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How to Watch Philo From Anywhere in 2021

Eric Raue
Last Updated by Eric Raue on May 01, 2024

I love how Philo provides streaming and live television options in one bundle while being more affordable than cable packages. The problem is, it’s a US-based streaming service, so I can’t access it when I travel to see family in Canada.

Due to my experience in the tech industry, I know a quality VPN will always help me make the most of my account, no matter where I am in the world. However, you can’t count on VPNs to work as well as they claim to. That’s why I tested over 25 providers.

While most of them couldn’t bypass Philo’s VPN filters, I found 3 with fast speeds and thousands of US servers. ExpressVPN is my top pick thanks to its super-fast network that instantly unblocks Philo from anywhere. Since you can try ExpressVPN with Philo risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can test its performance for yourself before you commit to a subscription.

Watch Philo with ExpressVPN today

 Quick Guide: 3 Simple Steps to Watch Philo From Anywhere

  1.  Download a VPN. ExpressVPN has the fastest speeds for watching Philo buffer-free. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
  2.  Connect to a server in the US. All 3 VPNs on my list can automatically find the fastest connection for you, so you’ll only have to select a server in the US.
  3.  Start watching TV on Philo! All you need is an email address and a US-based credit or prepaid US gift card to watch 50+ channels on Philo’s 7-day free trial.

Watch Philo with ExpressVPN

 Why You Need a VPN to Watch Philo

Philo is blocked outside of the US because it is an American internet television company that isn’t licensed to offer its streaming platform in other countries. To find out your location, Philo looks at your IP address — this is a digital identifier that tells websites where you’re connecting from.

By connecting you to a server in a different country, a quality VPN can get you a new IP address from almost anywhere in the world. With your new IP address, you can trick streaming sites (like Philo) into thinking you’re located in a compatible country. In addition to watching Philo, you’ll be able to bypass proxy errors on Netflix US and other popular streaming sites.

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN for watching Philo. Its high-speed network always gave me lag-free TV on Comedy Central and other live channels, no matter which server in the US I connected to.

Watch Philo lag-free with ExpressVPN

 3 Best VPNs to Watch Philo From Anywhere in May 2021

1. ExpressVPN — #1 VPN for Watching Philo With Fast Speeds and Reliable Connections

Key Features:

  • 3000 servers, including hundreds in the US for watching TV lag-free on Philo
  • Ultra fast speeds for watching live channels in HD
  • Speed test tool helps you find the best server to unblock Philo in a few seconds
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

ExpressVPN had faster speeds and more reliable servers than any VPN I tested, making it my top choice for watching live TV on Philo. Its network unblocked Philo easily, and even in HD, my TV shows and movies never got choppy or stopped to buffer. Not once was I interrupted by losing my VPN connection either, so I didn’t have to worry about my streams cutting off in the middle. When I watched a live HD stream of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective live on AMC, it was as if I was watching it on normal TV.

Screenshot of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective streaming on Philo while ExpressVPN is connected to a server in the US
ExpressVPN’s servers in the US easily unblocked Philo and let me watch Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
When I tested ExpressVPN’s speeds, it had some of the fastest servers I’ve seen on a VPN. I tested servers in the US along with a few other countries I use to unblock foreign libraries in other streaming sites, like Netflix. My speeds using ExpressVPN were always around 90-100Mbps, which is fast enough to stream in 4K with no problems.
Screenshots of ExpressVPN's speed test results when connected to different servers globally
I could reliably stream live TV buffer-free on Philo due to ExpressVPN’s fast servers
If you aren’t sure which server in the US you should use to unblock Philo, ExpressVPN has a built-in speed test tool. This shows you the download speed and ping. “Ping” refers to how long it takes for your device to communicate with the server, so a lower number means less lag. Just click “Speed Test” in the ExpressVPN menu, and then choose “Americas” in the location dropdown. In about a minute I found the server with the highest speed and lowest ping, and got smooth live TV and buffer-free streaming watching Philo.
Screenshot of ExpressVPN's speed test tool showing a test in progress for servers in the Americas
ExpressVPN’s speed test tool helped me find the fastest servers for streaming Philo in about a minute

If you want to get the most reliable buffer-free connections for watching your favorite shows, try ExpressVPN’s super-fast servers with Philo. You can combine its 30-day money-back guarantee with Philo’s 7-day trial to test them together. If you encounter any lag while you’re watching TV, it’s easy to get your money back. I went through the guarantee process using ExpressVPN’s 24/7 chat, and the agent didn’t even ask why I was cancelling. She processed my refund and I had the money in my bank account later that week.

