How to Watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN While Abroad
Whether you want to stream a nature documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough or binge a psychological thriller, BBC iPlayer always has something to keep you entertained. Unfortunately, the service is only available in the UK, which means you might miss out on your favorite shows and new content when you travel abroad.
The good news is that you can easily use a VPN to regain access to the streaming platform. In this article, we’ll cover how to watch BBC iPlayer abroad and how PIA VPN makes the entire process super simple so you can quickly get back to streaming your favorites.
Quick Guide: How to Watch BBC iPlayer Outside of the UK
Here’s how to stay connected to your favorite series and movies even while you travel away from home.
- Sign up for PIA VPN and download the app. It’s easy to set up on all your favorite streaming devices.
- Connect to a server in the UK. PIA VPN has servers spread across the UK so you can find one close to home.
- Log in to BBC iPlayer and watch from abroad. Enjoy the platform’s latest and greatest content!
Table of Contents
Can You Watch BBC iPlayer Abroad?How Does a VPN Unblock BBC iPlayer While You’re Traveling?
Stream BBC iPlayer Outside the UK with PIA VPN
FAQ
Can You Watch BBC iPlayer Abroad?
BBC iPlayer is a free service for UK TV license holders that’s only available in the UK. The platform only allows you to watch content you’ve downloaded in advance while you’re traveling. Once abroad, you might not be able to access the full iPlayer library. Unfortunately, that could mean that you must wait until you return to watch any new content that’s added while you’re away.
If you want to keep watching BBC iPlayer abroad, there’s a workaround. With the help of a VPN, you can unblock BBC iPlayer from the USA or any other country you might be traveling to and watch as if you never left home. That means no more missing out on new content!
How Does a VPN Unblock BBC iPlayer While You’re Traveling?
When you use PIA VPN, it encrypts your connection and sends your internet traffic through a private server in a new location. By doing so, you take on the IP address of the private server, making it appear as if you’re in a different country and allowing you to access sites that are available there.
To access iPlayer while traveling abroad, you’ll need to select a VPN server in the UK. This will allow you to use the platform as usual.
Meanwhile, VPN encryption will hide your activity so you can get around network restrictions and unblock BBC iPlayer if you’re streaming at a library, university, or office. That same encryption will also keep you secure, protecting your information from any lurking cybercriminals if you’re using public Wi-Fi.
Stream BBC iPlayer Outside the UK with PIA VPN
With UK server locations in Manchester, London, and Southampton, you can easily find a PIA VPN server near home for iPlayer. PIA even has a streaming-optimized server in the UK with frequently refreshed IP addresses, which ensures you always get reliable access to BBC iPlayer (and other streaming services) without any annoying error messages.
PIA VPN has a 10-Gbps network, so you can get the fast connection you need for lag-free, high-quality video. You also get unlimited bandwidth with PIA, which means you can stream for as long as you want without your connection getting throttled.
You can stream on all your favorite devices with PIA. There are native apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, and more. Better yet, one PIA subscription gets you unlimited device connections, so you can stream securely while abroad and share the subscription to protect your family’s devices back home.
FAQ
BBC iPlayer is free to all UK TV license holders. If you’re traveling overseas and want to continue watching, you can download a VPN and connect to a server back home to maintain access to the platform.
Yes, BBC iPlayer can detect shared IP addresses and block those associated with VPNs. PIA VPN helps you stream securely from anywhere. Our streaming-optimized servers have frequently updated IPs, ensuring that you get reliable access to iPlayer.
You can change your location within the UK by going to the BBC iPlayer homepage and using the Change Location drop-down bar at the bottom left of the page. If you need to change your country because you’re traveling abroad, you can connect to a VPN server in your desired country and BBC iPlayer will automatically detect the new location.
BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, but if you’re a UK resident traveling to Italy, you can get a VPN to maintain access. Just download the VPN on your streaming device, connect to a server back in the UK, and then log into the BBC iPlayer and watch as usual.
BBC iPlayer may be picking up your true location from your web browser. You can try a different browser, use incognito mode, or clear your cookies and cache. If that doesn’t work, try selecting a different UK-based server. If you’re still having problems, try PIA VPN, which has streaming-optimized servers with regularly refreshed IPs for reliable access to iPlayer.
Like most websites and online services, BBC automatically collects your IP address when you use iPlayer. If you want to keep your IP address private, you can use a VPN to mask your IP and get a new one. If you access iPlayer while connected to a PIA server, BBC will collect the PIA IP address and yours will remain private.
BBC iPlayer is only available for UK residents with a valid TV license. You can’t watch it in other parts of Europe because iPlayer only has the rights to stream its content within the UK. If you’re traveling away from the UK, you can get PIA VPN to maintain access. Just download it on your device, connect to a UK-based server, and watch iPlayer like usual.
Free VPNs typically don’t work well with iPlayer. They have small networks and it can be hard to find a server in the UK that isn’t blocked. Even if you do, these servers are often overcrowded, which can mean lagging video. Instead, try PIA VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee. We have fast, streaming-optimized servers that actually work with iPlayer.
You can watch iPlayer on any device that can stream video, such as your computer, phone, or smart TV. To do so, you’ll need to create a free BBC account and log in on your device. If you’re wondering how to watch BBC iPlayer overseas when you travel away from home, sign up for a VPN service, connect to a UK server, and then follow the same steps.
It depends on your device. PIA VPN has native apps for most common streaming devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and streaming devices. If you’re using one of these devices, download the PIA app, connect to a server in the UK, and open iPlayer. If not, set up PIA on your router, apply it to all devices on the router, and then open iPlayer.
Can I use a VPN to watch content that’s not available in my country?
Some VPN users may use a server in another country, where certain content is available, to watch from their own country. While we cannot see what you are doing online due to our no-logs policy, this goes against our terms of service and is not acceptable.
PIA VPN puts your privacy first and we don’t track our users’ activity. That said, you should always comply with relevant laws, including copyright.