Every VPN app has a list of countries, and connecting to one of them changes the location most websites see. Some sites look further.
A phone can still report its GPS position, a browser can share where you are, and a streaming account can remember the country you signed up from. The switch itself is quick. Choose a server abroad, and the VPN replaces your IP address with one from that server, which is how sites determine where you are.
This kind of location spoofing works the same on a laptop, a phone, or a TV, with small differences in where the apps keep their server lists. The leftover signals are where most people get stuck. Here’s how to change the location and make it stick.
Switch Your VPN to Another Country in 4 Steps
- Subscribe to NordVPN, or a VPN that covers your target country, and install the app.
- Open the server list and type the country’s name into the search bar.
- Choose a city if the service you want requires one, or select the country itself.
- Connect and confirm the new location with whatismyipaddress.com or another IP checker.
How to Change Your VPN Location on Each Device
The steps match on most devices: open the app, find the country, and connect. Only the place where the server list appears changes from one device to another.
Windows and Mac
On a computer, the server list usually takes up one side of the app. In NordVPN, the countries appear in a list next to the map, and the search bar at the top finds one as you type. Selecting the country connects to the fastest server there, and the menu next to each country lists its cities.
Proton VPN groups its servers under Countries, with an arrow that expands each one into cities, and ExpressVPN opens a location picker with a search field and an All Locations tab. To switch countries on a Windows VPN or a Mac app, select a new one.
The app disconnects from the old server and connects to the new one, usually within a couple of seconds. On Linux, NordVPN does the same from the terminal: type nordvpn connect followed by the country’s name.
Android, iPhone, and iPad
Mobile apps use the same list in a simpler layout. On my iPhone, NordVPN’s app connected to a new country either by searching for its name or by scrolling the country list and tapping it. Quick Connect on the main screen goes to the fastest server near you, so skip it when you want another country.
Phones also have a location of their own. Apps that read GPS, such as maps, delivery apps, and some betting apps, still see where you are, because the VPN swaps your IP address, while GPS works independently of it.
If an app shows the wrong country with the VPN on, check whether it has location access in your phone’s settings.
Browser Extensions
A browser extension changes the location for that browser only. NordVPN and Proton VPN extensions have their own country lists and connect without the desktop app.
ExpressVPN’s extension controls the desktop app by default, so choosing a country in Chrome changes the location for the whole computer. Extensions also handle a signal the desktop apps don’t.
NordVPN’s extension can make the browser report the server’s location when a site requests it, and in our tests, it unblocked streaming pages that the desktop app alone couldn’t.
Smart TVs, Routers, and Game Consoles
Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV run the VPN’s own app, so you change the country from the same list as on a phone.
On a router, the setup decides how easy a switch is. ExpressVPN’s router app lets you create device groups, each connected to a different country, so the TV can use a US server while a laptop remains on a UK one.
A router set up manually requires a new configuration file for each country. Game consoles don’t run VPN apps. Connect them through a router with the VPN installed, or share the connection from a computer.
Choosing the Right Server Location
Distance sets most of the speed you’ll get. The farther the server, the longer each request takes: in our tests from Europe, NordVPN’s ping rose from 41 ms on a UK server to 215 ms in Japan, too slow for fast online games but still enough for streaming.
Choose the closest country that does the job.
- For streaming: connect to the country of the catalog you want, such as a US server for the American Netflix library or a Canadian IP address for Canadian services. A city matters only when a service checks it, like local channels on US TV services.
- For privacy: any country works, so choose a nearby one for speed. With NordVPN’s Double VPN, traffic passes two encrypted servers in a row.
- For banking abroad: use a server in your bank’s country. A dedicated IP address, an IP address only you use, cuts down on extra security checks.
- On networks that block VPNs: office, school, and hotel Wi-Fi sometimes stop VPN connections. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers and Proton VPN’s Stealth make VPN traffic hard to recognize.
Set a Default Location
If you always use the same country, set it once.
- NordVPN’s auto-connect setting connects to a country of your choice whenever the app starts, and on Windows, the option is under Custom.
- Proton VPN’s default connection, on paid plans, can be the fastest country, a random one, your last connection, or a recent one.
- ExpressVPN’s Smart Location chooses a server for you, and its location picker keeps your recent countries at the top.
Why a Website Still Sees Your Real Location
Your IP address is the main signal websites read, but not the only one. If a site still shows your home country with the VPN on, one of these is usually why:
- Browser location access: sites can ask the browser for your location. Block that permission in the browser’s site settings, or use an extension that reports the server’s location instead.
- Cookies and signed-in accounts: a site may remember the country from your last visit. Clear its cookies or open a private window before you connect again.
- Account and payment country: some services tie the region to your account or card. Changing your Steam region, for example, takes more than a VPN, and app stores follow your Apple or Google account’s country.
- DNS or WebRTC leaks: a leak can expose your real IP address. None of the VPNs we tested leaked, and ipleak.net shows whether yours does.
