Wondering how you can access loads of extra content on your Android TV or TV box? Hooking a VPN with your Android TV is the answer! In this guide we take you through the best VPNs to use and how to set them up.
What are the best Android TV Box VPNs?
Here's a rundown of the Android TV VPNs that we recommend:
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for Android TV. It's fast, secure and a reliable unblocker too. It's the perfect VPN partner for Android TV users.
- NordVPN - A large brand offering great value at a cheap price
- CyberGhost VPN - An easy to use VPN for Android TV. It's easy to set up on all devices, including Android TV, thanks to its handy guides.
- Private Internet Access - A secure VPN for Android TV. It combines great encryption & features with unblocking & good speeds for streaming.
- Surfshark - The cheapest VPN for Android TV on our list. For $2.49 you get a secure service that is adept at unblocking & streaming HD.
A VPN is the easiest and fastest way to begin streaming more content online. With a VPN for Android TV, you can bypass geo-restrictions to watch content that is currently blocked in your country, so, you can wave goodbye to those annoying "not available where you live” notifications.
What’s more, a VPN provides digital privacy by encrypting all the data coming and going from your device. This means your ISP and the services you visit will have no idea where you are, who you are or what you are unblocking online.
When curating this list of VPNs to use with Android TV boxes, we considered:
- What the VPN can unblock
- How fast the VPN is
- How easy it is to set up and use
- Value for money
As long as a VPN functions with the majority of popular streaming platforms, is fast enough to stream in HD, isn't expensive, and can be set up easily to work with an Android TV box, it can be considered a good option for your set-top Android box.
So, let's take a closer look at the VPN services we recommend using with Android TV.
The Best Android TV VPN services to use in 2024
These VPNs can unblock tons of extra content and stream in HD on Android TV.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Android TV. It's a reliable, fast VPN that can unblock all major streaming services, making it ideal for Android TV. ExpressVPN is a well-known VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, that is ideal for anybody who wants to stream more content on an Android TV. The service has servers in 94 countries, which means you can easily bypass geo-restrictions. And this is one of the few services that can unblock BBC iPlayer, Netflix US, hulu, YouTube TV, and loads of other highly sought after online video players. ExpressVPN is a no-logs service with strong OpenVPN encryption. this means it will provide you with watertight digital privacy. When you connect to ExpressVPN, nobody can track what you do online. And ExpressVPN has apps for all platforms and can be setup directly on a router. Express boasts exceptional connection speeds, meaning you can easily stream content in HD. It's a truly outstanding service that we recommend testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. NordVPN is a provider based in Panama that offers the best balance of premium features and value for money. NordVPN starts at just $2.99 which is insanely cheap considering what you get. Servers are located in over 60 countries, which means that you will be able to pretend to be all around the globe. And, because the VPN has a zero-logs policy and strong military-grade encryption; you will have the digital privacy you need to unblock anything (without ever being found out). NordVPN is compatible with all Android TVs, and because it permits six simultaneous connections - you will also be able to use this VPN on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop computer. We think this VPN is a bargain and strongly recommend you give it a test run using its 30-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost VPN is an easy to use Android TV VPN. It offers excellent apps for all devices, including Android TV and it's easy to set up with easy to follow guides on its site. CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Romania - a country that's considered good for data privacy. In addition, a zero-logs policy and strong OpenVPN make CyberGhost an ideal pick for keeping your online habits private. There are compatible apps for all platforms, and you'll be able to install the VPN on up to 7 devices simultaneously. You can also easily share a connection from a computer to your Android TV. Plus, this VPN can be setup to work with routers. CyberGhost VPN has servers in in 90 countries worldwide, which means that you can easily bypass geo-restrictions to stream more content on your Android TV. And this VPN works to unblock Netflix US, iPlayer, hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and many other streaming services on your Android TV. Plus, CyberGhost VPN provides advanced features like OpenVPN encryption, kill switch, and DNS leak protection. That means you can enjoy this VPN for streaming and for gaining privacy from your ISP and the government. Finally, you can test CyberGhost risk free for 45 days thanks to its generous money-back guarantee. PIA is one of the most secure VPNs on our Android TV list. It has a strict no-log policy, excellent encryption & great privacy features. It also unblocks most major services. Regardless of whether you're a VPN expert or a tech-newcomer, you'll easily be able to install Private Internet Access (PIA) on any laptop or desktop to make it work with a smart TV. Even better, you can install PIA directly if you have an Android TV with access to the Play Store. This US-based VPN keeps a zero-logs policy that won't record what you do whilst connected, meaning it can never comply with a warrant or data request. For extra security, a kill switch ensures that you won't leak data to your ISP outside of the VPN tunnel. Besides strong privacy features, this VPN is fantastic for unblocking US content and blocked domains around the world. You can use it to unblock restricted YouTube videos, geo-restricted TV channels and VoD services like HBO Go, hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix US. With PIA you get fast connection speeds to stream shows in HD without annoying buffering. Considering what you get, PIA is extremely affordable, which is great. Finally, PIA has apps for all platforms which can be used on up to 10 devices simultaneously. That means you can use it both at home and on public WiFi. And it has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can compare it to other options if you wish. Surfshark is the cheapest VPN for Android TV on our list. But don't let the price fool you. It's adept at unblocking streaming services and has the speeds to back it up. Surfshark VPN is another service that is great for anybody with an Android TV. It is a super fast VPN that has 1700 servers in over 63 countries. This makes it great for bypassing local blocks, or for accessing geo-restricted content from around the world. Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and it has excellent 24/7 live chat support. It also allows you to connect as many devices as you want to the service at the same time, which makes it superb value for money (and a great option for larger families with a lot of devices). Throw in split tunneling so that you can choose which apps go through the VPN, and a Smart DNS service, and you can see why this is such a good service. We think Surfshark provides an exceptional value for money, and we love that it provides both strong levels of privacy and superb unblocking capabilities. And yes, it works with Netflix US (and loads of other Netflix catalogs), as well as iPlayer, hulu, and anything else you can think of. Well worth taking for a test run. 1. ExpressVPN
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Fastest VPNs for Android TV
Streaming HD content requires good connection speeds. Fortunately, all our recommend Android TV VPNs are fast. To show you how fast, we run regular speed tests on them and display the results in the table below.
