How to Change Netflix Region

Netflix displays different movies, documentaries and TV shows based on the country you’re in. It uses your IP address to determine your geolocation and which content titles to show you.

Since some countries have much richer content libraries than others, learning how to change your Netflix region allows you to get the most out of your Netflix subscription.

The easiest and most popular way to change your location on Netflix is to use a reliable VPN for Netflix.

To change Netflix regions without a VPN, including on Smart TVs and games consoles, we recommend using a VPN service with Smart DNS included, like ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all six methods to change your location on Netflix. We’ll also explain how to change your Netflix account’s billing country.

Using a high-quality VPN is the simplest and most effective method to change your Netflix region and access ‘hidden’ content from another country’s catalog.

A VPN lets you change your IP address with one from almost any country, depending on the VPN you use. You can switch between regions with just a click/tap in the app.

Below are the pros and cons of using a VPN to change country on Netflix:

Pros	Cons
Compatible with up to 32 Netflix regions	Requires advanced steps to work on Smart TVs, games consoles & Roku
More reliable than any other method	The very best Netflix VPNs require a paid subscription
Streams in the highest video quality
Simple to set up and use
Free options available (but limited)
Encrypts network traffic

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to change country on Netflix in a matter of minutes.

The number of Netflix regions you can access varies across VPN services. The most effective Netflix VPNs can unblock up to 32 libraries.

Video: How to Change Netflix Region with a VPN

Watch our video walk-through below where we show you how to easily access different Netflix regions using a VPN. We used ExpressVPN to demonstrate this.

If you don’t want to use a VPN, there are a number of ways to change your Netflix region without one.

The best option by far is to use a Smart DNS service, but you can also use a proxy server, remote desktop software, the Tor browser, or try setting up a home VPN server.

In section below, we’ll guide you through each option. First, here’s a table comparing each solution:

	Free or Paid	Reliability	Multiple Regions	Setup Difficulty	Speed
Smart DNS	Paid	High	Yes	Easy	Very Fast
Proxy Server	Both Avaliable	Low	Yes	Easy	Fast
Remote Desktop	Free	Medium	No	Moderate	Moderate
Tor Browser	Free	Low	Yes	Moderate	Very Slow
Home VPN Server	Both Available	High	No	Hard	Moderate
VPN Service	Paid	High	Yes	Easy	Fast

1. Smart DNS Service

Pros	Cons
The easiest way to change Netflix region without a VPN	Only works with specific websites and in a limited number of locations
Works on almost every device (including Smart TVs and games consoles)	You need to provide your IP address in order to gain access
Cheaper than most VPN services	Choice of VPN service is limited
Provides fast connection speeds	Can be more difficult to configure than a VPN application

A Smart DNS service lets you change your device’s DNS settings to re-route your connection through DNS servers in a country of your choice.

Like with a VPN, Smart DNS tricks platforms like Netflix into thinking you’re physically located in that country, allowing you to access that region’s content.

For example, if you live in France and want to watch US Netflix, you can re-route your DNS requests through a US server and easily stream American Netflix from overseas.

Two popular standalone Smart DNS services optimized for streaming are Smart DNS Proxy and Unlocator.

You don’t need to download software to use Smart DNS, enabling you to easily switch Netflix regions on devices such as LG Smart TVs and gaming consoles like Xbox, which typically do not support native VPN applications.

In fact, this is one area in which Smart DNS is better than a VPN for changing your Netflix region.

Smart DNS is also faster than VPN, although this doesn’t always translate to better streaming resolution.

While Smart DNS tools allow streaming on a wide range of devices, they do not encrypt your traffic or hide your IP address.

In other words, your ISP will be able to see what you’re doing and you won’t be protected from cybercriminals while connected to unsecured public WiFi networks.

Some VPNs for streaming also offer their own Smart DNS tools. Based on our latest round of testing, the two that work most reliably with Netflix are:

How to Use Smart DNS to Change Netflix Region

The setup process for changing your Netflix region with Smart DNS will vary slightly depending on your provider and the device you’re using, but the general process is roughly the same.

