Android TV Box has grown to become a very popular way for people to watch their favorite content without having to rely on questionable media center software, such as Plex, Kodi, and alike. Instead, all you need to do is plug it in and watch whatever there is available. Not to mention that Android is free, the hardware is relatively cheap, and the system is open-source, which also makes it pretty safe. You can even install numerous video apps on it.
The only real problem is that you may be limited in terms of what content (and apps) you can access via Android TV Box. As you know, some of them are geo-restricted, so you won’t be able to enjoy BBC iPlayer, for example, unless you live in the UK.
Fortunately, this can all be resolved with a single additional app â an Android TV VPN.
Why Use an Android TV VPN?
In order to watch geo-restricted content on your Android TV Box, you need to hide your location and appear to be somewhere else. This is what a VPN â Virtual Private Network â can do for you.
VPNs contain numerous privacy and security features, such as security protocols, encryption, and their own private server networks. With the first two, you can ensure that nobody knows what it is that you are doing. However, with server networks, you can hide your real IP address and change your online location when watching Android Box TV.
That way, you can appear to be located somewhere else, which would allow you to bypass censorship of your own country or geo-restrictions implemented by foreign countries or services.
When you connect to any server that VPNs offer, you get a new IP address that is tied to that particular server and its specific location in the world. Meanwhile, your own IP address â the one provided to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) â will be pushed aside, hidden. Simply put, if you live in the US and you wish to watch UK content, all you need to do is connect to a server in the UK.
This will ensure that you replace your own IP with a UK-based IP address, and any service that you try to access will think that you are located in the United Kingdom. This is a very simple and yet very efficient way of bypassing all online restrictions via your Android TV Box, as well as many other devices that you may be using.
Recommended VPN for Android TV Box
The first thing that you need to understand is that you should never use free VPN for Android TV Box.
Free VPNs do exist, but they are neither safe nor reliable, and they most certainly are not fast. In fact, they are often overcrowded, with only a few servers (as opposed to premium VPNs, which offer thousands), which means that they will be slow, and interfere with your streaming.
Next, they are also not safe, as many of them collect your data in order to sell it to advertisers and intrusive government agencies. Some of the worst ones are even set up and controlled by hackers, who collect your data in order to exploit it later on or sell it on the dark web.
Instead, go directly to premium VPNs. These are legal, registered companies that deliver on their promises, provide strong protection features, unbreakable encryption, and hundreds, or even thousands of servers as part of their networks.
As for which services specifically to use, we have selected our top 5 recommended VPN services, which are as follows:
CyberGhost
The first on our list is CyberGhost â a VPN service that is among the oldest, largest, and most respected in the industry. CyberGhost offers some of the best security features that you can find on the market, including top security protocols (OpenVPN), encryption (256-bit AES), and one of the largest, if not THE largest server network in the industry.
It has servers in 90 countries around the world, with around 6,200 servers in total. It has dedicated apps for multiple devices, including Android TV Box, but also Windows, Linux, iOS, macOS, other Android devices, and even Chrome and Firefox.
Best of all, CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is among the longest in the VPN industry. That means that you have a month and a half to decide whether the service is good enough for you or not. If you decide that it doesn’t work well enough, you can get your money back at any point during this time.
45-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Surfshark
Next on the list, we have Surfshark, which is another great VPN that you can use to unblock services such as Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and many others. Surfshark has just as good security and privacy features as many other top VPNs, which makes it an excellent choice in that area.
It also has a pretty massive server network that spans throughout 61 countries around the world. In total, it features 1040 servers. On top of that, it has very affordable prices and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark is also a favorite among sports fans, as it has servers in Russia. This allows you to unblock Russian MatchTV, which as a free service for streaming all kinds of sporting events that you cannot reach otherwise. This is very important, as not many other VPNs have servers in Russia. However, if you are a fan of boxing and other sports, you are likely to find a live stream of them on MatchTV.
Unlimited Devices Allowed
NordVPN
In the third spot, there is NordVPN â another very fast and very safe service that constantly works on becoming faster, safer, and better. NordVPN offers the best protection a VPN can get in this day and age, including multiple additional features, apart from the regular security protocol, and encryption.
It also has a large server network that consists of 5,400 servers, located in around 57 countries around the world. NordVPN is also well-known for offering a large number of dedicated apps for all kinds of devices and systems, and Android TV Box is also among them.
As mentioned, its speeds are excellent, and it is easily one of the fastest VPN for streaming Android TV Box. You can use it on 6 different devices at once, so you can even share it with your family members to keep them safe, as well.
