How to Watch UK's Channel 4 Outside the UK

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:

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

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

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

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.

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!