You open Netflix on a trip, and the series you were halfway through is missing. Or a friend in another country recommends a film your catalog doesn’t have. Netflix licenses films and series country by country, so every country has its own catalog. The one you see depends on where Netflix thinks you are.
It reads that from your IP address. So there’s no region option in your account settings. To change your Netflix region, you change the country your IP address shows, and a VPN does that in a few minutes. Without one, fewer methods still work, and they work on fewer devices.
Note for Standard With Ads Subscribers
Netflix sells its Standard with ads plan in 12 countries: the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil. It won’t stream on that plan where the plan isn’t sold. As a result, a region change only works between those 12. A small number of titles are also locked on the plan because of licensing.
Change Your Netflix Region in 4 Steps
- Subscribe to NordVPN, which unblocked the US, Canadian, Japanese, and Brazilian libraries in our tests.
- Install the app on the device you watch Netflix on, and sign in.
- Connect to a server in the country whose Netflix catalog you want.
- Restart Netflix and check that the Top 10 row names the new country.
How to Change Netflix Country With a VPN
A VPN sends your connection through a server in the country you choose. Netflix then sees that server’s IP address instead of yours, so it loads that country’s library. Any other site reacts the same way when you switch your IP address to another country.
However, Netflix also blocks the VPN servers it recognizes, so some VPNs unblock libraries that others can’t. For that reason, start by choosing a VPN that works with Netflix, such as NordVPN, Proton VPN, or ExpressVPN. Then install it on the device you watch Netflix on.
NordVPN, for example, has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV, so one account covers most screens at home. The app comes from the VPN’s own site or your device’s app store, and after that you just sign in. Next, decide which library you want and connect to a server in that country.
To access Australian Netflix, for example, find Australia in the server list and connect. Once you restart the Netflix app, or refresh the page in a browser, the home screen switches to the Australian catalog. To switch again, disconnect, choose another country, and restart Netflix. The Top 10 row names the country, which confirms the change.
Which Method Works on Which Device
| Device | Method |
| Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone | VPN app |
| Fire TV Stick | VPN app from the Amazon Appstore |
| Apple TV | VPN app on tvOS 17 or newer, or Smart DNS |
| Android TV and Google TV | VPN app from Google Play |
| Samsung and LG TVs | Smart DNS or a VPN router |
| PlayStation and Xbox | Smart DNS or a VPN router |
| Roku | VPN router |
On our Apple TV 4K, for instance, NordVPN’s tvOS app unblocked Netflix US. Its Smart DNS unblocked the same library without the app. Roku is harder, because it supports neither VPN apps nor DNS changes. On a Roku, the VPN has to be installed on the router instead.
How to Change Netflix Region Without a VPN
Every method without a VPN still has to change the location Netflix sees. Of those, Smart DNS came closest to a VPN in our tests, and it’s also the only one that works on a TV.
Change Netflix Region With Smart DNS
Smart DNS sends only the requests that reveal your location through a server in another country, so it requires no app. For that reason, it’s the method for smart TVs, game consoles, and streaming boxes that don’t support VPN apps.
NordVPN, ExpressVPN (as MediaStreamer), and Private Internet Access include it with a subscription, mostly for US content.
Proton VPN and Surfshark don’t offer Smart DNS, so with either of them, a Samsung or LG TV requires a VPN router. With the other three, enable Smart DNS in your VPN account first and register your home IP address if prompted.
Then enter the two DNS servers it lists in your device’s network settings. On an iPhone, for example, they go under Settings > Wi-Fi > your network > Configure DNS.
In our tests, Smart DNS unblocked Netflix US in 9 of 10 attempts, while NordVPN’s app unblocked it 10 times out of 10. Smart DNS also leaves your traffic unencrypted and your IP address visible, so it changes the catalog without adding privacy.
Change Location on Netflix With Meshnet
NordVPN’s Meshnet lets you send your traffic through another device you’ve linked, such as a friend’s computer in the US. Netflix then sees that device’s IP address instead of yours. Meshnet is also free: you download the NordVPN app and create an account, with no subscription required.