2. Proxy Server

Pros	Cons
Often free and easy to use	Does not encrypt your traffic
Good proxy server providers offer a range of server locations	Proxy IP addresses are easily blocked by Netflix
Generally delivers fast connection speeds	Overcrowded servers can occasionally cause slow speeds
	Only works when accessing Netflix from within your browser
	Less reliable than VPN services and Smart DNS

A proxy server can help you change your Netflix country by routing your traffic through a third-party server before connecting to Netflix.

Like with a VPN, a proxy server hides your IP address and tricks Netflix into thinking you’re located in the country where the proxy server is based.

In other words, if you connect to a proxy server located in the UK, you’ll get access to the UK Netflix library, regardless of where you actually are in the world.

Unlike a VPN, ​​proxy servers don’t encrypt your internet traffic.

Many Chrome VPN extensions are actually proxy servers, and not full VPN products. They route browser traffic through a remote server, but don’t encrypt it.

Examples of browser-based proxies that work with Netflix include Hide.me’s Chrome extension and Windscribe’s Firefox extension.

Proxy servers are application-specific, meaning they only re-route traffic from the application they’re running on.

You can use a proxy server to change regions on Netflix in your browser, but you won’t be able to do the same on an external Netflix app.

In general, proxy servers are less secure than VPNs, and less reliable than Smart DNS for changing your Netflix region. However, they’re free and can sometimes unblock foreign Netflix libraries.

How to Use a Proxy Server to Change Netflix Region

3. Remote Desktop Software

Pros	Cons
Free for personal use	Requires access to a computer in your desired Netflix region
Very difficult for Netflix to block	The remote computer must be turned on and connected to the internet
	Only viable for one or two Netflix locations
	Wide access permissions create a security risk

Remote Desktop Software (also known as Remote Access Software) lets you observe and control another computer from a distance.

In effect, it lets you access and interact with a remote PC or laptop as though you were sitting in front of it.

Remote Desktop Software (RDS) is mostly used by businesses for IT support, but you can use it to change your Netflix region, if you meet the following three conditions:

If you can meet these conditions, then you can use RDS to stream Netflix content from a different region. Simply access and view the remote computer, navigate to Netflix, and start streaming.

You’ll be able to watch video content licensed in the region where the remote computer is located.

Using Remote Desktop Software is more complex than using Smart DNS or a proxy server. However, it can be useful to retain access to your home country’s Netflix library while traveling abroad.

Under these circumstances, it’s also more reliable than Smart DNS or proxy services because you’re not sharing the same IP address with hundreds of other users. Therefore, it’s unlikely Netflix will block your connection.

You could also ask friends or family living abroad to set up RDS on their computer and let you connect, in order to stream foreign Netflix content.

Some of the best Remote Access Software is free to use, too. Popular providers such as TeamViewer don’t charge for “personal use” of their service.

However, keeping a remote computer switched on while you’re away can be costly and there is often a slowdown in connection speeds due to transmitting the video stream between computers.

RDS is also susceptible to a number of security risks. Once the software is set up, cybercriminals are just one password away from being able to access and control your remote computer.

To mitigate security risks, use a strong password with multi-factor authentication. Also, be extremely cautious about who you share the password with.

How to Use Remote Desktop Software to Change Netflix Region

4. The Tor Browser

Pros	Cons
Free to use	Unreliable for bypassing Netflix’s geo-blockers
Strongly encrypts your traffic	Extremely slow
	Very little control over server locations
	Against the spirit of the TOR community

Tor is a decentralized, open source network that lets users achieve maximum anonymity online.

The service works by strongly encrypting your connection and routing it through at least three different servers located around the world, before sending it on to your desired website.

The Tor browser is free to use on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android devices, and there’s also an adapted Onion browser for iOS users.

If you stream Netflix using Tor, Netflix will think you’re streaming from the IP address of the final server that your connection goes through – known as the exit node. You can therefore change your Netflix region to wherever the exit node is located.

