Last Updated on September 18, 2024
Want a BBC iPlayer Proxy that works from outside the UK ?
A BBC iPlayer proxy allows you to watch the shows and movies on your computer from anywhere in the world. This is done by connecting through an intermediate server that makes it look like your in the UK before connecting you to the BBC.
Why Can’t I Watch Streaming Sites like the BBC iPlayer ?
For many years now, there’s been a worrying trend developing in the online world. What was once all free and open is now hidden behind paywalls or being blocked and censored. Sometimes it’s whole governments but more often it’s down to commercial companies. Take for example the BBC iPlayer app, their wonderful application is hugely popular but if you step outside the United Kingdom then you’ll be instantly blocked. It doesn’t matter if you’ve a large standing order paying for your TV license, if you’re not in Britain you can’t watch BBC programmes online.
There was some hope, that the European Union would solve this problem as they were trying to implement a ‘single digital market” which would make it illegal to block access like this. Yet with the onset of Brexit, it’s unlikely anything will be done about this now. There’s also the new subscription channel called Britbox – https://www.britbox.com/home which is available in the US and Canada, obviously it’s not as good as the full channels it has got lots of decent shows. However of course it does cost money like a VPN, unlike the BBC iPlayer and other UK TV channels which are completely free.
There is a solution though, and in the rest of this article we’ll show you how to access any geo restricted site anywhere in the world including BBC iPlayer using something called a VPN. It doesn’t matter where you are, or where you connect from this VPN will allow you access sites like iPlayer using any internet connection..
Geo Blocks are Becoming More Common
The businesses involved have decided they prefer a sort of restrictive model when accessing their content – that also makes them lots of cash. So now people get filtered based on their location – for example forget watching BBC iPlayer in the US or Japan for free, it’s not going to happen (well not without some sneakiness of course). Yep and the lovable BBC have decided against the public spirited World Service model of sending out their content for free, instead they restrict it just to people in their home country.
This is especially annoying for the people like me who already pay the license fee but can’t watch the BBC when they’re out of the country. But don’t worry here’s a way which will allow you to access anything you like including the BBC iPlayer, Hulu irrespective of your location. It doesn’t matter where you’re based, you can choose. The solution works in most scenarios so for an example – here’s how to use a proxy to access the BBC iPlayer from anywhere.
BBC iPlayer Proxy Workaround
Using the iPlayer outside the UK , if you try and watch something you’ll be greeted with the following message.
Ha Ha No BBC iPlayer for You
It looks like some technical wizardry of the highest order, but fortunately for us it’s not. When we connect to iPlayer, the site records your IP address and looks up which country it’s registered in before iPlayer will start playing otherwise you get the above platitude. Now for these illustrations I’m going to use my subscription to Identity Cloaker, you used to be able to use free proxies but they no longer work unfortunately. You need a decent paid service in 2023 to watch UK TV overseas unfortunately.
There are a couple of free UK proxy devices but they finance themselves by inserting adware on your computer and some even share your out your internet connection, stay clear !! In the good old days you could also use things like foxy proxy and the extremely dodgy Hola too. Hola is a ‘respectable’ free proxy service which you can use to watch BBC iPlayer albeit slowly. Unfortunately the reason it’s free is that the company shares your account with it’s premium customers! The service is funded by renting the bandwidth of their users to paying customers, allowing complete strangers to use your IP. It’s a huge risk to take for a fake UP IP address to watch TV.
Choose a UK Proxy for IPlayer
Demonstrating How a BBC Proxy Actually Works
I just open Identity Cloaker (or your chosen VPN apps) and scroll down to select one of the UK proxies and that’s it. From this point even though I’m connecting through the Wifi at an overpriced Spanish hotel in Barcelona – it doesn’t matter. The BBC will think I’m in Britain as it looks at the IP address of the proxy server and not mine. So using a BBC proxy works incredibly well, here’s what I see now. The connection between the server is actually more accurately described as a VPN because all the traffic is encrypted.
Latest Dr Who from BBC iPlayer
Here’s a video of the process using a VPN with iPlayer …that I hope explains how these apps work.
