Jacob Ant
Whether you are a Hulu subscriber or not, it is common knowledge in the world of online streaming that this popular OTT platform is not accessible anywhere outside the US. Ultimately, the Hulu + Live TV content is also not possible to access if you are located in a geo-restricted region.
Are you facing a message where Hulu says your location is wrong? This might be because Hulu’s policy restricts the use of Live TV, preventing you from using it from an unauthorized location. Hulu + Live TV is only available in the US and specific Japanese regions. However, a solution exists: VPNs.
If you want to catch all the live events on Hulu from outside the US, we recommend reading the blog to learn about the Hulu location trick and how to apply it. Let’s begin this exciting journey.
How to Get Around Hulu Location Trick in 2023?
It is unfortunate that despite its phenomenal popularity, Hulu + Live TV still operates with regional limitations, providing access to live channels based on your geographic location only. So, if you are located in New York, you will only be able to view the live channels that are available in that area.
This is quite frustrating for American viewers who want to access other American live channels as well on Hulu from a different region. To overcome this, you’ll need to apply the Hulu location trick. Want to know how? Check out the easy steps below:
1- Go to the official Hulu website.
2- Sign in to your Hulu account or create a new account.
3- Go to the Account page.
4- Navigate to Settings and select the Privacy option.
5- Click Set or Change Home.
6- Save the new location.
How to Apply Hulu Location Trick Outside the US?
The situation gets a little bit trickier when you want to apply the Hulu location trick from outside the US. This is because Hulu is a geo-restricted platform that is only available in the US and specific regions in Japan. If you are planning on accessing it from somewhere else, you will have to rely on a tool that can virtually relocate you to a Hulu-authorized region.
What tool can make that possible? The answer is a premium VPN service like ExpressVPN. Check out the steps below to apply the Hulu location trick outside the US:
1- Sign Up to ExpressVPN. (30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support)
2- Install and open the VPN app on your streaming device. (Laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.)
3- Connect to an American server. (Chicago, Dallas, or New York. Each region has different Live channels to offer on Hulu)
4- Go to the Hulu website and Enjoy your desired content on Hulu + Live TV from anywhere outside the US.
What is Hulu Location and How does it Work?
To understand how the Hulu location trick works, first, you must know what “Hulu home location” is. Basically, it is the specific geographic location or IP address recorded by Hulu when you initially create an account. This data is crucial for Hulu to manage your access to its on-demand and live TV content.
Like Netflix and many other streaming platforms such as Max, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+, Hulu is subject to geo-restriction policies and uses your IP address to decide whether to grant you access to its services or not or what content must it show you according to your geographic location. As you know, Hulu’s availability is limited to users within the US borders, so accessing it from a location outside the US is highly challenging.
Additionally, for Hulu + Live TV users, setting up a home location is mandatory because this influences their access to various local and regional sports networks, which totally depend on your actual physical location. To explain it better, imagine you are in Chicago; Hulu + Live TV will only show you the channels that are authorized in Chicago.
Hulu location trick can break the chains of geo-limitations. You can easily change your region whether you are residing within the US or anywhere else. Hulu location trick will allow you to access all of Hulu’s content, including the limitless possibilities of Hulu + Live TV. We ourself have watched Hulu from Germany with the Hulu location trick.
Why Do You Need a VPN for Hulu Location Trick?
In this day and age, the importance of VPNs for accessing content online is too immense to even comprehend. Geo-restriction policies on various streaming platforms, including Hulu, have been the barricade in an online streamer’s path.
This necessity arises because Hulu actively tracks your IP address to comply with the content restrictions imposed by the rights holders, thus avoiding penalties. When we wanted to access Hulu on Windows outside the US, we had to face Hulu’s following location error:
“Hulu isn’t available to watch in your location.”
If you’re curious to access Hulu + Live TV from outside the US, altering your home location with a premium VPN service like ExpressVPN is your best option. Not only a premium VPN can allow access to Hulu to users in geo-restricted regions, but it can also broaden the Live TV range of Hulu for US residents by allowing them to access channels from different American regions.
By utilizing a reliable VPN service like ExpressVPN, you can change your IP address and even change your Netflix region to access different content libraries. In short, a VPN is like a genie that can grant any streaming wish of its user.
Best VPNs for Hulu Location Trick?
After reading about the importance of a VPN, you must have become curious about which VPN is best for Hulu location trick and circumventing the location tracking firewall of Hulu, right? Well, we’re here to scratch that itch for you.
