The Google Play Store is your one-stop-shop for games, movies, TV shows, books, magazines, and more for Android devices. Unfortunately, as with most world-leading app stores, various geo-restrictions apply with Google Play, and catalogs can differ from one part of the world to another.
However, once you connect to a VPN and change your Google Play location, nearly any app or game becomes available to you. Not only that, but each of your online searches becomes more private and secure thanks to the added security and encryption of the VPN connection. In this article, we'll show you how to unblock the latest and the most exclusive Google Play content with the right VPN.
What are the best VPNs for Google Play Store?
Choosing the right VPN in a sea of providers who all claim to be the best around can be a difficult endeavor. Finding one that also works to unblock Google Play can be even harder. While we were curating this list, we were looking for a VPN with the following features:
- A large network of servers
- Fast servers
- Strong encryption
- Great privacy and security tools
- Unblocks Google Play store
We've curated the best VPNs for unblocking the Google Play Store. Check out the highlights here, or read about them in more detail down below.
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for Google Play. It has an excellent Android app, fast servers, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - A great value VPN for unblocking Google Play with a sleek Android app and excellent privacy features – all for a budget price.
- Private Internet Access - The best cheap VPN for Google Play. Offering a proven no-logs policy, strong encryption, and a customizable Android app.
- PrivateVPN - The best Google Play VPN for beginners. User get easy-to-use mobile apps and a decent spread of servers across the globe.
- Surfshark - A solid all-rounder VPN with lots of features for great price. Plus, unlimited simultaneous connections!
The best VPNs for Google Play Store – a closer look
We recommend that you use one of the following VPN services if you want to unblock Google Play services that aren't currently available in your location.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for unblocking Google play. It's consistently one of the fastest VPNs we test, has servers in plenty of locations, and a great Android app. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN is one of the world's largest and most established VPN providers. Servers in 94 countries
around the globe are enough to unblock any Google Play library, so you can download your favorite apps in China, Egypt, and even the United Arab Emirates! Express is quite an expensive choice, so if you're on a budget, you may want to consider the likes of PrivateVPN or PIA. However, you get what you pay for with Express: a world-leading VPN that is constantly innovating new ways to keep its users safe. At first glance, you'll notice ExpressVPN has a very polished interface – intuitive and well-organized. It's a beginner-friendly service that offers plenty of customization for more experienced VPN users. All the options and features are explained in the app, so you can set up your VPN for unblocking Google Play instantly. ExpressVPN is very easy to use too, offering a simple one-click function to activate the VPN – making it perfect for beginners who want the best security at the touch of a button. We conduct VPN speed tests several times a day, and while the results can vary, ExpressVPN is consistently among the fastest VPNs on the market. While you don't necessarily need the fastest VPN in the world to unblock Google Play, you'll spend less time waiting for apps to download than you would with a slower service. On top of that, you can connect up to five devices simultaneously, which may be less than any other provider from this list, but it's still enough to protect every device in your home. Express offers plenty of features to keep you secure online, including split-tunneling, which routes only selected internet traffic through the VPN – letting you unblock Google Play from anywhere, while still accessing local services (like online banking). Its Kill-Switch, on the other hand, protects you from data leaks if your VPN connection drops. These are both excellent protective measures that can be useful when browsing through Google Play libraries in countries with severe censorship. ExpressVPN maintains a no-logs policy, so your internet use isn't recorded or monitored. Finally, ExpressVPN offers the Lightway protocol to provide a faster, more secure VPN for when you're unblocking the Google Play store. NordVPN is a great value VPN for unblocking Google Play. It has thousands of servers worldwide, including 15 in the US, and a fantastic Android App. Nord Demo NordVPN offers a global network of servers to unblock the Google Play store from anywhere, and a wealth of privacy features and functions to make your downloads faster and more secure. With NordVPN, you'll be spoiled for choice with servers – letting you access the Google Play Store from anywhere in the world. Nord has over 5100 servers in more than 60 countries
