Android TV VPN: Best VPN for Android TV Box

Android TV is the world’s leading smart television operating system. It’s installed on millions of TVs, streaming devices, and set-top boxes across the world.

Last Update: May 2, 2022
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Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Features:
  • Unblock Any Content
  • Internet Kill Switch
  • Split Tunneling
  • Confirmed Zero Logs Policy
  • Unbreakable Encryption
Available on:
 available_devices

Overall Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Features:
  • Unlimited P2P and Torrenting
  • High-End Military-Grade Encryption
  • Confirmed Zero Logs Policy
  • Ad-blocker Feature
  • High-Speed Servers
  • Unblock 400 Streaming Services
  • 100% diskless encrypted RAM servers
Available on:
 available_devices

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5.0
Features:
  • Strict No logs Policy
  • AES-256-GCM Encryption
  • Very Secure Protocol
  • Fast Torrent Speed and Unblocking Netflix
  • Unlimited Devices
Available on:
 available_devices

Android TV is the world’s leading smart television operating system. It’s installed on millions of TVs, streaming devices, and set-top boxes across the world. Thanks to it, most televisions are not just televisions anymore. They are media consumption hubs that can do nearly everything that smartphones, laptops, and desktop computers can.

You’ll need a VPN to unlock the full potential of Android TV.

The problem is that finding the right service is easier said than done. That’s because hundreds of competing providers with similar spec sheets all claim to be the best option for the operating system. In reality though, only a handful of virtual private networks manage to work well with it.

Now if you’re worried about getting the wrong VPN for Android TV, don’t be. In this article, we will go over the best choices for the OS. That way, you will know exactly which service to get.

What Are The Best VPNs for Android TV Box In 2022?

1. ExpressVPN

Expressvpn-screenshot-new

Streaming Quality: ExpressVPN is undoubtedly an excellent VPN solution for Android TV. The provider has a dedicated application for the OS that’s easy to use and configure. Moreover, it does not have any problems with circumventing most streaming website geo-restrictions.

The unblocking capabilities of ExpressVPN are so great that I’ve not once experienced being geoblocked while using it. Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the provider has been able to bypass the Great Firewall of China for many years already. For that reason, many people in China utilize it as their go-to for accessing the global internet.

Even the furthest ExpressVPN servers barely ever made a dent on my base internet connection speeds. Sometimes, these servers eliminate the bandwidth throttling established by my ISP.

All this translates to the fact that ExpressVPN is fully capable of allowing you to stream content without having to deal with interruptions such as buffering and drops in quality.

Privacy & Security: Security is ExpressVPN’s first and foremost priority. It was the first major VPN provider to have a 100% RAM-based server network. That means that it’s completely incapable of storing the private logging information of its many subscribers.

Aside from what’s stated, ExpressVPN also regularly has itself independently audited by PwC, which is a renowned security firm. Due to that, you can truly rest assured that the provider will not store your logs as you’re using it.

One thing that ExpressVPN has to work on though is its features. That’s because its apps don’t have an ad and malware blocker. Also, they have exclusive offerings. With any subscription plan, the only thing that you’ll be getting is a kill switch and split tunneling.

Pricing: ExpressVPN doesn’t provide much bang for your buck. It charges $12.95 for a basic 1-month subscription. On top of that, the provider only allows for a max of 5 simultaneous device connections. As such, one subscription may not suffice for your entire family.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN screenshot

Streaming Quality: NordVPN is a wonderful tool to have on your Android TV. Its application for the OS has a straightforward interface that’s an absolute breeze to navigate. And yes, the VPN doesn’t break any sweat when it’s used to overcome geo-restrictions. Thanks to that, you may use it to access the foreign libraries of everything from Netflix to Amazon Prime with no issue.

The server network of NordVPN is currently composed of more than 5500 servers. Via testing, I’ve discovered that most of these servers are blazingly fast. Only in a few instances did they ever cause my internet connection speeds to drop to the point wherein I would take notice.

And for those wondering, NordVPN can be used for Android TV in China. The service provider has never failed to grant our testers access to the global internet. As such, there isn’t any reason to believe that it can’t bypass any of the world’s other censorship systems.

Privacy & Security: NordVPN has a flawed security record because it was once hacked. Data that could be used to establish a fake server was stolen during the incident. However, the lone perpetrator was caught almost immediately. Thus, the only real damage to NordVPN was to its reputation which was flawless until then.

Despite what happened to it, many regard NordVPN to be very safe. After all, it has done many things to redeem itself to the general public. For example, the service established a successful bug bounty program. On top of that, it has begun the move to RAM-disk servers.

