Why Do I Need A VPN
If youre just streaming basic content on your Fire Stickthink Amazon Prime Video or Huluyou probably dont. Though having a VPN on is very rarely the wrong choice, the privacy it adds to your device isnt needed to enjoy your favorite services regularly. And although we also say that the less information you give internet service providers and online companies, the better, the truth is that a VPN wont be right for everyone.
However, if youve found your way to this page, its probably because youre using your Fire Stick for something that isnt a standard application available through the Amazon Appstore. Be it basic piracy apps like Showbox or Terrarium TV, or more complicated applications like Kodi, which allow you to fully load your Fire Stick with a new interface, along with thousands of applications and add-ons to completely change how you watch movies forever. These systems are easy to set up and use, but theres a big reason why people turn away from them: they arent entirely legal.
While thousands of users get away with consuming pirated content on the internet every day, its important to keep in mind that not everyone gets away with piracy. If youre caught by your ISP, you can land yourself in some hot water, including losing access to your internet or even facing major fines from groups like the MPAA.
One VPN For Every Amazon Device
A VPN is a safe and easy way to secure your Fire Stick and Fire TV. ExpressVPN offers easy-to-use apps that you can download and install in seconds.
When you connect to a secure VPN server, youâre instantly able to hide your IP address, secure your connection, and browse with added privacy.
ExpressVPN works on virtually every Amazon device, including:
-
Fire TV Stick 2nd Generation, Fire TV Stick 3rd Generation
-
Fire TV 2nd Generation, Fire TV 3rd Generation
-
Fire TV Cube
Screen mirroring is perhaps the simplest way to use your VPN to stream to a TV. Fire TV Stick supports screen mirroring from most Android devices.
NOTE: Fire TV First Generation is not compatible with ExpressVPN, or any other VPN. All other versions of Fire Stick and Fire TV are supported.
Updating Your Firestick VPN App
One hassle you might encounter with sideloaded Google Play apps and direct download APKs is that they dont automatically receive updates. If you have a working stable version and its secure, then this isnt so much of a problem. But occasionally you might be forced to update the app. You can compare versions between the about or information page in the installed app versus the version number listed on Google Play.
The process is more or less the same as the steps you took in either method #1 or #2. However, before you begin, its important to force stop the existing VPN app.
Read Also: How To Add Ipvanish To Firestick
What Is The Best VPN For Firestick & Android TV Box
I have used over a dozen VPN services during the past seven years and I finally came across one that works very well with all models of the Fire TV.
One of the most important features to look at when comparing VPN services is download/streaming speed.
No matter which VPN service that you choose, you will notice a drop in your download speed due to the fact that your traffic is routed through a separate VPN server, and your connections are encrypted.
IPVanish provides the best download speeds when compared to their competitors and they do not keep any traffic logs of what you stream/download or access on the Internet.
IPVanish VPN provides an optimized application for the Firestick, Fire TV, Fire TV Cube, and Fire TV Television that works excellent with the remote.
The user interface makes it simple to use a VPN on your Fire TV device. Most VPN services do not provide a Fire TV/Fire TV Stick application which makes IPVanish the preferred choice due to its ease of use.
IPVanish does not keep track of any traffic logs so if they were ever requested to provide your streaming history, it doesnt exist.
This is also one of many reasons why IPVanish is regarded as the Best VPN for Streaming among the growing cord-cutting community.
Not only do I use a VPN on my connected devices in my home, but I also use it when I am traveling. You should NEVER connect to a public WiFi hot-spot without protection through a VPN service.
How Do You Install A Free VPN On Amazons Fire TV Stick
The Amazon Fire TV Stick gives access to Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu.
Sometimes, though, you may be away from your primary location and still want to access your regular streaming activity. Or, you may wish to keep your streaming activity away from prying eyes or simply desire to check out another countrys Netflix offer.
