How To Change Your VPN Location In Your Browser
To spoof your HTML5 geolocation on your web browser, youll need a VPN browser extension like ExpressVPN. Using it, you can bypass geographic restrictions on websites that use HTML5 to validate your location.
Heres how to change your browsers location:
How Can Websites And Services Tell Which Country Im In
Most of the time, services rely entirely on the users real IP address to tell where they are in the world. However, more advanced platforms often employ additional verification measures. They could cross-reference your IP address with GPS location data if youre using a mobile device, for instance, or check your IP address against a list of known VPN servers.
Sometimes, it isnt even the website youre trying to access that blocks the connection, its the government. For instance, Chinas Great Firewall has an expansive list of blocked websites and monitors domestic traffic for specific keywords and recognizable VPN traffic patterns to see if youre trying to access a blocked website.
How To Avoid Geo
With the right VPN, its easy to access region-locked services abroad. Just follow the steps below.
Heres how to get around geo-blocking using a VPN:
If you continue to experience issues, its worth contacting your VPNs support team directly to see if theres a particular server you should use.
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What Limitations Do VPNs Have
A VPN has a lot to offer when it comes to privacy and security. However, its not the end all be all of cybersecurity and privacy. To browse the web safely and anonymously, youll need to observe some extra privacy measures, on top of using a VPN connection. For instance, youll still have to clear your cookies regularly. Moreover, there are also things a VPN simply cant do.
Say youre logged in to your Google account, you can be connected to a VPN on the other side of the world, Google will still be able to create a profile of you as an internet user. After all, theyll simply correlate your search history with your account information, regardless of whether you change your IP address or not. The same is true for services like Facebook.
There are more ways in which online entities can determine your identity which a VPN doesnt protect you from. When using Google Maps, for instance, youre often required to turn on GPS. This means Google Maps can see exactly where you are. There are also more advanced ways that are used to identify internet users, such as browser fingerprinting. This method uses your browsers and devices settings to distinguish you from other internet users.
Moreover, a VPN can slow down your internet. Your data has to be sent through the VPN server, which means it can take slightly longer to end up where it needs to be. However, there are several effective ways to increase internet speeds while connected to a VPN.
Does A VPN Slow Down Your Internet Connection
Some people doubt whether they should use a Virtual Private Network because theyve heard it can slow down your internet connection. Its true that some VPNs have this effect. After all, a VPN redirects your connection through a remote server. This takes longer, so it could slow down your internet connection. However, this isnt always the case.
There are many VPNs that do everything in their power to make your internet connection as fast as it can be . If you want to make sure you end up with a fast VPN, check out our research on the fastest VPNs of this moment. All VPNs we recommend there have proven to work perfectly and cause little to no delays. Streaming, gaming, and browsing will go as fast as normal, only with increased freedom, security, and privacy.
If your internet speed is artificially restricted by your ISP or another party, a VPN can actually make your connection faster. The VPN ensures this limit no longer applies to you, so you can use the full potential of your connection.
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Why Would I Want To Change My Location
Anyone who knows your public IP can find out a lot about you with just a simple IP lookup. So, there are many ways to take advantage of an IP location changer.
- Comparing prices while shopping: Some sites offer different prices to visitors from different countries. Once you learn how to change VPN location, you can hop around the globe and look for the best price.
- Hiding your identity from trackers: If youre connecting from home, your location is an important part of tracking your identity online. By hiding your location, you can throw off annoying online services that keep trying to track your location.
- Practicing freedom of speech: Hiding your IP address is a necessary step for any privacy-conscious internet user. It’s especially important for journalists working on sensitive topics or anyone else whos concerned about their location being discoverable online.
Using A VPN To Change Your Virtual Location
There are two main reasons why you might want to use a VPN. The first and most important is privacy. The second is to circumvent geo-restrictions. Privacy is something we all have to take active steps to preserve as our rights are gradually being eroded. A VPN is an effective way to do that.
