Keep getting an error message that says the content you want to watch on Netflix isn’t available in your country on your Android device?
That happens more often than you might think. Netflix actually has an entire FAQ section dedicated to this problem.
If you need help fixing this issue, we’ll be glad to help. Here’s what you can do to bypass this error:
Sign Out & Back In
Apparently, the Netflix app on your Android device might be acting up a bit. Signing out of your account and back in should be enough to solve this problem most of the time.
Here’s how to do that:
- Tap Menu while in the Netflix app (upper left corner). Alternatively, tap the More button (lower right corner).
- Scroll down and hit Sign Out.
- Confirm that you’re signing out.
- Wait a few seconds.
- Start the app, and sign back in.
Test a Different Connection
Your home network might be causing this issue too. The only way to test that is to use the Netflix app on your device on a different network. The quickest solution is to use mobile data instead of your home’s WiFi network. If that’s not an option, try a neighbor, friend, or coffee shop’s WiFi.
If Netflix works well on a different connection, then the problem is with your home network. The person who set it up for you might have made a mistake that triggers Netflix to deliver that error message. You should get in touch with them and have them fix the issue. Alternatively, see if your ISP can send over a technician to see what’s wrong.
Contact Netflix’s Support
If signing out and back in or using a different network didn’t help, the issue might be with Netflix. Contact their support team to see if they know what’s going on. Who knows, maybe they can pinpoint exactly what’s causing this issue for you.
You can call them (it’s free if you do it in the Android app) or talk with someone over live chat.
Using a VPN? Things Get a Bit Tricky
When you usually use Netflix with a VPN and the site detects the VPN’s IP, you’ll get the proxy error message.
But apparently, you can also get the “This title is not available in your current region. Please select a different title.” error on Android if you use a VPN. It happens less often, but is still a problem.
So what’s going on?
Well, Netflix basically realized you’re using a VPN with its services. It can’t let you do that because it has to geo-block content to respect the licensing agreements it signed.
The solution, according to Netflix, is to disconnect from the VPN. That makes the error go away, sure, but you won’t be able to unblock the show or movie you wanted to anymore. So it’s not really a good fix.
What should you do then?
Start using a VPN that can evade Netflix’s detection methods. To do that, it has to regularly refresh its servers’ IPs. That way, its IP addresses don’t get completely blacklisted.
However, finding a VPN that does that can be hard. It’s not like VPN providers advertise how often they refresh their IPs on their sites.
Really, your best bet is to use StreamCatcher (https://streamcatcher.proprivacy.com). It’s an online service from ProPrivacy that shows you which countries Netflix titles are available in. Besides that, it also recommends which Netflix VPNs you should use.
The VPNs recommended by StreamCatcher should have no problem working with Netflix. The suggestions are backed by ProPrivacy’s data, and they are one of the biggest VPN review sites on the web. They stress-test VPN services regularly to see which ones can unblock Netflix all the time.
Are There Other Ways to Bypass the Unavailable Title Error While Using a VPN?
You could try using the same tips that work for bypassing the Netflix proxy error. Here’s a quick summary of what you need to try:
- Restart your VPN connection.
- Restart your VPN app.
- Connect to a different server (ideally, a Netflix-optimized one).
- Update the app if you didn’t already.
- Clear your browser’s cookies and cache, and use incognito/private mode.
- Get a dedicated IP address.
But to be honest, the best solution is to just use a VPN that can unblock Netflix 24/7 – like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
How Does Netflix Even Detect VPN IPs?
It’s not really hard for them to do that. If the site detects multiple sign-ins from the same IP address, and also sees that the IP belongs to a data center, it’s pretty obvious the address belongs to a VPN (or proxy).
But we don’t think Netflix bothers with that kind of detection. It’d take too much time and manpower, and dedicating a whole team to monitoring the source of user traffic isn’t a smart investment.
Instead, Netflix likely uses geo-location services (like IP2Location, for instance). Those businesses provide them with databases that contain VPN and proxy IPs. All Netflix has to do is pay for them (obviously) and use automated scripts together with them.
That way, when the site detects that connection is coming from an IP in those databases, it automatically blacklists it and delivers this unavailable title or proxy error message.
Know More about the Unavailable Netflix Title Error?
If you’re an Android user, and know what else causes this error and how you can fix it, please let us know in the comments below. Also, if you know which VPN providers work or don’t work with Netflix, please mention them.
