How To Change Your Netflix Region
Netflix is as ubiquitous these days as the TV set was in every living room a few decades ago. You find everyone binging on their favorite movies and TV shows because of the platform's abundance of great content that serves almost every type of audience. Besides offering users a convenient way to watch their movies and TV shows from their preferred location, Netflix has also stirred up the entire film-making industry, leading nearly every major production company to jump aboard the online streaming bandwagon.
Despite its grandeur, Netflix has one major downside: it restricts much of its content to specific regions instead of making everything available globally. This is usually in compliance with the local viewership regulations and to promote and prioritize locally relevant content for the masses. The pricing for Netflix's plans also varies significantly from one country to another, and the decision to limit certain content in any region could be balance profitability with offering consumers what they want the most. But if you are looking to explore content from other countries, we have a quick guide for you to follow.
How to change your Netflix region on an Android or iOS device
Content providers such as Netflix often have regional restrictions, and the best way to bypass these limitations is by using a virtual private network, or VPN, which can trick service providers into thinking you're accessing their platforms from another region. One of the primary reasons to use a VPN is to be able to watch Netflix from other countries. In the past, Netflix blocked the IPs of users using a VPN to browse content from another country. But, as expected, Netflix's fight against VPNs was doomed to fail — and it couldn't catch up to the blows by VPN users despite help from other large technology companies such as PayPal.
Netflix now allows you to browse the site using a VPN but warns that you may only see the content available globally and not from a specific location. This is because only certain VPN services can actually work seamlessly with Netflix. Comparitech tested 59 different VPN services to test full Netflix support in 30 regions and notes that the top five VPNs for streaming are:
Once you have the VPN set up on your Android device, iPhone, or iPad, you can start by simply opening the VPN app and choosing the location where you want to be seen. You will now be able to browse Netflix content from the country you have chosen.
How to change your Netflix region on desktop
To watch Netflix on a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, you have to follow similar steps. Start by getting a VPN service subscription and downloading its app or browser extension on your computer. Now simply choose a country in the VPN app and visit the Netflix website on your browser. Continue to the homepage after selecting the desired profile (in case of multiple user profiles) and start enjoying the movies or TV shows previously unavailable in your region.
Besides choosing the best VPN service for you based on the pricing, it is also vital to choose a VPN that doesn't log your browsing data and protects it from infamous alliances such as 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes, which are countries that can, as per their law, demand VPN providers to share your data with them. You can also use free VPN services such as Cloudflare Warp, but that does not guarantee you will be able to access content from every country.
How to change your Netflix region if you actually move to another country
While a VPN will allow you to browse video content from other countries, some more steps are involved if you actually move to another country. In this case, Netflix requires you to cancel your existing account and then reactivate it in the new location. To get started with the process, head over to this page to cancel your Netflix subscription. Don't worry about losing your favorites and viewing history because Netflix will save it for 10 months after canceling your account. Click on "Finish Cancellation," and you will be logged out of your account. Netflix says you must wait until the next billing cycle before restarting your account. To avoid waiting, we suggest using a cheap or free VPN until your billing cycle ends and then canceling your account around the last day.
To reactivate your account, sign in to Netflix from your mobile, tablet, or PC, and go to the Account settings. Here you will be asked to renew your membership according to the Netflix subscription prices in your new location. Once you finish setting up the payment option, you will have access to the content according to your current geographic location.
Things to note when you change your Netflix region
Netflix says that you will notice changes once you update your new location in the app. The first and most noticeable difference would be that the listing of movies and TV shows will change as per the country. With this location change, your options for audio and subtitles may also change. So will the choices for streaming and downloading movies. You may even lose access to the content you had previously downloaded on your mobile devices. Netflix also notes that because maturity ratings vary as per the country, you may be required to verify your age and update the maturity ratings in your Account settings.
Despite moving to another country, you may still continue to receive promotional emails related to your previous location. You may update these preferences by going to the Communications settings in your account.
Lastly, if Netflix doesn't recognize your country correctly, you can troubleshoot with these suggested actions or contact Netflix's customer care.