How to Watch American Netflix in the Philippines

Netflix launched in the Philippines back in 2016. Since then, it has made what can generously be described as modest inroads into the market.

In 2018, it had an estimated 104,000 subscribers. This is predicted to triple in the next two years but is still a drop in the ocean in a country with a population of more than 100 million.

There are a few possible reasons for their small user-base in the Philippines. One is the lack of local content available on the Philippines Netflix service. But another is the small amount of content available in general.

A recent survey found that the Philippines Netflix service had 1,542 TV shows and just over 3,300 movies available. By comparison, American Netflix has more than 1,800 TV shows and more than 4,000 movies available.

Subscribers in both countries pay the same amount of money. As GMA News has pointed out, this means that Filipino Netflix users pay 28% more per title than their US counterparts.

Little wonder then that a growing number of Filipinos and ex-pats are keen to start streaming American Netflix.

This is actually easier than you might think. All you need is a VPN, and in this article, we are going to explain how to unblock American Netflix in the Philippines and the best VPN to do it.

Quick Start Guide: How to Watch American Netflix in the Philippines

We’ll begin with the easy part. For those who just want to get straight to watching American Netflix in the Philippines, here is a simple step-by-step guide to help you do just that:

Quick Step-By-Step Guide:

1. Sign up with a VPN that can unblock US Netflix in the Philippines.
2. Download and install the VPN’s app.
3. Open the VPN app and sign in to your VPN account using the details given.
4. Connect to a US-based server.
5. Open the Netflix website or launch the Netflix app.
6. Watch American Netflix in the Philippines.

The only real decision you have to make is which VPN to use. Don’t worry. We can help there too. We have carried out exclusive tests to find which VPN is the best to use. To find out which is our number one recommendation, just keep on reading.

Why Is American Netflix Different From Philippines Netflix?

The difference between American and Philippines Netflix all comes down to the issue of rights.

Apart from the shows and movies it makes itself, Netflix has to buy up the rights to all the other content they stream. These rights are generally auctioned off by country to the highest market. Netflix is a big market player but not the only one, and they don’t always win the rights to everything.

As a result, Netflix has ended up with a different library of content for every country it operates in. It has been in the US the longest, so it stands to reason that they will hold more rights for that country than anywhere else.

Netflix dreams of a day when they have the rights to show everything everywhere. But that reality is some way off at the moment.

To find out more about which TV shows and movies are available on different Netflix platforms, take a look at unogs.com.

Why Can’t I Access American Netflix in the Philippines?

Rightsholders insist that Netflix only allow users to watch content in the countries where they hold the rights. This means that Netflix has to stop users from accessing the services of other countries.

They do this using something called geo-blocking. Geo-blocking works by looking at the IP Address of every visitor to their website. An IP Address is like your computer’s home address. It tells Netflix exactly where you are connecting from.

If your IP Address tells Netflix you are in the Philippines, you will be automatically redirected to the Philippines Netflix service. All other Netflix sites, including American Netflix, will be blocked.

It is a technique that works well. But there is one glaring loophole that allows users to get around this block.

How Can I Get Around Netflix Geo-Blocking?

To evade Netflix’s geo-blocking, you will need a Virtual Private Network or VPN. A VPN is a simple online security tool used by most people to stay safe and private when using the internet.

A VPN will redirect all of your internet data down an encrypted tunnel and then through an external server before it heads off to the websites you want to visit. When it passes through this server, the data is tagged with the server’s IP Address rather than your own.

This helps to ensure online privacy. But a side effect is helping users to access geo-blocked sites. VPN’s operate servers all over the world. By connecting to a US-based server, you are tagging your data with an American IP Address.

This means that when you visit the Netflix website, you will be redirected to the US site rather than the Philippines one. Once there, all you have to do is log in and start watching.

Doesn’t Netflix Block VPN Users?

It tries to. Netflix is well aware that VPNs can be used this way and in their efforts to appease the rights owners they rely on, they have made efforts to block VPN users.

But the truth is they have only enjoyed limited success. Blocking VPNs is time and resource-intensive. The only way to do it is to identify and block every IP Address associated with every VPN. There are many millions of these!

There are also ways that VPNs can get around these efforts. Some will regularly change IP Addresses. Others will use different techniques to hide their IP Address so Netflix cannot identify them.

The result is that while some VPNs have given up the fight, many more are still able to unblock American Netflix in the Philippines with ease.

What Is the Best VPN to Watch American Netflix in the Philippines?

The question is, which VPNs are best for unblocking American Netflix in the Philippines? It just so happens that our editor currently resides in the Philippines. He has been using his time well to personally test every VPN to see which is best at unblocking American Netflix.

His research has shown a clear winner. Our recommendation for the best VPN to watch American Netflix in the Philippines is TorGuard VPN.

There are several important reasons why TorGuard VPN is our top pick:

• Fast Connection Speeds: Streaming Netflix shows and movies can be very data-intensive so you need fast internet to avoid connectivity issues. TorGuard is one of the fastest VPNs around and our editor had no connection problems in any of his tests.
• US Servers: Unblocking American Netflix requires VPN servers in the USA, and TorGuard offers more than most. There are hundreds of US-based servers available meaning you have plenty to choose from.
• Unblocks US Netflix: TorGuard is still able to unblock American Netflix in the Philippines and anywhere else in the world too. The bulk of servers will work just fine. If you do encounter one that doesn’t work, just try again and you will soon be enjoying your favorite shows or movies.
• Strong Encryption and Privacy Protection: Netflix doesn’t like VPN users unblocking their service, so it is important to keep your connection private and secure when doing so. TorGuard is ideal for this. It offers 256-bit AES encryption as standard and a terrific no user logs guarantee. Netflix has almost no chance of figuring out you are using a VPN with TorGuard.
• Cost-Effective: TorGuard is not the cheapest VPN around, but it is the best, and for the standard of service they offer, they still represent excellent value for money. TorGuard users benefit from fast connections, multiple servers, and a VPN always able to unblock Netflix. With great privacy and security too, it is the perfect all-round package for Netflix fans.

Conclusion

The Philippines Netflix service is a pale imitation of its American equivalent, which is why so many Filipino and ex-pat users in the country want to unblock US Netflix instead.

With a VPN, you can. TorGuard is the best one for the job. In this article, we have explained why and told you everything you need to know to get things up and running. Give TorGuard a try today and let us know how it works for you.