Instead of the warning, when you watch the BBC iPlayer through a UK proxy everything will work perfectly. You will get get the play button and can watch whatever you want. You’ll also be able to access the live TV streams when connected too and all the other UK TV channels like ITV Hub, Channel 4 etc. In fact the IP check is at start of the show so if I need to I can just disconnect from the proxy using the Identity Cloaker software and stream it directly through my Spanish connection.
So is this enough to cheer me up after just having my wallet stolen in a Barcelona bar?
Well probably not but being a fanatical Dr Who fan it might just save me from an evening spent drowning my sorrows drinking overpriced San Miguel from the minibar !
Not Just for Unblocking Streaming Sites Online
However on a serious point if you do travel a lot whether for leisure or work then it’s definitely worth investing in a VPN/Proxy service. Not only does it allow you to check things like web mail or banking sites safely on dodgy free wireless connections in bars, cafes, hotels etc. It also allows you access to all of those TV and media sites you miss back home – for me it’s the BBC and other UK TV sites but they work with most major sites all over the world. My work colleague uses her VPN (Virtual Private Network) to watch NBC, Hulu and ABC in the United States while working in Europe.
(Note to all visiting Barcelona – if some nice couple seem overly concerned about marks you have on the back of your jacket and offer to help you. Then make sure you run away/call police – you are having your wallet stolen – yes I did fall for it!)
Finding a BBC iPlayer VPN for Free – Alas No Longer
Just for the record – you can unfortunately no longer use the free proxy services for the BBC or websites for streaming content from iPlayer. Yes the internet is full of free stuff and you can often find a network which you can technically use for nothing to bypass the restrictions. However there are two main issues with using those free proxy servers –
- Not safe – lots of them are set up to steal your data, passwords and user accounts. Either directly by analyzing the traffic you route through it directly or by injecting malware onto your computer. Don’t use them, it’s really not worth the risk !
- They don’t work anymore – for example the BBC have blocked them all and many of the commercial VPN services too.
In fact lots of commercial VPNs, proxy servers and Smart DNS programs have been blocked by the BBC for quite a while now. It’s why it’s important to test them in short trials before subscribing. Any of the companies who openly advertise the BBC on their website will often find themselves targeted by the BBC legal and technical teams – it’s best to be low key which is why the best services don’t mention the iPlayer specifically.
Not safe – lots of them are set up to steal your data, passwords and user accounts. Either directly by analyzing the traffic you route through it directly or by injecting malware onto your computer. Don’t use them, it’s really not worth the risk !
They don’t work anymore – for example the BBC have blocked them all and many of the commercial VPN services too.
Here’s the link for Identity Cloaker –
Remember in 2024– Many BBC iPlayer Proxy Server Services No Longer Work
On the Identity Cloaker website notice there’s absolutely no mention of TV or being able to watch BBC iPlayer anywhere on their site. This is crucial, it’s one of the reasons why it’s worked perfectly for twelve years with iPlayer now when many others are routinely blocked and blacklisted. Remember the crucial factor of how well these programs work are the proxies themselves, fast, powerful and secure servers which are not overloaded are the ideal for accessing any streaming service.
Has BBC Blocked VPN?
For many years, the Chinese Government have thrown a huge number of resources to try and detect and block VPN services. Yet still today in 2024, there are millions who still use them every day to access Government restricted resources and to keep their data private. There’s no guaranteed method of detecting a VPN connection although the Chinese can spot many of them. The BBC does not quite have the same resources so is not able to get even close.
What it is able to do is to estimate the likelihood of a proxy/VPN connection which is actually much easier to do. All you need to do is analyse how many concurrent connections are on specific IP addresses – if the number is too high then it’s highly likely that it is a VPN or proxy server.
The other important reason why this program works so well, is that it’s got far less users on each server. This ensures that although it costs a little more – the service never has too many streaming from the BBC iPlayer site. This is the easiest way for the BBC to detect VPN/proxy access, when thousands of users connect from the exact same IP address.
Most Reliable BBC Unblocker for PC/Laptops
I can recommend the 10 day trial if you’re just away on a trip or holiday, or just to see if it works. There are loads of other services who offer something similar though and even other solutions like Smart DNS. However this is simply the one I found to be fastest and best value. I’ve been using it for over 12 years now in all sorts of countries as a BBC proxy without a problem and it also works for ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky GO.