, 15 of which are in the US alone – making some of the most exclusive apps like Pandora, HBO Now, and USA TODAY accessible at a flick of the wrist. These and almost 70,000 other apps, only available in the US Google Play library, all become available to you thanks to NordVPN. On top of this, the app offers obfuscated (stealth) servers, hiding your VPN usage – which is perfect if you're living in countries with strong censorship, like China or Egypt. With Nord's geo-spoofing capabilities, coupled with its advanced security features, you'll be able to access restricted Google Play apps from anywhere. NordVPN offers plenty of features to help you unblock restricted Google Play content, including: Of all the features Nord provides, the following two are some of the most useful for day-to-day VPN usage: CyberSec protects you from annoying ads and dangerous malware, especially if you're traveling or downloading through public Wi-Fi. This handy feature helps you avoid the horrors of the internet, and download apps hassle-free from anywhere. Split-tunneling lets you connect to any server abroad to download area-specific Google apps while accessing your local content directly (such as online banking, work-related websites). It's perfect for multi-tasking without compromising on security or privacy. NordVPN's headquarters are in Panama, a country with excellent privacy laws and no government surveillance. This means Nord isn't forced to keep any logs relating to its users, and will have nothing to hand over if the Panama authorities serve them a warrant. On top of that, Nord is one of the few providers to offer Onion Over VPN functionality, adding another level of browsing security to one of the most anonymous services in the world. However, it's worth noting that this function may not be available if the servers get too congested. Private Internet Access is the cheapest VPN for Google Play. It offers plenty of customization, superb encryption, and a zero-logs policy. PIA Demo Private Internet Access (PIA) is a low-cost VPN service that continues to invest in its network – adding tens of thousands of servers over the past year. It's a feature-rich provider that lets you fully customize your VPN, and will let you access the Google Play store with ease from servers in over 84 countries
. Privacy purists are right to be wary of PIA's US headquarters; it's not exactly a privacy paradise. However, PIA is one of the handful of companies that have proven their zero-logs claims in court, not once, but twice – handing over all of nothing to the American authorities when issued with a warrant. It's also one of the few truly open-source providers, meaning anyone can inspect the source code and see how the service works. This kind of transparency makes it all the more trustworthy, and if you're looking to try out the latest and greatest in VPN technology, PIA now offers the WireGuard encryption protocol. WireGuard uses one of the leanest encryption codes for a faster, more secure VPN experience. You can use PIA on any platform (even Linux) – I found the android app particularly smooth. Moreover, you can connect up to 10 devices at any time, letting you take full advantage of its massive network of fast servers for everything from gaming to torrenting. With its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can compare it to the other providers on this list without having to lose a penny. PrivateVPN is an easy-to-use VPN for Google Play. It has 200+ server locations to choose from, and for a fraction more than PIA, you get an easy-to-use VPN that's perfect for beginners. PrivateVPN Demo PrivateVPN is among the cheapest high-quality VPN services, and you can use it to unlock a wide assortment of Google Play products. Its elegant and well-organized Android App is pleasant to the eye and easy to use. I tested it on a host of Android devices, including smartphones and smart TVs, and absolutely loved it. Private VPN regularly enters the top ten in our daily VPN speed tests so you can download your favorite apps in the blink of an eye. While many competitors offer similar speeds and coverage, not many can follow up with this price tag. Couple that with its one-click functionality and it’s ideal for beginners who want to unblock Google Play libraries from around the world. PrivateVPN is a Sweden-based VPN with a zero-logs policy, which are two very solid reasons to put your trust in it. Sweden is known for having excellent privacy laws, and a zero-logs policy means that no absolutely no traffic logs are kept and so there’s no risk of them falling into the wrong hands. PrivateVPN users can take advantage of its stealth servers, which enable you to safely bypass the strictest censorships, and a kill-switch that protects you from any inadvertent data leaks when you’re unblocking Google Play. If you want to unblock more than just Google Play, PrivateVPN works flawlessly on all operating systems, so whether you’re an Android, iOS, Windows, or Mac user, you won't have any issues accessing content from around the world. What's more, you can connect up to six devices simultaneously, making it perfect for tech-savvy families. Aside from Google Play, we regularly test PrivateVPN with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and I frequently use it for Torrenting as well. It’s an excellent all-in-one service with a more-than-fair price and a 30-day money-back guarantee – which definitely makes it worth a try. SurfShark is a great all-round VPN for Google Play. It offers an unlimited number of connections, a bunch of great security features, and unblocking power. