If you want quality British TV, then Channel 5 is your go-to destination. The company is home to some of the best shows like Celebrity Big Brother, House, and Bloom. And for those who prefer to watch their favorite shows online, the channel’s on-demand video service My5 is available for free. But unfortunately, the streaming service is only available for viewers in the UK.
How to Unblock My5 Outside the UK
However, you can still stream My5 from abroad. In this article, we’ll show how a VPN or Smart DNS can bypass restrictions and unblock the channel no matter where you are.
Can I Watch My5 if I’m Outside the UK?
Due to copyright reasons, My5 is only available for viewers who reside in the United Kingdom. If you try to access it from outside those borders, a location error message will appear on your screen saying that you must be located in the British Isles to view any content.
The channel, and any other web host for that matter, can locate you through your IP address. When it sees that you are outside its coverage zone, it’s ‘access denied’ for you.
Therefore, you need something to make it appear as if you were inside Her Majesty’s territories, something like a VPN or Smart DNS proxy.
How to Unblock My5 with VPN
The best way to unblock My5 is via VPN, also known as virtual private network. This tool can spoof your geographic position by hiding your IP address. It uses software to reroute your internet connection to a foreign network of your choice. Then, it replaces your IP address with another from the area that you selected. This will trick My5 to think that you’re in the UK, forcing it to unblock its material.
So basically, all you have to do is:
- Subscribe to a reputable VPN provider like ExpressVPN.
- Download and install the app on your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device. You can also install VPNs on routers, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
- Sign in and connect to a server from the UK.
- Go to WhatIsMyIP.network to see if your IP address has changed.
- Watch My5 and all of your favorite UK channels from anywhere in the world.
Best VPNs to Stream Channel 5’s Streaming Service
In truth, there’s a host of VPN services you could choose from. The market has significantly grown over the past years due to the rising risks of cyber threats. But perhaps the most accomplished provider in the industry is ExpressVPN.
First of all, it has over 1,000 servers in 160 different locations, including 94 nations. This means you can connect to a server from the UK and watch your favorite programs on My5 or any other British channel.
Second, the company offers one of the fastest speed rates in the business, despite using a strong encryption protocol. This is perfect for streaming series and movies in full HD as you won’t experience any buffering issues.
Third, ExpressVPN provides outstanding security and privacy features for its users. It uses a military-grade AES 256-bit encryption that guarantees complete privacy from government surveillance or ISPs, as well as protection from hackers. Moreover, you can benefit from additional specs like split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.
Furthermore, the company does not keep any traffic or search history data. It says on its website that: “We never keep traffic logs, and we also don’t keep any logs that might enable someone to match an IP and timestamp back to a user. We work entirely on the basis of shared IPs, meaning that a single IP does not track back to an individual user.”
And if you add full torrenting allowance, Netflix compatibility, and 30-day refund policy, it will be difficult to consider another brand.
But in case you’re not that impressed with ExpressVPN, or you would like to check out other options, we prepared a list of alternatives.
- 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Apps For All Your Devices
- 24/7 Live Support
Stream My5 with Smart DNS
Another method to unblock My5 from outside the UK is through a Smart DNS proxy. This tool only redirects the URLs that expose your location, without changing your IP address. This could be beneficial as you’ll still have access to local websites, but it also means that anyone can see your online identity.
Furthermore, Smart DNS proxies can’t unblock any channel. Therefore, you have to make sure that the streaming service is included in their list of supported channels.
Also, they don’t have dedicated apps you can download, so you probably have a little bit of configuration to do. It shouldn’t be very difficult because you’ll have setup guides and manuals on the proxy’s website. But still, it’s not as convenient as a VPN.
Moreover, Smart DNS proxies don’t encrypt your traffic, which means that they won’t affect your internet speed. But unfortunately, they won’t offer any security features. Moreover, they don’t work if your ISP uses transparent proxies or applies DNS hijacking.
Now, if you still feel like using them over a VPN, simply follow the below steps and you’re all set:
- Sign up to a Smart DNS service like Unlocator.
- Make sure the service supports Channel 5 or My5.
- Set up Smart DNS on the device you want to use.
- You could also install them on routers, gaming consoles, or Smart TVs.
- Unblock My5 from anywhere in the world.
Popular Shows to Watch on My5
My5 has some of the best British and international programs. If you’re looking for something good to watch on the channel, here are a few suggestions:
- Bloom
- Jack Taylor
- Klondike
- Empire
- Clink
- House
- CSI
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Celebrity Big Brother
- Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away
- The Bachelor
- American Idol
- Home and Away
- Neighbours
- Cricket
- Fight Night Live
- UFC
My5 Supported Devices
You can stream My5 on any of the following devices:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
- Windows
- PC
- Mac
- Roku
- PS3
- PS4
- Xbox
- Samsung Smart TV
- Sony Smart TV
How to Stream My5 from Abroad with VPN or Smart DNS
How to Stream Channel 5’s My5 Abroad – Final Thoughts
My5 clearly has an exciting lineup of local and international movies, series, reality TV, and documentaries. Also, it is home to some of the biggest sports in the world. So it’s easy to see why UK expats are so desperate to get their hands on the streaming service. Therefore, if you’re a fan of the channel and you live outside the UK, you need to get a VPN or Smart DNS proxy to unblock it.
