Amazon Fire TV Sticks are handy streaming devices that typically don’t need more than a power source, TV connection, and internet to function. This means you can bring them almost anywhere, including hotels and Airbnbs, and get near-immediate access to all your favorite streaming platforms.

But you likely already know that not all streaming content is available everywhere due to licensing restrictions. Fortunately, most Fire TV Sticks are compatible with loads of popular VPN services, providing opportunities to stream geo-restricted shows and movies to your heart’s content.

Let’s explore how to use a VPN on a Fire Stick, including installation instructions and which VPNs we recommend.

Why use a VPN on your Fire TV Stick?

We use a virtual private network (VPN) on our Fire TV Stick to unblock streaming content. This is usually the primary reason for many Fire Stick users. This allows us to watch Netflix with a VPN while traveling or at home without having to worry about geo-restrictions.

For example, attempting to watch the U.S. Netflix content library while in the U.K. isn’t typically possible unless you use a VPN. And the same goes for using other streaming platforms while abroad, including HBO Max and Hulu.

Another reason you might use a VPN on your Fire TV Stick is to increase your online security and privacy. VPNs work to encrypt and hide your online activity, so you can anonymously go about your business.

Using a VPN could also help you avoid internet throttling. Your internet service provider (ISP) might throttle your bandwidth usage for a variety of reasons. Regardless of the reason, using a VPN could help hide your online activity from your ISP and prevent it from throttling your internet.

Note that using a VPN to avoid internet throttling might not work in all cases. You might have to upgrade your internet package to allow for more bandwidth or simply use less bandwidth to avoid throttling.

What is the best VPN for Fire TV Stick?

In our opinion, the best VPN for a Fire TV Stick is one that’s easy to set up and does what you want it to. For us, this means providing advanced VPN encryption and unblocking streaming services while also having a clean and easy-to-use interface.

We tested these VPNs using a Fire TV Stick:

• ExpressVPN
• Surfshark
• NordVPN
• CyberGhost
• IPVanish

All of these VPN providers offer high levels of privacy and different security features, but they weren’t all easy to use. And some had issues with streaming TV shows and movies in different regions.

We recommend ExpressVPN as our overall top pick with Surfshark and NordVPN as decent contenders. We had an average experience with CyberGhost and IPVanish didn’t work well at all for streaming.

Note that many VPNs provide 30-day, money-back guarantees so you can test their services and see if they’ll work well for your situation. It could make sense to take advantage of these guarantees to see how a certain VPN does on a Fire TV Stick.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is our top choice for the VPNs we tested using a Fire TV Stick because it has a clean interface and unblocks streaming services. It also has an app that was easy to install, and we didn’t notice any lag or buffering issues while using ExpressVPN.

We tested Netflix and Disney+ while connected to servers in the U.K. We were successfully able to access regional content on both streaming platforms.

It should be noted that we’ve also used ExpressVPN in the past while using a Fire TV Stick in the U.K. We were able to watch content from every streaming app we tried, including HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+.

Surfshark

Surfshark is a decent option for streaming content on a Fire TV Stick. Its Fire TV app has an easy-to-use interface (but we liked ExpressVPN more) and was able to unblock U.K. regional streaming content on Netflix and Disney+.

It was also nice that Surfshark provided an easy way to log in to your account on the Fire Stick using a phone or computer. This was so much easier than having to manually type in an email and password using the Fire TV Stick remote.

NordVPN

NordVPN provided a similarly easy login option as Surfshark to avoid the difficulty of using the Fire TV Stick remote to input account information. The Nord app was also able to unblock U.K. streaming content with Netflix and Disney+.

There was nothing overly wrong with our NordVPN experience other than we didn’t love the interface. It felt a bit clunky.

CyberGhost

The CyberGhost app seemed a bit slower than the other apps we tested. It was nice that CyberGhost had optimized servers for streaming, but that also means you likely can’t just pick any server and start watching content.

We found this was the case when we tried a server that wasn’t optimized for Fire TV Stick streaming and we couldn’t watch U.K.-specific content on Netflix. We continued having issues with Netflix while connected to different U.K. servers, but Disney+ content loaded fine.

