How To Install A Vpn On Amazon Firestick Tv In Under 1 Minute

What is the best VPN for Firestick?

If you’ve not already purchased a VPN for streaming with Firestick, you’re going to want to make sure you choose one that is up to the job, or you may find yourself frustrated. If you don’t want your streaming service to be interrupted by buffering (and who does?), you need a fast VPN service. Many that we test struggle to deliver suitable speeds.

We recommend NordVPN. Out of the dozens of VPN services we’ve tested, it’s one of the fastest, scores highly for privacy protection, and works with all Kodi add-ons. It’s also one of the easiest to set up because its app is now on the official built-in app store, which is the by far quickest way.

The other methods are a bit more complicated, but it shouldn’t take long to set up with our tutorials by your side. We’re sure you’ll find a way to get your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, or Fire Cube connected to a VPN here.

See our full list of the best VPNs for Firestick or check out the quick list below if you are in a rush:

Note that we do not recommend using a free VPN for Firestick. A free VPN is typically much more limited when it comes to servers and no unlimited bandwidth. They also tend to have lackluster privacy policies and might be snooping on your data to sell to third-party advertisers. You’re better off with a paid VPN service that has fast speeds and doesn’t keep network traffic logs.

If you plan on installing the hugely popular open-source media player Kodi on your Firestick, you will also want a VPN for Firestick that works with all Kodi add-ons and protects your privacy should you find yourself downloading any content in a legal gray area.

Best VPNs for Firestick – at a glance

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Firestick

Recommended: Install NordVPN on Firestick in 1 minute

Starting from the home screen, go to Apps > Categories > Utility or run a search for “VPN”
Select NordVPN from the list
Click the yellow button next to Get to download and install the app
Once the app is installed, click the yellow button next to Open on the same page to launch NordVPN
Enter your NordVPN account username and password and log in. This is a pain with the remote control but you should only need to do it once.
Either click the Connect button to connect to the VPN right away, or select a specific server location to connect to.

And that’s it! Your connection will be established after a few moments. You can now leave the VPN app running in the background while you stream.

Although NordVPN is our favorite VPN for Firestick, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, CyberGhost, and a few other great VPNs now also have apps on the Fire TV app store. If you want to know how to install another app, however, we’ve got instructions for that below.

If your VPN doesn’t have a Firestick app, use this workaround

If your VPN doesn’t have a Fire TV app, there are several alternative methods. Here’s an example using NordVPN:

In this tutorial, we’ll show you a few different methods Fire TV owners can use to connect their devices to a VPN, unblock geo-locked streaming content, and keep your streaming activity private.

If you’re using a VPN app that isn’t listed on the Firestick’s default app store, we’ll show you a couple of other ways to get your favorite VPN on Firestick.

Note: These methods are more complicated and may cause issues with updates. While they will work we recommended sticking to NordVPN and the method described above.

Before we begin, we need to allow the Fire TV to install apps from unknown sources.

Boot up your Fire TV and go to Settings > Device
Scroll down to Developer Options
Toggle on Apps from unknown sources and ADB debugging
Back out to the System menu again and go to About
Select Network

Jot down the IP address of your Fire TV and keep it handy for method #2.

Alternate Method #1: Install VPN app APK on 2nd-gen Fire TV stick and newer via direct download (recommended method)

Boot up your Fire TV and enter “Downloader” into the search bar
Install the Downloader App, which as of writing has an orange logo
Open Downloader and enter the direct download URL for the VPN app’s APK file. If the URL is too long, you can type in the URL for a page that contains the download link, which will open up a rudimentary browser from which you can download the APK.
When the download finishes, you’ll be prompted to install the app. If not, open your downloads in the Downloader app and click the APK file
The app should be installed and ready to go. Learn where to find it and how to enable it further down

Sometimes direct download APK files are not openly advertised by the VPN provider. If you can’t find one by searching around the provider’s website, try contacting customer service to see if they can either send you a link or the APK file itself. You can upload the file to cloud storage such as Dropbox and download the file using Downloader from there, or you can sideload the APK onto your device by plugging the Fire TV into your computer’s USB port and dropping the APK file into an accessible location.

Alternative Method #2: Sideload VPN app on 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick and newer with another Android device

This method requires the second generation of the Fire TV Stick or newer plus a second Android device with internet access to Google Play, such as a smart TV, smartphone or tablet. We’ll download the apps to the second device first, then transfer them to the Fire TV using Apps2Fire.

