BBC iPlayer is a British video streaming service that lets you watch live TV as well as on-demand shows. It doesn’t require a subscription like Netflix does, but you can only watch if you pay a license fee. Interestingly, anyone can create a free iPlayer account without needing to prove you’ve paid for a license – you just need a UK address.
For paying viewers, watching on the UK shores is a breeze. They can also download shows to watch offline anywhere in the world.
But if you are abroad and want to watch Doctor Who, Top Gear or Frozen Planet IIthen you will come across a message saying that you cannot.
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The Beeb says the correct way to watch iPlayer content abroad is to “download a program on BBC iPlayer when you’re in the UK, you can watch it anywhere in the world”.
That’s all well and good, but what if you’re abroad before the next episode of your favorite show airs? You can’t download it, so you’ll have to wait to get home.
Maybe the UK isn’t your home, but you still want to watch. We’re not going to get into the right and wrong: we’ll just tell you how you can do it if you choose.
And the solution is simple: use a VPN.
For the uninitiated, a VPN is an application that routes your internet connection through a server somewhere on the internet before it goes to the website or service you want to use.
In this case, this server must be in the UK and BBC iPlayer in the service. Using a VPN means your real location is hidden from the BBC, which sees it’s streaming EastEnders to a viewer in the UK. In reality, you could be in Australia, Europe or elsewhere.
It is important to know that steaming services, including the BBC, work hard to block VPNs. He doesn’t want people watching outside the UK, which is why Beeb and VPN services play cat and mouse blocking and avoiding these blocks.
Not all VPN apps will unblock iPlayer, so it’s a good idea to use one that has a good track record of being able to do so.
The bottom line is that if you want to watch from abroad, you need to install a VPN on your device (which can be a TV, Firestick, phone, laptop, tablet, Mac or PC), you connect to a UK server. You may need to choose a specific server from the list optimized for iPlayer.
Once logged in, you then open the iPlayer app or website, log in, and you can watch shows as if you were in the UK.
Which VPN services unblock iPlayer?
Many VPNs can unblock iPlayer. You can find out more in our guide to the best VPNs for iPlayer.
A VPN that has reliably unblocked the BBC in the past (and still does) is NordVPN, (which also topped our best VPN roundup.
It will unblock it if you use its apps for Windows, iPhone, Android, and macOS, but you can also watch on an Android TV or using an Amazon Fire TV Stick, as it has apps for those too.
Whatever you use, the process is the same. First, head over to NordVPN and sign up for the service. You can subscribe for one month at a time, but the best value is if you subscribe for two years. And NordVPN is useful for more than just iPlayer. To find out why, read what a VPN is and why would I want one.
Sign up for NordVPN
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By default, the Full plan is selected, but if you only need the VPN, click Get Standard. At the top, choose between a two-year, one-year, and one-month plan.
Follow the instructions to create your account and pay.
Install the NordVPN app
Jim Martin / Foundry
If you are using a phone or tablet, just go to its app store and search for NordVPN, then install it.
If you’re on Windows, sign in to your NordVPN account in a web browser, go to the Downloads section, and click Download App next to Get NordVPN for Windows. Run the downloaded file to install it.
Launch NordVPN
Jim Martin / Foundry
Launch the app and log in using the email address and password you entered when creating an account with NordVPN. On Windows you should see a screen like this, but other applications are very similar.
Use the list of locations (the word icon in the top left) or scroll the map to the UK and tap Connect to London. If prompted, allow NordVPN to set up a VPN connection. You may need to enter your Windows password or, on a mobile device, your passcode.
Wait for the VPN to be connected
Jim Martin / Foundry
You should see a message telling you that the VPN is connected. You can see it with the green CONNECTED and a padlock above the UK.
Open iPlayer
Jim Martin / Foundry
Log in with your BBC account (create one if you don’t have one), then find something to watch. This should work fine as the VPN makes it look like you are in the UK.
Watch iPlayer Abroad on Xbox, PlayStation and Apple TV
If you want to watch iPlayer outside the UK on an Xbox or PlayStation, you can change your console’s DNS settings to some which will unblock the service.
If you head to network settings and manually enter DNS addresses, you may find that iPlayer will play videos for you.
You can search online for free DNS servers for streaming, but they are usually overloaded and therefore slow.
That’s why it’s best to subscribe to a VPN service that has its own DNS streaming servers. For this, NordVPN has a feature called SmartDNS. Other VPNs have similar functionality. For example, ExpressVPN has MediaStreamer.
Simply use the DNS addresses provided by these services and enter them into the network settings of your console or media streamer.
Another option is to configure your router to run a VPN, which will allow all connected devices to use the VPN’s UK server. But this method is more of a last resort as not all devices will work well when forced to connect to the internet through a VPN.
BBC iPlayer accounts and UK TV license
The BBC requires anyone using iPlayer to hold a UK TV license. We have a separate guide on who needs a TV license.
You also need a BBC account, which requires a UK postcode (and you must be over 13).
When you sign up for a BBC account (which is free), you’ll need to give your date of birth, gender and email address, along with a valid UK postcode.
The BBC says the purpose of the account is not to sue iPlayer users who haven’t paid for a TV license, but has admitted it will cross-reference email addresses with people who have previously claimed not to. not need a license.
If you are a UK resident with license fees paid, simply log into your BBC account and use a VPN service as described above. You’re still breaking the terms and conditions by watching through a VPN, just like anyone overseas who signs up with a fake UK address.
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