If you want to watch using an iPad, Smartphone or tablet using a proxy server you can also use Identity Cloaker too for UK TV access. You just have to set up the VPN connection manually for BBC iPlayer. It’s very simple and you can use it on pretty much any other device. Here’s an example of watching BBC iPlayer via a proxy on an iPad or Android device too in this post about watching BBC Iplayer on the Ipad Abroad.
Can I Get a Free BBC Proxy Server for iPlayer?
Unfortunately none of the free UK proxies work with the BBC iPlayer anymore. In fact, the vast majority won’t work with any of the major UK TV stations. The reason is that their IP addresses are either blacklisted or blocked very quickly. The only reliable free UK proxy is to use the free trial of this product – Smart DNS Proxy it will work perfectly for BBC iPlayer for 14 days after which you’ll have to subscribe (but it’s definitely worth it).
Which are the Best BBC iPlayer Proxies?
The most important criteria is obviously that they work! It’s becoming more and more difficult to find a VPN service that is not blocked but there’s still a few around. The main issue is that it’s difficult to run a generic VPN/proxy service which caters for large numbers of people and still allow access to these large media sites like the BBC. The safest way to ensure access is to limit the number of people using each server but this causes the costs to rise significantly. Smart DNS servers keep costs down because they don’t have the same bandwidth charges so will probably become more popular but don’t work well with mobile devices.
So is a BBC iPLayer proxy pretty much the same as a BBC VPN? This I understand the process but just checking. Thanks
Absolutely, both can change/hide your IP address. So you’ll find BBC iPlayer blocked if you connect to the site from outside the UK. If you connect to a proxy or VPN which is based in the UK then you’ll appear to be in the UK too! It used to be that simple and that any proxy/vpn would work but now many are blocked so it’s a little bit trickier.
HI do you know if I can get a bbc iplayer proxy free of charge. Don’t have much spare cash at the moment and miss British TV and Match of the Day!
Hi, Can I ask a quick question – I’m in the US and wondered if buying a Britbox subscription would be better? Which has the most shows ?
Great question !! Yes Britbox is now available in the US (and Canada so far). IS it better than the standard BBC iPlayer, well no not really although it does look pretty good.
Of course it is entirely legitimate rather than using a proxy to access BBC iPlayer. The costs are fairly similar, and you arguably do get a load of great content from both the BBC and ITV online channels. You are subject to what’s selected though and you don’t get access to all the live TV where you can watch everything. The VPN can also get you access to loads of other UK channels – Channel 4 and Channel 5, Sky etc plus TV in other countries too. It’s a matter of preference I guess, if you want to play it entirely by the book then probably Britbox. However it’s only got a small percentage of what’s available on the proper sites.
Hope that helps.
Does this still work ok. Wanted to watch the Bodyguard as everyone was raving about it. Would this BBC proxy thing let me watch it?
Yes it will, although I wasn’t as impressed with the Bodyguard as many – was ok though. It’s on the BBC iPlayer ’till March 2019. So you’ll be fine to watch it on BBC iPLayer or download it to watch offline until that date. Just make sure you select a UK proxy for the BBC.
Does this affect your other browsing when connected?
Yes unless you specify otherwise. For example if you connect to a UK server then you’ll have a British IP address for everything. Which means that you can watch the BBC, ITV etc but you’ll also get UK Google results too. It also means that you can actually get blocked from sites in the country you’re actually in. So you should turn off the VPN when you’re not using it or if you want the security aspect to encrypt your connection – choose a server in the country you’re in if possible. I.E pick a French server if you’re in France – which will not affect your speed or which sites you can access but will encrypt your connection.
So if I understand this right I can switch countries depending on what I want to see? I’m from the US but live in France so I want to watch mainly US stations (especially my AMC account) but also the BBC. So I just choose a US or UK proxy depending on what I want to watch????? Sorry if this is a stupid question, just wanted to make sure.
Yes that’s right, choose a US server for any US based channel and a UK one for the BBC. Just disconnect and you’ll go back to the French based address. It’s very simple to use, just click on the flag you need.
Does the encryption slow down the streaming a lot?
Actually it doesn’t usually, in fact because the proxy uses a compression algorithm sometimes using encryption is faster. In reality there is very little difference in speed between clear text and encrypted, but you can turn it off completely if you like.
It’s best to try to see which gives you the best speeds, always use encryption when browsing secure sites like banking, webmail and similar.