If you’re not sure what generation Firestick you’re using, look for the model name on the outside. 2nd-gen Firesticks have the model name “LY73PR”.

On your second Android device, download and install Apps2Fire from Google Play
On the same Android device, download and install the VPN app of your choice from the Google Play Store
Launch the app and tap the menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner
Tap Setup
Under IP address of your Fire TV, enter the IP address you wrote down in step 6 of the previous section
Tap Save
Tap the menu icon (three dots) again and select “Upload Apps”
Tap the VPN app you want to use on your Fire TV to upload it to your Fire TV
The app should automatically install on your Fire TV. We’ll show you how to find it and enable the VPN in the next section

Note that if you have an APK file for the VPN app on your phone rather than an installed app, you can also use Apps2Fire, but the previous method is probably easier and doesn’t require a second Android device.

Find the VPN app and connect (following alternative methods #1 and #2)

Now that the VPN app is installed on your Fire TV, we just need to log in and connect. These steps will vary a bit depending on your VPN provider, but the process is generally the same. The app won’t show up in the top-level Apps menu, unfortunately.

Head back to the starting menu on the Fire TV
Go to Settings > Applications
Select Manage installed applications
Find and select the VPN app you pushed onto the Fire TV
A sub-menu will appear. Select Launch application
Enter your VPN provider’s login credentials. This might require a special mouse app (see below) or Bluetooth mouse.
In the VPN app, select a location and hit the connect button. Once the connection is established, you’re good to go!

The VPN service should remain connected until the device powers off or you manually disconnect it. If given the option, you can set the app to automatically reconnect should the connection drop at any point.

Control your Firestick VPN with a mouse app

Most VPN apps are made to be used with touchscreens, so controlling them can be difficult or even impossible. You can use a Bluetooth mouse and connect it to your Fire TV if you have one. The other option is to use a smartphone or tablet to remotely control the Fire TV. We’ll give you some options for the latter.

We didn’t test the iOS version of Remote for Fire TV, and it has a 1-star review as of the time of writing, so proceed at your own risk. Some of the reviews say it gets the job done, though. Unfortunately, it looks like iOS users must purchase the app both on Fire TV and on the Apple App Store. The double dipping seems to be a cause for frustration among reviewers.

Install the app on your Fire TV, then open it. Make sure the first option is toggled on. The second to start the app on boot is optional. A status indicator near the bottom should say, “Started”. The app runs in the background from here on out.

Ensure the Fire TV Stick and the second tablet or smartphone are both connected to the same wi-fi network. Then find your Fire TV Stick in the phone or tablet app to connect to it. Then you can click the Mouse option and use the screen of your phone like a touchpad on a laptop. Just tap the screen to click. To scroll use the s-up and s-down buttons.

Updating your Firestick VPN app

One hassle you might encounter with sideloaded Google Play apps and direct download APKs is that they don’t automatically receive updates. If you have a working stable version and it’s secure, then this isn’t so much of a problem. But occasionally you might be forced to update the app. You can compare versions between the “about” or “information” page in the installed app versus the version number listed on Google Play.

The process is more or less the same as the steps you took in either method #1 or #2. However, before you begin, it’s important to force stop the existing VPN app.

From the Fire TV home screen, go to Settings > Applications > Manage installed applications
Find your VPN app, click it, and choose Force stop
Use method #1 or #2 to push the app onto your Fire TV and install it
This time, a page will appear that asks if you want to install an update to the existing application along with any new permissions. Select Yes
After the update, you will have to log back into the app using the steps in the previous section.

No APK or Google Play? Try setting up the VPN on a wi-fi router

If you can’t find a reliable APK file and don’t have access to Google Play on another Android device, or if you’re using the first-generation Fire TV Stick, your options are limited. There are ways to download APKs using forged device IDs from Google Play using Chrome extensions, then sideloading them with ADB, but that’s more technical than we’re going to get in this article, not to mention you could be violating Google’s terms of service using those methods.

Method #3: Connect Fire TV to a VPN-enabled virtual wi-fi router

Most newer laptops come with the ability to create their own wi-fi hotspots that other devices can connect to. If the laptop is connected to a VPN, then all of the internet traffic from the devices connected to that hotspot is also tunneled through the secure VPN server. We’ll show you how to set up a virtual wi-fi router on Windows and Mac, which you can then connect your Fire TV to. This method works even with the 1st-generation Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.

Download and install the desktop VPN app for your operating system from your VPN provider’s website if you haven’t already.

