How to change location on Firestick

Want to access regional TV services on your Firestick? With a VPN you can change your location to watch Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, and so much more while abroad.

Many streaming apps, platforms, and TV services are region locked, which means that when you travel abroad you can't watch them. Even platforms like Netflix, which are available worldwide, have different content libraries when you go on vacation. Luckily, with a VPN, you can change Firestick location to access regional services and watch more TV shows and movies.

In this guide, we explain how to change the region on your Amazon Fire TV Stick. This will let you access region-locked apps and geo-restricted content via streaming services from anywhere around the globe. Not all VPNs have apps for Firestick devices, so you must pick your provider carefully. Here, we will recommend the best VPNs for your Firestick so you can get started right away.

How to change your country on Amazon Firestick

If you want to be able to make rentals and video purchases on your Firestick using the Amazon Prime Video catalog from another country, you will first need to change the region of your Prime account. You can do this by following the steps below:

1. First, you will need a VPN. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Connect to a VPN server in the country where you want to change your Amazon account to. We recommend changing your Amazon Prime region on a computer or mobile device. 
3. Sign in to the Amazon Prime account that is registered to your Firestick.
4. Navigate to Accounts and Lists > Your content and devices > Preferences.
5. Select Country/Region Settings.
6. Click Change next to the country where your account is currently registered.
7. Provide an address in the country where you want your Prime Video account to be registered.
8. Now that you have updated your Amazon Prime account, you must restart your Firestick device.
9. Follow the on-screen prompts to register your Firestick to the updated Prime account.
10. Connect your Firestick to the VPN server in the country where you have registered your Prime Account.

That’s it! You are now ready to watch content, purchase rentals, and buy Prime Video downloads from a different Amazon Prime Video region.

Important: Bear in mind that you may want to make a new Amazon account to carry out this process. This will allow you to use your original account to have shopping delivered to your home address in your own country. It's still an effective method to change your current location.

How to change the IP address for your Firestick to a different country

Whether you want to access Prime Video content from another country, or you want to watch Netflix, international TV broadcasts, or any other regional streaming platform while abroad, you will need to connect to a VPN.

A VPN changes the IP address on a Firestick so that it appears to be in a different country. This is known as geo-spoofing and allows you to watch TV networks from back home, even while using the TV in your hotel room! Not all VPNs are suitable for streaming on a Firestick, so be sure to see our shortlist below. 

For now, here is a quick guide that explains how to connect to a VPN on your Firestick:

1. Choose a VPN that has an app for Firesticks and Fire TVs. We recommend NordVPN because it is super fast, easy to use, and highly reliable for accessing streams on a Firestick.
2. Subscribe to the VPN for the period necessary. The VPN will get cheaper the longer you subscribe for.
3. Download the VPN app onto your Firestick device. Our recommendations all have a Firestick VPN app that you can download directly from the Amazon app store on your device.
4. Log in to the VPN app on your Firestick using the credentials you entered during sign-up.
5. Select a VPN server in the country needed and click Connect.

As soon as the VPN connection is established, your data is encrypted and tunneled to the remote server location. As a result, the IP address associated with your Firestick appears to be in a different country. You can stream the service you're interested in from abroad.

Please bear in mind that streaming providers work hard to block VPNs. This is why you must pick a VPN for your Firestick carefully.

We tested our top recommendation NordVPN with numerous streaming services, including Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, ESPN Plus, Crunchyroll, ABC, and BBC iPlayer. If you want to test it with any other streaming service, you can do so risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

What are the best VPNs for a Firestick?

To help you choose a reliable VPN for YouTube Firestick, we have provided a list of the best Firestick VPNs below. These VPNs all have a Firestick app that you can download directly from the Amazon app store.

The best VPNs for a Firestick:

1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Firesticks. Has solid encryption and a wide choice of privacy features. Apps for all popular devices, including Firestick. Works with a huge number of international streaming services. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: Best cheap VPN for Firestick. Works perfectly on Firestick devices and works to watch Netflix, Hulu, iPlayer, and many more. Allows unlimited simultaneous connections with a single account. 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. ExpressVPN: A reliable VPN with a Firestick app available on the Amazon app store. Fast speeds for streaming and works with around 20 Netflix regions. Strong online security and excellent apps. 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. CyberGhost VPN: A solid option for beginners. This VPN has fewer features, making it super easy to use. Works with popular streaming services and has VPN server locations in 100+ countries. Generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
5. ProtonVPN: Super secure and private. Proton VPN is a highly advanced VPN that has many additional security features. Great for torrenting thanks to its port forwarding feature. Able to access international content easily.
6. AtlasVPN: A fast VPN that provides WireGuard by default. Works with numerous popular streaming services, including Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, and Disney+. 30-day money-back guarantee.

How we chose the best VPNs for Firestick

We use a VPN testing methodology to recommend VPNs. For added transparency, we have included the main criteria we used to pick our list below:

• Apps for all platforms, including Firestick
• Fast servers that do not cause buffering when streaming or making video calls
• A strong no-logging policy that protects your privacy
• Secure VPN protocols with robust AES encryption
• Servers that work to access popular streaming services, including Prime Video and Netflix
• Reliable customer support
• Plenty of useful features, including things like a kill switch, split tunneling, port forwarding, DNS leak protection, MultiHop, and more.

To get into our top three, the VPN must have a network of diskless servers. This allows the VPN to wipe all the data on a server remotely in an emergency.

In addition, our top three recommendations must have had an independent audit that verifies the security of the apps, policies, and server infrastructure. Audits increase trust for consumers because you do not have to take the VPN’s claims on faith. 

How to change Firestick location - FAQs 

Can I use a free VPN for Firestick?