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is a great value-for-money provider with a clear commitment to unblocking content worldwide. I love the customization on offer, and the abundance of security features meant I could unblock the Google Play store while still making the most of my local online services. Despite being a relatively young company, Surfshark continues to set the bar for what is expected of a VPN – being the first major provider to offer unlimited simultaneous connections. Not to mention: Users can also take advantage of the latest and greatest in encryption protocols, using Surfshark's WireGuard implementation for a super-fast VPN that doesn't compromise on security. Surfshark even replaced all of its hard disk servers with volatile, diskless RAM servers that wipe the data as soon as they're switched off. This means that Surfshark's configuration files can't be seized by a third party, because they simply won't exist – so you can unblock Google Play with peace of mind. If you want to go the extra mile, Surfshark offers static IPs that users can purchase – letting you acquire a secure unique IP address wherever you need to be. It's perfect for unblocking streaming sites, and accessing services where you need to always be coming from the "same location". The good news is that all of this incredible functionality comes with one of the most polished and easy-to-use interface designs on the market. The Surfshark apps offer a simple layout, one-click-connect functionality, and built-in guides to help you understand every tool at your disposal. 1. ExpressVPN
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Unblocks these streaming services
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Unblock Google Play with minimum effort
Lightning speed
Ultimate privacy protection
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Unblocks these streaming services
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Great for bypassing geo-restrictions
State-of-the-art features
CyberSec
Split-tunneling
Increased privacy
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Unblocks these streaming services
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Uncompromising security
Perfect for tech enthusiasts
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Unblocks these streaming services
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Budget-friendly
A privacy leader
Unblock everything
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Unblocks these streaming services
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Cutting-edge solutions
Unblocking Google Play apps has never been easier
Why do I need a VPN for the Google Play Store?
If you keeping seeing the message "Your device is not compatible with this version" or "This item is not available in your country", it's because of geo-restrictions. Lately, Google Play has changed its strategy and gone one step further by simply ignoring requests it can't answer (because of geo-restrictions or otherwise) and instead displaying a list of alternatives.
These restrictions can be very annoying, especially if you move home or travel abroad after you've already got used to your country's Google Play offering. You'll suddenly find the Google Play Store looks completely different, and there's nothing you can do about it...is there?
By connecting to a VPN, the world's Google Play libraries open up before you. Google Play sets geo-restrictions to satisfy each country's censorship and licensing requirements, and to fulfill its legal contracts with the app owners. A VPN helps you circumvent these geo-restrictions by changing your IP address and making it look like you are accessing the Google Play store from a different location, depending on which country you connect to.
How do I set up a VPN for Google Play?
The easiest way to install a VPN is to download it directly from the Google Play Store itself. That is, if you're an Android user. Alternatively, you can download most VPNs from alternative app stores, like the App Store on iOS, the Huawei App Gallery, or directly from the VPN providers' website.
To get your VPN up and running, follow these five simple steps:
- Choose a VPN that best suits your needs. We've highlighted the providers that we think are the best for the job, and are also all proven to work.
- Download and install the VPN software on your device.
- Connect to any of its servers (for Google Play, preferably a server in the US).
- Keep the VPN running while you are downloading your favorite apps from Google Play.
How do I use a VPN to unblock Google Play?
VPN can change your Google Play address and library, but it may not always be instantaneous. Google Play tends to remember your initial location (from the time you first set it up), so, at times, you'll need to take some additional adjustments to make it run with your new address. If it's your first time using Google Play, you probably won't be facing these issues. Just make sure you switch a VPN on and connect to a preferred server before starting Google Play.
Another way Play Store knows your actual location is through your Google Pay account. If you already have your Google Pay details set, they will inevitably include your billing address. The good news is – you can switch your Google Play area and manage your Google Pay details manually, so they won't get in the way of you accessing Google Play from a new location.
We will walk you through some of the options you have and the steps to take, but if you are looking for a more detailed explanation, you can check our in-depth guide on how to change Google Play's country.
To change your Google Play Store region:
- Open your device Settings, and select the Accounts option.
- Find and remove your existing Google Account from the list – don't worry, this won't delete your account, it only removes it from this specific device.
- Connect to a VPN server in the country you want to unblock Google Play.
- Create a new Gmail account with a new email address – since you are still connected to a VPN, your new Gmail region will be the same as the of VPN server.
