PIA not working with YouTube TV? Try this

If you’ve had little to no success using Private Internet Access (PIA) to stream YouTube TV from abroad, we understand your frustration. The harsh reality is that most VPNs may not work reliably with this streaming service.

When attempting to access the platform from outside the US using PIA, it’s not uncommon to run into Youtube TV’s “VPN/proxy detected” error. This lets you know YouTube TV has detected that you’re using PIA and blocked it.

If you’re using PIA and YouTube TV has blocked your access, this is far from a dead end. Read on to learn how you can fix this problem, along with several handy facts regarding YouTube TV and VPN access.

Does PIA work with YouTube TV?

PIA is not the best VPN for bypassing region locked content, and it won’t always work seamlessly with YouTube TV. As noted on its website, PIA primarily focuses on promoting online security and protecting user privacy.

Furthermore, this is a relatively small VPN provider compared to other top tier providers like NordVPN and Surfshark. As such, PIA may not be in a position to dedicate sufficient resources to bypassing geo restrictions and letting you access content that’s not licensed abroad.

What to do when PIA can’t access YouTube TV

Most users have reported Youtube TV’s “VPN/proxy detected” error with other VPNs as well, not just PIA. There are a couple of quick fixes to this that you could also apply if you encounter problems with other streaming services. Try this:

1. Check your IP address: Your IP address might fail to change when you initially connect to a PIA server. This allows YouTube TV to easily detect your IP address and deny you access. Therefore, we recommend checking whether your IP address has changed before taking further steps.
2. Connect to a different US based server: Being unable to access YouTube TV may be attributed to the particular server you’re using rather than the VPN as a whole. There’s a good chance the server you’re using is experiencing downtime or YouTube TV has blacklisted its IP address. Try connecting to different servers in the US to see if it fixes the problem.
3. Check for VPN updates: VPNs usually release regular updates to patch bugs, enhance their ability to bypass licensing restrictions, and beef up their overall performance. Check if you’re running the latest version of the PIA app or browser extension to ensure it’s not impacting your access to YouTube TV.
4. Clear your browser cache and cookies: Whenever you’re using a streaming platform like YouTube TV, your browser or the YouTube app stores cookie data and a cached page version to allow faster loading next time. You can clear your cache and cookies to get rid of the logs of your blocked visits to YouTube TV.
5. Tweak your firewall and antivirus settings: Antivirus software and firewall settings have this habit of preventing access to YouTube TV if you’re on a VPN. Be sure to allow an internet connection with your VPN.
6. Disable location services: YouTube can check your virtual IP address against your real GPS location, and it will block your connection if there’s a mismatch. To prevent this, disable your location services and clear your browser history. Try establishing the connection again to see if you can now stream seamlessly.
7. Opt for an alternative VPN service: There’s a broad range of great alternatives if you can’t access YouTube TV with PIA. NordVPN, Surfshark and IPVanish are our top picks and work exceptionally well with this streaming service.

Alternative YouTube TV VPNs

Being one of the world’s largest providers of streaming services, YouTube has the resources and expertise it takes to block most VPN access. As a result, smaller VPN providers often struggle with this platform.

But despite the difficulty, a few reputable VPN services work exceptionally well with YouTube TV. Based on over 5000 VPN tests, we’ve highlighted the best VPNs for YouTube TV below:

1. NordVPN: This is our best pick for YouTube TV. NordVPN boasts lightning fast servers, exceptional streaming capacity, remarkably strong security features, a strict no-logs policy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: A fast and secure provider with no connection or bandwidth limits. Works great with YouTube and similar services, even in countries like China.
3. IPVanish: Has reliably fast servers for streaming media and allows any number of simultaneous connections on one account.
4. ExpressVPN: Has a large network of fast servers capable of HD speeds. Offers intuitive apps for all platforms.
5. CyberGhost: A great choice for VPN newbies, with easy to install apps that are also straightforward to operate. Plenty of servers in the US and 89 other countries. Offers a competitive 45-day money-back guarantee.
6. PrivateVPN: Offers superb speeds for streaming and downloading content. Works to securely access most streaming services including YouTube TV, with over 200 servers in 60+ countries.
7. Atlas VPN: Speedy, secure, and can protect every device you own. Ideal for streaming and downloading content from YouTube TV.

How to stream YouTube TV with a VPN

Using a VPN with YouTube TV is simple if you follow the correct steps. Anyone can securely access the platform’s content from anywhere in the world, provided they have a valid US IP address. And that’s where a reliable VPN comes in.

Follow these simple steps to watch YouTube TV with your preferred VPN:

1. Start by signing up for a reliable VPN like the ones we’ve highlighted. Our top recommendation is NordVPN.
2. Next, install the VPN software on your computer, smartphone, or compatible router. Top tier VPN providers have apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, so be sure to download the right version.
3. Log in to the VPN app and connect to any of its servers in the US.
4. Create a YouTube TV account if you don’t have one already. Please note that this step requires a payment method linked to a US address.
5. Try loading video on YouTube TV to test if the VPN has granted you secure access with a US IP address. If your video doesn’t load within a short time, refresh the page or try clearing your app or browser’s cache and cookies.

If you want to watch a live show, we strongly advise you to perform these steps before the show airs. This will buy you enough time to contact your VPN provider’s customer support in case you’re stuck at any point.

Youtube TV “VPN/proxy detected” error

If you get the error message “VPN/proxy detected,” it means YouTube TV knows you’re using a VPN and has blocked it. Luckily, the VPNs highlighted above are incredibly reliable and will let you access YouTube TV securely from abroad.

That said, you may have to deal with temporary glitches once in a while. Your VPN of choice may stop working with YouTube TV for any of these reasons:

• YouTube TV has blacklisted the server you’re using
• Your device’s real location and IP address don’t match
• You’re on a virtual server whose location YouTube TV can see
• YouTube TV has stored a tracking cookie on your device telling its servers you’re not in the US.

It is with these risks in mind that we’ve highlighted our tried and tested workarounds. And while all VPNs are vulnerable to blocks, we highly recommend NordVPN as it has proven to be the most reliable at bypassing VPN restrictions from several local streaming services. Plus, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee just in case you’re unhappy with the service.

Frequently Asked Questions