{"id":2650,"date":"2026-11-05T12:46:16","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T12:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/?p=2650"},"modified":"2026-11-05T12:53:53","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T12:53:53","slug":"change-netflix-vpn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting the UK? Why Your Favourite Netflix Shows Might Suddenly Disappear"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>So, the hotel Wi-Fi works perfectly. Netflix recognises your account, your viewing history is still there, and you&#8217;re ready to pick up where you left off with your favourite series.\u00a0Except for some reason, the programme has disappeared &#8211; you search everywhere but it&#8217;s just not there.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#%F0%9F%94%A5NordVPN_Discount_Link_%E2%80%93_Updates_Automatically_to_Best_Deal%F0%9F%94%A5\" >\ud83d\udd25NordVPN Discount Link &#8211; Updates Automatically to Best Deal\ud83d\udd25<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#_%F0%9F%91%89_NordVPN_Discount_%F0%9F%91%88\" >\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \ud83d\udc49 NordVPN Discount \ud83d\udc48<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#Same_Netflix_account_different_television_programmes\" >Same Netflix account, different television programmes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#Can_a_VPN_bring_back_the_American_Netflix_catalogue\" >Can a VPN bring back the American Netflix catalogue?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#We_tested_NordVPNs_SmartPlay_technology\" >We tested NordVPN&#8217;s SmartPlay technology<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#Watch_our_Netflix_VPN_test\" >Watch our Netflix VPN test<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/change-netflix-vpn\/#A_few_things_to_remember_when_travelling\" >A few things to remember when travelling<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2651 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk-1024x611.png\" alt=\"Netflix with US VPN\" width=\"1024\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk-1024x611.png 1024w, https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk-768x458.png 768w, https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/greys-uk.png 1178w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a familiar problem for Americans visiting Britain. You might be halfway through <em>Grey&#8217;s Anatomy<\/em> on Netflix back home, only to find that searching for it in the UK produces nothing useful.\u00a0\u00a0The series hasn&#8217;t been cancelled or removed from Netflix everywhere. It&#8217;s still available to American Netflix subscribers. But in Britain, the streaming rights belong elsewhere, and viewers can find the show on Disney+ instead.\u00a0 \u00a0We should point out that it can happen in the other direction too, lot&#8217;s of stuff is missing from the US version of Netflix too.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%94%A5NordVPN_Discount_Link_%E2%80%93_Updates_Automatically_to_Best_Deal%F0%9F%94%A5\"><\/span><span class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\">\ud83d\udd25NordVPN Discount Link &#8211; Updates Automatically to Best Deal\ud83d\udd25 <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_%F0%9F%91%89_NordVPN_Discount_%F0%9F%91%88\"><\/span><span class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \ud83d\udc49 <\/span><span class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"ytAttributedStringLink ytAttributedStringLinkCallToActionColor\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/identityvoucher.co.uk\/nord\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NordVPN Discount<\/a><\/span><span class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"> \ud83d\udc48<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, that isn&#8217;t much consolation if you&#8217;re only visiting for a fortnight and don&#8217;t particularly want another subscription.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Same_Netflix_account_different_television_programmes\"><\/span>Same Netflix account, different television programmes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Netflix operates internationally, your account is global; but it doesn&#8217;t offer the same selection of films and programmes in every country.\u00a0 \u00a0Its library depends on licensing agreements negotiated with all the different studios and distributors. Sometimes Netflix has worldwide rights which is obviously the case for it&#8217;s own material. But often, particularly with programmes made by other television companies, those rights are divided between countries.<\/p>\n<p>When an American subscriber travels to Britain, Netflix will presents the catalogue available in the UK.\u00a0 \u00a0You don&#8217;t suddenly have a British Netflix account for this to happen. The service uses information about your internet connection to establish where you&#8217;re watching from.\u00a0 THat&#8217;s where your account is based &#8211; your current location.<\/p>\n<p>Your subscription still works, but the programmes available to you can change.\u00a0 \u00a0It works in the other direction too. British visitors to America may discover that familiar films have disappeared, while other programmes suddenly become available.\u00a0 \u00a0Britain also has its own collection of streaming services. BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and 5 offer plenty of programmes that American visitors might enjoy exploring.<\/p>\n<p>Some are free with adverts, although registration, location restrictions and licensing requirements vary. BBC iPlayer, for example, requires a TV Licence for use in the UK.\u00a0 \u00a0For a visitor wanting to discover British television, there&#8217;s plenty to watch. But that doesn&#8217;t help much when you&#8217;re halfway through a series from home.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_VPN_bring_back_the_American_Netflix_catalogue\"><\/span>Can a VPN bring back the American Netflix catalogue?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One possibility is to use a virtual private network, or VPN.\u00a0\u00a0A VPN routes your internet connection through a server elsewhere. If you&#8217;re in Britain but connect to an American VPN server, websites will generally see the server&#8217;s US IP address instead of your normal British one.