How to Watch American Netflix with a VPN in 2024: Guide & Best Netflix VPNs
If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you can still access the American Netflix library. Our guide shows you how to watch American Netflix from anywhere.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Reviewed by Jackie Leavitt (Co-Chief Editor)
Last Updated: 2024-10-19T20:03:36+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: How to Watch American Netflix
- Sign up for a 73% discounted plan on NordVPN’s website.
- Connect to a U.S. server.
- Go to Netflix and start streaming American Netflix content.
Best 3 VPNs for Accessing American Netflix:
- NordVPN — Top-rated VPN delivering exceptional performance. New NordVPN subscribers get up to 73% reduced rates on long-term commitments.
- Surfshark — Wallet-friendly VPN without compromises. Explore Surfshark’s features with a 30-day return policy, and grab extended plans at a 86% discount.
- ExpressVPN — Easy-to-use VPN with great performance and features. Get 49% off the first year with ExpressVPN, covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee.
What to Know About Accessing American Netflix:
- Netflix uses geoblocks, so the content differs depending on your location. To access the U.S. Netflix library from overseas, you can use a VPN.
- NordVPN is the best VPN for watching American Netflix. It’s lightning fast, consistent with streaming services and secure.
- Our second and third recommendations for streaming Netflix USA are Surfshark and ExpressVPN. Both have decent speeds and are great VPNs for Netflix.
Though streaming service Netflix is available in many countries, you won’t get the same content everywhere due to regional restrictions. American Netflix is one of the largest Netflix libraries in the world and has a diverse selection of content. If you’re going to be traveling outside the U.S., read on to find out how to watch American Netflix from anywhere in the world.
To access U.S. Netflix, our top VPN recommendation is NordVPN. If you’re new to virtual private networks, stay tuned, and we’ll show you how to get American Netflix from other regions, as well as how to watch Netflix while traveling using a VPN.
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03/25/2022
Updated to include a step-by-step picture tutorial and to include updated information on VPN providers that can unlock Netflix U.S. We’ve added in a section about free VPNs, too.
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07/16/2024
Added our “how to unblock Netflix” video for easy viewing.
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10/01/2024
We refreshed this guide with updated step-by-step instructions and revised VPN rankings.
Quick Guide: How to Watch American Netflix with a VPN
In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to start streaming TV shows and movies on American Netflix in four simple steps. Assuming you have a Netflix account, let’s get started.
- Sign up for a VPN, like NordVPN. Go to NordVPN’s website and sign up at a 73% discount.
- Download the VPN app to your device.
- Open the VPN app and connect to a U.S. server.
- Open Netflix and start streaming American Netflix.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN
Go to ExpressVPN’s website and pick a plan. All ExpressVPN plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Download ExpressVPN
Download the ExpressVPN app for your device and follow the instructions in the installation wizard.
- Connect to a US Server
Open the ExpressVPN app, then select a U.S. server and tap the “connect” button. To see all servers or search for one, tap the three horizontal dots in the location box.
- Open Netflix and Start Streaming
Open Netflix, pick the movie or show you want to watch, put your feet up and enjoy streaming.
Why Can’t I Watch Netflix America From Abroad?
Netflix uses geoblocks, which is why content in Netflix libraries differs by country. Basically, this is due to copyright and licensing issues. To give you an example, if you search for The Borgias on U.S. Netflix, you’ll find it, but if you search for it on Netflix U.K., you won’t.
Geoblocking affects many popular services besides Netflix. Hulu’s content, for example, is off limits outside the U.S. and BBC iPlayer outside the U.K (read our how to watch BBC iPlayer in the U.S.A guide.
This is why many people use VPNs to get around the restrictions and unlock these services’ full potential. If you’re not interested in the U.S. library, you can use your VPN to change Netflix region and access other libraries.
How to Watch U.S. Netflix: The Best VPNs
If you’re unsure of which VPN to choose to watch Netflix U.S., the VPNs below are our top recommendations. These three services are great VPNs for streaming, but they each have their own thing going for them. Read on to find out more.
1. NordVPN — Best VPN for US Netflix
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN is the best streaming VPN. It gets into major streaming services, including Netflix, and has the fastest speeds. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee to give you peace of mind if you want to give it a try.
We also like NordVPN’s user-friendly interface and that you can switch servers without opening a location list. While there is a handy list at the side, the main feature is its interactive map. However, as much as it’s great to use on the desktop app, it’s a bit tricky to use on smaller screens.
Still, that’s not a deal-breaker and NordVPN has a cheap two-year plan available. Read our complete guide to learn how to watch Netflix with NordVPN, as well as our full NordVPN review.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best VPN for US Netflix With Unlimited Connections
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $59.76 for one year, $59.76 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $79 for one year & $79 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — User Friendly Netflix US VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
Can I Use a Free VPN to Get American Netflix?
Yes, but you need to be careful with free VPNs. Some aren’t reputable and may lack important privacy features like no-logging policies. If you’re going with a free VPN, we recommend Windscribe — one of the best free VPNs for Netflix. It’s secure and has a 15GB free plan that provides as much protection as its paid plans. It also does a great job of smashing through Netflix’s geoblocks (learn more in our Windscribe-Neflix guide).
That said, 15GB won’t get far if you’re a regular streamer. If you want more than a few episodes or a movie, we recommend subscribing to a paid plan with unlimited data. To learn more about what the service offers, check out our Windscribe review.
What if I Can’t Access American Netflix?
If you can’t access American Netflix you should try different U.S. servers, clearing your cache and refreshing the page each time you switch servers.
Streaming sites are always trying to get better at detecting and blocking VPNs. At the same time, VPN services are always working to overcome these blocks. Sometimes, if you get that meddling proxy error message, it might be because Netflix is doing a particularly grand job that day at blocking VPNs. Don’t worry, though. Netflix won’t block your account for using a VPN.
You can also clear your cookies on Netflix. To do this, go to netflix.com/clearcookies. This will clear any cookies, log you out of your Netflix account and ask you to sign back in.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, getting around Netflix’s geoblocks to watch American Netflix is nothing to worry about. With a decent VPN, it should take you but a few seconds to connect and stream your favorite shows and movies. If you run into difficulties, your first port of call is to switch servers until you find one that works. This usually solves the problem.
Remember: With a VPN and Netflix account you can unlock infinite entertainment options. NordVPN is the best VPN for the job. Curious about NordVPN? Its 30-day refund policy means you can explore all its features worry-free and decide if it’s the right fit for you.
Want to learn even more? Have a look at our guide on how to get around Netflix password sharing for more information. Do you use a VPN to unblock American Netflix? Which VPN works best for you? Leave us a comment below, and thanks for reading.
FAQ
Netflix libraries have different content depending on the location. American Netflix has a vast library and some movies and shows are only available there. That said, some content is available in Netflix libraries around the world. It just depends on the licensing agreement.
You can use a quality VPN like ExpressVPN to unlock American Netflix. A VPN changes your IP address to make it appear as though you are in another country.
Shows exclusive to U.S. Netflix include The Borgias, Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series and Surviving R. Kelly.
You need to pay for a Netflix subscription wherever you are in the world. On the bright side, you can use the money-back guarantees offered by VPN providers to try the VPNs with Netflix for free. Check out our guides for ways you can watch free movies online.