A VPN can bypass Amazon Prime Video’s geo-restrictions. But you need to choose your VPN provider carefully. Because Amazon Prime Video (and every other legal streaming site) actively block VPN connections in an effort to enforce its geo-restrictions, not every VPN will work. You’re going to want to sign up for a VPN that won’t be detected by Amazon Prime Video. One such VPN provider is PureVPN. Its streaming support is very good, and it’s known to work with Amazon Prime Video.
So if you’re having trouble accessing Amazon Prime Video while on PureVPN, it won’t be for very long. This guide explains how to stream Amazon Prime Video while using PureVPN.
Why isn’t PureVPN letting me access Amazon Prime Video?
The key to accessing Amazon Prime Video over VPN is connecting to a VPN server in the correct location. For example, you must connect to a VPN server located in the Netherlands if you’re after Dutch content. There’s a good chance you’ll need to try multiple servers (in the same region) before you find one that works.
If you’re having trouble getting Amazon Prime Video to work over PureVPN, it’s probably going to be for one of the reasons below:
- You connected to a VPN server in the wrong region. The VPN server you connect to must be located in the same region as your content, or it will not work.
- The server IP address may already be known to belong to a VPN provider by Amazon Prime Video, and it blocked your connection.
- It could be that Amazon Prime Video placed a cookie in your app or browser. Cookies can reveal a lot of things about your online activities, including your actual physical location. If you have one of these cookies on your device, it could be the reason why Amazon blocked your connection.
- You could be leaking DNS, exposing your ISP-assigned DNS servers, and giving up your actual location.
But these issues can be fixed easily.
How to fix PureVPN not working with Amazon Prime Video
Here’s how to fix PureVPN not working with Amazon Prime Video:
- Make sure you connect to a PureVPN server that’s located in the appropriate region for your content. If you’re sure you’re connected to a server in the proper region, try a different server (still in the same region). Amazon may already know the IP address of the first server.
- Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
- Try enabling private/incognito mode in your browser or using another web browser.
- You can try running a DNS leak test to make sure you’re not leaking DNS. Follow the link to learn how to do this – it’s pretty simple.
- Restart your device.
- Restart the PureVPN app.
- You could try a different VPN provider, such as the highly recommended NordVPN.
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How to sign into Amazon Prime Video with PureVPN
Once you’ve connected to a PureVPN server that works and that’s located in the proper region for your content, signing in and using Amazon Prime Video is very easy.
- If you haven’t already done so, sign-up for one of PureVPN’s subscription plans. They all come with a 31-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no risk.
- Download and install the PureVPN app for your device.
- Sign in to the PureVPN app and connect to a VPN server in the appropriate region.
- Go to the Amazon Prime Video website – it should now work.
- If it doesn’t, follow the steps above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do free VPNs work with Amazon Prime Video?
I’d stay away from them if I were you. Free VPNs usually have tiny server networks. Significant portions of their users end up using the same servers. Streaming services will see large amounts of traffic coming from the same IP address. They likely will interpret that as VPN use and block the connection. Bear in mind that most free VPNs have slow speeds and poor security practices, so we don’t usually recommend them.
How does Amazon Prime Video know I'm using a VPN?
It’s through your IP address that Amazon Prime Video can detect you’re using a VPN and changing your location. When you connect to the internet, you’re first assigned an IP address, whether on VPN or not. And your IP address reveals many things about you and your online activities, including that you’re using a VPN.
There are actually VPN server IP address lists freely available for download on the internet. So it’s pretty trivial to link an IP address to a VPN service. Streaming services are likely to use these as blocklists to enforce their geo-restrictions.
Will using a VPN slow down my connection?
Any and all VPNs will inevitably slow your connection down. There’s no way around that. A reputable VPN provider will manage to minimize the slowdown as much as possible, but it’ll still be there. Your traffic needs to make a pit stop at the VPN server before reaching its final destination. That adds latency to your connection, which you experience as a slowdown.
Also, when on VPN, your traffic needs to be repeatedly encrypted and decrypted as you move about online. That will slow you down even further. Choosing a well-established VPN provider that’s designed for streaming will keep your slowdown to a minimum.
Can I install PureVPN on my router instead of using the app?
Yes, you can. PureVPN supports a wealth of routers and provides setup guides on its website.
By setting up a VPN connection on your router, you gain two significant advantages:
You can connect to the VPN without a client app. Just connect to the router, and all your traffic will be routed over the VPN.
Router VPNs allow you to bypass your VPN provider’s limit on simultaneous connections. PureVPN caps this at a generous ten connections. Still, by setting up the VPN on your router, you can connect as many devices as you like to the router. It will only count as a single connection.
Have a look at our guide on VPN routers if you want more information on the subject.
Is it legal to use a VPN to watch Amazon Prime Video?
Yes, it is. You can connect to a VPN server and access the internet without any fear of legal retribution in most countries. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to work with streaming services, which see VPNs as a means to bypass location restrictions. Bypassing location restrictions goes against Amazon Prime Video’s terms of service. Amazon is compelled to enforce rights holders’ geo-restrictions, so you’ll be blocked if it detects you’re using a VPN.
Amazon Prime Video has no precedent of banning accounts for using a VPN, but blocking them – that happens every day.
Does PureVPN keep any logs?
As it stands today, PureVPN is a no-logging VPN provider. But that wasn’t always the case. In 2017, it was revealed that PureVPN handed over connection logs to the FBI to assist it with an open case. Since then, it has made efforts to refine its privacy policy, which is much cleaner and clearly states that it does not collect any connection logs (or traffic logs, which it didn’t collect in the first place). It underwent a third-party audit in 2019 to validate its claims.
You can read our complete PureVPN review if you want the whole story.
Will my ISP know if I'm using a VPN?
Your ISP will indeed be aware that you’re using a VPN. Here’s a short list of what your ISP will know relative to your VPN use:
- Your VPN provider
- The port and VPN protocol you’re using
- Your connection times
- Your consumed bandwidth
While that might seem like a lot of information to surrender (and it is), you’re still making privacy gains by using a VPN. Below is a list of what your ISP will not know while you’re using a VPN:
- The websites you visit
- The videos you stream
- The files you download
- Your DNS requests (unless your DNS is leaking).
It’s definitely worth it. Stay safe.
