Watching your favorite series and movies feels like a true refreshment after a hard day at work. Firestick TV is made with this in mind. To allow people to turn any TV into a Smart TV and access all the most popular streaming services. However, there’s one issue. Many of these platforms fall under geo-restriction, which is why people use ExpressVPN on Firestick. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and many others won’t be available if you’re not in the US. Conversely, people can’t watch BBC iPlayer outside of the UK.
The good news is that, if you install ExpressVPN on Fire TV Stick, that’s going to change. As our favorite VPN, this provider works with every streaming platform, letting you unblock online content in an instant. And you know what?
You can install ExpressVPN on Firestick in literally two to three minutes! Wondering how? In that case, stay with us until the end.
How to Install ExpressVPN on Firestick TV?
When talking about the Firestick VPN setup, it’s good to know that a VPN should have a native app for the platform. Sure, Firestick can take advantage of VPNs through routers, for example, but the best-case scenario is if we have a native app.
Taking a look at Private Internet Access, we can see that it has no app for the platform. But on the other hand, ExpressVPN has, and its app can be downloaded directly on your Firestick. That said, the setup process will be extremely simple.
If you’re not tech-savvy and you haven’t installed any app on your device, we recommend following the guide below. But before you do that, if you haven’t, please subscribe to ExpressVPN. The provider offers an exclusive 49% discount and 3 free months for the 1-year plan that readers can get through our site.
In addition, the provider has a 30-day refund policy for all plans. This means getting the VPN is risk-free, as you can always request (and get) a refund in the first 30 days. Simply click on the button above, choose the plan, enter your email, and pay for the subscription.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
After verifying your account through email and creating a secure password, you’re ready to move on to the guide we left below. Read it carefully.
- Plug in your Firestick in the TV and boot it up.
- On the Home screen, click on the icon with the magnifying glass to open the search bar.
- Type in the name of the app you’re looking to download. In this case, it’s ExpressVPN.
- ExpressVPN should now appear as the first result, so click on it.
- Next, click on Get. ExpressVPN on Firestick TV will be downloaded and installed in a few seconds, depending on your internet speed.
- Once this is done, instead of Get, you’ll see the button Open. Click on it.
- When the app opens, it’ll require you to sign in. You will need to use the credentials you created when subscribing to the VPN. Type them in and press OK.
- Your Firestick might give you a prompt to allow the VPN connection and configure the VPN. In this case, just click OK again and you’re good to go.
- From here, you need to connect to the server you want. Open the server list and find the location of your choice. Clicking once on it will establish a connection, which can be seen by ExpressVPN turning green.
- Go to any streaming app and enjoy your favorite content no matter your location.
Why Is ExpressVPN on Fire TV So Good?
ExpressVPN is our favorite choice when it comes to streaming but also overall device support. In this section, we’ll outline our favorite features of ExpressVPN on Firestick TV and see why so many people use it on this device.
Servers in 160 Locations
This provider has 3,000 worldwide servers, which isn’t the largest number. NordVPN which works with BBC iPlayer and many other platforms has 5,500+ and CyberGhost has 9,500. However, ExpressVPN still beats these providers by having them in 160 locations!
Not a single provider will give you this many locations to pick from, aside from HMA VPN, which is an average choice. In the US alone, ExpressVPN has 20+ locations, plus many others in Canada, Australia, the UK, Europe, Asia, and plenty of others.
Its server fleet is very impressive, as we’re talking about 10 Gbps servers based on RAM. Above all, these servers are focused on privacy and security which we’ll mention in a minute. But as you can see, their strength lies in numbers as well, which is very important for streaming.
Above Average Speeds
Another thing important for streaming is speed. If you have a need for speed – pun intended – ExpressVPN on Fire TV Stick will satisfy your needs easily. Our tests showed this is the VPN with the best speeds, thanks to blazing-fast servers across the planet.
Whether you’re looking to stream in HD or 4K, the provider will keep you satisfied. We tested it numerous times and our team uses it daily. Safe to say, we have zero problems enjoying our favorite online content, even when using servers overseas – or over two seas.
Excellent Streaming Capabilities
Streaming capabilities are all about unblocking geo-restricted services. Despite some VPNs having thousands of servers, they’re still not capable of unblocking Netflix or Hulu, for example. Well, this one is, and it does so with incredible efficiency.
On Firestick, it will unblock at least 15 Netflix catalogs, BBC iPlayer, HBO, and other prevalent portals. In addition, this is a solid choice for accessing sports live streams and accessing gambling sites if you’re a fan of that. Not to mention its ability to unblock TV channels in other countries.
Enjoy Streaming on Fire TV With ExpressVPN
In short, you won’t find a more reliable VPN for this purpose, aside from maybe CyberGhost and NordVPN. Albeit, they’re an octave below in terms of streaming.
