How to watch American Amazon Prime anywhere
Jeff
Pennsylvania's Jeff is a seasoned streaming technology expert at WatchTVAbroad. His expertise spans global legal streaming services, particularly for sports like MMA and boxing, TV shows, and movies. His knowledge, born from a late-teen passion for media, is extensive and highly respected.
Amazon Prime Video is the top-rated streaming service, with sought-after content.
Unfortunately, it is also geo-restricted for many users worldwide who would like to stream Amazon Prime content. If you’re one of them, you’ll know how annoying that is!
Even those who do have access to the streaming service outside the US have a different catalog than the US users, similarly to what Netflix does.
Fortunately, there is a way to unblock it and stream it outside the US.
We can help with that, and grant you access to all of its movies and TV shows. Below I’ll be showing you how with the help of an easy app.
What you need to unlock Amazon Prime Video
In order to watch Amazon Prime Video content from outside the U.S., you will need a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
If you use a VPN app, you can change your online location and access different streaming content by appearing to be located in another country. All you need to do is subscribe to a VPN provider and connect to a VPN server in a country that has access to the content you need.
Don’t worry, it sounds much more complicated than it really is – bare with me.
VPNs are perfect tools for doing this, as they let you hide your real location, change your region, and bypass censorship and geo-restrictions.
So, if you want to watch Amazon Prime shows and movies or similar streaming sites, a VPN app can help you do just this. Below you’ll find the quick steps.
How to unblock Amazon Prime Video content?
In order to unlock Amazon Prime video content, you first need to get one of the best VPNs.
This is easy enough to do, and we will explain what you need to do, step-by-step.
For our example, we will use one of the best VPNs globally – ExpressVPN, but there are others that I’ll discuss below.
- Start by going to the ExpressVPN website.
- Once there, click on the big red button that says ‘Get ExpressVPN‘.
- Select a plan that works best for you. You can choose the 1-month plan, 6-months plan, and 12-months plan. The longer the plan, the bigger the discount.
- Enter your email address and select your preferred method of payment.
- Next, download the VPN app for the gadget you wish to watch on, be that Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Smart TV, or some other platform.
- Install the app, launch it, and log in using your email address and the password or the activation code that ExpressVPN will provide you with.
- Connect to any server in the United States, and you will be free to stream Amazon Prime Video, as well as all of its movies and TV shows, including Amazon originals.
Unlock the service anywhere using ExpressVPN.
What’s the top VPN for Amazon Prime Video?
In order to watch Amazon Prime content, you need one of the top VPNs to aid you.
Of course, the problem is not using a VPN – it is finding the top notch VPN.
The VPN industry is filled with providers that offer relatively poor features for their price, and if you want to be able to stream Amazon Prime Video, you will need a trusted, respected provider.
While ExpressVPN is our top recommendation, here’s a rundown of five that work well.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is easily one of the best, if not THE best VPN in the world for streaming movies and TV, especially when it comes to shows and movies provided by streaming services in the United States.
It has fast speeds, it is reliable, and its server network offers over 3,000 servers in 94 locations.
Of course, you need to access U.S. servers for accessing Amazon Prime, and ExpressVPN can help.
ExpressVPN is very simple, and you can use it on almost any device. It supports all standard platforms, like Windows, Android Mac, iOS, Linux, but also consoles, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and more.
With it, you can even watch Amazon Prime US videos in HD without buffering.
It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, if you are not satisfied with its service.
2. NordVPN
The next on the list is NordVPN, another high speed VPN capable of unblocking all kinds of streaming services, including Amazon Prime Videos.
Using this VPN is easy, and even fun, since it offers a map of the world with servers all over the place, where you can simply tap on a location and connect to it. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out without fear of losing money and not getting what you want in return.
Same as before, connect to any of its U.S. servers and you will be able to watch Amazon Prime Video and its TV shows and movies.
NordVPN also supports a variety of devices, including Windows, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and alike. Its members have access to over 5,500 servers in nearly 60 countries around the world.
3. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is a great VPN to watch Amazon Prime Video, as well as one of the best solutions for streaming, in general. It offers some of the best VPN deals, and it has plenty of servers in the United States.
Like others on this list, it is available on many devices, such as iOS, Android, Windows, and other platforms. Its server network consists of over 6,800 servers, with VPN server locations in around 90 countries.
CyberGhost is also fast and able to let you watch Amazon Prime Video in HD. But, its best feature is its 45-day money-back guarantee.
Unlike most VPNs that offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, CyberGhost lets you test its service for a month and a half before your chance for requesting a refund expires.
It pays to be a member of this VPN’s subscriber group, especially if you want to access streaming services.
4. Surfshark
Next up, we have Surfshark, another very fast VPN that is great for streaming US Amazon Prime Video. It has over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, including the US, of course.
Apart from Amazon Prime Video, it can also unblock Netflix, Hotstar, and other streaming services.
Surfshark has several other great benefits, such as the ad-block, the ability to use it on an unlimited number of devices at the same time with a single account (most other VPNs let you use them on 3-10 devices simultaneously), unlimited bandwidth and server switching, and more.
