Amazon Prime Video is a great addition to the benefits offered by Amazon Prime, and a worthy competitor to Netflix.
However, it’s not available everywhere in the world, and the number of TV shows and films available varies, depending on where you are. If you’re wondering how to unblock Amazon Prime Video anywhere in the world, this guide will help you do just that!
We’ll take a look at your best options for unblocking Amazon Prime Video, and help you set up your computer to unblock Amazon Prime Video – no matter where you are in the world. Let’s get started.
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Using A VPN Will Unblock Amazon Prime Video Anywhere
The best way to unblock Amazon Prime Video from anywhere in the world is by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
VPNs are online services that encrypt your network traffic, protect it, and route it through a private server located in another country. This allows VPNs to avoid geographical bans on websites, as well as content streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video.
For several years, many people were using Smart DNS services to do this. Smart DNS services use the same basic principle. They change your IP address to make it look like you’re connecting from a different country, allowing you to access blocked content.
Smart DNS services were cheap, and offered great performance. But because they are not encrypted, it was easy for content providers like Amazon Prime and Netflix to catch on. They can still view your original IP, and detect that it’s been changed. They will then block you from the service.
Today, most Smart DNS services don’t work at all to get around content blocks for Amazon Prime and other streaming services, so a VPN is a much better choice.
How do VPNs Work to unblock Amazon Prime Video?
Unlike a Smart DNS service, VPNs actually encrypt all of the traffic that you send, protecting it from the view of government agencies and services like Amazon Prime Video.
When you use a VPN, all of your web traffic is encrypted and sent to a third-party server of your choice. You could choose one in your own country, or one somewhere else. Either way, all of your traffic is routed through this server, and then sent to the website or service that you are trying to access.
To that website, it will look as if you are legitimately connecting from a computer located in the proper country – and they will not block your access.
Let’s take a country like China as an example. If you have a VPN installed on your computer, you can connect to a server located in the US. Your network traffic is encrypted, and sent to that US server. Then, the server sends your traffic to the blocked website you’re accessing.
Even though Amazon Prime Video is not available in China, you’ll be able to access it. To the “Great Firewall”, it will look like you’re simply communicating with a random American server. And to Amazon Prime Video, it will look like you’re connecting from a legitimate, US-based computer.
While VPNs can be detected and blocked by Amazon Prime Video if there are a lot of connections at once, this can be avoided by simply switching your server to a new one.
ExpressVPN – The best choice for unblocking Amazon Prime Video anywhere in the world
There are plenty of different VPN services that you can choose from if you want to unblock Amazon Prime Video. However, ExpressVPN is our favorite, and our top choice. With advanced security and privacy features, tons of servers in the US and other countries, and a simple UI, it’s a fantastic choice for VPN beginners and experienced VPN users alike.
One of the biggest advantages of ExpressVPN is that is has servers in 90+ countries, including plenty of servers in America and Canada. This ensures that you’ll always be able to stream Amazon Prime Video, no matter where you are.
ExpressVPN is also very easy to set up and use. If you already have an Amazon Prime account, you can start watching your favorite shows and movies in no time at all.
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How To Unblock Amazon Prime Video Anywhere in the World With ExpressVPN
Not sure how to get started with ExpressVPN? We’ll walk you through the process of how to unblock Amazon Prime Video with this VPN service now.
Step 1: Create an ExpressVPN account
First, you’ll need a valid subscription to ExpressVPN. If you don’t already have one, head over to the ExpressVPN website, and sign up.
You’ve got a couple of different subscription options. If you want to save some money, you can sign up for 6 months for $9.99 per month, or pay $8.32/month for a 1-year subscription. Otherwise, just choose the 1 month subscription for $12.95 per month.
You can use a variety of different payment methods like PayPal, all major credit cards, and even Bitcoin at checkout. Sign up and check out, and create your ExpressVPN login credentials. You can then log in, or follow the confirmation link that will be sent to your email.
Step 2: Download the ExpressVPN software
Once you log into ExpressVPN, you’ll see the following screen:
This is where you can see all of the specifics about your ExpressVPN subscription. The “Activation code” section has a code (blanked out in this picture) that you will use when you setup your VPN client, so copy it now.
Next, download the VPN client for your system. ExpressVPN should recognize the OS you’re connecting from, and recommend the proper client. If it doesn’t, choose the right client by clicking “Set Up on More Devices”.
Download the ExpressVPN software and install it on your computer, according to the instructions provided.
Step 3: Install ExpressVPN and set up the software
You will see the following screen after you’ve installed the ExpressVPN software onto your computer.
You will have to click the “Sign In” button. You’ll need the activation code we mentioned in Step 2, so go copy it now if you haven’t already done so, and paste it into the required field.