VPNs are perfect for all these uses and give you the chance to watch any television content available on your Amazon Fire TV Stick safely and securely. Before we begin, however, you should know that VPN apps cannot run on first-generation Fire TV devices.
First, you need to determine if your device is on the list of compatible Fire TV Stick models:
- Fire TV Cube
- Fire TV Cube
- Fire TV Stick
- Fire TV
- Fire TV Stick 4K
To check if you have a compatible device, you just need to look at the FCC ID. An FCC ID is a unique number assigned to any device registered with the United States Federal Communications Commission and can be used as an identifier. It typically consists of a grantee code and an equipment product code.
You would usually find this on the side of the device. If the FCC ID is anything other than 2ABDU-0509, then youre all good to go. Now, we can move on to installations.
Lets break down how both options work.
Recommended Reading: What Does VPN Do On Iphone
Connect To A Physical VPN Router
If all of the above methods to install VPN on an Amazon Firestick or Fire TV fail for you, theres one more workaround thatll work for sure.
That is, to connect your device to a physical VPN router.
Regardless of how old or new your Fire device is, you can always use a VPN on it via this method as far as it can connect to a router.
For those who dont know about such routers yet, let me explain.
VPN-enabled routers are just like regular routers. However, they have the VPN running at the level of the router instead of any other device. Once a VPN runs on the router, the entire traffic generated from the router becomes encrypted. Thus, any device connecting to such a router will be connected to the VPN-enabled internet without requiring a VPN running on the device itself.
So, if you dont already own a VPN-enabled router yet, you can either buy one. Or, you can flash your existing router to install a VPN on it.
But whether you can easily flash it or not depends on the type of router you own. If you wish to know more details, please refer to this detailed guide about setting up a VPN on a router.
Once you connect your Firestick or Fire TV device to a VPN router, you dont have to worry about installing one on your device.
The only limitation at this point is that you would need some other device, like your computer or smartphone, to change VPN servers. If you can manage that easily, youre free to stream your desired content on your Fire device.
How Do I Set Up My Norton VPN
You can already subscribe to a VPN by opening the Norton secure VPN app. You will be prompted to confirm your Norton Account by tapping Yes in the Do you have a Norton Account pop-up. Log in to your account by entering your login credentials. Activate Secure VPN by tapping Turn on VPN in the Secure VPN app.
You May Like: How To Setup A VPN On Xbox 360
Installing A VPN On Your Amazon Fire TV Stick With And Apk On A Second Android Device
For this method you need to have another Android devices, this can be a phone, laptop, or tablet, that doesnt matter.
Install An Android Apk On Your Amazon Fire TV Stick
The final method you can use to protect your Fire TV Stick with a VPN, is by installing android APK. APK is a type of file that splits up an app into different little packages. You can compare it to zip-files. If an app isnt in the Play Store you can use this type of file to install an app on your Android device.
There are two ways of doing this: either through a direct download or through a download on a second Android device. Both methods start out with the same steps but after that the process is quite different. For this reason we discuss them separately below.
After that you can also read how you can open and update these files on you Fire TV Stick.
Don’t Miss: How To Setup VPN On Android Box
How Do I Put VPN On My Firestick
How To Set Up A VPN On Your Amazon Fire TV Stick
Keeping your binge-watch private is easier than you think.
Setting up a VPN on your Amazon Fire TV Stick is an easy way to protect your privacy.
Finally found the right virtual private network for your Amazon Fire TV Stick or Fire TV ? Excellent. Getting the VPN installed and running is easier than you think. And doing so is a good idea, because it both helps you get around regional restrictions on streaming services and protects your privacy from your internet service provider and advertisers.
Keep in mind that not all VPNs work with . Likewise, not all Amazon Fire TV Sticks are going to work with your VPN. The VPNs we most recommend for this platform, however, will all at least work with second generation Sticks or later.
You can also check out our full list of best VPNs for 2021, where you’ll find bullet points beside each VPN, listing the platforms it’s compatible with.
