How many of you have waited for the best and most in-demand movies? There are far too many to keep track of that aren’t readily available where you live. Why? Firstly, the country you live in either imposes harsh online restrictions against accessing foreign content. Or, the streaming service you’re trying to get access to is geo-restricted due to copyright agreements.
So, how do you unblock it?
A VPN
Usually, the best VPN is one of the more efficient ways to get access. A VPN, short for Virtual Private Network,is security software that also offers various servers to connect to. These servers will provide you with virtual IP addresses that you can use to mask your physical IP. For instance, let’s say you’re living in China and can’t get access to Netflix, let alone the US Netflix library. You will have to connect to the VPNs US server to unblock the service.
However, not all VPNs are good enough, which is why you need to be extra careful while choosing them. Certain VPN providers can cause more harm than good, like stealing user data, spreading malware through the system, or selling data to third-party companies. Choosing a VPN should be carefully done, especially when you live within these countries, mainly because the security level required is much higher thanin countries with online freedom.
How to unblock a geo-restricted service with a VPN
It doesn’t take much to get started, here’s how:
- Subscribe to the best VPN that’s strong enough to bypass harsh online restrictions without getting detected.
- Download and install the VPN app on your device, or configure it via a router.
- Launch the VPN and sign in to your account.
- Connect to a server according to what you’re trying to unblock. For instance, connect to a US server to access US Netflix or the UK one for BBC iPlayer.
- Open the streaming service app or its website, and start streaming!
This guide is mainly for those who already have access to a VPN or who have an account created for the streaming service you require. However, what happens when the streaming service you need requires signing up? What do you do then?
How to sign up for a geo-restricted streaming service
There are two ways:
Via a US credit card
Most US streaming services require a US credit card to sign up. In this tutorial, we’ll consider Hulu. Here’s what you can do:
- Head to the Hulu website and click on “start free trial.”
- Choose the best plan according to how long you require the service for.
- Create your account where you’ll be prompted to add an email, password, name, etc.
- Click on continue to proceed.
- Once you proceed, you’ll be headed to the billing page. Here’s where you’ll need to enter your US credit card details and a zip code.
- Enter it and click on Submit. That’s all.
If you have a US credit card, that’s great. However, for those who don’t, you’ll need to ask a friend or family with one to sign up for you. If that doesn’t work, there’s another way to get easy access. Take a look below.
Via a gift card
Using the gift card method is more convenient since it doesn’t require a US credit card. Here’s how you can get started:
- Sign in to your VPN, and connect to a US server.
- Head to Mygiftcardsupply.com and click on the Hulu option. If you require another streaming service, there are more options available on the gift card store.
- Now, buy one using your PayPal.
- Next, go to hulu.com/start/gifting to redeem the gift card by adding the code you received via your email.
- Enter it and click on redeem.
- Now, to complete the process, choose the Hulu or subscription plan that you need. Enter a US zip code that you can Google, and click on Submit.
- You’re done!
Can we use a free VPN to unblock a geo-restricted streaming service?
Technically you shouldn’t. There’s a lot that can go wrong with a free VPN. As it is, many premium VPN services are scams on Google Play or Apple Store. If that’s the case, how will using a free VPN fix anything?
Most free VPNs come with vulnerabilities like poor encryption, slow speeds, a maximum of 5 to 10 servers, and app restrictions. There are other issues like data retention issues. Free VPNs often steal user data and sell them to third parties. Other than that, a few streaming services are pretty challenging to unblock, which is something a free VPN won’t have the capacity to do.
If, however, you’re willing to use a streaming service for a short time, there’s one way to use it for free. You can hack a free trial by using the best VPN’s refund period. Cancel your account before the trial period ends.
To conclude
If a VPN isn’t something you’d like to consider, there are two other ways to try; TOR or a proxy. However, neither of them come with the appropriate features to give you that access compared to a VPN. You could test all to see what fits, but make sure you do everything with precaution! Happy streaming!