Then, you’ll be authenticated and ready to use ExpressVPN. You’ll see this screen once you’ve signed in.
This is the main UI of the ExpressVPN client. You can change your preferences, such as auto kill-switch settings, encryption type, and whether or not ExpressVPN activates on startup, by clicking the “hamburger” options menu on the upper-left.
To change your location, you’ll press the “Choose Location” button on the bottom-right, and the center button activates the VPN client.
Step 4: Connect to your preferred server
To unblock Amazon Prime Video, you’ll need to connect to the country in which you’re signed up for Amazon Prime. If you have Prime in Canada, you’ll need to connect to a Canadian server, if you have Prime in the US, connect to a US server – and so on. Let’s use the US as an example.
The available servers are broken down into groups based on the region and country. Select “United States”, and you’ll see the following screen.
All you have to do to connect to a new server is double-click it. This will close the server selection menu and connect you to the VPN server. Alternatively, just click your preferred server once, and then press the “power” button on the main VPN screen to connect.
Once your VPN client has connected to the proper server, you’ll see this screen:
If you have successfully connected to your chosen server, the client will read “VPN is ON” and you’ll see this green shield around the power button. You’re all set, and ready to unblock Amazon Prime Video.
Step 5: Start watching Amazon Prime Video
All you have to do now is open up your Amazon account, and start watching your favorite Amazon Originals like Man in the High Castle, or the other movies and TV shows that Amazon Prime has to offer.
I’m Still Being Blocked From Amazon Prime Video – What’s Happening?
If you’re outside of your home country, you’re not supposed to have full access to Amazon Prime Video. Normally, you can only watch a few videos while traveling abroad, like Amazon Originals.
Because of this, Amazon Prime has taken steps to try to block VPN connections. If too many people connect from the same server, Amazon might flag it and blacklist it as being a VPN – in which case, you may still get a message that Amazon Prime is blocked.
The key is for VPN companies like ExpressVPN to stay a step ahead, and continually change the IP addresses and metadata of servers, to prevent them from being identified. If you try a few different ExpressVPN servers, you should find one that will work with Amazon Prime.
If you can’t find a server that works, your best bet is to contact ExpressVPN customer service. They’ll be able to point you at a server that will unblock Amazon Prime Video.
Is Unblocking Amazon Prime with a VPN Legal?
Yes! You’re already paying for Amazon Prime, so you have the right to access your content, even if you happen to be traveling abroad, or living in another country for a few months. There is nothing illegal about using a VPN, or using it to get around firewalls or data blocking.
Amazon Prime blocks people outside of the US from connecting due to licensing restrictions. Most TV shows and movies available on American Amazon Prime are not available in other countries, so they don’t want people in foreign countries to sign up for Prime, and pretend to be in America to watch them.
But if you are an American and you want to watch Amazon Prime Video while traveling, you’re well within your rights to do so. You’re already paying for the content – so using a service like ExpressVPN to unblock it is perfectly legal.
Why Can I Only Access US/Canada Amazon Prime Now With My VPN?
Unfortunately, you can’t easily change your region to watch different content libraries with Amazon Prime Video. Unlike Netflix, which will offer you a different library of content based on the country you’re connecting from, Amazon Prime Video uses your home location in order to determine the content you can watch.
For example, if your home address for Amazon Prime is in the US, you can only watch Amazon Prime Video content that’s available in the US, even if you connect to a VPN server in a different country like Canada, the UK, or Germany. It’s simply not possible to watch content from different countries on Amazon Prime Video.
However, if you move permanently or for an extended period of time, it is possible to change the “home” location used by Amazon Prime Video. Check out this support page for details.
NordVPN – The Best Alternative if You’re on a Budget!
If you’re thinking about getting a VPN to unblock Amazon Prime, but ExpressVPN is too expensive, NordVPN is a good choice.
NordVPN is about the same price as ExpressVPN if you pay monthly. You’ll pay $11.95 for a month-to-month subscription.
But if you buy a longer-term subscription, you can save a ton of money. A year-long subscription will cost you $6.99 per month. Pay for 2 years in advance, and you’ll pay just $3.99 per month. The company also sometimes has 3-year subscriptions available for just $2.99 per month, which is a great deal. You can get your money back within 30 days of purchase, so you won’t have to commit to multiple years of service if you don’t like NordVPN.
Even though it’s cheap, NordVPN has great features that make it ideal if you want to unblock Amazon Prime Video. It has a total of 4,500+ servers located in 62 countries. And because there are more than 2,000 in the Americas, including Canada and the United States, you’ll always have a high-speed server available that’s able to unblock Amazon Prime Video.
ExpressVPN is worth the extra cash, but if you are on a budget, NordVPN is definitely a good alternative if you’re willing to commit to a multi-year contract.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
