The U.S. version of Netflix contains hundreds of movies and TV shows that are often unavailable in other regions. However, there is a way to watch US Netflix in the UK.
If you try to log in to US Netflix while you’re in the UK (or anywhere other than the US), you’ll find that many shows will say something like “This title is not available in your location” when you try to watch them. There’s a way around this, but only if you’re willing to break Netflix’s terms (we’ll explain more about that below).
In this article, we show you how to change the country on your Netflix account to help you access American Netflix on your Mac, iPad or iPhone from outside the United States. This process is accomplished using a VPN, which can give you access to any Netflix library from any country or region in the world.
If you’re on a PC or Android phone, check out our sister site Tech Advisor’s Guide to access US Netflix on PC.
What is VPN?
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is software that acts like a second Internet between you and the larger Internet. Your computer connects to the VPN, which then connects to the Internet. You ask for this website, it provides you the website. VPNs are designed to protect your privacy online, as they are a great tool to prevent people or programs from being able to track your behavior or location online.
The next part is important, because one of the features of a VPN is to make the servers think that you are logging in from one country while you are in another country. This can fool Netflix into serving you content from the American version of the service even when you are in the UK or anywhere else in the world.
Free VPN is available, but we recommend that you use a paid version to properly protect your privacy, as found in our guide to the best VPN services.
How to watch US Netflix on Mac
It is very easy to access US Netflix content while out of the US using a VPN. We’ll use NordVPN for this example, as it is an excellent service, but you can easily get the same results with others in the equally good Surfshark or the article linked above.
Here’s what to do:
- Open your browser and visit NordVPN’s website.
- Click Get NordVPN and choose your plan.
- Create your account and make a payment to complete the sign up process.
- Install NordVPN on your Mac.
- Open the app and log in, then click List.
- Scroll to America and click on it to connect.
- Once connected, you’ll see a green pin on the map, and the switch’s power icon at the top of the app should also be green.
- Now browse to Netflix.com and log in using your normal account details to access and view US Netflix normally.
How to watch US Netflix on iPad or iPhone
You can use a similar method to watch American Netflix on your iOS device. You can find out which apps we recommend from our Best VPN for iPhone and Best VPN for iPad Guide. If you’ve already signed up for a service on your Mac, it will also cover your mobile devices. So all you have to do is download the VPN app of your choice on your phone or tablet and log in.
For step-by-step instructions, you can read our complete guide which explains how to use a VPN on an iPhone; The steps in that tutorial also work for the iPad.
As a general guideline, you need to take these steps:
- Download the VPN app and set up your account.
- Launch the app and use Quick Connect to enable VPN.
- Go to the map and tap on the icon that appears in the middle of the United States.
- Choose a server from the suggested ones.
- Launch the Netflix app or navigate the site to Safari and you’ll see US content now available.
Is it legal to view US Netflix content in the UK?
All you have to do to watch US Netflix content is to let Netflix think you are currently in the US. This, as we have shown above, is remarkably easy to do with a VPN. But it’s important to remember that the terms you signed up for when you created a Netflix account go against it.
Netflix’s Terms and Conditions explicitly state: “You may view Netflix content primarily within the country where you established your account and only in the geographical location where we offer our services and have licensed such content.”
So be aware that this is against the rules and if you break these rules the company has the right to suspend your services. Also, Netflix is blocking many VPN services, which means you may have more trouble accessing US Netflix than ever before.
Free VPNs like Hola were the most popular way to view US Netflix in the UK, but it is strongly recommended that you pay for a better VPN service if you want to stay connected to US Netflix.
Whether or not using a VPN is a gray area, and varies depending on local law, but it’s hard to imagine anyone suing for copyright infringement. In fact, many observers would argue that Netflix is technically broadcasting in the United States, for which it clearly owns the rights to broadcast.
Like anything like this, use your own decisions about whether you want to take this route. If you do, you may also be interested in how you would like to see HBO Max in the UK.