Both ExpressVPN and IPVanish have an app you can download onto your Fire TV Stick. We used ExpressVPN as an example in the following steps.
Install a VPN on Your Router
To protect all your home devices in one go, you can also install your VPN on your router. However, to do this you need to change the firmware on your router, this is called flashing. Not all routers are suitable for flashing so make sure you have the right router. Moreover, this flashing can damage your router if it isn’t done right, so be sure to check out our guide on installing a VPN on your router, before you start. In this guide we explain what type of router and VPN you should have if you want to make it work. You can also read what steps you need to take to safely flash your router. An important advantage of installing your VPN on your router is that all your devices that are connected to the network are protected by the VPN. You will not have to install the VPN software on all your individual devices.
Install a VPN on a Virtual Router
If you cannot or do not want to change the firmware on your router, you can also make your PC or Mac into a virtual router. You can install the VPN on your PC or Mac and connect the Fire TV Stick to the virtual router. Installing a VPN on your PC or Mac is very easy because providers create great installation wizards to help you with that. The Wi-Fi hotspot you create on the protected device will now protect all devices that connect to that hotspot, including your Fire TV Stick.
The final method you can use to protect your Fire TV Stick with a VPN, is by installing android APK. APK (Android Package) is a type of file that splits up an app into different little packages. You can compare it to zip-files. If an app isn’t in the Play Store you can use this type of file to install an app on your Android device. There are two ways of doing this: either through a direct download or through a download on a second Android device. Both methods start out with the same steps but after that the process is quite different. For this reason we discuss them separately below. After that you can also read how you can open and update these files on you Fire TV Stick. For this method you need to have another Android devices, this can be a phone, laptop, or tablet, that doesn’t matter.
Opening a VPN App that Was Installed with APK
The installed APK app will not immediately appear in the standard app menu. To open the app and use the VPN service you need to follow these steps:
Updating a APK App on My Fire TV Stick
When you have manually installed an app on your Fire TV Stick it will not update automatically. In theory you do not need to update an app as long as it works and the connection is stable and safe. However, it is good to update for safety once in a while. You will have to do so manually, in the follow way:
Final Thoughts