Privacy can come down to a number of things. It can be as simple as stopping your ISP from seeing what youre doing online and collecting data to sell to marketers. It could be to protect yourself while you download or it could be something as serious as preserving your life while you perform investigative journalism or blog about your home country.
Circumventing geo-restrictions is equally important but for different reasons. Some countries restrict what their citizens can access online and actively block content. A VPN is a way to access that content as long as the VPN endpoint has not been blocked too. Geo-restriction is used a lot by companies to control who can see content. Its an antiquated model that only benefits the company and using a VPN is a way around that.
For example, Netflix offers more content here in the US than anywhere else in the world. This is controlled by the movie and TV studios and not by Netflix. If you live somewhere else, you may not get the same content yet will still be expected to pay the same price. Use a VPN to fool Netflix into thinking youre in the US and you get access to that content.
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Does A VPN Change Your Location
A VPN does change your location. You can redirect your connection and mask your IP address if you connect to a VPN server within a different geographic location, therefore appearing to change your location.
There is no doubt, a VPN, or Virtual Private Network offers a strong layer of privacy protection and helps to keep users safe while using the internet but it also enables you to get around any geo-location or geo-restricted content and there are many valid reasons why you might want to change your location.
Ive personally been using VPNs for privacy at home and in the office for many years. In this article, I explore how a VPN can change your location, why you would want to change your location, and take a closer look at why NordVPN is a great choice when it comes to wanting to change your location with a VPN.
Best VPNs To Change Your Location And Ip Address Updated In 2022
ExpressVPN Offer September 2022:get an ExpressVPN subscription for up to 49% off
ExpressVPN supports a large range of operating systems, so youll be able to change your location on all your devices. During my tests, I installed it on my Windows laptop, MacBook, iPhone, and PS4, and it didnt take more than 10 minutes to get started on each of them. It normally allows you to connect 5 devices at the same time, but if you set it up on your router, youll be able to use it on all the gadgets connected to it, including smart TVs that dont normally support VPNs.
Its MediaStreamer feature makes it easy to watch geo-blocked content on your smart TV or gaming console. It works by routing your data traffic through a DNS server so that you can even use a VPN even on devices that dont support it. The setup was quick, so I was ready to stream in no time. Even though its not as secure as the VPN connection, it will allow you to easily set ExpressVPN up on any WiFi-enabled device.
ExpressVPN has a massive server network that lets you change your IP and location to anywhere in the world it offers more than 160 locations. I tried connecting to the US, UK, Canada, and Japan servers, and I had a good experience with all of them. No server took more than 10 seconds to connect not even faraway locations in Australia.
A slight issue with ExpressVPN is the premium price tag, which stands at $6.67/month. However, you can get it with a 49% discount when you sign up for a long-term plan.
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How To Change Your VPN Location On Windows Or Macos
Follow these steps to change your VPN location on desktop devices:
Advantage : Anonymity Online
Without a VPN your location and even your identity can be traced without too much hassle, thanks to your IP address. This IP address is unique to your internet connection. It is like an online postal code that tells people who you are and where you are at. It enables people to connect your online behavior to you.
A VPN hides your IP address and location. When you use a VPN, your internet traffic is rerouted through an external server and your online activities can only be traced back to the IP address of the VPN server, but no longer to your IP address and you.
By using a VPN, websites, marketeers, streaming services, governments and cybercriminals can no longer identify you with your IP address, because they only see the IP address of the VPN server youre connected to. Moreover, they wont be able to find out your real location, because to others it will look like you are where the VPN server is.
So by using a VPN your online activity will no longer be linked to your own IP address. This way you can browse the internet with more anonymity.
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How Do I Change The VPN To A Specific Country
The method above will connect you to a random location, but if you want to choose the country, youll need a few additional steps:
Step 1: Log in to the app.
Step 2: Go to the locations tab.