Easy-to-Use Apps
The provider is far easier to use than you’d expect. As you saw, installing ExpressVPN on Firestick was a piece of your favorite cake! Using it is another piece of that cake. This provider offers identical apps for all of its supported platforms, making it even simpler to grasp.
If you know how to use it on Fire TV Stick, you’ll know how to use it on your phone, PC, tablet, or laptop.
MediaStreamer
MediaStreamer is a SmartDNS function built-in within ExpressVPN. This allows you to enjoy streaming on your Fire TV without setting up a VPN. Instead, you can just type in the SmartDNS addresses from ExpressVPN and enjoy unblocking the US and UK-based platforms.
This also allows you to use the provider on other “unconventional” platforms that don’t natively support VPNs. These include Apple TV, Samsung/LG Smart TVs, and other platforms/devices with no VPN apps supported.
Top-Notch Privacy & Security
For streaming, privacy and security surely aren’t extremely important. But still, it’s good to know that the VPN uses AES-256 encryption, the Lightway VPN protocol, and a kill switch to keep you safe online. This is accompanied by DNS leak protection and RAM-only servers that further add to your privacy.
Not to mention its no-logs policy with audits from PwC, KPMG, and Cure53. For those confused, this means the provider is proven to not store any logs of your online footprints. Yes, this means unlimited and anonymous streaming without the ISP knowing a single thing about it!
Cheap Annual Plan
Finally, people use ExpressVPN on Firestick because it’s affordable. We pinned ExpressVPN against Astrill VPN recently and saw just how expensive the latter is. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, has a very attractive annual plan with 3 free months and a 49% discount.
In addition, its 30-day refund policy has NO conditions, so you can always get a refund in the first 30 days for whatever reason. Very few providers are this user-friendly and open to help you, even if we’re talking about giving you your money back.
Will ExpressVPN Work With the First Gen of Firestick?
The first generation of Fire TV is notorious for not supporting VPNs. This means there’s no way to actually install the app, but as always, there are some workarounds. One workaround is to install the VPN on your router – check our favorite router VPNs here.
However, if you’re not an experienced user and your router isn’t VPN-ready, it’s better not to do it. By flashing your router, you risk bricking it and losing the warranty, so if you’re not sure you can do it, leave that to more experienced people. Our go-to solution would be the aforementioned MediaStreamer.
As said, it’s a SmartDNS function that you can use on ANY device that can go online. This feature requires a DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System), which you can register through ExpressVPN. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.
Once that is done, you’ll need to sign in to ExpresssVPN with your credentials through the site. Now, you’ll be offered to download apps for Windows, iOS, macOS, and other platforms. Click on “Set Up on More Devices.” Now, you will see your MediaStreamer DNS server IP addresses – two of them.
Write them down or screenshot them, as you’ll need them for your Firestick. From there, simply go to Settings on your Fire TV and enter these SmartDNS addresses in your network settings. ExpressVPN has a guide for this on its site, so we recommend checking it out – it’s pretty basic.
Summary
Our ExpressVPN Firestick TV installation guide is complete. As you can see, this provider will work even on the oldest, first-gen Fire TV if you install the VPN on a router or use SmartDNS (MediaStreamer). However, the second-gen and above is our recommended choice, which you’re most likely using.
This generation, including the newest ones, supports ExpressVPN natively. The provider has a native app and installing it takes no more than a few minutes. With the setup completed, users can elevate their Firestick TV experience to a whole new level.
This means getting rid of ISP throttling and streaming at full speed. Not to mention the ability to access any geo-blocked platform and stream anonymously thanks to ExpressVPN’s rock-solid security. Now go ahead, equip your Fire TV with ExpressVPN – it’s easy, safe, and above all, inexpensive.
Q&A
Let’s finally answer a few more questions we haven’t addressed in this guide.
🆓 Is ExpressVPN on Firestick free?
Its application is free to download. However, you’ll still need a subscription, which isn’t free.
📺 Can I watch TV channels on my Fire TV?
Yes, you can watch plenty of them. And if you think about connecting your cable TV to Firestick, that’s impossible. The device has an HDMI input, and thus, it can be connected to your TV or monitor. Cable, satellite, and other types of TV inputs work only on your TV.
❌ Why not use free VPNs instead of ExpressVPN?
Well, because they won’t work with Firestick properly, plus, they’re easily detected and blocked by streaming services. A glaring issue is the limited monthly bandwidth, plus slow speeds and not many servers, adding to the experience in a negative way.
Free services also aren’t secure and most of them store logs of your online traffic. You can, however, try Atlas VPN, as it has a free VPN app for Amazon Firestick. Albeit, with 5 GB of bandwidth a month, you’ll be as impressed as seeing your ex after a hard breakup.