- VPN detection: streaming services block IP addresses they recognize as VPN servers. A different server in the same country often isn’t on the blocklist yet.
Once the location shows the right country, your new IP address works across the device’s apps until you disconnect.
Best VPNs for Changing Your Location
A VPN for changing locations requires many countries, city choices where they matter, and good speed on distant servers. NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN meet those requirements, and our overall VPN rankings list more.
| VPN | Countries | City choice | Default location setting | Speed loss on a Japanese server |
| NordVPN | 152 | Yes | Auto-connect to a chosen country | 15.7% (NordLynx) |
| Proton VPN | 149 | Yes | Default connection (paid plans) | 16.0% (WireGuard) |
| ExpressVPN | 113 | Yes | Smart Location | 13.9% (Lightway) |
1. NordVPN: Best for the Widest Choice of Countries
Pros
- Largest country list in our tests
- City choice in larger countries
- Meshnet for a home location abroad
- Location spoofing in the browser extension
- Dedicated IP addresses
Con
- Higher renewal price
NordVPN covers 152 countries, more than any other VPN we’ve tested, and its larger countries are split into cities, so you can choose between New York and Los Angeles. That range helps with out-of-market NFL games: on its US servers, it unblocked NFL+ and YouTube TV in our tests.
Meshnet adds a location no server list has: your own home. With a home computer left on, NordVPN sends your browsing through it while you travel, so local sites see your usual home connection. The browser extension’s location spoofing covers the browser’s own location signal, making the browser report the server’s location to sites that ask.
2. Proton VPN: Best for Changing Location Privately
Pros
- Search by country or city
- Secure Core through privacy-friendly countries
- Custom default connection
- Stealth protocol on every plan
- Uncapped free plan
Con
- Free plan doesn’t let you choose a country
Proton VPN lists 149 countries, and each one expands into cities in the app. Its Secure Core servers change the location in two stages: your traffic first enters one of Proton VPN’s hardened servers in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden, then leaves from the country you chose.
Sites see the second country, and anyone monitoring that final server can’t see your real IP address. Its default connection setting saves a step if you use the same location daily, and Stealth, its obfuscation protocol, comes with every plan, including the free one.
The free plan doesn’t help with a specific location, since it assigns a server from a short list of about ten countries. To choose the country yourself, VPN Plus is required.
3. ExpressVPN: Best for Switching Locations Quickly
Pros
- Connections in one to two seconds
- Smart Location chooses for you
- Router app with device groups
- Lowest speed loss on a Japanese server
Con
- Few advanced settings
ExpressVPN connected quickly in our tests, so moving between countries feels close to instant. That suits trying several locations in a row, for example, when you watch ITVX from abroad and one UK server is busy.
Its router app goes furthest: device groups put different devices on different countries at once, so a smart TV can use one location while your laptop uses another. The extension controls the desktop app, so a switch in Chrome moves the whole computer.
Why Change Your VPN Location?
A new location helps in a few everyday situations:
- Streaming catalogs: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other services show different libraries by country. A server in the right country lets you watch Foxtel Go outside Australia or the US Netflix catalog from elsewhere.
- Censored countries: where governments block apps and news sites, as in China and Iran, a server abroad unblocks them, ideally with obfuscation enabled.
- Prices that vary by country: airlines, booking sites, and some subscriptions quote different prices to visitors from different countries. Switching countries lets you compare before you buy.
- Sports blackouts: live games blacked out where you are often stream normally from another region.
- Privacy on public Wi-Fi: any location encrypts your traffic, so a nearby country is the best choice when privacy is the only goal.
Final Thoughts
Start with the country, and add a city only when a service checks for one. On most devices, that’s a search in the country list and one tap to connect. Keep the server as close as the job allows. A VPN slows your connection more on a distant server, and online gamers feel it first.
When the home country keeps showing up, the IP address usually isn’t the problem. Check the phone’s location access, the browser’s permissions, and the country tied to your account, then try a second server in the same country before giving up on the first.
FAQs
Can a VPN change your location on an iPhone?
Yes. A VPN app on an iPhone changes the location websites and most apps see. Apps that use location services, such as maps, still read the phone's GPS position.
Can a VPN change your GPS location?
No. A VPN changes the IP address and leaves the phone's GPS untouched. Apps that request GPS access can still see the real location unless that access is turned off.
Can you change your VPN location for free?
Yes. Windscribe and PrivadoVPN let free users choose from several countries within a monthly data limit, while Proton VPN's free plan picks the country automatically.
How often can you change your VPN location?
As often as needed. Paid VPNs allow unlimited switches between countries, while free plans may restrict choices or, like Proton VPN's free plan, add a wait after several changes.
Do you get a new IP address each time you reconnect?
Usually, yes. Most VPN servers share IP addresses among many users, so reconnecting often brings a different one. A dedicated IP address remains the same every time.
Is it legal to change your VPN location?
Yes, in most countries. Changing location with a VPN is legal in the US, the UK, and the EU, though some streaming services prohibit it in their terms of use.