- Sign up to Google Play with your new Gmail account – Google Play will copy the same region from your Gmail to your new account.
Google will ask you to save your payment method, but if you are only planning to download free apps, we recommend you skip this step. Having no billing address connected to your new account will give you more freedom when switching servers and unblocking different Google Play catalogs.
Please note:
You don't necessarily need to create a new Google Play account to change your Google Play area. Instead, you could change your Google Play country from Google Settings on your device. However, Google Play only allows you to change your country once a year with an existing account. Having a separate account (or even multiple) to unblock different apps from around the world is, therefore, a better long-term solution if this is something you want/expect to be doing regularly.
Changing your payment details
There are occasions where you won't need to change your Google Play account altogether, but only the stored payment details on Google Pay. Let's say you are a UK citizen with a US bank account and you want to download an app from the US Google Play library.
In that case, you can add your US bank account to your existing Google Play account and use a VPN to connect to a US server. We'll show you how to do this in the following steps.
To change your payment address:
- Head to pay.google.com.
- Go to settings and find your Payment Profile in the second box down.
- Select the Country/Region field and make the relevant address changes.
- Go to Payment Methods and remove the other bank accounts that are not based in the same country.
- You can now browse the Google Play library of your newly chosen country.
Remember to Force Stop the Google Play Store in your device app settings (before reopening it again under the new region settings) and to clear all the previous data and cache. This prevents you from accidentally leaking your previous location data when you re-access Google Play. Updating your Play Store before reopening it with the new address settings should also help improve your experience.
Can I use a free VPN to download Google Play apps?
Free VPNs that can actually unblock the Google Play Store are few and far between. Getting one that can do that without actually being a privacy nightmare is even harder. While there are some free VPNs we recommend, there are several reasons you should steer clear of any VPN service that offers itself for free:
- Limited geo-locations – free VPNs usually have very few servers or locations, and even those who have more charge separately for those connections. You may end up with very limited free locations to connect to, and you'll find many won't unblock the Google Play locations you want or are too far away for a stable connection.
- Reduced performance and speed – fewer servers also means more congestion and reduced speeds. On top of that, free VPNs impose different speed and traffic restrictions. Downloading your apps could take much longer with a free VPN, and your downloads could even get interrupted.
- Compromised security and privacy – free VPNs invest much less in their security and privacy than the paid ones, simply because the paid ones use part of customer subscription fees for this intent. Also, they have a high reputation to maintain to continue charging for their services. Free VPNs often generate their profit by monitoring and selling your data to marketing firms and governments. There were even some instances of free VPNs spreading malware and harming users' devices – HolaVPN was removed from the Google Play store for apparently containing malware.
Even the best free VPNs tend to be glorified trials aimed at convincing you to subscribe to the full service. But, as the old adage goes: if the product is free, then you're the product. As such, if you're serious about protecting your privacy, you'll often find that the best cheap VPNs are a better alternative than a free one.
Conclusion
Using a VPN with Google Play means you can access more catalogs worldwide, letting you unblock even the most exclusive apps, and most importantly, you'll be able to do this completely privately, without anyone snooping around or threatening your security. Still, finding the best VPN to work perfectly with Google Play that doesn't cost a fortune is no easy task, and relying on free ones is far too risky. After thorough research, careful comparisons, and multiple testing, here's a reminder of the best VPNs for unblocking Google Play:
From $6.67/month
The best VPN for Google Play. It has an excellent Android app, fast servers, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 10 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 5
- Server locations
- 160
- Free trial
- No
From $3.69/month
A great value VPN for unblocking Google Play with a sleek Android app and excellent privacy features – all for a budget price.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.9 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 6
- Server locations
- 60
- Free trial
- No
From $2.19/month
The best cheap VPN for Google Play. Offering a proven no-logs policy, strong encryption, and a customizable Android app.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.8 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- Unlimited
- Server locations
- 84
- Free trial
- No
From $2.00/month
The best Google Play VPN for beginners. User get easy-to-use mobile apps and a decent spread of servers across the globe.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.7 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 10
- Server locations
- 200
- Free trial
- No
From $2.30/month
A solid all-rounder VPN with lots of features for great price. Plus, unlimited simultaneous connections!
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.6 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- Unlimited
- Server locations
- 100
- Free trial
- Yes