I’ve heard that the BBC are blocking all these VPNs now and they don’t work anymore. Is this true – does this one work ok?
It is true the BBC have become much more aggressive in blocking these services and many don’t work. Identity Cloaker is fine though, they had a couple of IP addresses blocked but they seem to have been replaced. I use it pretty much every day. The key is to remain low key, the worse thing that these VPN firms can do is to openly advertise that they can be used to bypass region blocks. The ones that do get closed down.
Will this work ok to watch the Olympics coverage on the BBC ok? I can watch it on local TV but the coverage is pretty hopeless.
Hi Olivia, sorry for late reply – I missed your question. Yes it works perfectly – install the software on your computer/PC/laptop to watch it there. Look inside the members area for details on how to use it on a phone/tablet or just drop them an email, they’re nice guys they will help you. The BBC coverage is on live through the website plus recorded highlights plus lots on the iPlayer if you missed anything usually up for about 30 days. Just connect to a UK server before you try and access.
I’m in Germany, could I use this to watch the BBC and US Netflix too ?
Sure, Identity Cloaker has just had an upgrade and is now one of the only VPN programs which still works with US Netflix. You can use any of the servers with the subscription – just pick a US one for Netflix and a UK one for the BBC.
I heard that the BBC were clamping down on this and were blocking VPNs and stuff. Does this work anymore?
The BBC have indeed become a little more aggressive in blocking these methods. Basic proxies no longer work at all, you have to use an advanced SSH/VPN client like Identity Cloaker. They were blocking some of the IP addresses of the VPN clients but only one (out of 70 odd) of Identity Cloaker’s were blocked a couple of months ago – the rest are fine. Don’t know if they’ll restart this purge but the BBC don’t normally just block a few and forget about it !
There were would have been big changes if we’d stayed in the EU as they were going to enforce the right of the license fee holders to access the BBC from anywhere in Europe but I guess that won’t happen now.
Thanks for this. You mentioned that I can also set this up on my tablet too – does that need a separate account?
Hi Frank, No just one account, you just use it in slightly different ways. Use the software on a laptop or PC then set up the VPNs manually (as per link) on any other device. It’s quite straight forward setting up a VPN for the BBC and you only have to do it once.
i heard that the BBC and other services will be blocking VPNs – is this true and will this still work ???
Hi, It is true that BBC have become a bit more aggressive in blocking VPNs and proxies this year. However the reality is that there is currently only one practical way to identify/block VPNs and that’s by individually blocking each IP address. This is very time consuming and subject to errors in detecting the active VPNs, some of the biggest services do get blocked however they usually can switch their services to different IP addresses in a matter of hours.
Identity Cloaker is deliberately low key and is a security service so rarely gets spotted – I’ve used it for 8 years without issue. Apparently they had one IP address blocked (out of several hundreds) a few weeks ago but it was simply swapped out.
I would like to use this proxy to watch live TV as opposed to BBC iPlayer would it work?
Yes, if you connect to a UK server before visiting the BBC web site you’ll get the UK version of the web site. This has the links to watching live TV on all the BBC shows as opposed to the international version which just has adverts. Works for all the other UK stations too.
My internet connection is pretty slow (<4mb), will using this BBC iplayer proxy slow it down at all? It's just about ok for streaming video but if it went any slower would be quite difficult to watch.
Hi,
I would be very surprised if it slowed down your connection, in fact because of the way Identity Cloaker uses compression – it might actually speed it up a bit. My connection is around 40mbs (sorry) and it doesn’t impact that at all. However it’s best to check first – try the trial first to see how it works for you. Remember if you’re using the proxy for the BBC then you can actually disconnect with Identity Cloaker after the programme has started (it only checks at the beginning of the stream).
There’s loads of these VPN services about now, why do you use this one? Are the others any good?
Josh, they are few others that are fine but most of them are overloaded and fall over all the time. I use Identity Cloaker primarily for two reasons – it’s very fast, you can also tweak the speed within the settings if you like and it has lots of different countries included. There are some cheaper ones but they are always very slow and infuriating to use, I’ve tried hundreds over the years. I’m also a bit paranoid so I need a really secure service for travelling – Identity Cloaker is primarily a security service.