Here’s the easiest way to install your VPN on your Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Read Also: How To Setup VPN On Xbox One
Opening A VPN App That Was Installed With Apk
The installed APK app will not immediately appear in the standard app menu. To open the app and use the VPN service you need to follow these steps:
How To Install A VPN On Amazon Fire TV Stick 2022 Update
With 300+ existing VPNs, finding one that works on your Amazon Fire TV Stick is indeed a complicated mission. I went through the exact same dilemma when I first set mine up. However, after testing and trying over 30 VPNs, I found one that works perfectly with the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Only the best VPN made it on my list so that you can unblock any streaming library from all over the world. Additionally, you get access to specialized streaming servers with impressive speeds, so your experience is truly bufferless.
I recommend ExpressVPN for its large server network that allows you to connect to thousands of servers in the entire world. You can try it out risk-free and if youre not satisfied, you can claim a full refund within 30 days.
Recommended Reading: How To Get A VPN On Xbox Free
Installing A VPN On Fire Stick
The simplest way to do this is to open up the Amazon Appstore. The top VPNs will all have an app available for Fire Stick, and wed recommend checking to see if theres a dedicated service available before signing up.
If youre using ExpressVPN, youd search for ExpressVPN in the search bar. Select the correct application, and download.
Once youve downloaded the app, open it, and you should be faced with a login screen. Use your details you created when signing up to the service to activate the app.
Best VPN For Firestick
There are over a hundred VPN providers out there. To finalize this list of top VPNs for FireStick, I have painstakingly used and tested dozens of them. Later in this guide, you will find a section where I describe the method I used to test them all.
After weeks of testing, I concluded that the following are the best VPNs for FireStick:
There are other VPNs that came close however, they were not as good as the ones I have listed here. I did not want to make this list too big, as it would have only made things more confusing.
And, of all the VPNs I am going to talk about in this guide, ExpressVPN clearly stands out on all fronts, including speed, security, online anonymity, privacy, and unrestricting geo-blocked content.
Starting with ExpressVPN, heres the list of best VPNs for Amazon Fire TV Stick:
Don’t Miss: VPN For Lg Smart TV
Benefits Of Openvpn Do I Need To Install VPN On Firestick
You do not necessarily need to install OpenVPN on FireStick . However, this program comes with a bunch of benefits:
- A secure way to access the network resources.
- Full anonymity for the device IP and data encryption.
- Good protection against cyber threats and malicious scripts.
- It can be accessed on the cloud or over standard servers.
- The private tunnel keeps the device and network safe and secure.
- It features 256 bit encryption.
- Can be enhanced with all kinds of plugins from third party sources
How To Install A Firestick VPN
If you want to look at internet safely, a Firestick VPN is the best choice for you. Contrary to other VPN programs, a Firestick VPN uses a secure tunnel above your internet link with hide the IP address and substantial info. It also conceals your location. This adds a supplementary layer of privacy and security to your browsing encounter. Because of its popularity, its easy to use a Firestick VPN. All you need to do is set up the app from the official Google Play store and select the location you wish to access the internet from.
The vital thing to do is usually download the app on your own FireStick. Many VPNs come with a free trial. If you prefer a premium account, youve got to pay a one-time price. Once youve covered the provider, youll have to become a member of a subscription. This will cover the cost of the company, which is really worth the extra reliability. In addition , it is important to choose a VPN that has a great customer support middle.
You May Like: 911 For Macbook
How To Change Your Region On The Fire TV Stick
Maybe youre in the U.S. and need a VPN for the Netherlands to catch up on your favorite Dutch shows, or maybe youre traveling in Canada and want a VPN for Spain, your home country. No matter what, to change your VPNs region, youll need to have your Prime account set to the same country.
To change your region on the Fire TV stick you can follow these steps:
Pro Tip: In order to watch another countrys library on your Fire TV Stick, the country linked with your Prime account will need to match the VPN server youre connected to.