Does Norton Secure VPN Work with Netflix?

Depending on your location, Netflix will show you a specific country’s content library. For example, if you access the streaming service from the US, you’ll get the American library, whereas those based in the UK see the British library.

If you want to watch movies or shows from other content libraries, VPNs are an easy way to bypass Netflix’s geo-restrictions. The best VPNs can spoof your IP address and geolocation, so you can change your Netflix region.

We regularly test 62 VPNs with international Netflix libraries, and we’ve found that only a few can consistently bypass Netflix restrictions.

In this guide, we’ll explain why we don’t recommend using Norton VPN Secure for Netflix, even if you already have access to it via a cybersecurity bundle.

Norton VPN Secure is not a good VPN for Netflix. If you already have access to Norton VPN Secure via a Norton 360 subscription, you might find it can sometimes unblock US Netflix.

But beyond that, it doesn’t work with any other Netflix libraries, has a very small server network, offers slower speeds than competitors, collects excessive amounts of data (like your real IP address and device information), and doesn’t make contacting support easy.

There are other streaming services that Norton Secure VPN works with, including: Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Max. But it doesn’t reliably work with Disney+, Hotstar, ITVX, or Channel 4.

Here are some of the limitations of Norton Secure VPN that we came across when testing it for Netflix:

Fails to Unblock International Netflix Libraries

Norton VPN Secure simply doesn’t work with many Netflix libraries. There are far better VPNs for Netflix like NordVPN, Windscribe, and ExpressVPN, which offer lightning-fast speeds and work with dozens of libraries.

Here’s a quick comparison of the top-rated VPNs for Netflix versus Norton Secure VPN:

	Netflix Libraries	US Netflix	UK Netflix	International Speed (100Mbps baseline)
ExpressVPN	18	Yes	Yes	85Mbps
Windscribe	32	Yes	Yes	86Mbps
NordVPN	17	Yes	Yes	86Mbps
Norton Secure VPN	1	Yes	No	88Mbps

In contrast to other VPNs, unblocking streaming services isn’t a priority for Norton because its main business is providing antivirus software and cybersecurity bundles.

Most cybersecurity companies that offer VPNs don’t actually create the VPN themselves, and instead offer a white-label version of another VPN. For example, both Kaspersky VPN and Bitdefender VPN are rebranded versions of Hotspot Shield, even containing the same proprietary protocol (Hydra) and app design.

In researching Norton Secure VPN, we found that it doesn’t seem to be a white-label version of another VPN. However, it suffers from the same drop in quality, as it doesn’t focus solely on its VPN software.

Small Server Network

To reliably unblock Netflix, you need a VPN with a large server network. Norton Secure VPN has servers in only 29 countries, which is much less than competitors like NordVPN (111 countries) and ExpressVPN (106 countries).

You can see how Norton VPN stacks up against some leading competitors in the table below:

	Countries	Server Count	City Servers
ExpressVPN	106	3,000	Some
Windscribe	69	120+	Many
NordVPN	111	6,328	Many
Norton Secure VPN	29	2,000+	None

This greatly reduces the number of Netflix libraries you can access, just due to the fact that there aren’t servers in that location. Currently, the VPN has servers across North America and Europe, but provides very few options in Asia, South America, Africa, and Oceania.

Norton Secure VPN also doesn’t offer any city-level servers, which are great back-up options if a country server isn’t working with Netflix.

Norton desperately needs to increase the size of its VPN server network to become a more reliable option for Netflix. But this seems unlikely to happen given that Norton’s main product is not its VPN service, but its antivirus software.

Device Compatibility Issues

Norton Secure VPN offers custom apps for all the major desktop and mobile platforms, including: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. However, that’s where its device compatibility ends.

On its cheapest plan, you can use Norton Secure VPN on up to 5 devices, which is less than average.

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN have higher device allowances, apps for smart TVs, smart DNS, and router compatibility.

Subpar Customer Support

For most VPNs, contacting customer support is a great way of finding which VPN servers will actually work with Netflix.

However, we found Norton’s customer support to be subpar. The website is needlessly difficult to navigate, making it hard to access the 24/7 live chat, and you’re required to fill in a long form before chatting with an agent.

Once you’ve overcome this hurdle, Norton’s customer support agents are polite but can misunderstand your query, which is frustrating when you just want to quickly watch something.

Overall, we find disappointing customer support to be a common thread among major cybersecurity companies — Kaspersky VPN and Bitdefender VPN have the same issues.

Other VPN services that focus solely on their VPN service offer much more accessible, quick, and specialized VPN support.

In our latest tests, Norton Secure VPN only works to unblock US Netflix, but this might change in the future. If you already have a subscription via the Norton 360 package, you can test whether Norton VPN Secure unblocks international Netflix libraries for yourself.

If you encounter any issues, such as the Netflix error m7111-5059 or Netflix refusing login, try our troubleshooting tips below.