Not really. Although we have recommended two VPNs in this guide that have a limited free plan, these won’t really work with your Firestick. Free VPNs only have a few servers to pick from and they are slower than the servers you get with a paid account. This makes them unsuitable for streaming on a Firestick.

In addition, free VPN servers are not optimized for streaming, and will not work with popular platforms like Netflix or international TV streaming services. You will need to pay for a subscription to access international streams on your device.

The vast majority of free VPNs should be avoided for privacy and security reasons. These services have lapse privacy policies that allow them to track you online. This allows them to track users' web visits and to sell user browsing habits to third parties such as marketing companies and data brokers.

To make things worse, many of the free VPNs advertised on app stores and Google searches lack encryption, suffer from vulnerabilities, have leaks, and even hide spyware in their apps. This makes using the vast majority of free VPNs a tremendous risk to the safety of your devices.

What countries have full Firestick functionality?

Although you can use a Firestick in most countries around the world, at the moment only a few countries have full Firestick functionality. You must connect to a VPN server to gain complete access to all of your Firestick’s features. Below, we have included a list of countries that have full Firestick functionality:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Austria
• Japan
• India
• France
• Italy
• Spain

If you are wondering what features may not be available outside of those countries, we have provided a list below:

• Access to region-specific content: Some streaming services and TV platforms are region locked, which means they may not be available outside of those countries.
• Voice search and Alexa integration: The Firestick remote has a built-in microphone that lets you use voice search to find content and control your TV using Alexa. Some countries may not have full voice integration.
• App availability: App availability differs around the world due to licensing agreements or government-imposed restrictions. For example, Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, Viber, and other VoIP apps may be blocked. 

If you want to regain access to any of the features above (and any others that may be unavailable) you can do so by connecting to a VPN server in one of the countries where the Firestick has full functionality. 

Why aren't some apps available on my Firestick?

The Amazon app store will only show you apps that are available in the country where you reside. As a result, you may need to connect to a VPN to update the store and download any apps not available where you currently are.

For example, BBC iPlayer isn't available in the US. You will need to connect to a VPN server in the UK to download the iPlayer app onto your Firestick or Fire TV. 

Can I sideload apps onto a Firestick?

Generally speaking, we recommend that you stick to official apps that you can download directly from the Amazon App Store. You can usually access any app that you need by changing your region with a VPN. This is the easiest way to get the apps you need.

That said, it is possible to download APK files onto a secondary device and then transfer (sideload) those apps onto your Firestick device, or by using an app like Downloader. Just be sure only to download and sideload apps from official sources. Many third-party app repositories contain fake apps that contain malware.

Which Amazon Firestick generations accept VPNs?

Any Firestick that has access to the Amazon App Store will let you install APK files, including VPN applications. All Firestick devices and Fire TVs from generation two or later will work with a VPN. If you have a first-generation Firestick, you are out of luck.

Where does the Fire TV Cube work?

If you own a Fire TV Cube, you need to be aware that it only currently works in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and Japan. If you take your Fire TV Cube outside of those countries, it will not function properly. 

If you own a Fire TV Cube, we recommend connecting to a VPN server back home in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, or Japan to continue using it without issues. 

The good news is that the Fire TV Cube has full access to the Amazon app store. Connecting to a VPN on your Fire TV device ensures you can switch your IP address to one of the countries where the Fire TV Cube is supported.

Can I watch more shows on Amazon Prime with a VPN?

Amazon Prime Video licenses its content from many content publishers and copyright holders around the world. Those licensing agreements limit where Amazon Prime is able to broadcast certain TV shows and movies. This is why the Amazon Prime Video catalog differs around the world.

With a VPN, you can change the region on your Firestick when you travel overseas. This allows you to access a different Amazon Prime catalog to watch more TV shows and movies or regional programming, and foreign language content that is exclusive to a specific region.

Can I watch more Netflix with a Firestick VPN?

If you are on vacation or traveling for work, you can access your home Netflix catalog by connecting to a VPN. This will allow you to watch any of the shows you started back home, even if they aren't available in the region you are visiting.

Can I unblock VoIP apps on a Firestick with a VPN?

Numerous VoIP messengers and video calling apps are available to download from the Amazon app store. This will allow you to use your Firestick to make calls. For example, you can download Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, and Zoom to your Firestick device.

Unfortunately, in some countries, such as the UAE, VoIP calls are banned. This is to force people living in those countries to make traditional phone calls. Thankfully, anybody in a country where VoIP is restricted can use a VPN to regain access to VoIP services and make free calls without being tracked by their ISP or the government.

Do I need a fast Firestick VPN?

Yes. The vast majority of VPNs run on slow servers that cause your internet to slow down by 50% or more. This causes buffering when you try to stream on your Firestick. 

The VPNs recommended in this guide all have fast servers. They provide an IP address abroad without unnecessarily slowing down your internet.

The important thing to remember is that a VPN cannot speed up your internet. The speed of your internet is controlled by your ISP and the connection you pay for. Thus, even the fastest VPNs will only allow you to use your regular connection at close to full capacity.

Is it legal to change my Firestick location?

While it is not illegal to use a VPN to connect to an IP address abroad, it may be against the Terms of Service of the streaming services you access. Streaming services purposefully use region locks to prevent access to unlicensed content, and when you bypass these restrictions, you are flouting the rules. This could potentially lead to your account being terminated. 

Fortunately, streaming providers want subscribers to keep paying for their accounts. That is why they spend time and effort blocking VPNs rather than terminating user accounts. This means that you should not have any issues when accessing your streaming services abroad with a VPN.

Despite this, it is worth remembering that I am not a legal expert, and nothing in this guide should be taken as legal advice. Do your due diligence.