Stream UK's Channel 4 Abroad With a VPN

How to Watch UK's Channel 4 Outside the UK

Last updated on May 2, 2021 Comments: 15

The UK’s Channel 4 makes some brilliant TV. It has been home to some immensely popular shows including The Great British Bake Off and Peep Show. It appeals to a large demographic, with broadcasting that ranges from teenage drama to political documentary.

However, Channel 4 and its catch up service 40D is not available to viewers outside of the UK. Channel 4 blocks its content to users outside of the UK by geo-restricting any location that is outside of its contractual agreement. If you’re outside of the UK, you’re not meant to watch Channel 4.

Having a VPN is the best, most efficient way to get around geo-restrictions on channels that are only streamed within the UK.

To cut to the chase here’s our list of the best VPNs for watching Channel 4:

Securethoughts Team Recommends

For the best quality and fastest streaming of Channel 4 wherever you are in the world, we highly recommend ExpressVPN.

It has some of the fastest streaming speeds in the industry and offers over 100 servers within London, East London, Docklands, and Wembley.

ExpressVPN also offers a special deal which saves you 49% (you get 3 months free) with their annual subscription plan!

Unblock and Watch Channel 4 with a VPN

Channel 4 will not let you watch its content if it knows that you’re outside the UK. However, there are ways to mask your computer’s location (through its IP address), one of them being a VPN.

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is an encrypted network of internet connections. A VPN will allow you to borrow a UK IP address, circumventing Channel 4’s location policy. The best VPNs give their customers access to thousands of private networks around the world, allowing them to access Channel 4’s great content from anywhere.

The Best VPNs To Watch Channel 4 Outside of the UK

ExpressVPN

Express VPN is the most reliable VPN available for a number of reasons.

Unlimited Bandwidth – Lots of VPNs have a cap on the amount of bandwidth you can use. This can result in pixelated images or intermittent buffering. ExpressVPN does not set a limit on the bandwidth use, making it perfect for interruption-free, crystal-clear viewing.

The best connection speeds – ExpressVPN has some of the best connection speeds of all VPNs available. This means that live viewing can be uninterrupted.

145 locations for servers – ExpressVPN the most amount of servers of any VPN online. This means that it does not only allow you to watch Channel 4 but a host of other geo-restricted channels too.

Ultra-safe – ExpressVPN is one of the most secure VPNs available. It keeps its customer’s data safer than any other VPN, meaning you can access restricted content in safety.

30-day money-back guarantee – ExpressVPN will offer its customers a 30-day money-back guarantee if they find that they can’t access certain content. This means you can purchase the VPN in good faith that your money is protected.

With ExpressVPN, the most cost-effective way to sign up is the 15-month payment plan, which essentially gives you three months for free. 

For more information, read our in-depth review of ExpressVPN.

Price: Starting from $6.67/month

Visit ExpressVPN

Other recommendations include:

NordVPN

NordVPN is another one of the best VPNs online. It has super-fast connectivity due to the huge amounts of servers it has and boasts double VPN encryption making it one of the safest VPNs on the market.

Find out more in our in-depth review of Nord VPN.

Price: Starting from $3.71/month

Visit NordVPN

Cyberghost

Cyberghost is one of the most invisible VPNs on offer. It doesn’t keep a log of any behavior and has one of the most robust military-grade encryptions online today. Cyberghost also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our comprehensive Cyberghost review.

Price: Starting from $3.49/month

Visit Cyberghost

Can I Watch Channel 4 Abroad for Free?

You can download a host of free VPN’s, but it is not recommended. Firstly, companies like Channel 4 devote a fair amount of resources towards identifying and blacklisting a series of VPNs. This means that only a few VPNs are actually powerfully to consistently access Channel 4.

Secondly, free VPNs are often overloaded because so many people are trying to use them. This increases the chance of Channel 4 running slower and/or crashing anyway.

And most importantly, free VPNs are often unsafe and can give harmful malware access to your computer. It is also illegal, so not using a robust VPN could have even severe consequences for you. The risks of using a free VPN are simply not worth it.

Streaming Channel 4 Using a DNS Proxy

A DNS  (Domain Name System) can be thought of as the address book of the internet. You access all of your websites through domain names, like google.com. However, behind each of these addresses is attached to a public IP address. This public IP address is like the websites postcode, allowing your computer to get you to your destination.

A DNS proxy works simply by exchanging the DNS of your device when you try to access a site, like Netflix for example. Your data will be redirected through a proxy server that is located in the country of your choice, like the UK for example.

DNS Proxy or VPN: which is best to Channel 4 streaming overseas?

The key difference between a DNS proxy server and a VPN is privacy.

Both will allow you access to international content, but only a VPN will encrypt your internet connection, hide your IP address, and protect your privacy.

There are many free DNS proxies you can use if all you want to do is access international content. But the chances of getting discovered by authorities and being susceptible to cyber-attacks. Using a free DNS proxy server, especially from an insecure internet source like a cafe or an airport, could see your passwords and internet banking details distributed to anywhere online.

When choosing an online proxy server, you should look out for the following.

A clear privacy policy: They should be able to tell you clearly and directly what their privacy policy. If they aren’t transparent about this, then the likelihood is they can’t be trusted.

A stable online infrastructure: There is no point in having a VPN or DNS server if it isn’t stable and doesn’t allow for uninterrupted viewing.

