Does Private Internet Access Work With Netflix in 2021: No More Geoblocks

If you’re a user of Private Internet Access (or a prospective one), there’s a good chance you’ll want to use the VPN to watch shows on streaming services like Netflix. However, you may be wondering whether the Private Internet Access–Netflix pairing can get past Netflix’s notorious VPN ban and content geoblocking.

Netflix is widely considered the place to be when you want to dive into a binge watching session, but you might be disappointed to find that the show you want to watch isn’t available in your region. This is called geoblocking, and the best solution is to use a reliable virtual private network (VPN). The question remains: is PIA one of those VPNs?

Key Takeaways:

• Private Internet Access can access Netflix, particularly to access the American Netflix library. 
• There are a range of servers that you can try to find one that works with Netflix. 
• Overall, Private Internet Access is an affordable and trustworthy VPN service, whatever your needs may be. 

While ExpressVPN takes the number one spot as our best VPN for Netflix, PIA is a decent, less expensive alternative. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use it to access Netflix and dig deeper into whether the Private Internet Access–Netflix match is one made in heaven. We’ll also share some basic fixes and troubleshooting techniques.

• Does Private Internet Access Work With Netflix?

  Yes. PIA seems to work most successfully with U.S. servers in particular. There are fewer servers in other locations, and you may need to play around to find one that works well for you.

• Why Does PIA Not Work With Netflix?

  PIA may not work with Netflix if you’re using certain servers, and you may need to switch to another one. It may also not work if you’re trying to access countries with smaller or less popular Netflix libraries.

• Is Private Internet Access Trustworthy?

  Yes, PIA is definitely a trustworthy VPN service. It uses military-grade encryption, which makes it just about impossible for anyone — including cybercriminals — to access your data. In addition to this, it has a no-logs policy, which means that even PIA is unable to see your online activity. Our article on AES encryption has more information if you’d like to read up on it.

Private Internet Access: Netflix Unblocked

PIA can unblock Netflix in many countries and locations — commonly those with large and popular Netflix libraries. With more than 29,000 VPN servers across 78 countries (many of those servers in the U.S.), it’s fair to say that it’s a good VPN choice if you want to access the U.S. Netflix library.

When we tried out PIA to see if it could unblock Netflix libraries, we had success not only with the U.S., but a range of other countries — including the UK, Canada and Japan. Bear in mind, however, that PIA can be a little inconsistent, so you may need to try out a few different servers before you find one that works for you. Read more on this in our full PIA review.

Assuming you already have a Netflix subscription, we’re going to take you through some very simple steps to help you watch Netflix with Private Internet Access in no time.

Step by Step: How to Use Private Internet Access With Netflix

1. Open up Private Internet Access

   Open the PIA app and click the gray arrow in the box titled “VPN server.” This will take you to a list of locations and servers. Click on the country you wish to connect to. If you want to choose a different server within that country, click the gray arrow on the left-hand side next to the country name. A dropdown box will appear, and you’ll be able to see all the available servers.

   

2. Connect to Your Country of Choice

   After you click on your chosen server, you will be taken back to the main display. You will see the server listed beneath a big, yellow “on” style button. Click that yellow button and wait to be connected to the server.

   

3. Settle in and Enjoy

   Open Netflix. Hopefully, your new IP address has worked its magic and you’re now able to watch Netflix. If it’s not working, check out the simple fixes below.

   

What to Do if PIA Is Not Working With Netflix

In an ideal world, we would consistently enjoy endless, uninterrupted Netflix streaming time, but that isn’t always the case. Our buffering speeds could be infuriatingly slow, or sometimes that pesky error message m7111-5059 goes Gandalf on us. Let’s take a look at some simple fixes you can try if PIA isn’t working with Netflix.

1. Quit PIA and Try Again 

Sometimes, the simplest fix is all you need, so we recommend you try this before anything else. Quit PIA by going to the three gray dots in the top, right-hand corner and clicking “quit.” Reopen it, connect again and refresh Netflix.

2. Try a Different Server

If your selected server isn’t working for you or appears to be slowing Netflix down, it may be as simple as trying a different server. You may need to try out a few before finding one that works for you. Go back to the server list to select a different server, connect and simply refresh Netflix.

3. Restart Your Router

If you’re experiencing problems with speed, you can try switching off and unplugging your router for 30 seconds before reconnecting and trying again. We recommended rebooting your router every few months anyway, so it could be that it’s time for a little refresh on yours, too. Sometimes this helps fix slow streaming speeds. 

4. Clear Your Cache

Netflix recommends clearing your cache when you get an error message. The steps for this can be different depending on the device you are using, and you can find them in Netflix’s help center. 

Which PIA Servers Unblock Netflix?

We tested out a few PIA servers in some of the most popular locations to see which ones work with Netflix. The results of the tests are shown in the table below. 

We unanimously and unsurprisingly had the most success in terms of speed and connectivity with U.S. servers. Some took a little longer to connect than others, but we had great results overall. The other countries on our list didn’t scrub up too poorly either, though they have fewer servers to offer. France was noticeably inconsistent, however, and Japan was slow to buffer at times.

On that note, it’s important to remember that, as with any VPN service, you may not get the same results if you conduct your own test. You may find that different servers work on different days or that some don’t work for you at all. The results above are based on our tests and what worked for us at the time of testing.

Do We Recommend PIA to Watch Netflix?

The short answer is yes, we do. If you are looking for a cheaper VPN, are willing to play around a bit with different servers and are mostly interested in the U.S. Netflix library, PIA is definitely worth a shot. It works with Netflix, even if you need to try a few different servers in some countries.

However, as with any online service, your mileage may vary, and you may not have the same success with unblocking Netflix that we had. The great news is that PIA has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

Best VPN Alternatives That Can Unblock Netflix

It probably comes as no surprise to our regular readers that ExpressVPN is our number one pick for Netflix. With its huge range of servers (over 3,000 in 94 countries), you’ll easily find one to switch to if one server isn’t working for you. It is also the fastest VPN we’ve tried out so far, so you shouldn’t have any problem when it comes to speed. It is a bit expensive, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN and CyberGhost are two other frequent flyers on our VPN lists, as they offer great value and security and perform well with Netflix. You can check out our NordVPN review and CyberGhost review to learn more about them.

Free VPNs for Netflix

We almost always recommend paying for a VPN to watch Netflix content instead of using free VPN providers. This is to make 100 percent sure that you’re getting the best deal in terms of privacy and security as well as high-quality streaming time. Free VPNs can be unsafe, and a lot of them collect your data or come with data caps, so try to avoid them as much as possible.

The only exception to this is Windscribe, which works very well with streaming services including Netflix. The only downside is that you’re limited to 10GB of data on the free plan, which will be quickly used up on Netflix. You can read more about it in our Windscribe review.

Final Thoughts: The PIA-Netflix Pairing

Overall, Private Internet Access is a VPN worth trying out with Netflix, even if you need to spend a little time hunting down the perfect server for you. If you need an affordable, easy-to-navigate service that works decently with Netflix, PIA may be just what you’re looking for. Why not give it a go with its 30-day money-back guarantee?

What do you think of the PIA-Netflix pairing? Have you had any experience using Netflix with PIA? If so, let us know how it went for you in the comments. As always, thanks for reading.