How to set up a VPN-enabled virtual router hotspot on Windows

If you’re using Windows 10, check out the video below. For older versions of Windows, refer to the text instructions:

First, we need to check to make sure your computer supports virtual routers. In the Windows search bar, type cmd and right click Command Prompt > Run as Administrator
In the terminal windows that appears, type netsh wlan show drivers and hit /Enter
Look for the line that says Hosted network supported. If it says Yes then you are good to go. If not, you’ll have to set up the VPN on the physical router. Help with that further down.
In the terminal window, type netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid= key=, replacing and with the network name and password of your choice, and hit Enter.
You should see some text indicating you successfully created the virtual router. To turn it on, type netsh wlan start hostednetwork and hit Enter
You should get a message that says the hosted network started. If not, you need to update your network adapter drivers and try again.
Next we need to share the virtual router with other devices. Press Windows Key+R, type ncpa.cpl into the Run prompt, and hit Enter
In the list of connections that appears, look for the one you just created. It will have the network name you put in earlier. Remember or jot down the name of this connection
On the same list of connections, look for the one that says TAP-Windows Adapter. Right click it and select Properties
Click the Sharing tab at the top and check the box to Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection
Under Home network connection, click the dropdown and select the name of the network you created earlier. Press OK
Open your VPN app, select OpenVPN as the protocol in the settings if needed, and connect to a server in the United States. OpenVPN activates the TAP Windows Adapter
Your PC is now a VPN-enabled wi-fi router!

How to set up a VPN-enabled virtual router hotspot on macOS

Click the Apple icon to get a system menu, then select System Preferences.
In System Preferences, click the Network icon.
In the Network window, click on the plus (+) sign at the bottom of the left panel to add a new service. In the pop-up window, select the following options: Interface: VPN, VPN Type: L2TP over IPSec, Service Name: [choose a name for your VPN connection]*
Click Create. For these next steps you will need your VPN username, password, and a server address. You will probably also need an IPSec key, depending on your VPN provider’s settings, this can also be referred to as a Shared Key or Shared Secret. You can find these under the Manual Configuration section of the VPN provider’s support website. Most providers will also have a list of VPN servers that you can choose from.
Enter the following details: Configuration: Default, Server Address:[server address as specified by VPN provider], Account Name: [username], Encryption: Automatic (128 bit or 40 bit)
Check the box next to Show VPN status in menu bar to see your VPN connection status in the menu bar.
Click on Authentication Settings…. On the User Authentication screen, enter your password in the box and the IPSec key in the Shared Secret box under Machine Authentication, then click OK.
Authentication settings
Next, click on Advanced… Check the box for Send all traffic over VPN connection, then click OK.
Click Apply to save all of your settings and then connect to your VPN with the Connect button. You are now connected to a VPN server. Now you just need to set up your VPN for sharing.
Return to the System Preferences menu, then click on Sharing.
Select Internet Sharing from the left panel. The Internet Sharing options will appear on the right side of the screen. Set the following settings: Share your connection from: [the VPN L2TP connection you just created] To computers using: Wi-Fi
Select Wi-Fi Options…, and enter the following details: Network Name: [choose a network name also known as an SSID], Channel: [leave as default], Security: WPA2 Personal, Password: [choose a password], Verify: [re-enter your password]
Click OK. On the Sharing menu, check the box next to Internet Sharing. You will see a prompt asking you to turn on Internet sharing. Click Start. When Internet Sharing has been activated, a green light will appear next to the text: Internet Sharing: On
In your menu bar, you will now see two new icons. The first icon shows your VPN connection status. The other new icon shows your Internet Sharing status.
Open the VPN app and connect!

If you select the wi-fi icon by clicking on it, you will see that it is no longer searching for available wi-fi signals. Instead, it tells you that wi-fi internet sharing is on, the name of the wi-fi signal that the Mac is broadcasting, in this example “Virtual VPN Router” is our SSID and the wi-fi channel that the signal is utilizing. You connect your multiple devices to this wi-fi router the same way as you would to any other wi-fi, using the SSID and password that you put into the wi-fi settings screen above.

Method #4: Connect Fire TV to a VPN-enabled physical wi-fi router

Unfortunately, we can’t give you step-by-step instructions on how to set up a VPN on your home wi-fi router. wi-fi routers come with a wide range of firmware, not all of which support VPNs, and those that do vary in their configuration processes.

First, you need to find out if your router even supports VPN connections. You can check the bottom or back of your router for its local IP address and default login info, or you can use Google to find the credentials associated with your particular model. Usually, you can type either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 into your browser’s URL bar, and the most common username and password are both “admin”.