It lets you change IP addresses as much as you like, and connect to any VPN server in the world. It is overall a great VPN provider with dedicated apps for plenty of different devices.
5. Private Internet Access
Lastly, we have Private Internet Access, or ‘PIA’. Like the others on this list, PIA is a great VPN for Amazon Prime Video, especially for unblocking its US catalog.
It can let you create an Amazon account and enjoy all it has to offer on any device.
This VPN service also has one of the industry’s largest server networks, offering almost 25,000 servers in 77 different countries. Regardless of which country you aim to reach, PIA can help you out, especially if you need a US IP address to unblock any video, geo-restricted or censored.
PIA lets you use 10 devices simultaneously, it blocks ads, and it provides unlimited bandwidth. It is easy to use as it allows for instant setup, and you can even get 2 months free if you choose its two-years plan.
How we selected these VPN services
As we mentioned already, you cannot just use any VPN to unblock Amazon Prime Video.
Not all VPNs are made the same, and we wanted to spare you from opening an account on a service that won’t serve you properly. This is why we specifically chose these VPN providers, based on a number of aspects, such as:
1. Able to unblock Amazon Prime Video
Naturally, their ability to unblock Amazon Prime Video comes first. It would hardly make sense if we were to recommend a VPN service that cannot do it.
Any of these will let you reach the streaming service even from outside the U.S., open up an Amazon account, and even go for prime membership if you want it.
2. Speed
Speed is the second factor that we looked at, as streaming Amazon Prime Video from outside the US means that data will have some distance to travel.
As you may know, VPN also encrypts data to protect it, but this also slows it down somewhat. So, we needed the VPNs that do this process the fastest, so that you can watch Amazon Prime Video from any country, outside the US, and still be able to watch in HD, without buffering.
3. Easy-to-use apps
VPN technology has become very popular and quite well-known, but we understand that not everyone has encountered it before.
That is why we recommended VPNs for you that are very simple. After all, what good is the service that you can use to watch Amazon Prime Video from any country, when you can’t figure out how it works, in the first place?
All of the providers we selected make it very easy to create an account and become their customer. All you need to do now is go and subscribe, and you will have access to any U.S. streaming service in no time, including Amazon.
4. Money-back guarantee
Of course, even the best VPNs do not fit everyone. You might find that the VPN of your choice doesn’t suit you for some reason, but you already paid for it. What then?
Easy, you use their money-back guarantee and get a refund. Every VPN account is eligible to receive a refund.
Some providers only grant it under certain conditions, while others give it right away, no questions asked. If you paid for an account but the VPN cannot unblock Amazon Prime Video while the service claims that it can, you can request your money back.
5. Reputable services
Lastly, we wanted to recommend reputable services. VPNs that have been around for a while, that are known not to keep logs, those that can keep your data safe from everyone, even your internet service provider.
Above all, we sought out VPNs that can help you gain access to Amazon Prime Video from outside the US.
All of the services we listed are very popular, with good reviews, and they have been around for a long time, which would not be the case if they were bad.
Can I use any VPN to access Amazon Prime Video?
Unfortunately, no.
Amazon Prime Video does not offer every country’s service, and it likes to keep its content reserved for those countries that it does support.
This is why it actively blocks VPN providers who might allow people from countries other than the US or other supported nations to access its content.
As a result, most VPNs will not do the trick, and unless you are in the US, you will have to go for one of the services we selected.
Is there a free VPN for Amazon Prime?
Once again, no.
Free VPNs are sought out by users across the world, which makes them extraordinarily crowded and slow. Furthermore, they are obvious to Prime Video, which blocks them to prevent anyone from accessing its content from some other country.
A Free VPN cannot provide the same service level as premium VPNs because it doesn’t receive money from its users. It can even be risky, as it can collect and sell your data.
We recommend not using free VPNs under any circumstances, be that for streaming or something else.
Can a VPN unblock Amazon Prime on any device?
While many VPNs claim that you can unblock Amazon Prime on any device, our tests have shown that this is not always the case.
VPNs work best with the US version of Amazon Prime on desktop. Using them on other devices can be hit and miss. You are welcome to try, but you might not always succeed.
How to stream Prime Video on a TV
In order to unblock the US version of Amazon Prime on a TV, you will need hardware such as the StreamLocator.
This device can be used for accessing other countries’ content, be it Netflix, Amazon Prime, or something else. All you need to do is plug it into your router, and connect any device to the StreamLocator network to stream geo-restricted content instantly.
It costs a little more upfront than a VPN app but for devices like TVs, Apple TV, Roku and others that don’t support VPN apps, it’s the ideal solution.
Summary
The US version of Amazon Prime Video has excellent content that is sought after by people from worldwide.
Unfortunately, Amazon has strict rules about where it can and can’t offer such content, and it sticks to them. To reach it, you will need to use a VPN.
However, not any VPN will do.
Free VPNs cannot unblock pretty much any streaming service, like Amazon, Netflix, and others actively block them. That’s why I recommend using ExpressVPN.
We’ve tried and tested them and found them to be the most reliable for streaming US Amazon Prime (and the UK one) from anywhere in the world!