Your friend’s computer requires the same app with Meshnet enabled, so the setup takes both of you. The bigger risk is household detection. Netflix checks whether devices on an account share a home network, the same check behind its password-sharing restrictions. Streaming through a friend’s network can therefore trigger a verification request.
Change Country on Netflix With a Proxy
Proxies are often confused with VPNs, and free web proxies rarely work with Netflix. Netflix recognizes their shared IP addresses, and many of them can’t stream video. On top of that, free web proxies such as Hide.me’s and CyberGhost’s offer only a few European locations.
Browser extensions from VPN companies work better, although most of them are proxies too. In our tests, the NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN extensions unblocked libraries their desktop apps couldn’t.
The difference is location spoofing, which makes the browser report the server’s location instead of yours. NordVPN’s extension does this automatically. In ExpressVPN, enable Spoof your location under Privacy & Security, and in Surfshark, enable Geo-spoofing on the home screen.
The trade-off is that each extension requires a VPN subscription and covers only the browser. The Netflix app on a phone or TV still sees your own location.
Change Country on Netflix With Tor Browser
Tor Browser assigns a random country, and Netflix blocks most Tor relays anyway. Speed is the other problem. When we tested it on our home library, Netflix’s home page took 16 seconds to load.
Without a VPN, it took 2 seconds, and on NordVPN, 3 seconds. At that pace, even HD playback can buffer. Tor Browser is better kept for the jobs it’s built for, such as accessing the dark web.
Move or Change Your Billing Country
Netflix shows the local catalog of the country you’re in, so traveling changes your region for as long as you’re there. Your billing country works differently, and it can’t be changed in the settings.
To switch it, cancel the membership and sign up again from the new country, which resets the price and payment options. Even then, the catalog still follows where you are.
Popular Netflix Region Changes
Netflix offers a different catalog in each of its 190+ countries, and library sizes change every month as licenses start and end. Netflix Originals appear in most of them, while licensed films and series differ from country to country.
As a result, a title missing from one library can be available in the next.
- American Netflix: Connect to a US server. The US catalog is usually the largest, and the steps for watching American Netflix abroad are the same in any country.
- US Netflix in Canada: Canada’s catalog is smaller, so a US server is the usual switch for US Netflix from Canada.
- UK Netflix in the US: Connect to a UK server. NordVPN and Proton VPN unblocked Netflix UK in our tests, and the setup for watching UK Netflix abroad is the same.
- Japanese Netflix: Connect to a server in Japan for its anime catalog, the main reason people watch Japanese Netflix from abroad.
- Netflix Philippines in the US: Connect to a server in the Philippines. NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN unblocked Netflix Philippines in our tests, and Full HD and 4K streams worked smoothly.
Why Can’t I Change My Netflix Region?
Netflix has detected the VPN server when it shows a proxy error, keeps your home catalog, or lists only Netflix Originals. Try these fixes:
- Switch servers: Connect to another server in the same country, then restart Netflix.
- Clear cookies and cache: Old location data can keep the previous catalog in place. Proton VPN unblocked Netflix Sweden only after I cleared them.
- Try the browser extension: NordVPN’s Chrome extension unblocked Netflix Taiwan after the desktop app was detected.
- Change the protocol: If WireGuard or NordLynx is detected, OpenVPN on the same server sometimes isn’t.
- Use a dedicated IP address: Only you use it, so Netflix is less likely to flag it as a VPN.
- Switch VPNs: Some libraries block certain VPNs on every server. Netflix Brazil and Turkey blocked Proton VPN but not NordVPN.
Best VPNs to Change Your Netflix Region
These three VPNs unblocked the most Netflix libraries in our tests. For a wider comparison, our ranking of VPNs that work with Netflix compares five of them library by library.
1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Changing Netflix Region
In our tests, NordVPN unblocked Netflix in the US, Canada, Japan, and Brazil, the widest spread of the three. It also covers the most ground on TVs, since every major streaming device has a native app and Smart DNS handles sets that don’t support one.
Beyond those four libraries, its servers cover 152 countries, so most other catalogs are one connection away. As for price, paid two years ahead, the Basic plan is about $3.50 a month, and it covers 10 devices. That’s enough for a TV, a laptop, and every phone in the house.
