account credentials.
- Connect your VPN to a server. Open your VPN app and choose a server in whichever country you would like to appear to be in so that you can access its content library.
- Browse, stream, and game unblocked! Do what you need to without constantly running into blocks.
FAQs on Bypassing VPN Blocks
Is it possible to bypass VPN blocks on Android and iOS devices?
Yes, you can! High-quality VPNs are optimized to work on various devices, so you can avoid blocks however you prefer to browse. They also have extra features, such as dedicated IP addresses, to ensure you can stay ahead of the blocks.
VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Cyberghost work like a charm on Android, iOS, and more platforms, easily avoiding blocks. Each has specific apps for using its services on either operating system, so it's super convenient. I've been using VPNs to watch multiple shows on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android using the streaming services' apps. Moreover, with premium VPNs, I can use my connection's bandwidth and watch TV shows and movies at 4K resolution.
Can I bypass VPN blocks to watch US Shows?
You can! By using a quality VPN, you'll be able to watch titles available in any other country. When you connect to a VPN server in another country, your location is hidden (even from your ISP). Then, when you click on a streaming site such as Netflix, it will think you are in the same country as the VPN server and allow you to watch that region's titles.
Connecting to a VPN takes seconds and will let you bypass blocks giving you access to any other country's shows and movies.
Can I unblock Netflix on my work computer?
Technically, yes. A high-quality VPN can get around blocks that proxies would not. However, I would not recommend doing this without permission, as you may encounter unforeseen problems.
For example, by disguising your activity, you could end up monopolizing the bandwidth and slowing down the rest of your office while streaming!
Can I Unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Other Sites With a Free VPN?
Free VPNs are unlikely to unblock significant streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. To begin with, they often have small networks with very few servers, which means that if even a single server is blacklisted, it can have a significant impact.
Streaming will probably also be brutal since free VPNs tend to serve users than their networks can support, leading to low speeds.
It's also worth noting that free VPNs don't have the best record on security or privacy. For instance, a study tested over 280 free VPN apps and found that nearly 40% contained malware.
Even those that didn't weren't necessarily safe, as over 80% were vulnerable to IPv6 leaks, and almost one in five used no encryption.
These risks aren't limited to little-known companies either; in 2015, the Israel-based Hola VPN, which many used for Netflix, was caught selling its users' idle bandwidth to facilitate a botnet. I strongly recommend to the readers to avoid using Hola at all costs.
Why Doesn't My VPN Unblock Streaming Services Anymore?
One possible reason is that the streaming platform has upgraded its VPN detection measures. This is often observed with VPNs that have a small pool of servers. One such case for me was Ivacy, as I explained in my Ivacy VPN review.
With Disney+, arguably the most stubborn service in terms of VPN blocks, there were several times I got an “Access Denied” message because I was using a banned VPN IP.
However, the good news is that premium VPN providers pride themselves on unblocking the most stubborn platforms and almost always find a workaround shortly after being blocked.
Sometimes, all you have to do is connect to a different server. I have not encountered VPN blocking issues with ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Cyberghost. These services perform constant IP refreshes when you don't use a dedicated IP, so it's hard to keep them blacklisted.
Meanwhile, I have written in my ExpressVPN for Netflix article Netflix is far less aggressive.
Finally, if you're struggling, your VPN's customer support team should be able to provide further assistance. So far, the premium VPNs' support services have resolved my issues in minutes, as most offer 24/7 support.
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