NordVPN often offers excellent deals that reduce the price of its long-term plans, so you can always expect to find a discount on a 2-year or 3-year plan. Monthly prices are the same as those of its competitors, so there will be no surprises there. Finally, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a refund if you decide that it doesn’t work for you the way you want it to.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
PureVPN
Nearing the end of the list, we have PureVPN â another VPN that offers great speed and specializes in streaming. However, that doesn’t mean that PureVPN lacks when it comes to security. It features military-grade encryption, the strongest security protocols, and a global server network, among other features such as the kill switch, split tunneling, and more.
While we are on the topic of its server network, it consists of over 2,000 servers in over 140 countries, according to its website. However, this VPN stands out the most when it comes to its very competitive prices, which are lower than what many other VPNs on this list have to offer.
It is also compatible with nearly 60 devices, so you are more than likely to find an appropriate app for your Android TV Box.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
IPVanish
Last, but definitely not least, we have IPVanish â yet another old service that has been around for a long time, which guarantees quality and trustworthiness in itself. Like the others on this list, this VPN also features zero-logs policy, and it offers top security features, such as strong encryption and security protocols.
As for its server network, IPVanish has over 1300 servers in 75+ locations around the world, which totals over 40,000 IP addresses for you to choose from and make sure that you will always have excellent speeds.
It also offers some of the lowest, if not THE lowest prices among the top VPNs. In fact, its only downside is the fact that its money-back guarantee lasts only for 7 days. But we believe that this is more than long enough for you to check it out and see if it can provide you with everything you need in order to watch anything you want on your Android Box TV.
However, it also makes up for this fact by allowing 10 simultaneous connections, which means that you can likely secure every device with an internet connection in your entire home, including everything that your family owns.
7-Day Money-Back Guarantee
How to Get a VPN for Android TV Box?
Getting a VPN for Android TV Box is actually a rather simple procedure, and all you need to do is follow these next few steps.
1) Start by picking a VPN
The first thing that you need to do is choose which VPN you wish to use. There are many of them out there, and not all of them are equally as good, nor do they all have a dedicated app for Android TV Box. We suggest to pick a VPN from the list in this article since they have been tested and work with the Android TV Box.
2) Go to its website and subscribe
The next step is to go to the website of your chosen VPN provider and sign up for an account. You will likely only have to provide your email address and payment method. Many VPNs accept most of the popular payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies. You will also have to choose a payment plan, which is unique to each VPN provider.
3) Get the app
After that, you need to search for the service’s VPN app among numerous other Android apps. Simply type the name of the VPN app into the search on your Android TV Box, and install it.
4) Connect
Now is the time for the final step â you need to launch the app, log into it, and locate a list of servers. Then, all you need to do is find a server located in the country whose content you wish to access and connect to it. After that, you will be free to watch anything that Android Box TV has to offer.
How to Setup a VPN for Android TV Box Manually
Another thing that you need to keep in mind is that there might be a chance that your device doesn’t provide access to the app store. If that is the case, you don’t have to worry, as Android also lets you install and configure a VPN manually.
Basically, getting the VPN via the app store is simply the easiest way to find and install APK files. However, if you were to find the files you need elsewhere and transfer them to your device, you can install them in the exact same way.
This is called a sideloading process, and to do it, you need to follow these steps:
1) Choose a VPN
2) Go to its website and sign up
3) On the page where you select the dedicated app, find a direct link to the APK file under the Android heading.
4) Download the files
5) Next, you will need to install the software, but first, allow installations from unauthorized sources in the Settings menu, under Lock screen and security option. There, you will find the Unknown Sources setting, which you need to turn on.
6) Now, open the device’s file manager app and go to the downloads folder. Select the file you have downloaded from the VPN service, and confirm the installation.
7) As soon as the installation is complete, you will be able to use your VPN in the same way as explained before.
Conclusion
Amazon Box TV is a great way to stream all kinds of online content in a completely legal way, simply by installing various apps and enjoying what they have to offer. However, geo-restrictions tend to limit people and prevent them from doing that, which is why everyone needs a good, fast VPN at their side.
By now, you should know which VPNs are the best for such purposes, but also which ones you should do best to avoid. On top of that, we have explained how to install a VPN on your Android TV Box via the app store, or manually, depending on whether or not your device can access the app store. All that remains is for you to get the VPN you like the most and enjoy any kind of content that your Smart TV has to offer.
One comment
McPhee
April 14, 2020 at 12:04 pm
Since I already have Surfshark, the only thing missing is Android TV. I think it will be a great opportunity to try something new; we’ll see how it goes. And btw thanks for the guidelines on how to install a VPN on it, that will be helpful in the future.