NordVPN’s application for Android TV has every security feature that you’d want. On top of that, the app lets you choose from a wide range of VPN protocols. The most relevant of which is NordLynx, which is a proprietary protocol that’s based upon none other than WireGuard.

Pricing: Sad to say, NordVPN has recently hiked up its 1-month subscription rate. As of writing, you’ll need to shell out $11.95 for the provider. Needless to say, I believe that every cent of that $11.95 is worth it, considering everything that NordVPN has to offer you.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark screenshot

Streaming Quality: If streaming on Android TV is your favorite activity, then you’ll surely enjoy Surfshark. The provider’s 3200+ servers grant you open and unlimited access to every foreign streaming library that you’d want to watch from. In addition, when using the VPN provider, it is unlikely that you’ll get detected and blocked by your preferred streaming services.

The network of Surfshark is among the fastest that I’ve connected to. My internet speeds stayed stable regardless of where I was connected to. Thanks to that, it was possible for me to have buttery-smooth online streaming sessions that were absolutely 100% lag and buffering-free.

It should also be mentioned that our Chinese testers had zero issues with Surfshark. They were able to overcome the Great Firewall over and over again. That means you may utilize the VPN provider in the country to use your Android TV device as you normally would when at home.

Privacy & Security: After ExpressVPN, Surfshark was the next leading VPN provider to equip itself with a RAM-based network. Besides that, like its rival, it also has itself regularly subjected to independently done audits. As such, you can be sure that it truly does not keep logging info.

Each of Surfshark’s applications come with their own set of unique features. Aside from that, they also come with a dedicated kill switch and ad & malware blocker. There’s also split tunneling for those who need to access their real accounts while using the VPN.

As you’d expect from a VPN of its standing, Surfshark employs AES-256 encryption. Together with that, it supports lots of VPN protocols. You can pick between everything from OpenVPN UDP to WireGuard, meaning it’ll be possible to configure your experience to your liking.

Pricing: Surfshark provides value for money like no other VPN. That’s because aside from all that’s stated above, it allows for unlimited simultaneous device connections. For that reason, one account is all you’ll need to keep everyone you know protected when they go online.

At present, you can purchase a monthly Surfshark subscription for just $12.95. While this is by no means cheap, it’s still well within the reach of average consumers such as yourself.

4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost screenshot

Streaming Quality: CyberGhost is one of the best Android TV VPN solutions out there. Its app for the platform lets you choose from a list of servers that specialize in streaming. As a result, you shall not have to play a guessing game every time you choose a server to connect to.

Quite interestingly, CyberGhost has the largest VPN server network. It currently operates more than 7500 locations scattered across the world. The provider even has a presence in China, which is a country that’s very unfriendly towards VPNs. Strangely though, CyberGhost is presently unable to get around the Great Firewall, making it unsuitable for travelers.

I would also like to state that CyberGhost didn’t trade off speed for network size. While it is not the fastest VPN, it can definitely meet all your Android TV streaming needs. During my time using the provider, seldom did I have issues regarding my internet connection speeds.

Privacy & Security: The privacy and security that CyberGhost provides are impeccable.

Using it, you’ll not have to worry about your logs being stolen. Why? The provider has a clean security record along with a concrete zero-logging policy. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t have a RAM-based server network. Moreover, it hasn’t had itself independently audited.

CyberGhost’s once had limited protocol support. This is no longer the case as it now supports every leading VPN protocol on all the platforms that it’s available on.

Another thing to mention is that CyberGhost’s apps come with lots of unique features. Some of which are free while others are paid add-ons. That being said, the VPN service’s apps are also built with a kill switch, ad & malware blocker, and split tunneling feature for convenience.

Pricing: CyberGhost costs $12.99 per month, which makes it our most costly option for Android TV. Despite that, I still believe that those who are on a budget should seriously consider getting the provider. After all, it provides tremendous value for money, especially given the fact that it allows for a maximum of 7 simultaneous connections.

5. Private Internet Access (PIA)

Private Internet Access screenshot

 

Streaming Quality: Private Internet Access (PIA) is great at unblocking the United States and Canada libraries of all leading streaming platforms. Despite its position in the VPN industry as an underdog, the provider has no trouble facilitating seamless streaming sessions. Its servers are fast, and therefore, unlikely to cause sudden quality drops, lag, and buffering.

Sadly, even with its 3300+ servers, PIA can only sometimes bypass the Great Firewall of China. As such, it’s not the best choice if you frequently find yourself traveling. After all, you’ll only be able to periodically access the global internet in China while using it.

Privacy & Security: Your privacy and security are guaranteed while using Private Internet Access. Like all the VPNs that I’ve talked about earlier, it too makes use of AES 256-bit military-grade encryption. Moreover, it supports all leading VPN protocols available.