When I was done testing ExpressVPN, my refund request was processed right away

ExpressVPN also unblocks: Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, YouTubeTV, SlingTV, Vudu, and more.

ExpressVPN works on: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, smart TVs, Chrome, Firefox, Playstation, Xbox, routers, and more.

Watch Philo with ExpressVPN

May 2021 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan (you can save up to 49%) + 3 months free! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it’s gone. See more information on this offer here.

2. CyberGhost — Optimized Streaming Servers for Buffer-Free TV on Philo

Key Features:

  • 45 servers globally, with over 1,100 in the US for watching Philo
  • Fast speeds for consistently lag-free TV on Philo
  • Connect to the fastest server in just 1 or 2 clicks
  • Support chat is available 24/7
  • 45-day money-back guarantee (except on 1-month plans)

CyberGhost’s network includes servers optimized for streaming shows and movies in high quality with minimal buffering. Although there isn’t one specifically for Philo, the Netflix US server still gave me top speeds for watching channels like AMC, Comedy Central, and ESPN. I was connected in less than 10 seconds and had stable streaming speeds at 25Mbps (fast enough for HD). With speeds like this, I never had to worry about missing a big moment watching a live football game on ESPN due to annoying buffering.

I found the Netflix US server easily by selecting the “For streaming” tab and typing “Netflix” in the search bar. The app immediately displayed all of its Netflix-optimized servers in various countries, including the US.

Should you find that the optimized servers are all full, CyberGhost’s regular servers in the US can still unblock Philo and stream without any issues. During my tests, location-based servers were a bit slower than the Netflix-optimized ones, but the difference was minimal. When I watched South Park on the Washington DC server, I only had to deal with an extra 10 seconds of loading time at the beginning of my stream.

Screenshot of CyberGhost unblocks Philo
Even when I used CyberGhost’s location-based servers in the US, I got lag-free TV on Philo

If you want to try CyberGhost’s streaming servers risk-free with Philo, its money-back guarantee gives you 45 days to get a refund as long as you get longer than a 1-month plan. After subscribing to the 6-month package and using CyberGhost for 4 weeks, I requested a refund and got my money back in just 4 days.

CyberGhost also unblocks: Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, YouTubeTV, Vudu, and more.

CyberGhost works on: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, smart TVs, Chrome, Firefox, Playstation, routers, and more.

Watch Philo with CyberGhost

May 2021 Update: CyberGhost has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $2.25 per month for the 3-year plan (you can save up to 83%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it’s gone. See more information on this offer here

3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Huge Network of 18,000+ Servers in the US for Watching Philo With No Slowdowns

Key Features:

  • Over 20,000 servers, with 1,600+ in the US for watching TV and movies on Philo
  • Fast servers can handle live HD shows and movies
  • Easily switch to a Philo-friendly server in a couple of clicks
  • Live chat support for 24/7 help
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

With over 1,600 servers in the US, PIA’s servers never get overcrowded and slow down when I’m watching live TV on Philo. On VPNs with small server networks, overcrowding causes my streams to lag. Some providers even boot you out of the server if it gets too crowded. This really ruins the dramatic tension — but it never happened with PIA.

The only small con to PIA is that its servers aren’t as good at bypassing Philo’s proxy filters that block VPNs. A few servers did give me a location error even though they were based in the US. Since I could easily switch in 1-2 seconds and find one that worked, this wasn’t a big deal. For example — PIA’s Washington, DC server was blocked, but in 2 clicks I connected to a server in New York City. This one bypassed Philo’s error screen instantly and let me watch a live episode of Cake Wars with no buffering or sudden reductions in video quality.

