Best VPN for FireStick (2018)

In this guide, you will learn which is the best VPN for FireStick, why should you use it, how to find the right VPN, and how to install VPN on FireStick. Stay tuned.

Amazon Fire Stick is a great plug-and-play device for the best online streaming experience through your TV. You don’t need a Smart TV to access streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime if you have a FireStick, for the Android-based device turns any TV with an HDMI port into a Smart TV. But your experience with FireStick varies greatly based on your geographic location. This is because of geo-restriction of the streaming services you access with your FireStick. But if you use a VPN on FireStick, you can get the best experience wherever you are.

Why you need VPN on FireStick

Fire Stick is a plug-and-play device which lets you access streaming services through your television. It is also popular with Kodi users as they install Kodi on the FireStick to combine their respective usefulness. However, there are many things that can spoil your FireStick experience. Below are a couple of reasons why you need a VPN for FireStick.

#1. Online surveillance

Would you be alright if someone keeps an eye on everything you do on the internet? You might think for a minute that there’s no harm in someone observing your streaming activity. But it’s like having someone sitting with you in your room and watching the TV stream without your consent or knowledge. It’s more like someone peeing in through the window at all time. It’s hard to believe that anyone will be comfortable with such a thing, but with increasing government surveillance all around the world, this is happening everywhere today.

#2. Geo-restriction

Fire Stick is a device that gives you access to popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, etc. But the thing about these services is that they are geo-restricted, meaning they are available only in select parts of the world. Although Netflix is now available all over the world, the Netflix libraries you get in different regions aren’t what you are looking for. It’s the US version that’s the best, but it’s only for US nationals. Hulu is again a US-only service, while BBC iPlayer is a UK only service. This is basically due to content distribution rights, but it doesn’t change the fact that people in other parts of the world are deprived of such services.

The situation is similar with Kodi Add-ons. Many of them provide you access to such services, but geo-restriction plays spoilsport there as well. Sporting events face regional blackout because of broadcast issues, adding another problem for sports enthusiasts.

#3. ISP Throttling

When you use FireStick with Kodi and stream content without a VPN, everyone can see your online activity. This includes your internet service provider. While you might think there’s no harm if someone sees what you are watching through your FireStick, there’s something you don’t know. When your ISP sees that you are streaming, it throttles your bandwidth as a means of load balancing. Streaming requires continuous internet connectivity and the better the speed, the better the experience. But ISPs throttle your network bandwidth when they see that you have been streaming for a long time at a stretch. This shouldn’t happen, but it does happen.

How FireStick VPN Can Help

VPNs connect you to the internet through one of their servers. All traffic passing through these servers is encrypted by the VPN. In addition to encrypting the traffic, these servers also hide your true IP address. The IP visible to anyone is that of the VPN server. The combination of data encryption and IP masking means that your online activity is private and your identity anonymous when you use a VPN.

When you use a VPN on FireStick, you have a few advantages.

#1. FireStick VPNs will give you access to all the content you want. They do hide your true IP address, but you can use the VPN server’s IP address to your own advantage. Any service determines your location through your IP address. If you choose a VPN server in a location where the streaming service is available, you can access it without restriction. So if you want to connect to Netflix USA or Amazon Instant Video, connect to a US server, and you are good to go. VPNs help you pretend to be somewhere you are not.

#2. When you use FireStick with VPN, you can hide from all peeping toms and big brother. Your streaming activity remains confidential. While this is good for privacy, it also helps you overcome ISP throttling. If your ISP doesn’t know that you are streaming TV shows or movies, it won’t throttle your network bandwidth, and you can enjoy high-speed streaming.

Things to Look for When Choosing Best VPN for FireStick

Using a FireStick VPN is extremely helpful and beneficial to your TV viewing experience. But choosing the right VPN is equally important. You should look for a few things when you go VPN hunting.

#1. Connection Speed

Streaming requires good connection speeds. When you use a VPN, the connection speed takes a hit because of the encryption overhead. But the quality of VPN determines how much your speed reduces. The best VPNs provide strong encryption without causing the slightest ripple effects on your connection speeds. Some VPNs even improve connection speeds because of the location of their servers.

#2. Strength of Encryption

VPNs encrypt your connection, but it is no good if anyone can penetrate this encryption layer and see what you are doing. Most of the top VPNs today use OpenVPN AES 256-bit encryption, which provides the best protection from all threats. You should look for this protection.