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | CyberGhost VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProPrivacy.com SpeedTest (average) | 100 | 85.9 | 63.92 |
| Performance | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Reliability | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Speed | 100 | 568.0 | 556.2 |
Will a VPN improve my internet speeds?
No, if you are struggling to stream currently, it's unlikely a VPN is going to help the situation. In fact, VPNs often introduce a minor speed reduction on your line due to the extra distance your traffic must travel, as well as encrypting and decrypting that traffic.
In some fringe cases you might experience faster speeds if your ISP is engaging in traffic shaping which selectively reduces speeds based on the source of the traffic. But, this is one of the few situations a VPN will help your get better internet speeds.
How to install VPN on Android TV
If you want to start watching more content on your Android TV or Android TV box, a VPN is the ideal solution.
If you have a newer Android TV or box, you should be able to download the Android TV VPN app directly from the app store (just like any other app). We've made a list of the simple steps you'll need to follow in order to get set up:
- If you don't already have a subscription to an Android TV VPN, then pick one from the list above. Navigate to the services website and subscribe. You will need to set up a username and password and make a payment. Remember to hold onto your password and username as you will need these to login to the VPN on your Android TV.
- On your Android TV, access the Google Play Store and search for the VPN you have a subscription with. Download the app and let it install.
- Launch the VPN app and log in to the VPN using your credentials.
- Select a VPN server in the location that you prefer. You can opt for whichever country that you want to watch content from.
When your VPN connects, your data will be encrypted and your real IP address concealed, and instead, you'll appear to be in the location of the server you selected. As a result, you'll have true online privacy and be able to watch geo-restricted content from across the globe.
Set up a VPN for Android TV box
If your Android TV does not allow you to download apps from the Google Play Store, you may need to install the APK file manually. You can do this by sideloading the app onto your device:
- Start by downloading the APK file onto a PC or Android device.
- Next, copy the file onto a USB dongle and copy it over to your Android TV box via the USB port.
- go in your settings and select allow apps from Unknown Sources.
- Once the APK is on your device, you can run it and install it.
If your device does not have a USB hub, you could send the APK file to yourself in an email, open that email on your Android TV and download it to the device.
What can I watch with an Android TV VPN?
A VPN will let you "spoof" your location in order to appear as though you're in a different country, allowing you to access content that's usually only available there. As a result, you can access foreign services such as:
- Unblock Netflix
- BBC iPlayer
- MLB At Bat
- F1 TV
- Twitch
- Hulu
- HBO Go
- Plex
- SlingTV
Installing Kodi and a VPN on an Android TV in another way to access vast amounts of content that is usually geo-restricted.
Can I get a free VPN for Android TV box?
Although there are some reputable free VPN services on the market, they are not a good option for your Android TV. A free VPN for Android TV comes with download restrictions and connection speed limitations (bandwidth restrictions) that make it impossible to stream content on your TV.
Free VPN subscriptions are only really there to give you a taste of what the full, premium version can do. You are welcome to take one of our recommended free VPNs for a spin, however, you will be much better off getting a VPN with no data caps and fast speeds to watch content regularly on Android TV.
The good news is that all of our recommended Android TV VPNs provide a money-back guarantee. That means you can test a full premium VPN for between 30 and 45 days to see the difference between a restricted free plan and a full unrestricted premium plan.
Can I get a VPN for Sony Android TV?
Yes, as long as you can access the Play Store on your Sony Android TV (or it has a USB slot), you will be able to install a VPN app on your Sony TV.
However, if you have an older model, you may want to check what kind of internal storage space the TV has - because you'll need a little room to install the software.
Conclusion
An Android TV VPN setup instantly boosts your privacy and unblocks content from all over the world. Android TVs have the distinct advantage of letting you download Android VPN apps directly to the device, so you don’t need to mess about with sharing your TV’s connection with a computer to make use of the VPN’s capabilities.
Admittedly, if you have an older Android TV, you may not have access to the Playstore. If this is the case you will need to download the APK file from the Google Playstore on a separate device - and sideload it using a dongle. However, this is easy, and we have included instructions for doing so in this article.
With a VPN installed, you will be able to start watching country-specific services and apps. As a result, you will be able to access more services, apps, TV shows, movies, and sports competitions than ever before.
We think using a VPN with Android TV is a no-brainer, but if you aren’t convinced we recommend you have a go by using one of our recommended VPN’s money-back guarantees. You really have nothing to lose.