The application of PIA for Android TV comes with an automatic kill switch. On top of that, it is built with PIA MACE, which is one of the best ad & malware blockers in the VPN industry.

Sadly, the developers of PIA have yet to have it audited by an independent party. Furthermore, they have not started upgrading their VPN’s server network to one that’s RAM-disk-enabled.

Pricing: Private Internet Access has long been known for being a very affordable VPN. Though it has recently increased its prices, it is certainly not out of your reach. For a 1-month plan, you shall only have to spend a mere $9.95, which makes the provider an absolute steal.

Why Use A VPN For Android TV?

Access Unavailable Streaming Libraries: Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime purchase the rights to show their content by country or region.

As a result, no two of their libraries are identical. Now to access every piece of content that is offered by your favorite streaming platform, you shall need to make use of a proxy or VPN service provider.

While proxies can also get around geo-restrictions, they aren’t advisable to use. That’s because they aren’t as reliable as their VPN counterparts when it comes to accessing unavailable content. Moreover, they don’t provide edge-to-edge digital privacy and security.

It’s also essential to note that not all VPNs are good for Android TV. How come? Some services lack the infrastructure necessary to circumvent geoblocks. In addition, even more lack servers fast enough to facilitate streaming sessions that are free of drops in quality and buffering.

Bypass Online Censorship Systems: National censorship systems like the Great Firewall of China are incredibly difficult for VPNs to overcome. Only the best can get the job done with the levels of reliability that Android TV users such as yourself require. It is these providers that will allow you to freely browse the internet wherever you are in the world.

Fortify Your Cybersecurity: The number one goal of VPNs is to fortify your digital security and privacy. All capable providers can encrypt your personal data from hackers and other parties that aim to intercept it. Furthermore, they mask your real IP address so that your current whereabouts may remain unknown to troublemakers and government monitors.

Improve Internet Connection Speeds: Virtual private networks usually slow down your online connection speeds. However, some service providers manage to improve them. How so? By riding the bandwidth throttle that’s secretly imposed by your internet service provider.

You see, lots of ISPs intentionally hamper the internet speeds of their subscribers. The reason why they do this is because they wish to prevent their networks from getting overloaded.

How To Use An Android TV VPN

Here are all the steps you need to take in order to use an Android TV VPN:

  • Get Yourself A VPN

Kick things off by getting a VPN. While this may seem easy, it’s not quite so. The reason why is because there are hundreds of options available in today’s market. Many of which have similar features and specifications. In addition, many have claims to be the best option for Android TV.

Although it may seem rather tempting to get a free VPN, it’s better that you don’t. After all, free providers often lack the means to get around streaming service geo-restrictions.

Your best bet is to stick with the five VPN providers that we talked about earlier – especially ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark. Besides being able to unblock almost any streaming library, they are also fast. In addition, most of them don’t have trouble when it comes to getting around government censorship systems.

  • Install It

All VPNs are controlled using apps that must be installed on your device.

On Android TV, the setup process for most VPNs is incredibly easy. As a matter of fact, it’s fully automatic. The only thing you’ll really need to do is hit the download button then wait. Following a short period, your service provider should be ready for use.

It’s also possible to connect your Android TV device to a router. Sadly, VPN router installation is often a technical procedure that not everyone can do. With that being said, many of the VPNs that we talked about sell pre-configured routers that provide you with an easy out-of-the-box experience. I’d have to say that this is great news for anyone that values convenience.

  • Pair With A Server

The next thing to do is pair with a server. You should go for a location in a country that’s host to the streaming library that you wish to unblock.

For the fastest connection, pick your provider’s nearest major server. The reason for that is because distance impacts how much a VPN server will hamper your internet speeds.

  • Open Android TV Then Start Watching

After you’ve done everything mentioned above, it’s finally time to open Android TV. You may then access your proffered streaming platform and watch from its foreign library that would otherwise not be available to you.

Don’t ever disconnect from your virtual private network. When that’s done, you may immediately get detected and then blocked from the library you’re currently on. Even worse, you’ll be leaving yourself open to malicious entities that wish to cause you all kinds of trouble.

How We Ranked These Android TV VPNs

Coming up with our rankings was not easy.

We had to conduct a lot of research and tests to determine which providers performed the best on Android TV. After that, we compared the prices of each of our top picks for the operating system. That way, we knew for certain which VPNs offered the greatest value for money.

 

By: Erwin Caniba
Eric is the co-founder of VPNOnline. He has been an avid user of VPNs since 2012. He has tested all of the major VPN providers and shares his findings on this website. Follow Eric on Facebook.