Amazon Fire Sticks are a great way to make nearly any TV into a smart TV, but you're likely not getting the most out of yours. Whether you've recently picked up one during a sale or have had one for years, installing a VPN on it is a must.
There's almost always some great VPN Deals knocking around, especially as we approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when almost all the best VPNs will likely slash their prices some of the best Fire Stick VPNs.
Installing a Fire Stick VPN allows you to access content from around the world, all from the comfort of your home. If you'd like to browse US Netflix or access sports streams from around the world, a VPN can help you. Not only that, but you can also use a Fire Stick VPN to access content from your home country when you're abroad.
All of this, plus the added benefit of increased online privacy and security that you'd expect from a great VPN.
All Amazon Fire Sticks support VPNs. There's wider support on the older models, but if you have the 4K Select, support is a lot more substantial than it was this time last year. Today, options on the 4K Select include NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and IPVanish.
Wondering how to install a VPN on your Fire Stick? Read on and find out with our step-by-step guide.
Signing up for a VPN
The very first step is to sign up for a VPN. We'd recommend doing this on your computer or a mobile device, rather than painstakingly typing in your email and password with the Fire Stick remote.
We rate NordVPN as the #1 Fire Stick VPN, but IPVanish is also a very popular option. Both are available on the new 4K Select, as well as older models.
For older devices, Surfshark is a great choice thanks to its cheap monthly price, strong speeds, and excellent streaming performance.
Whichever VPN you go with, double check that it's available on your Amazon Fire Stick app store before purchasing your plan. For most leading VPN providers, this won't be a problem, even on the 4K Select. However, nearly all leading VPNs come with at least a 30-day money-back guarantee – so if you come a cropper and realise your VPN of choice doesn't have a Fire Stick app, it's easy enough to get a refund.
Follow the steps to sign up on the VPN's website, then pick a plan. If you're after the best possible deal, we'd advise you to look for multi-year deals, as these always work out cheaper than a rolling monthly subscription. The latter might be ideal if you're keen to try out using a VPN for the first time, though.
Once you've signed up, it's time to load up your Fire Stick and download the VPN app from the Amazon Appstore and log in.
Installing a VPN on Fire Stick
Open up the Amazon Appstore and search for your VPN provider. Once you've found the application, download it and it'll install itself automatically.
After this, load up the app, log in with your details and you're ready to go!
Changing your location with a Fire Stick VPN
After you've logged in, it's time for you to pick your server. Typically, the app will default to a server that's near you, as they're almost always the fastest. This isn't any good if you want to access content from another country, though. For that, you'll need to find the server list.
The server list should be fairly easy to spot on your VPN home page. You can scroll down the list of countries or search for your desired location.
The best streaming VPNs performed very well in our latest round of testing. You should have no trouble unblocking global Netflix libraries – including those in the US, Japan, UK, and Canada. Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu can all be unblocked.
You should also see success in unblocking regional services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4 in the UK or 10Play in Australia.
Not every VPN is 100% effective first time, every time. Sometimes, known VPN servers are blocked by content providers. If you're having this kind of issue, you'll need to switch to a different server in the same location. It sometimes takes a few to find one that works, but that shouldn't take too long.
My VPN isn’t working – what do I do?
If your VPN isn’t playing ball on your Fire Stick, your best option is to get in contact with support on your provider’s website. Providers offer a mix of live chat – sometimes 24/7 – and email support.
You’ll also be able to search through articles and guides (you may find a Fire Stick guide on your VPN’s site) which will also help you get up and running.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