Screenshot of Cake Wars streaming on Philo while PIA is connected to a server in New York City
I could always find a server that worked with Philo thanks to PIA’s huge network in the US

If you want to test it out for yourself, you can try PIA with Philo with zero risk using its money-back guarantee. When I used 24/7 live chat to ask for a refund, the agent asked for a reason. I said I chose a different VPN, and they put my refund through. The money was back in my PayPal account within a couple of days.

PIA also unblocks: Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, BBC iPlayer, and more.

PIA works on: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, smart TVs, Chrome, Firefox, routers, and more.

Watch Philo with PIA

May 2021 Update! For a limited time only, save 77% on PIA’s 2-year plan + get an additional 2 months free! Hurry and check out the deal here!

 FAQs on Watching Philo With a VPN

Can Philo be used on smart TVs and gaming consoles?

Philo works on Android smart TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, web browsers, Android, and iOS. It isn’t compatible with PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Samsung Smart TV, VIZIO Smart TV, or LG Smart TV.

The VPNs on this list work with every device that is compatible with Philo. Even for devices they don’t have specific apps for, configuring a VPN on your router protects everything that’s connected to your home network. For a provider that works on the most Philo-friendly devices, try ExpressVPN risk-free. Its fast speeds and broad device compatibility made it my top choice for watching lag-free TV on Philo, and you can try it for 30 days with no commitment.

Is there a way to watch Philo for free?

Philo is free for 7 days with its introductory trialjust sign up with a valid payment card, and you won’t be charged as long as you cancel within a week. Since you can use my top VPNs for 30 days or longer with their money-back guarantees, you can combine both trials to watch Philo risk-free.

You may be tempted to unblock Philo with a free VPN, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Most free VPNs don’t have advanced enough servers to bypass VPN location blocks on Philo and other streaming sites. Even the best free VPN options have tight limits on speeds, data use, and servers. This makes them too restrictive for watching anything for more than about 20 minutes at a time (if they’re fast enough for streaming at all). Worse yet, some free VPNs put malware onto your devices to steal logins, or track you and sell your data.

To stream TV safely and with top speeds, I suggest you try ExpressVPN’s high-speed server network. I could take full advantage of Philo’s HD channels and watch my favorite TV shows live, just as if I had a cable subscription. Its 30-day guarantee policy makes it really easy to get a refund.

Is using a VPN to unblock Philo legal and safe?

Unblocking Philo with a VPN is 100% safe and legal as long as you have a valid Philo subscription. In fact, the most powerful VPNs can unblock other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+ as well. By connecting to VPN servers in other countries where some of these services exist, you can even access exclusive shows and movies that aren’t available in your real location.

The only catch is, not all VPNs can safely unblock Philo in countries where the internet is heavily censored. Only a few providers can bypass web filters in China and other places with restricted internet. Of every VPN I’ve tried, ExpressVPN is one of the only providers that unblocks Philo even in China. It uses obfuscated servers to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, keeping your streaming activities hidden from Chinese authorities. If you want to try ExpressVPN to watch your favorite shows while you’re in China, it’s completely risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Philo with ExpressVPN

 Start Watching Philo From Anywhere Today!

The best VPNs for Windows, Android TV, iOS, and other Philo-compatible devices can unblock it no matter where you’re located. However, not all VPNs will work. Only the best providers have servers that consistently access Philo with flawless video and fast enough speeds to watch your favorite shows buffer-free. To save you from having to test them yourself, I tried dozens of my providers to find the 3 best.

ExpressVPN is my top choice for watching Philo due to its large selection of servers in the US. They’re equipped with advanced unblocking technology that works with Philo every time, with completely smooth high-quality video. Try ExpressVPN yourself risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee to unblock your favorite live channels like MTV, TruTV, ESPN, Comedy Central, and more.

Watch Philo with ExpressVPN

 Summary — Watch Philo Now With These VPNs (Updated 2021)

Top Choice
ExpressVPN
9.8
         
Read Reviews
$6.60 / month Save 49%
CyberGhost VPN
9.5
         
Read Reviews
$2.25 / month Save 83%
Private Internet Access
9.4
         
Read Reviews
$2.69 / month Save 77%
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Eric is a web security enthusiast who is passionate about keeping the Internet open and free. He loves following trends in topics like VPNs, web censorship, and Bitcoin, and sharing his passion with others through his writing.