Norton Secure VPN is not the most reliable for watching Netflix. If you’re facing issues, try these quick fixes below:

Turn Off the Auto-Connect Feature

If you’ve recently subscribed to Norton 360, and suddenly find you can’t log in to Netflix or access your normal Netflix library, this might be because of Norton Secure VPN.

Norton VPN automatically connects to a VPN server when you access the internet. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max detect and block VPN connections to dissuade users from accessing other country libraries.

Delete Your Cache & Open a Private Window

In our streaming tests, we often find Netflix is able to detect VPNs when accessing the website in a normal browser window. So if you want to watch a different Netflix library, we recommend deleting your browser history and cache, as well as opening a new private window.

This does mean you’ll have to log in to your Netflix account again, which can take an extra minute or two, but we find this is the most effective way to bypass Netflix’s geo-restrictions.

Connect to a Different Server

Netflix is constantly identifying IP addresses that belong to VPN servers and blacklisting them. VPNs with large server networks can overcome this by providing new IP addresses in a location and continue to avoid detection.

If you’ve connected to a server in the US, and you’re still not able to watch Netflix, try disconnecting from the VPN and reconnecting. This should give you a new IP address that hopefully hasn’t been blacklisted by Netflix.

This is much easier with VPNs with streaming-optimized servers or city-level servers. However, Norton VPN Secure doesn’t offer these streaming features.

Try a Different Country Library

If you’re looking for a specific movie or TV show, it’s possible that it’s featured in another country’s library. Try searching for your chosen movie or show on uNoGs and check whether you can view it in another country’s catalog.

If it is featured in another country’s library, try connecting to that country server and reopen Netflix in a private window. This comes with the caveat that Norton VPN Secure isn’t the most reliable VPN for unblocking international Netflix libraries.

This method of unblocking content is much more effective with ExpressVPN or Windscribe — VPNs that have servers in many more countries and actively try to bypass Netflix’s restrictions.

Switch to a Better VPN Service

Norton VPN Secure is ranked #35 out of 62 VPNs. So if you can’t access the Netflix library you want with Norton Secure VPN, we suggest switching to a better VPN service.

There are many more effective options like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Windscribe, each able to unblock dozens of Netflix libraries. Switching to a more reliable Netflix VPN is genuinely the best way to stream more Netflix libraries, since Norton VPN Secure is that unreliable.

You can try out better VPNs risk-free using free trials and 30-day money-back guarantees.

Norton Secure VPN did work with US Netflix when we tested it, but it’s unreliable and certainly isn’t the best VPN you can use for streaming.

The VPN’s server network is small long-distance connection speeds are slow, its server network is small, and there is a lack of device compatibility.

Moreover, Norton has shown a clear disinterest in unblocking Netflix. Essentially, there are much better options available.

Here are some alternative VPN services that are much better for streaming Netflix than Norton Secure VPN:

VPN Service	Cheapest Monthly Cost	Unblock US Netflix?	No. Of Netflix Libraries	Average International Speed Loss
Windscribe Pro	$5.75	No	32	14%
ExpressVPN	$6.67	Yes	18	15%
Surfshark	$2.29	Yes	9	17%
Norton Secure VPN	$2.50	Yes	1	12%

ExpressVPN: The Best VPN for Netflix

ExpressVPN is not only the best VPN for Netflix, it also tops our overall VPN rankings.

The VPN delivers very high speeds and provides excellent AES-256 and OpenVPN security. It’s also compatible with all devices, including games consoles and streaming boxes.

ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix in 18 different countries, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan.

Over many years of regularly testing ExpressVPN, we’ve never had a problem accessing streaming services and watching videos in high-quality with little-to-no buffering.

Where Norton Secure VPN lacks security features, ExpressVPN excels. The VPN comes with an effective kill switch and uses obfuscation technology to hide VPN traffic among regular HTTPS traffic.

Furthermore, its proprietary ‘Trusted Server’ technology ensures users information is never stored on the server’s hard disk.

Although ExpressVPN is more expensive than Norton Secure VPN, we believe it is well worth the money. It works superbly well with Netflix, is significantly faster, and more secure.

Windscribe: Unblocks the Most Netflix Libraries

Windscribe is an excellent choice for streaming. You can use it to unblock 32 Netflix libraries around the world – the most we’ve seen among VPN providers.

Windscribe offers good speeds for streaming and, unlike Norton Secure VPN, there are native apps available for smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Also, the free version of Windscribe is one of the very few free Netflix VPNs that still work. Currently, it unblocks 6 Netflix libraries, although it no longer unblocks the American library.

However, be aware of the 10GB data cap, which will limit your video streaming to around four hours each month.

Surfshark: The Best Budget VPN for Netflix

Surfshark is a cheap VPN that works extremely well with Netflix.

The VPN unblocks 9 libraries, and has no bandwidth limitations or data caps, and delivers speeds that are on par with other leading VPN providers.

Although Surfshark’s network is of similar size to Norton Secure VPN, it has servers in twice the number of countries.

While none of the VPN servers are specifically optimized for streaming, almost all of them worked with Netflix, as well as other streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.