Android TV Box is an opportunity to expand the functionality of your TV without serious investments. Your regular TV becomes an Android-powered device with a significantly increased entertainment potential. Movie fans can benefit from accessing various streaming services such as BBC iPlayer or Netflix. If you can’t imagine your life without socializing, Android TV will supply many social apps. If you enjoy interactive games, you can download them from Play Market and play right on your TV. Even though you can have a lot of fun with Android TV, you should not forget about your safety on the net. Every time you go online, you need to make sure your connection is secured with a VPN. In this post, we will tell you about the best VPN for Android TV box and how you will benefit from using them.
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Reasons to Use a VPN with Android TV Box
There is a whole lot of reasons why a VPN is a perfect match for Android TV. One simple piece of software is able to boost your experience and solve the most common issues:
Get Past Geo-Blocking
When you install an app to watch online videos or play games, you may face a problem – some content is not available in your country. This happens because multimedia services have no rights to broadcast or provide certain titles or products for clients that live outside the territories covered by licensing agreements. But you surely don’t want to limit your access to shows, movies or video games, that’s why you need a VPN. This technology will make online services think that you are from a different country with wider access to media products.
Prevent ISP throttling
Sometimes Internet providers resort to throttling if users on their network consume too much data. When using your Android TV Box, you will need both good connection speed and high bandwidth, which are not possible with throttling. Luckily, a VPN is able to prevent such intentional slow-downs. These services encrypt and redirect your traffic so that ISPs can’t monitor your activity or usage. If they can’t inspect your connection, they won’t implement throttling. In the same way, a high-capacity VPN network can boost your speed if your Internet connection is originally slow.
Enhance Your Online Security
There are many dangers in the digital world that are lying in wait for careless users. You need to know that your connection is permanently monitored by your Internet service provider. Authorities may be interested to find out what you do online as well. Don’t forget that the virtual space is a breeding ground for hackers and cybercriminals. These people or groups will try to get hold of your sensitive data, such as passwords or bank account details. You may also come across malicious software or become a victim of DDoS attacks. A trustworthy VPN is able to remove all these threats by encrypting your connection and providing additional antivirus or malware protection.
What to Look for a VPN for Android TV Box
No matter what your particular need is, a VPN service must be safe and secure. Your provider shouldn’t log your activity and its encryption ought to meet industry standards or exceed them. Despite cutting-edge encryption, the best VPNs should supply excellent speeds throughout the network and provide special features for streaming enthusiasts (for instance, streaming servers or automatic connection to a location with the fastest speeds). Speaking of networks, a VPN with a large server park is a must if you want to successfully bypass geo-blocking on video services or game platforms. Not only a massive network guarantees a solid selection of connection options but also allows maintaining better speeds. If you are a huge fan of services such as Netflix, you will need a provider with a multitude of servers in America since the US media library is larger than in other countries. Finally, opt for providers that allow many simultaneous connections and offer dedicated apps for all popular digital platforms.
The Best VPN for Android TV Box
All these criteria are equally important when choosing a VPN for Android TV box. Since there are many aspects to consider, it may be hard for inexperienced users to pick the right provider. Luckily, VPNTrends experts are willing to help you make an educated choice. We’ve studied the most popular names in the VPN industry and selected the best VPNs for Android TV box:
- Provider
- User Rating
- Our Review
- Price
PureVPN- 4807 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 3795 Votes
- $6.67 / month
It’s time to get to know these services a little bit closer:
NordVPN
This service provides the largest server network in the industry, which means you can easily bypass geo-blocking on your favorite streaming and gaming platforms. NordVPN features decent speeds across the board, plus you can benefit from special optimized servers to enhance your streaming experience. The service boasts solid protection from monitoring thanks to AES-256 encryption and zero-logging policy. With the CyberSec feature, you can protect your device from viruses and malware. NordVPN’s apps are easy to use and you can find them for all popular devices. Totally, you are allowed to connect up 6 devices simultaneously. The service is quite affordable, especially if you purchase its annual plans with considerable discounts. You may cancel the subscription anytime and get your money back within 30 days if NordVPN didn’t meet your needs.
PureVPN
PureVPN is an ideal multi-purpose service for users who don’t want to mess with complicated apps or advanced settings. It supplies convenient clients for Android TV as well as many other devices. The provider is easy to use and it will cater to streaming enthusiasts, torrent buffs, and gamers thanks to a fast connection. Top-of-the-line security features, including log-free policy and strong encryption, are another highlight of the service. You can take advantage of more than 6,500 servers scattered across 78 countries. For more security, opt for Ozone Ready servers with built-in intrusion prevention and anti-malware features. You can use PureVPN with Android TV and 4 other devices at the same time from the same account. PureVPN is a very economically-priced service with crazily cheap prices for a 2-year subscription. Don’t be scared to try it because there is a 31-day refund policy in place if something is not to your liking.
ExpressVPN
The fastest VPN provider takes proud in its highly-optimized servers suitable for gaming, streaming, torrenting, and other needs. More than 3,000 servers in 94 countries comprise its roster. There are various locations to connect to in America if you want to bypass geo-blocking on Netflix. You don’t have to worry which server to choose because Smart Location feature will pick the best one for you based on your location. Military-grade encryption, secure connection protocols, and log-less privacy policy are a cornerstone of ExpressVPN’s impressive security features. Besides a dedicated app for Android TV, the provider covers all popular devices and operating systems. ExpressVPN allows 3 simultaneous connections but you can secure all your devices at once with a router VPN client. ExpressVPN is a quality provider and the quality has its price. Fortunately, the service offers great discounts for a 1-year subscription. If you feel that ExpressVPN is not the right provider for your needs, you don’t risk anything thanks to a solid 30-day money back guarantee.
Here’s How to Install a VPN on Android TV Box
It is really easy to configure a VPN app on Android TV box. It will take no more than five minutes to set it up if you follow these steps:
- Create an account with one of our recommended VPN providers.
- Open Play Store on your Android TV box.
- Find your VPN service and install its app.
- Open the App section on Android TV and launch the VPN client.
- Sign in with the same login and password as those you used when creating your VPN account.
- Find a server list and connect to one of the servers.
- Once the connection is established, you can use your Android TV box knowing that you are protected.
If you are going to access streaming services, please make sure you have a subscription with them. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s best to do it when the VPN is on. If streaming platforms detect a VPN connection, you can switch a server or contact the support team for advice. All our recommended providers will help you 24/7.
Conclusion
While Android TV box turns your TV into a multimedia center, a VPN helps to make it secure. VPN services are able to protect you from intruders, hackers, cybercriminals, malware, and other online threats. When choosing a VPN provider for your needs, you have to be very careful since not all of them are equally good. For instance, free VPNs have neither decent connection speeds nor consistent performance. When you use them for video streaming, you are likely to experience major lags and buffering. Plus, they introduce data caps so there is not much multimedia content you are able to access monthly. Add questionable privacy policies to the Con list and you will see why free services are a no-go. Instead of trying your luck at low-quality VPNs, you can benefit from world-class providers such as the ones on our list of best VPN for Android TV box. Just test them out yourself and they won’t let you down.