Once you’ve logged into your router’s firmware, look around for VPN configuration. For a typical L2TP/IPSec VPN connection, you’ll need your VPN provider’s server address, username, password, and shared secret.

If your wi-fi router doesn’t support VPN connections, check to see if you can replace the firmware with an open-source solution like DD-WRT, OpenWRT, or Tomato. This process of replacing the manufacturer’s firmware on a wi-fi router is called “flashing”. Use caution if you decide to go this route. Be sure that the firmware you download is compatible with your specific router. If you mess up, you could permanently damage the router and brick it so that it’s no longer usable.

If that’s not something you’re willing to risk, consider a pre-flashed router from a VPN provider.

Methodology: How do we choose the best VPNs for Firestick?

At Comparitech, we strive to publish the most accurate, comprehensive, and useful VPN reviews and recommendations on the web. The VPNs we suggest all go through our expert analysis, real-world use, and several security and performance tests. When it comes to WhatsApp VPNs in particular, we look at:

Apps: All of the VPNs we recommend make apps specifically for Fire TV, as well as most other major operating systems.
Streaming: Each VPN is tested for access to popular streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and Paramount+.
Speed: We measure and record download speeds from VPN servers located around the world and only recommend the fastest VPN services.
Security: The VPN protocol and encryption scheme must meet modern standards and prevent data leaks.
Logging policy: Each VPN’s terms of use and privacy policy are thoroughly checked for any language or lack thereof that could indicate the collection of personally identifiable data when using the VPN. We only recommend VPNs that don’t keep identifiable logs.
Customer service: Our reviewers contact each VPN as secret shoppers to gauge customer support response times and quality.
Ability to bypass censorship: We find out if VPNs can connect in countries with heavy censorship like China and the UAE.
Value for money: All of the VPNs offer money-back guarantees and competitive discounts for long-term plans.

You can read more about our VPN testing methodology on our page about how we rate and review VPNs.

Why your privacy is at risk if you don’t use a VPN

If you connect to a public wi-fi network (e.g. coffee shops, airports etc.) any other user could access your browsing information. If you’re not using an encrypted connection a malicious user with easily available tools can find out websites you visit, your username and passwords, personal details including your name and address and videos you download and stream.

Anyone connecting to public wi-fi should use a VPN which will encrypt and hide all your browsing activity.

A VPN will also mask your online activity if you connect via your home or work internet provider. This is particularly important in countries such as the US where ISPs can legally sell and share your data with other organizations. This data includes sites you visit and the content you stream. We’ve tested the best VPNs for security and privacy and NordVPN is our #1 choice for Firestick users.

How to Change Your Region on the Fire TV Stick

From there, you can select the country or region that you would like your Fire TV Stick to originate from. You can also choose whether you want your current Fire TV Stick content to continue working or be removed (note: some content may not be available in certain countries/regions). After making your selection, click “Save Changes”.

Firestick VPN troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues connecting to or staying connected to the VPN through an app, try the following:

Check to ensure you have a 2nd-gen or later Fire TV device. 1st-gen Firesticks, which don’t support VPNs, will have an FCC ID on the housing: 2ABDU-0509
Uninstall and reinstall the VPN app. Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications. Reinstall using the steps above. Ensure you’re using the latest version of your VPN provider’s app.
Restart your Fire TV device by unplugging it, waiting one minute, and plugging it back in.
Try a different VPN server location
Check that your internet connection works normally without the VPN.

What is the best VPN for Firestick?#

Best VPNs for Firestick – at a glance#

Recommended: Install NordVPN on Firestick in 1 minute#

If your VPN doesn’t have a Firestick app, use this workaround#

Alternate Method #1: Install VPN app APK on 2nd-gen Fire TV stick and newer via direct download (recommended method)#

Alternative Method #2: Sideload VPN app on 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick and newer with another Android device#

Find the VPN app and connect (following alternative methods #1 and #2)#

Control your Firestick VPN with a mouse app#

Updating your Firestick VPN app#

No APK or Google Play? Try setting up the VPN on a wi-fi router#

Method #3: Connect Fire TV to a VPN-enabled virtual wi-fi router#

Method #4: Connect Fire TV to a VPN-enabled physical wi-fi router#

Methodology: How do we choose the best VPNs for Firestick?#

Why your privacy is at risk if you don’t use a VPN#

How to Change Your Region on the Fire TV Stick#

Firestick VPN troubleshooting#