Visible contact information: If your DNS or VPN provider does not have clear contact information, then you can’t be sure to receive help if your paid service isn’t performing in the desired way.

A support team: Without a responsive support team, there will be no-one available to help if your VPN or DNS server stops working for any reason.

Browser Extensions

On top of DNS and VPN proxies, there is also a range of browser extensions that you can download that will give you access to a variety of international online content. The browser extensions work in exactly the same way as a VPN, in that it routes your data through an alternate server.

The main benefit of using an extension is that it is easy to download and free. However, there are some things to be aware of. Online browsers use your computer’s spare bandwidth, and this is how it continues to be free.

Because browser extensions are easy to download and free, they have no privacy policy and can similarly be heavily ladled with malicious malware. If you’re absolutely desperate to access international content like Channel 4 and you can’t afford a reputable service, then a browser extension would be your go-to. However, we would not recommend using such unsafe software.

Channel 4 UK FAQ

If you’re residing in the US, then you will need to choose your VPN or DNS proxy server. Once the VPN is downloaded, you should head over channel 4 and start watching. If you’re finding that you can’t watch the content you want live, then apps like TVPlayer can be tremendously helpful. If you’re looking to watch channel 4 when on-the-go, then downloading the 4oD app can be a good idea. These are some of the ways to help you figure out how to watch Channel 4 in the US.
Channel 4 is blocked in Canada like it is in the US. To access Channel 4 from Canada, then you’ll need to go through the same process. You’ll need to download your VPN or DNS proxy server, and then head over to the Channel 4 website to start watching the content you want.
Due to the sheer volume of British ex-pats in Australia, there is a huge Australian demand for Channel 4. This means that there is a whole host of hacky and untrustworthy proxy VPNs to DNS servers to choose from. If you have no idea how to watch Channel 4 in Australia, make sure to choose a safe, encrypted, and reputable service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.

Conclusion

A VPN is the best way for you to get around Channel 4’s geo-restricted viewing locations. It’s important to remember that when you’re looking for a way to view restricted content, you must make sure that your proxy is both safe and encrypted. Without this, you have no way of knowing whether your data will be shared online, and you may be susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Be wary of free Google Chrome extensions, as can be full of malware, and can be liable to selling off your data to a third party without letting you know. They can also drain your computer’s spare bandwidth, slowing your whole system down.

ExpressVPN is how we suggest you watch Channel 4 outside of the UK. With its ultra-secure web encryption, fast connection speeds, and responsive customer service team, ExpressVPN is undoubtedly the best way to go. Now you have everything to watch all of Channel 4’s great shows. Happy watching!

Article comments

15 comments
MAry says:

Hello I can access Bbc iPlayer with my vpn but channel 4 wants me to download their app and it’s not available in my location. Any tips please?

Mary says:

Hello
I have a good VPN provider, I access Bbc iPlayer but channel 4 asks me to download their app. I can’t access that from France. Any suggestions?

Gaye says:

I have joined PrivateVPN and find it excellent. My only problem being is to do with Channel 4.
They have tried to help me all ways but we cannot get around it.
I am able to watch everything on channel 4 except Walter Presents!
That being the very thing I want to watch the most because of its excellent foreign films with English subtitles.
I always get a notice up about not in your location. It drives me mad.
If someone knows how I am able to watch Walter Presents I would be very grateful, thank you.

Gaye

Markus says:

ExpressVPN has been wonderful for years now, however as of a few days ago Channel 4’s geoblocking is no longer fooled by it 🙁 It’s still the best VPN for just about everything else though (Including BBC iPlayer)

Tabatha says:

OMG! You have opened up so many wonderful shows for me! I’ve used ExpressVPN and it was too easy! I can’t thank you enough! Off to start binge watching…

Jerry Hines - Cyber Security Expert says:

Hi Tabatha,

We are so happy to hear that ExpressVPN is working for you! Enjoy your binge!

Pierre says:

Can’t watch all the shows. Some say “not available in my area”

Jerry Hines - Cyber Security Expert says:

Hi Pierre,
You need to make sure that the shows you want to watch are available in the location where your IP address is. Use your VPN to switch to servers that are hosted in the same countries your content is being aired.

Jean says:

I watch a lot of shows on Channel4, but it wont let me watch “Harry” says not available in my area. I am able to watch other shows.

Faze says:

Worth it for the news alone, plus there are things like Peep Show on 4oD

Greg says:

I’m from America but I do a lot of travel to Britain and love Channel 4. I regularly use ExpressVPN to access it. I’ve been using it for years for general unblocking but use it regularly at home primarily to get Channel 4, BBC iPlayer and a few other international channels I’ve come to love.

Karen B. says:

We have just moved the Spain for our retirement and it’s been lovely being able to watch shows from back home. Channel 4 has some wonderful shows and we love the news with Jon Snow. would recommend ExpressVPN to any UK expats like us.

Hannah says:

I’m so excited to find this solution! The U.K. has some of the funniest shows, but access to them is extremely limited where I live.

Ahmed says:

Do you know if any of these VPN’s are better for watching Channel 4 from the Middle East?

ST Editor says:

Hi! We generally recommend these for most countries, though how effective they are may depend on your specific location. We suggest ExpressVPN in most cases as it offers one of the best services available and has a great success rate for customers. You can get a better look at the best VPNs for the Middle East here and here. We hope this helps!