How to Change Netflix Region

Netflix displays different movies, documentaries and TV shows based on the country you’re in. It uses your IP address to determine your geolocation and which content titles to show you.

Since some countries have much richer content libraries than others, learning how to change your Netflix region allows you to get the most out of your Netflix subscription.

The easiest, and most popular, way to change your location on Netflix is to use a reliable VPN for Netflix.

To change Netflix regions without a VPN, especially on Smart TVs and games consoles, we recommend using a VPN service with Smart DNS included, like ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer.

Using a high-quality VPN is the simplest and most effective way to change your Netflix region and access geo-restricted titles available outside of your country.

A VPN lets you change your IP address with one from almost any country, depending on the VPN you use. You can switch between regions with just a click/tap in the app.

Watch the video for a demonstration on changing your Netflix region using a VPN, or read the instructions just below.

The number of Netflix regions you can unblock varies across VPN services. The most effective VPNs can unblock up to 32 libraries, while others only work with a handful of libraries.

Pros & Cons of Using a VPN

These are the main benefits and drawbacks of using a VPN to change country on Netflix:

Pros	Cons
Compatible with up to 32 Netflix regions	Requires advanced steps to work on Smart TVs, games consoles & Roku
More reliable than any other method	The very best Netflix VPNs require a paid subscription
Streams in the highest video quality
Simple to set up and use
Free options available (but limited)
Encrypts network traffic

If you don’t want to use a VPN, there are two main ways to change your Netflix region without one: using a Smart DNS service (the most effective option), or using a proxy server.

Previously, we had suggested also trying remote desktop software, the Tor browser, or setting up a home VPN server, however we’ve removed these methods since the setup was either too time-consuming or unblocking multiple regions wasn’t effective enough.

In the two sections below, we’ll explain in more detail how to use Smart DNS and Proxy Servers to unblock international Netflix libraries.

1. Smart DNS Service

Pros	Cons
The easiest way to change Netflix region without a VPN	Only works with specific websites and in a limited number of locations
Works on almost every device (including Smart TVs and games consoles)	You need to provide your IP address in order to gain access
Cheaper than most VPN services	Choice of VPN service is limited
Provides fast connection speeds	Can be more difficult to configure than a VPN application

A Smart DNS service lets you change your device’s DNS settings to re-route your connection through DNS servers in a country of your choice.

Like with a VPN, Smart DNS tricks platforms like Netflix into thinking you’re physically located in that country, allowing you to access that region’s content.

For example, if you live in France and want to watch US Netflix, you can re-route your DNS requests through a US server and easily stream American Netflix from overseas.

Two popular standalone Smart DNS services optimized for streaming are Smart DNS Proxy and Unlocator.

You don’t need to download software to use Smart DNS, enabling you to easily switch Netflix regions on devices such as LG Smart TVs and gaming consoles like Xbox, which typically do not support native VPN applications.

In fact, this is one area in which Smart DNS is better than a VPN for changing your Netflix region.

Smart DNS is also faster than VPN, although this doesn’t always translate to better streaming resolution.

While Smart DNS tools allow streaming on a wide range of devices, they do not encrypt your traffic or hide your IP address.

In other words, your ISP will be able to see what you’re doing and you won’t be protected from cybercriminals while connected to unsecured public WiFi networks.

Some VPNs for streaming also offer their own Smart DNS tools. Based on our latest round of testing, the two that work most reliably with Netflix are:

How to Use Smart DNS to Change Netflix Region

We’ve already outlined how to use Smart DNS with Netflix above, however you can also watch how to do it in the video below:

The setup process will vary slightly depending on your provider and the device you’re using, but the general process is roughly the same across devices.

2. Proxy Server

Pros	Cons
Often free and easy to use	Does not encrypt your traffic
Good proxy server providers offer a range of server locations	Proxy IP addresses are easily blocked by Netflix
Generally delivers fast connection speeds	Overcrowded servers can occasionally cause slow speeds
	Only works when accessing Netflix from within your browser
	Less reliable than VPN services and Smart DNS

A proxy server can help you change your Netflix country by routing your traffic through a third-party server before connecting to Netflix.

Like with a VPN, a proxy server hides your IP address and tricks Netflix into thinking you’re located in the country where the proxy server is based.

In other words, if you connect to a proxy server located in the UK, you’ll get access to the UK Netflix library, regardless of where you actually are in the world.

Unlike a VPN, ​​proxy servers don’t encrypt your internet traffic.

Many Chrome VPN extensions are actually proxy servers, and not full VPN products. They route browser traffic through a remote server, but don’t encrypt it.

Examples of browser-based proxies that work with Netflix include Hide.me’s Chrome extension and Windscribe’s Firefox extension.

Proxy servers are application-specific, meaning they only re-route traffic from the application they’re running on.

You can use a proxy server to change regions on Netflix in your browser, but you won’t be able to do the same on an external Netflix app.

In general, proxy servers are less secure than VPNs, and less reliable than Smart DNS for changing your Netflix region. However, they’re free and can sometimes unblock foreign Netflix libraries.

How to Use a Proxy Server to Change Netflix Region

Using a proxy server browser extension to change Netflix region is very similar to using a VPN browser extension. Read our guide to setting up a VPN on Chrome for instructions.

The best way to change your region on Netflix for free is to use a free VPN that unblocks Netflix.

In our streaming tests, very few free VPNs worked, and the ones that did performed much worse than paid services. They also lack advanced streaming features, like Smart DNS.

Despite these limitations, we found that Windscribe and PrivadoVPN are the two best free VPNs that still access certain Netflix libraries.

Windscribe currently works with the following 5 Netflix regions: France, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

On the other hand, PrivadoVPN unblocks the UK library but more importantly the very popular American library.

Remember, paid VPNs for Netflix like ExpressVPN access many more Netflix regions than free ones, at faster speeds, and on more devices.

Regardless of your device, the best way to change your Netflix region is to use either a VPN or a Smart DNS proxy.

However, the best option depends on the device(s) you’ll be using to stream.

A VPN is the best way to change Netflix regions on devices that support native VPN applications including desktop PCs, laptops, and phones. With just one app, you can switch between multiple VPN locations and gain access to dozens of different Netflix libraries.

Smart DNS works better on devices without native VPN support, such as Xbox and PlayStation, and Smart TVs.

Some devices, like Roku, don’t support native VPN apps and don’t let you change the default DNS settings. In this scenario, you can set up a VPN on your router.

The table below details which method you should use to change your Netflix region based on the device you use. For detailed installation instructions, read our VPN setup guides.

Device	How to Change Netflix Region
Amazon Firestick	VPN Service
Android	VPN Service
Apple TV	VPN Service
Chromecast with Google TV	VPN Service
Google Chromecast (Older Version)	VPN Router
iPhone	VPN Service
MacOS	VPN Service
PS4/PS5	Smart DNS
Roku	VPN Router
Samsung Smart TV	Smart DNS
Xbox One/Series X	Smart DNS
Windows	VPN Service

There is currently no way to change the payment region of an existing Netflix account.

To change the billing country on your Netflix account, you must close your current account and create a new one associated with your new country. To do this:

You don’t need to change your billing country if you’re trying to stream movies and TV shows unavailable in your geographic region. Instead, use a VPN service or a Smart DNS proxy.