IPVanish

IPVanish didn’t work to unblock Netflix or Disney+ content while connected to a U.K. server. We couldn’t find any specific servers to try for streaming, but we tried a few different VPN server locations and it still didn’t work.

It was also frustrating to log in to the IPVanish app because there was no quick option. We had to slowly input our email address and password using the Fire TV Stick remote.

How to install a VPN on your Fire TV Stick

You generally have two options to choose from for using a VPN on a Fire TV Stick. This includes:

1. Downloading a VPN app on the Fire TV Stick
2. Using a VPN router

Unless you already have a VPN router or are planning on getting one, downloading an app is most likely the easiest option for using a VPN on a Fire Stick.

Download a VPN app on your Fire TV Stick

You usually need a subscription before you can start using a VPN on your Fire Stick. If you already have a subscription, follow these steps to get started:

1. Open the Amazon Appstore from the home screen and search for your VPN (we used ExpressVPN for this example).
   

   

2. Install the app, open it, and log in.
   

   

3. Connect to the VPN and you’re all set.

Note that some VPNs also allow you to manually install an .apk file to use their VPN on a Fire TV Stick. This process is more advanced and not really necessary if you can just download the app from the Amazon Appstore.

But you can find instructions on specific VPN websites for how to do an .apk install. For example, here’s a tutorial on how to sideload the ExpressVPN app.

Install a VPN on your router

Installing a VPN on a router is an effective way to provide all internet-connected devices in your home access to more security and privacy. This includes Fire TV devices and smart TVs, as well as other smart devices that don’t usually provide VPN app functionality.

If this is the route you would like to take, read our guide on how to install a VPN on a router.

How to change the Amazon region on the Fire Stick

You can manually change the location on your Fire TV Stick by adjusting some settings in your Amazon account. You might want to do this if you’ve physically moved to another country and want to update your address. Here’s how to get started:

1. Log in to your Amazon account.
2. Select the Account & Lists dropdown menu and choose Content & Devices.
3. Select the Preferences tab and then choose Country/Region Settings.
4. Click on the Change button to fill out a form with your new address.
5. Restart your Fire TV Stick and register your device with the new location.

Note that following these steps won’t necessarily work in every situation to unblock regional streaming content. You often need to use a VPN with your Fire TV Stick to successfully unblock different streaming platforms. A VPN can also mask your IP address and physical location.

Fire Stick VPN troubleshooting tips

Consider these tips if your VPN isn’t working with your Fire TV Stick:

Check your Fire TV Stick

Many popular VPN services provide Fire TV Stick apps for their VPNs. But you typically need a second-generation Fire Stick or newer to be compatible with these apps. You might be out of luck with using a VPN app if you have a first-generation Fire Stick.

Check your internet connection

You need some bandwidth to establish a secure VPN connection, which could slow down your internet speeds. You might experience some connectivity issues trying to use a VPN on a Fire TV Stick if you don’t have the fastest internet or your router is overloaded with devices.

Reinstall the VPN app

There’s not necessarily any rhyme or reason, but sometimes a quick reinstall of a program or app can solve your issues. Consider deleting and reinstalling a VPN app on your Fire TV Stick if it’s not functioning properly. This step could also make sense if you’re using a Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android app.

Reboot your device

Have you tried turning it off and on again? This type of advice is a bit cliché at this point, but it’s still a legitimate solution for all types of technology. A quick reboot of your Fire TV Stick could be the refresh your device needs to get your VPN working.

Fire Stick VPN FAQs

Bottom line

Fire TV Sticks are convenient options for streaming content from just about anywhere with a TV and internet connection. But you typically need a VPN if you want to unblock regional streaming content, especially if you want to access U.S. content libraries while traveling abroad.

We recommend ExpressVPN for its fast speeds, high levels of security and privacy, and easy-to-use interface. Learn more in our ExpressVPN review.

For additional information on how to increase your online privacy, check out our article on how to stop Alexa and other virtual assistants from listening to you.

Author Details

Ben Walker

About the Author

Ben Walker is a writer at All About Cookies with a passion for all things internet and technology, whether it's using VPNs while away from home or organizing his life with password managers.