\u00a0 \u00a0So in theory all you have to do is make sure you have a US connection (and IP address) before you open Netflix on yoru device.\u00a0 \u00a0Netflix should recognise that connection as American and let you have the US catalogue.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it&#8217;s not quite that straightforward.<\/p>\n<p>Netflix doesn&#8217;t want you to do this as it breaks their agreements, and unfortunately it can identify many commercial VPN addresses. Rather than presenting the full American library, it may restrict what you can watch to programmes licensed internationally or more likely block you access when the VPN is anabled.\u00a0 \u00a0That&#8217;s one reason VPN users sometimes report contradictory experiences. A particular service might work perfectly for one person while another finds that much of the catalogue is missing.\u00a0 \u00a0The VPN&#8217;s location matters, but so does the way it handles streaming connections.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"We_tested_NordVPNs_SmartPlay_technology\"><\/span>We tested NordVPN&#8217;s SmartPlay technology<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>NordVPN uses a feature called SmartPlay, which combines its VPN service with SmartDNS technology.\u00a0 \u00a0The idea is to help certain streaming connections work through specialised network arrangements, without requiring the customer to configure additional settings.\u00a0 \u00a0We wanted to see how well it worked in practice.<\/p>\n<p>Using a NordVPN server in New York, we opened Netflix and searched for a film available in the American catalogue but missing from the British one.\u00a0 \u00a0Our test film was <em>The Devil Wears Prada<\/em>. It&#8217;s hardly a new release, but it provided a useful way of checking whether the regional catalogue had changed.<\/p>\n<p><center><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0zG6a6AXL9E?si=Z4nVMQAgPJzZbFJ8\" width=\"760\" height=\"615\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><br \/>\nThe film appeared and played successfully through the American connection. We left it running for around two minutes without problems.\u00a0\u00a0Switching back to our normal UK internet connection produced a different result: Netflix reported that the film wasn&#8217;t available.\u00a0\u00a0We also tried a French VPN server. Netflix opened normally through that connection, although we didn&#8217;t separately test a France-exclusive programme.\u00a0\u00a0The tests don&#8217;t guarantee that every programme or country will work, but they do demonstrate that regional Netflix content can be accessible through a VPN connection.<\/p>\n<h2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Watch_our_Netflix_VPN_test\"><\/span>Watch our Netflix VPN test<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We&#8217;ve put together a short video showing the American and French connections,\u00a0 which you can watch above which illsutrates the exact process.\u00a0 Although if you want something a little less technical then &#8211; this offers another version &#8211;\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0zG6a6AXL9E\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">How to Change Netflix Region with a VPN<\/a> it&#8217;s hopefully quite easy to follow and you can see the \u00a0explanation of NordVPN&#8217;s SmartPlay technology and what our network tests revealed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_few_things_to_remember_when_travelling\"><\/span>A few things to remember when travelling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Netflix&#8217;s catalogue changes regularly. A programme available in America today might move to a different streaming service when licensing agreements expire.\u00a0 It can change very quickly although Netflix now generally gives you a warning and has a leaving now soon section.\u00a0 \u00a0Alas, VPN compatibility can change too &#8211; this is something of a battle &#8211; Netflix wants to block VPNs and the companies are trying to fly under the radar.\u00a0 Netflix actively manages access through VPN connections, and its current guidance says that some users may see only internationally licensed content. VPN viewing also isn&#8217;t supported on its ad-supported plans as it messes up ithe ad allocation presumably.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re travelling and have a particular programme in mind, it&#8217;s sensible to check where it&#8217;s available before leaving home.\u00a0 \u00a0Downloading episodes through your streaming app may be useful too, although offline viewing rights and availability can also vary when travelling.<\/p>\n<p>For American visitors, Britain offers a surprisingly large selection of television services like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iplayerabroad.com\/bbc-iplayer-smart-play-nord\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">BBC available with a UK IP address<\/a>. There&#8217;s no shortage of entertainment, particularly if you&#8217;re curious about British programmes.\u00a0 \u00a0But when you just want to finish the series you started back home, discovering that your Netflix library has changed without warning then it can be a rather unwelcome part of the holiday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So, the hotel Wi-Fi works perfectly. Netflix recognises your account, your viewing history is still there, and you&#8217;re ready to pick up where you left off with your favourite series.\u00a0Except for some reason, the programme has disappeared &#8211; you search everywhere but it&#8217;s just not there. It&#8217;s a familiar problem for Americans visiting Britain. You might be halfway through Grey&#8217;s Anatomy on Netflix back home, only to find that searching for it in the UK produces nothing useful.\u00a0\u00a0The series hasn&#8217;t been cancelled or removed from Netflix everywhere. It&#8217;s still available to American Netflix subscribers. But in Britain, the streaming rights <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[40,37,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-netflix","category-bbc","category-itv"],"modified_by":"dotslash","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2650"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2655,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650\/revisions\/2655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayerusa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}