A good VPN offers plenty of servers to choose from, and Surfshark is no exception. The only question left is which server you should try next.
Step 3: Find the location you want.
You dont wanna scroll through every location, we get it. Use the search bar at the top of the locations to look for the one you want.
Step 4: Click on the location to connect to it.
Its as simple as that! And in the rare event that your device doesnt support the app, you can set it up manually or use a VPN router instead.
Advantage : Secure Browsing On Public Networks
Using a public Wi-Fi network can be very risky. Other users on the same network can easily tap into your data and personal information. Since you dont want others to have access to, for instance, your email login, images/files or credit card information it might be wise to use a VPN connection.
The VPN encrypts all of your data while you use the public Wi-Fi network. A hacker will only see encrypted matter and wont be able to see or use your personal information.
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Contact Nordvpns Tech Support
If the product you paid for doesnt work as it should, its your right to ask for clarification.
NordVPN has a solid customer support crew that will happily assist you with any technical issues.
Just remember to keep a friendly tone and offer as many details as you can, if needed. A little politeness goes a long way.
Is Using A VPN Legal
Some people wonder whether its legal to use a VPN. After all, the service enables you to become a lot more anonymous online, which can be quite useful for hackers and online criminals. If those people cant be traced online, its much harder to punish them for their crimes, after all. Even so, this doesnt necessarily mean a VPN is illegal.
On the contrary: many official companies and businesses work with VPNs and recommend their use. The European Union, too, supports internet freedom, which a VPN can give you.
Many countries consider the use of a VPN completely legal. Conducting illegal activities while using a VPN, however, remains illegal. Therefore, using a VPN for legal activities, such as browsing, gaming, Netflix, and YouTube, isnt a problem at all. If you use a VPN to, for example, , however, youre most likely going against your local laws. While the VPN gives you more anonymity online and makes it a lot harder for officials to trace you down, the downloading in and of itself is still illegal.
There are a couple of countries that do consider the use of a VPN illegal. If youd like to know more about these countries and the legal and illegal use of VPNs in general, you can read this article. Using a VPN in most of the world wont get you into any trouble. On the contrary: wed recommend it.
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To Enjoy Music Streaming Services Everywhere
Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music, and other online music streaming subscription services allow you to enjoy listening to music without needing to pay per song. Instead, you just turn on the internet, launch the app, and access your favorite playlists and personalized suggestions.
However, not all of these services work in every country in the world. Each of them has a limited number of locations where streaming is available. If you are a subscriber and travel to a country where the service hasnt launched yet, its a good idea to change the location on your iPhone. This VPN change of your location will make the service think you are still at home, so will play the songs as usual.
Enjoy Online Freedom Of Speech
If youre a journalist or an activist, paying extra attention to data security is crucial. All the digital trails you leave behind can reveal your identity and stories, putting you and your sources at high risk. When you change your digital location, you can pass on confidential information easily while keeping your online communications private.
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Can I Use A Free VPN To Change My Location
Yes, but I dont recommend it. Most free VPNs have limited bandwidth and slow speeds, making your streaming experience terrible. Plus, they may record and sell your personal data to third parties, which puts your identity at risk. So, I highly suggest you stick with great premium VPNs to change your location and IP address.
Why Change Your VPN Location
Changing your VPN location protects your privacy and unblocks geographically restricted content.
Your real IP address can be used to find your approximate location, which can be dangerous for users sending sensitive personal information or living in highly-censored countries. That location data includes your country, city, time zone, and sometimes even your ZIP code.
Your location data can also be used for targeted advertising, surveillance, and some forms of online harassment. By hiding this essential information, you can stop doxxing and DDoS attacks, avoid copyright trolls, and even prevent your ISP from seeing your browsing history.
Changing your location also lets you access geo blocked content on streaming services. For example, if you live in the US, you can use a VPN to access Japanese Netflix from home. If you live in Europe, you can change your Netflix region to the US by choosing a VPN server in America.
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