VPNs can be used on a variety of devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. But can they also be used on a smart TV?
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Can A VPN Work On A Smart TV?
A VPN will work just as well on your smart TV as it will on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Any popular VPN provider – like ProtonVPN – will have an app that you can download and install on your smart TV. You can then open the VPN app from your TV’s menu, select a server and connect to it.
In fact, a good VPN app will often work faster on your smart TV than it will on your desktop computer.
I use ProtonVPN and I have their app downloaded on my smartphone, smart TV that, and on my Lenovo all-in-one desktop PC, which is a bit underpowered and slow.
The ProtonVPN app on my TV is super fast and responsive.
The app opens a second after you click it and as soon as you select a new server it connects to it within a couple of seconds.
Compare that to the VPN app on my desktop computer which can take up to 30 seconds to open and another 20 seconds to connect to a new server.
Why Does A VPN Work Faster On Your Smart TV?
A lot of people wonder why a VPN works faster on their TV than on their PC.
The reason is usually that TVs run on a much lighter operating system and don’t have nearly background processes running, while your computer might be downloading something in the background or you might have lots of open browser tabs which are eating up system resources and slowing down your internet connection.
Since your smart TV has no background processes running, it can be faster to use it for browsing the web where its internet connection is limited only by the speed of your router.
However, it’s not always the case that a VPN will run slow on your computer.
A VPN installed on a computer with a powerful processer and lots of memory will run just as fast as it will on your smart TV or smartphone.
Can You Use A Free VPN On Your Smart TV?
Free VPNs that you might be unfamiliar with are usually not recommended because they may have invasive privacy policies that allow them to sell off your data to third-party marketing companies. They are also more likely to have outdated encryption standards, which leaves you vulnerable to hacking attacks.
However, a free version of a popular paid VPN app should be perfectly safe to install on your smart TV, however, it may have too few features and too few servers to choose from to be of much use.
Related Article: Are Two VPNs Better Than One?
How To Install A VPN App On Your Smart TV
How you download the VPN app on your smart TV will depend on your setup.
For example, if you have Chromecast with Google TV running on your smart TV you can simply download a VPN app from the Google Play Store that will be installed on your TV.
If you have a Firestick plugged into your TV you can download a VPN app by going to the Amazon App Store on your smart TV’s main menu.
And if you don’t want to install a VPN app directly onto your smart TV, you could install one on your computer, set up a mobile hotspot, and connect your TV to that mobile hotspot.
Why Should I Use A VPN On My Smart TV?
Using a VPN on your smart TV will allow you to stream content from other countries that would ordinarily be geo-restricted, it will encrypt your data if you are using a web browser on your TV to access the internet and it will stop your ISP from collecting information about what you are doing and watching and then selling that data to third party advertising and marketing companies.
But probably the best benefit of having a VPN on your smart TV is all of the geo-blocked content it allows you access to (especially if you are located outside of the United States).
For example, if outside of the United States streaming apps like PlutoTV, Tubi and Crackle will not work without a VPN.
These are all great free streaming services and so easy to access using a VPN; just set your location to the US and you’re off.
PlutoTV is an online TV service that provides access to over 100+ free TV channels, including sports, news, and music.
Tubi is another online streaming service that offers thousands of movies and TV shows, including original programming.
Crackle is a free streaming service owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and offers hundreds of TV shows and movies across multiple genres for free.
You can even use a VPN to expand your Netflix library (at least you can at the time of writing this).
For example, Ireland has one of the biggest libraries of Netflix content out of every country, and accessing Nexflix while connected to an Irish VPN server will give you access to new content, even some that the US Netflix library doesn’t have.
Without a VPN installed on your smart TV, you are definitely missing out on a lot of content that you could be otherwise enjoying.
Why Is My VPN Not Working On My Smart TV?
If you have installed a VPN on your smart TV but it’s not working you will want to check the following:
Is Your VPN Actually Running?
Check the app on your smart TV to ensure your VPN is running and that you are connected to a server.
Check That You Haven’t Been Signed Out
Sometimes if you haven’t used the VPN app on your TV in a while you can end up getting signed out and you may have to use a code from your VPN provider to get your app going again.
Connect To A Different Server
If your VPN is running too slow or continually disconnecting, try to connect to a server in a different location.
You could even try contacting your VPN provider to find out the best server to use for what you are trying to achieve.
Update Your VPN App To Keep It Working Properly
Make sure your VPN provider offers a recent version of the app for its associated platforms.
Many times, older versions of apps may not be well optimized and may come with compatibility problems or reported bugs that have only been fixed in newer versions of the app.
These issues can cause older versions of apps to not work as they should and cause your VPN to disconnect or run very sluggish.
Before anything else, you should always be sure that your VPN app is up to date and that you have downloaded the latest version available on the official website of your VPN provider.
If a newer version of your VPN app is available for download, make sure to update the app immediately
Maybe Your VPN Is Just Running Slow
Plenty of free VPN apps may not be optimized and might have servers located in only a handful of countries so you may not be getting the speeds that you were expecting.
In conclusion, the VPNs that work best on smart TVs are the ones with dedicated apps you can download and install on your particular make/model of smart TV.
f your VPN provider doesn’t have a suitable app or if you can’t install that app on your smart TV, it’s also possible to use your computer to connect your smart TV to your VPN by setting up a mobile hotspot.