#3. No Logs Policy

VPNs hide you from all prying eyes, but they themselves can see everything you do since you are using the internet through their servers. This is why it’s important for you to use a VPN that does not record your activity logs and is preferably based out of a location that does not have any data retention laws. This combination means that you have the best possible privacy and are always anonymous on the internet.

#4. Security Features

A VPN should provide strong encryption and good connection speeds, but the best VPNs provide special security features like internet kill switch. A kill switch disconnects you from the internet the moment your VPN connection drops. This prevents your activity and identity from getting leaked on the off chance that your VPN connection drops. This is important for all VPN users since it gives you non-stop protection.

#5. Customer Support Service

This is something that often gets neglected when you choose a VPN service. If you are a first time VPN user, then it makes it all the more important that you choose a VPN that has a good customer support service. Although most of the good VPNs have an informative knowledge base, you never know when you might run into trouble installing or using a VPN on Firestick. Having a VPN that is always there to help you out makes things a lot easier. This is why you should look for a VPN that has 24X7 support in the form of email, ticket, live chat, and even remote assistance or telephone support.

Best VPN for FireStick 2018

There are not many VPNs that work best with FireStick. After reviewing several VPNs in the last couple of months, I recommend only two VPN providers that work flawlessly with Fire TV / Stick.

IPVanish: #1 Best FireStick VPN

If you want an alternative to ExpressVPN, then you should go for IPVanish. Labeled the fastest VPN on the planet, it does little to discredit its own claim. It indeed provides some of the fastest VPN servers, but ExpressVPN takes the crown when it comes to fastest VPN in the industry.

IPVanish provides strong encryption and maintains a no-logs policy just like ExpressVPN. Installing IPVanish on FireStick is simple, and the process takes hardly 5 minutes. IPVanish provides VPN solutions for routers as well, so if you want to setup a VPN on FireStick using a router, you can choose IPVanish and get the job done easily.

ExpressVPN: #2 Best VPN for FireStick

ExpressVPN is arguably the best VPN for FireStick. It is a VPN that provides satisfaction to all customers, whatever their need is. With ExpressVPN, you get the strongest and fastest VPN connections you can see. It has more than 1500 servers across 94 countries, so finding a server near you is never an issue.

You can use ExpressVPN on your FireStick pretty easily since it now has a dedicated app for Amazon Fire TV Stick. To install ExpressVPN on Fire TV, you can either download the app or the APK file, depending on which Fire TV Stick device you own. ExpressVPN also provides pre-configured routers and helps you set up the VPN on your router. This means that you can use ExpressVPN on FireStick and enjoy the best TV viewing experience without any restrictions.

Conclusion on Best VPN for Fire Stick

Both ExpressVPN and IPVanish provide neat security features like internet kill switch. If you are in a country like China where there is heavy internet surveillance, there is little access to streaming services, even using a VPN is illegal and can get you into trouble, there’s even more reason for you to choose these two VPNs.

Both ExpressVPN and IPVanish give you stealth servers and use techniques to prevent detection by authorities. This means that you can use ExpressVPN or IPVanish on your FireStick and stream anything you want without worrying about legal trouble. If you want to ensure that your VPN doesn’t cause buffering issues ever, it is wiser to go for ExpressVPN. It is the fastest VPN on the date. I am using it for last 18 months without any problems.

How to Install VPN on FireStick

Installing a VPN on FireStick 2^nd generation with Alexa voice remote is a breeze while installing it on 1^st generation can take some time. We will cover them both, beginning with 2^nd generation firestick VPN installation. Before you learn how to install a VPN on FireStick, you should know that you need a VPN subscription first.

How to Install & Use ExpressVPN on FireStick with Alexa Voice (2^nd Generation)

If you are planning to give a try to ExpressVPN, the following steps will show you how to install ExpressVPN on Fire TV Stick.

Note: You will need ExpressVPN subscription before you can use it on your FireStick.

#1. Select ‘Search’ from the top left on the Home screen of your FireStick

#2. Type ‘ExpressVPN’ on the search page. You will see the ExpressVPN app come up in the search result. Select the app

#3. Click “Get” button as shown in the image below.

#4. Wait for the app to download and install

#5. Open the app and enter your username and password

#6. You will be asked to Configure your VPN. Click OK.

#7. Tap Ok when ExpressVPN asks for Connection Request.

#8. Now ExpressVPN for FireStick will ask permission to get reports about crashes, speed tests, etc. If you want to permit, click ‘Allow,’ else click ‘Don’t Allow.’