We’d start here if you want one VPN for most libraries.
2. Proton VPN: Best for Privacy on Netflix
Proton VPN unblocked the US, Canadian, and Japanese libraries in our tests, so it covers the catalogs viewers switch to most. Privacy is where it goes further: the company is based in Switzerland, its apps are open source, and its no-logs policy is independently audited every year.
Distance isn’t a problem either, since VPN Accelerator keeps speeds up on far-off servers, such as Japan from the US. The VPN Plus plan is priced at about $3 a month on a two-year subscription and includes 10 devices. Its apps also cover streaming devices such as Fire TV and Apple TV.
3. ExpressVPN: Best for Fast Switching Between Libraries
ExpressVPN tied NordVPN as the fastest VPN in our tests, and it connects in a second or two, so hopping from one library to the next takes almost no time. Along the way, it unblocked American, Canadian, and Japanese Netflix. Its apps are also the simplest of the three: choose a country, press connect, and restart Netflix.
With servers in 113 countries, it covers fewer locations than NordVPN, but every major catalog is there. Its Basic plan is around $3 a month for two years, with room for 10 devices, while the higher plans add more devices and extra protection. For Samsung and LG TVs, MediaStreamer, its Smart DNS, unblocks the US library without a router.
Free VPNs for Netflix
Free VPNs are hit and miss on Netflix, but two of the best free VPNs did better than the rest in our tests. Windscribe’s free plan unblocked the American, Canadian, and Japanese libraries, and PrivadoVPN’s unblocked two of them. By contrast, Proton VPN’s free plan didn’t work with Netflix US.
Even with those two, data is the serious limit. Windscribe and PrivadoVPN allow up to 10 GB a month on free accounts, roughly five hours of HD. That means the free VPNs that work with Netflix suit a film or two. A whole series, on the other hand, uses up the allowance within days.
Is Changing My Netflix Country Legal?
Yes, in most countries. Using a VPN to work around geo-blocks isn’t a crime where VPNs themselves are legal. It does break Netflix’s terms of use, which limit viewing to the country where the account was set up and to titles licensed there.
In practice, Netflix responds by blocking the VPN server, and there are no known cases of it closing accounts for this.
Can I Find Subtitles in My Language?
Netflix offers a set of subtitle languages for each title, based on the region and a few widely spoken languages. After a region change, yours may be missing. Open Manage Profiles, set your preferred language, and check the title again.
If that doesn’t help, try Substital, a free extension for Chrome and Firefox. It detects the title you’re watching and loads subtitles in your language, and you can adjust their position, color, and size.
Summary
The method depends on the screen you watch on. On phones, computers, Fire TV, and Apple TV, a VPN connected to the country you want switches the library after a restart. Samsung and LG TVs, consoles, and Roku, by contrast, depend on Smart DNS or a VPN router, and those mostly unblock the US library.
Proxies, Tor, and a new billing country won’t change the catalog on their own. Whichever VPN you choose, test the libraries you care about in the first month, while the 30-day money-back guarantee still applies.
FAQ About Netflix Region Change
Why is Netflix showing the wrong country?
Netflix sets the catalog from the location of the device’s IP address. A VPN, proxy, or mobile network routed through another country can make Netflix load that country’s library.
Which country has the best Netflix library?
The US library is usually the largest, with Canada, the UK, and Japan close behind. Japan’s library is known for anime, and every catalog changes monthly as licenses expire.
Can you change your Netflix country in account settings?
No. Netflix has no region setting, and the billing country of an existing account stays fixed. Moving it requires canceling and signing up again from the new country.
Will Netflix ban you for using a VPN?
No. Using a VPN breaks Netflix’s terms of use, but Netflix responds by blocking the VPN server, which shows a proxy error or a smaller catalog. Account closures for this aren’t known.
Does changing your Netflix region change the price?
No. The price depends on the country where the account was created and billed. Connecting through another country changes the catalog only, so the monthly charge stays the same.
Can you change Netflix region on a smart TV?
Yes. Android TV, Google TV, and Fire TV support VPN apps, while Samsung and LG TVs require Smart DNS or a VPN router, since neither runs VPN apps.