BBC iPlayer VPN Not Working – Best Workaround

BBC iPlayer VPN Not Working – Best Workaround

BBC iPlayer Blocked Abroad

Trying to access BBC iPlayer from abroad would be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. In other words, it is impossible, unless you have a VPN or a Smart DNS proxy.

The streaming service is geo-blocked outside the United Kingdom due to copyright issues. So if you live in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA or anywhere else, the following error messages will display on your screen.

“This content doesn’t seem to be working. Please try again later.”

“BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s due to rights issues.”

“BBC iPlayer programmes are available to play in the UK only.”

How Does BBC Know I Am Using VPN?

You should note, however, that installing a VPN may not be the end of it. BBC iPlayer doesn’t like it when you play tricks, which is why it started banning VPN IP addresses. As a result, location error messages may still appear on your screen even if you use a VPN.

The ideal solution would be to switch to another server in the UK and try a new IP address. But if that doesn’t work, then I’m afraid you’ll have to subscribe to a new VPN service.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to waste your time searching for a new brand that may or not be compatible with BBC iPlayer. That’s because I compiled a list of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer. 

Best VPN to Fix BBC iPlayer Block

I think it’s fair to say that it’s best that you use top VPN providers to unblock BBC iPlayer, especially with the VPN blacklist thing. Therefore, you must never subscribe to unknown brands or free VPNs because you’ll soon realize that they are not efficient and can’t actually deliver what they promise.

After testing out several VPN services, I recommend that you use ExpressVPN because it is the best one when it comes to bypassing geo-restricted online content. This means that you can access BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world, along with every other UK-restricted website.

Here’s a taste of what ExpressVPN provides:

• Access to every UK channel from abroad, including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, my5 BT Sport, Sky GO, etc.
  
• User-friendly and easy-to-install apps for Windows, Linux, Android, Mac, and iOS devices. 
• 24/7 customer support to help you with your queries.
• A 30-day money-back guarantee policy.
• Three simultaneous VPN connections under a single account.

So clearly, ExpressVPN is unmatched when it comes to features and benefits. Below, you can find a list of other premium services that I compared it with.

The Smart DNS Proxy Alternative for BBC iPlayer

You can also use another method to unblock BBC iPlayer: Smart DNS proxy. This tool only targets the URLs that reveal your location and reroutes them, which means you’ll still be able to bypass geo-blocks and access BBC iPlayer. However, if you live outside the UK and want to use a Smart DNS proxy, there’s a couple of things you should know first:

• You can set up a Smart DNS service on any device. That includes Android, iOS, PC, Mac, PS3/PS4, Xbox, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Chromecast.
• Smart DNS proxies don’t encrypt your traffic or change your IP address. Therefore, don’t expect any online anonymity.
• They also don’t work well if your ISP uses transparent proxies or DNS hijacking.

If you still find the Smart DNS proxy way appealing, which many users do, I recommend you check out Unlocator. This provider has a big list of UK-supported channels, including BBC, ITV, Sky Go, and much more. It also gives clients the chance to test out the service with a 7-day trial period.

BBC iPlayer VPN Not Working – Extra Tips

If you can’t access BBC iPlayer with your VPN, try to make the following changes before you take any drastic measures like subscribing to another service.

• As I mentioned earlier, BBC iPlayer started banning VPN IP addresses, so some of them may work while others may not. As a result, your first action must be to switch to another UK server in order to get a new IP address.
• Sometimes, changing your web browser can help fix the problem in case you’re trying to access BBC iPlayer on your PC or Mac. FireFox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Edge are all good options.
• You can also follow in my footsteps when this thing happened to me and ask your VPN provider for help. If someone has an answer, it’s them.
• If you tried all the above steps and you still can’t unblock BBC iPlayer, then perhaps it’s best to part ways with your current VPN and subscribe to a new one that supports the streaming channel.

BBC iPlayer VPN Not Working – Best Workaround

Have you ever experienced any difficulties when watching BBC iPlayer from abroad using one of the VPNs that were mentioned in the article? Let us know by leaving a comment below. In case you are aware of any VPN that doesn’t actually work with BBC iPlayer, also please share your experience.