#9. Connect to the VPN and enjoy unrestricted streaming

#10. Click the location you want to use with your VPN for FireStick.

#11. That’s all. Your connection is now secure with the fastest and best VPN for FireStick.

Video Guide to install ExpessVPN on FireStick

[youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbaqgfPrG4c?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=640&h=390%5D

Click HERE to Get ExpressVPN for FireStick

How to Install & Use IPVanish on FireStick with Alexa Voice (2^nd Generation)

If you have decided to try IPVanish on FireStick, follow the steps below to install and use it.

Note: You need IPVanish subscription before you can use it on your Fire TV or Stick.

#1. Select ‘Search’ from the top left on the Home screen of your FireStick

#2. Type ‘IPVanish’ on the search page. When ‘IPVanish VPN’ shows in the results, click on it.

#3. Click “Get” icon to download and install IPVanish on FireStick.

#4. Open the IPVanish app and enter the login details that you created when bought IPVanish subscription.

#5. That’s all. Now you can use the options on left-hand side for connecting VPN, changing locations, etc.

Not many VPNs have an app for FireStick. All VPNs today have an Android app, but since Fire TV Stick does not have access to Google Play Store, you are stuck. We would recommend using a VPN like ExpressVPN that has a dedicated app for FireStick. But there are other ways of setting up a VPN on FireStick, which is through an APK file.

How to Use VPN on FireStick 1^st Generation

1. Connect your FireStick to the TV and go to Settings from the Home Screen
2. Choose System in the settings menu
3. Select Developer Options and then select Apps from Unknown Sources. Toggle the switch ‘on’
4. Now select ADB Debugging and toggle it ‘on.’ Don’t mind the warning messages; it’s perfectly safe
5. Go to Home Screen and search for Downloader
6. Select the Downloader app to download and install it on your FireStick
7. Open Downloader and type in the URL of the APK file of the VPN you want to use on your Fire TV Stick
8. Click on Next and wait for the APK to download and install
9. Open the VPN app and connect to a server of your choice

This method takes a little more time than setting up a VPN on a desktop or smartphone, but it is not difficult by any means. You can easily get the APK URL if you look for it, and most VPNs will even have a step by step tutorial on their website for this. You are bound to get the URL from there, although we suggest you stick to ExpressVPN, which is the fastest and most secure VPN for Fire Stick.

There’s another way to use a VPN on Fire TV Stick, which doesn’t require you to do anything with your Fire Stick. This works if you have a VPN configured router that provides VPN protection to all the devices connected to it. If that’s the case, then you need only connect your Amazon Fire Stick to that wireless network, and you will have the VPN protection. You can either purchase a pre-configured VPN router that VPN vendors like ExpressVPN and IPVanish sell, or you can use their setup guides to manually set up the VPN on your router.

Free VPN for FireStick

I keep getting queries like which is best free VPN for FireStick. Well, my dear friends, I would say that there is no combination of ‘free’ and ‘best’ when considering VPNs. If you are looking for best VPN, you can’t get it for free. I agree that some users might not afford paid VPNs, but I will not go for free VPN as well. Using a free VPN is as good as no VPN at all.

A free VPN for FireStick can bring more harm than good. You can read here why free VPNs should be avoided.

Changing Amazon Region for FireStick

You can set up a VPN on Fire TV Stick using the methods described above. That is enough to take care of your privacy. However, a few users prefer to take extra measures. In that case, you can also change the region for your Fire Stick without your real address.

Changing FireStick region is pretty simple. Open Amazon on your PC browser and follow these steps:

#1. Click “Your Orders” tab and then open ‘Manage your Content and Devices’ (below image)

#2. Click on ‘Settings’ tab.

#3. Go to the Country Settings and click on Change

#3. Enter an address that you want to add. You can find any random address by a quick web search

#4. Select Update

Conclusion on Fire Stick VPN

FireStick is a device that helps people improve their TV viewing experience by many degrees. It gives you the features of a Smart TV without requiring you to spend that extra cash. All you have to do is plug in the USB stick into your television’s HDMI port, and your world of TV viewing will change instantly. Although geo-restriction and ISP throttling can threaten to spoil the party, you can beat them with the help of a FireStick VPN.

Using a VPN on FireStick is extremely beneficial, and with VPN protection in the form of ExpressVPN, all your problems are solved. No matter where you are, this VPN will give you the best possible experience free from all troubles. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well, so if you think ExpressVPN isn’t good enough (which is highly unlikely!), you can ask for a full refund. So with ExpressVPN for FireStick, you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

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