However, there are three big issues for using Tor to change your Netflix region:

In short, you can technically use Tor to change your Netflix region. However, for the three reasons outlined above, we don’t recommend it. There are simply better options available.

How to Use Tor to Change Netflix Region

5. Set Up a Home VPN Server

Pros	Cons
It’s free	Only one VPN server location
Very unlikely Netflix will block the IP address	Slow speeds
	Technically complex

You can change your Netflix region without using a third-party VPN service by setting up your own VPN server at home.

This can be done for free if you’re technically competent and have spare time. If you’re happy to pay, you can make the process much simpler by purchasing a VPN router.

You can use a home VPN server to create an encrypted tunnel between your device and your home WiFi network. You can then connect to your home network wherever you are in the world, and gain access to your native Netflix region.

You can set up a home VPN server directly on your router or on a separate computer. In both cases, one device acts as a VPN server, and the device you want to stream on acts as a VPN client.

Your home internet connection will determine the bandwidth you can stream with.

If your download speeds are slow or capped, use a VPN or Smart DNS, instead. You’ll struggle to stream Netflix without download speeds of at least 10Mbps.

Also, with a home VPN server you can only change to your home country’s Netflix region. It won’t unblock new Netflix regions, like a Smart DNS or a VPN service does.

Despite its limitations, creating a home VPN server is a reliable way to unblock your home Netflix library from abroad without purchasing a commercial VPN subscription.

How to Use a Home VPN Server to Change Netflix Region

The easiest way to use a home VPN Server to change your Netflix region is to buy a router with VPN server capabilities built-in. To do this:

Alternatively, configure one of your home computers to host a VPN server, then connect it with your streaming device.

You can do this for free, and our home VPN server guide explains how to do it on Windows, macOS, and Raspberry Pi devices.

The drawback to this option is that you will need to ensure the computer remains on and active while you’re traveling.

The best way to change your region on Netflix for free is to use a free VPN that unblocks Netflix.

In our streaming tests, very few free VPNs worked, and the ones that did performed much worse than premium services. They also lack advanced streaming features, like Smart DNS.

Despite these limitations, we found that Windscribe and PrivadoVPN are the two best free VPNs that still access certain Netflix libraries.

Windscribe currently works with the following 6 Netflix regions: France, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

On the other hand, PrivadoVPN unblocks the UK library but more importantly the very popular American library.

Remember, premium VPNs for Netflix like ExpressVPN access many more Netflix regions than free ones, at faster speeds, and on more devices.

You can also change Netflix region for free using a proxy server, remote desktop software, the Tor browser, or setting up a home server.

However, as we explained earlier, these methods all have considerable limitations that won’t work for most people.

Regardless of your device, the best way to change your Netflix region is to use either a VPN or a Smart DNS proxy.

However, the best option depends on the device(s) you’ll be using to stream.

A VPN is the best way to change Netflix regions on devices that support native VPN applications including desktop PCs, laptops, and phones. With just one app, you can switch between multiple VPN locations and gain access to dozens of different Netflix libraries.

Smart DNS works better on devices without native VPN support, such as Xbox and PlayStation, and Smart TVs.

Some devices, like Roku, don’t support native VPN apps and don’t let you change the default DNS settings. In this scenario, you can set up a VPN on your router.

The table below details which method you should use to change your Netflix region based on the device you use. For detailed installation instructions, read our VPN setup guides.

Device	How to Change Netflix Region
Amazon Firestick	VPN Service
Android	VPN Service
Apple TV	VPN Service
Chromecast with Google TV	VPN Service
Google Chromecast (Older Version)	VPN Router
iPhone	VPN Service
MacOS	VPN Service
PS4/PS5	Smart DNS
Roku	VPN Router
Samsung Smart TV	Smart DNS
Xbox One/Series X	Smart DNS
Windows	VPN Service

There is currently no way to change the payment region of an existing Netflix account.

To change the billing country on your Netflix account, you must close your current account and create a new one associated with your new country. To do this:

You don’t need to change your billing country if you’re trying to stream movies and TV shows unavailable in your geographic region. Instead, use a VPN service or a Smart DNS proxy.