Ok so I an use this to watch the BBC iPLayer on my laptop, does it work with all the other UK channels – ITV, Channel 4, Sky etc?
Thx
P
Yes it works with all UK channels if you select a UK proxy. You’ll obviously need a subscription for Sky Go though.
Will using one of the US servers allow me to get access to US Netflix ?
Yes, as long as you have a Netflix subscription. Just connect to a country before you access Netflix and you’ll get that version. The US one is probably best, but there’s some good stuff on the UK, Canadian and Australian Netflix versions too.
This works great for me, I’ve been catching up with all my UK TV – it’s great being able to watch the BBC News 🙂 I’ve been using it a lot, is there some sort of bandwidth cap, I’m just on the trial at the moment.
Glad it’s working well for you Steve. No there’s no official cap or limit, think they mention something about ‘reasonable use’ on the site somewhere. I’ve never been capped though over the years I’ve used it and sometimes have my whole family using it to proxy BBC on different devices as we don’t seem to be able to watch in the same room for some reason !!!
So will this work with something like Now TV? I live in Greece now and would like to watch it on my laptop.
Yep it does, you’ll need a subscription of course and make sure you select one of the UK Servers.
In fact you can also use it with your Now box if you have one, you just need to enable the VPN on your router demo on the video here – http://www.theninjaproxy.org/security/the-best-uk-vpn/
Is there any way to get this working on other devices? Like for example on tablets and smart phones, I presume the software won’t work on them?
Yep it works on most other devices, but you have to connect manually to the servers. If you want to use it on tablets and smart phones – the video in this post should help http://www.theninjaproxy.org/ninja/how-to-watch-bbc-iplayer-on-your-ipad-from-outside-the-uk/. You do the same thing on Android phones and devices just set up a VPN to any country you need and just enable it when required.
Can I ask to what extent this is going to slow my connection down? I just want to access BBC iPlayer not interested in anything else tbh.
thx
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
It’s highly unlikely it will slow your connection down to any extent, there are lots of super fast servers located in various locations in the UK (for accessing BBC). You may have to try a couple to pick the fastest server relative to your position. In fact with the compression algorithm used in the latest version, it may actually speed your connection up slightly.
But remember when watching iPlayer using Identity Cloaker you can actually disconnect it after it starts streaming. This will allow you to stream directly to your computer, you would need to reconnect if you switched to a different programme though (the web site checks at the beginning.)
Hi,
I’m going to work abroad for a few weeks and was going to get Identity Cloaker so I could watch BBC iplayer and ITV player. Does it matter where I buy it from? I mean should I wait and buy it when I’m away or doesn’t it matter.
sorry if stupid question, just a bit confused.
thanks, John
Hi John,
It doesn’t really matter, although it makes sense to wait until you need it.
If you want to try it out in UK before you go, just select something that would normally be blocked in the UK – like Hulu.com, then select a US server to connect through. Or try a Canadian, Australian or US channel – it works the same for all just pick the country you need.
The software and the servers are exactly the same whatever country you are in when you buy it.
Hope that helps
Sandra,
It is rather sneaky but until companies change their business model it’s something I am going to use. The security side is important, especially for travellers checking their emails, bank accounts etc from unsecured internet connections across the world.
Thanks for the comment 🙂 makes me glad I’m not talking to myself all the time !
the ninja
This is a rather sneaky way to get around something isn’t it, I have never heard of Identity cloaker but now that I have I am sure it will come in very handy, there are times I don’t want people I am messaging to know where I am either and this will also prevent that won’t it? From now on I would bet you put your wallet in your front pocket when traveling.
I was thinking about getting an Ipad and now that I have read this and know that I will still be able to watch the things I want to watch it is just about a done deal for me. Thank you for posting this I am scouring the internet all the time for new advice and tips like this maybe reviews etc. thank you for doing your part and posting this.
This was very interesting and I am looking forward to doing some more research on this. The videos that you included in your post were put together very well and they were informative as well. Thank you for putting all of this together because I don’t think that there is another informative site out there that explains it better.
Hi Henry,
Yes it works with all the UK TV channels including SKY Player if you have a subscription.
The only British one it wouldn’t work with is tvcatchup.com although
I haven’t tried it for a while.
Hope that helps !
Can I ask will this work with the ITV and Channel 4 sites as well?
Thanks
HH