Philo not working with VPN: How to fix it (2023 guide)

Philo is a popular cable TV alternative that offers over 60 live channels, with the full list including Comedy Central, Discovery and Food Network. However, Philo is region locked, which means you might have trouble accessing it if you’ve roamed outside of the US. A top-tier VPN will save the day, but what if it’s not working? Our guide explains what to do if your VPN isn’t working with Philo.

You don’t have to suffer through error messages every time you want to use Philo abroad. If the VPN you’re using right now isn’t working, there’s a chance that Philo has blacklisted the server you’re trying to use. Essentially, you won’t be able to enjoy the service until you’re back in the US. Keep scrolling as we explain how to solve the problem in a couple of minutes.

In this article:

• Best VPNs to watch Philo
• Why is Philo not working with my VPN?
• How does Philo detect my VPN?
• Free VPNs for Philo
• The best VPNs for Philo
• Watch Philo on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

Best VPNs to watch Philo

Why is Philo not working with my VPN?

If the Philo website discovers that you’re trying to access it from an unsupported country, your connection will be blocked. A trusted VPN will let you bypass that restriction.

So let’s assume that your current VPN isn’t working with Philo at all. Most likely, that’s because it’s not doing a very good job of hiding your actual location. Some or all of the VPN servers you have available to you through your VPN may be blacklisted by the website. If you swap over to a better VPN, you’ll be able to use Philo without being interrupted.

Try these fixes

Delete your browser cookies – First of all, try dealing with your cookies. Cookies that are saved locally on your device will help websites to understand where you’re viewing content from. We suggest you clear your cookies so that Philo will no longer recognise your previous IP address. That means you can try connecting to the website again as a brand new user.

Try connecting to a different VPN server – The VPN server you’re trying to use to watch TV on Philo might be acting slower than usual, or simply not at all. Try and connect to a different server based in the US to see if that solves your problem.

Contact a support team through your VPN – Depending on the VPN you’re using at the moment, you might be able to reach out to the support team directly and ask why Philo isn’t working.

Uninstall and reinstall your VPN software – In some cases, a quick reset of your VPN software can solve connectivity issues and give you access to Philo. Give it a try.

If you’ve worked your way through the potential fixes we’ve listed above and still see the dreaded error message below, we suggest you sign up with a different VPN. We’ve put together a list of great options.

How does Philo detect my VPN?

If your current VPN isn’t hiding your real location, Philo will try and interfere with the server you’re using, which means your VPN is useless. Bad VPN take a long time to replace blacklisted servers, which means you have no way of gaining access to channels playing on the Philo website.

The best VPNs do a top job of replacing blacklisted servers. That means that, even if Philo has disabled a server based somewhere in the US, a replacement will be up sooner rather than later.

Free VPNs for Philo

If you’re trying to save some money, free VPNs can be tempting. But you should avoid them – free VPNs are more likely to sell your data to third parties in order to make a profit. In contrast, the trusted VPNs we’ve listed on this page will keep your valuable data hidden at all times.

The best VPNs for Philo in 2023

ExpressVPN

• 1-month subscription: £11.16 per month
• 6-month subscription: £8.61 per month
• 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.75 per month (49% off)

If the VPN you’re using isn’t working with Philo, switch to ExpressVPN. We’ll happily recommend this beginner-friendly VPN – it’s easy to use, fast and works brilliantly if you’re looking to watch TV on Philo from abroad.

ExpressVPN does a great job of replacing its blacklisted servers. That means that, even if Philo disables incoming connections from ExpressVPN, the VPN will have a replacement server up and running ASAP. To access your account, all you need to do is open up ExpressVPN, connect to a server in America and go from there.

Try ExpressVPN with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)

Ivacy

• 1-month subscription: £8.22 per month
• 1-year subscription: £2.91 per month (65% off)
• 5-year subscription: 80p per month (90% off)

Ivacy is worth a closer look if you want to stream TV on Philo while you’re travelling. This is one of the most popular, affordable VPNs around, thanks in part to its battle against blacklisted servers.

This trusted VPN will hide your real location so you can use all of Philo’s features, even if you’ve roamed outside the US. Use our exclusive link below and you get instant access to over 1,000 VPNs servers across the world. A single membership to Ivacy also means you can protect up to 10 gadgets at a time.

Try Ivacy with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)

For more on Ivacy, you can read our full Ivacy review.

NordVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.99 per month
• 1-year subscription: £4.19 per month (40% off)
• 2-year subscription: £3.49 per month (50% off)

Here’s another VPN for your shortlist if you want to use Philo abroad. NordVPN has servers all over the world and all of them are protected by military-grade encryption. That means they’re extremely secure and you can connect without handing over your valuable personal data to companies that shouldn’t own it.

If you run into some problems while getting to grips with NordVPN and Philo, you can make use of the live chat feature for a helping hand.

Try NordVPN with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)

Atlas VPN

• 1-month subscription: £8.09 per month
• 1-year subscription: £2.42 per month (70% off with code BIGDEAL)
• 2-year subscription + 3 months extra: £1.34 per month (83% off with code BIGDEAL)

Atlas VPN will act as a shield against online nasties while unlocking geo-restricted content for you. It’s a good pick for buyers on a tight budget and comes with a built-in tracker blocker that stops ads, dodgy websites and phishing links in their path. It’s a solid choice if you want to watch Philo anywhere in the world.

Other Atlas VPN features include a shielded connection that leaves ‘no room for unsecured data exchanges’, plus a data breach monitor that tells you if your personal details have been exposed online. This service has a no-logs policy (that means your activities aren’t tracked) and a network kill switch that halts the service if your connection becomes unstable.

Try Atlas VPN today with our exclusive code (30-day money-back guarantee)

PureVPN

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month
• 1-year subscription: $3.24 per month (70% off)
• 2-year subscription + 3 months FREE: $2.08 per month (81% off)

If your current VPN doesn’t work with Philo, treat yourself to a better alternative. PureVPN is a great example, being powerful enough to unlock geo-locked websites so you can enjoy them without a hassle. You’ll be able to log in to your Philo account even if you’re not currently in the US.

Try PureVPN with our unique discount code (31-day money-back guarantee)

Prices listed above correct at time of publication

Watch Philo on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android