We have tested more than 20 VPN services available online to find the most suitable VPN for this purpose. We determined the capability of these VPNs by checking their efficiency in providing access to Hulu from outside the US.
Explore each of our top VPN picks below and decide for yourself:
1- ExpressVPN – Best VPN for Hulu Location Trick
Total Servers: 3500 | Countries: 105 | American servers: 24 servers 17 cities | Trustpilot Rating: 4.7 | Simultaneous Connections: 8
If you are looking for the best VPN service that can allow you to apply the Hulu location trick and enjoy Hulu + Live TV outside the US, then your search ends with ExpressVPN. This is the top-recommended VPN option to bypass geo-restrictions on platforms like Hulu.
Why do we claim that? Well, as you read further, its impressive speed and reliability will surely make that clear to you. Also, you’re free to test it for yourself.
ExpressVPN offers top-tier security features like AES 256-bit encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and an Internet Kill Switch. These features ensure the privacy and security of your online activities, offering you peace of mind. It provided us with an impressively secure streaming experience on Hulu on Samsung Smart TV.
The round-the-clock 24/7 customer support that ExpressVPN offers is 100% reliable, especially if there are issues with Hulu not working. It proved to be of great advantage when we were having trouble accessing Hulu on iPhone, and their highly efficient team provided us with complete assistance.
On a 100Mbps internet connection, ExpressVPN is capable of achieving downloading speeds of up to 92Mbps and upload speeds of up to 82Mbps. This test was conducted by our team of experts while watching Hulu from Mexico to check the performance speed of ExpressVPN. It’s safe to say that the results were not disappointing.
As we are here to learn about Hulu location trick and ways to access Hulu + Live TV’s full potential, ExpressVPN’s 24+ American servers located in 17 cities in the US, will allow you to enjoy countless live channels on Hulu. If you are looking for the best server for Hulu location trick, we recommend using the New York server.
In total, ExpressVPN has 3500+ servers in 105 countries, which makes accessing various other streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and BBC iPlayer easy from anywhere in the world. We were even able to access Netflix India from the US with ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is compatible with a range of devices and will allow you to stream Hulu without problems. This VPN service offers dedicated apps for almost every operating system, including Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux. You can also use its MediaStream DNS feature to make it work with devices like Xbox, Smart TV, Roku, and PlayStation.
Its impressive ability to connect with streaming devices not typically compatible with VPNs allowed us to watch Hulu on Xbox and Netflix on Roku without any issues.
Despite being slightly more expensive than other VPNs, ExpressVPN provides more than enough value for money at just the price of $6.67/month (49% discount and three extra months free with a 12-month plan). Not to forget it also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try it without any risks.
2- NordVPN – The Best Alternate to ExpressVPN
Total Servers: 5893 | Countries: 60 | Trustpilot Rating: 4.5 | American Servers: 1970+ in 16 cities | Simultaneous Connections: 6
Although we have already claimed that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for the Hulu location trick, we understand that you might want to consider some alternatives. In that case, NordVPN is worth checking out? Well, for starters, it has a total of 5893 servers in 60 countries, making its server network one of the largest out there.
This includes 2000 American servers located in cities like Atlanta, Miami, and San Francisco, offering diverse options for those who want to access a diverse range of Hulu + Live TV content. We have benefited from these American servers by watching Hulu on Nintendo Switch.
NordVPN also puts utmost emphasis on the online security of its users. With a strict no-logs policy, Double VPN, Dark Web Monitor, DNS and IP leak protection, and an Automatic Internet Kill Switch, your streaming activities remain secure. Whether you are watching Hulu on Android or streaming your favorite content on Hulu on Mac, you don’t have to worry about your online data security.
NordVPN is also highly compatible, working with almost all major operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. If you want to watch Hulu on Android TV, NordVPN will make that possible. Moreover, it allows you to connect 6 devices simultaneously.
In our tests, NordVPN delivered a download speed of 89Mbps and an upload speed of 77Mbps. However, we recommend avoiding the Dallas server because delivered a sluggish performance when we used it to watch Hulu in Ireland.
NordVPN’s subscription plans start at $3.79 per month for the 2-year plan, with a 54% discount. This amazing deal also includes three extra months of service and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3- Surfshark – The Most Affordable Alternate
Total Servers: 3200+ | Countries: 100 | American Servers: 600 servers in 20+ Cities | Trustpilot Rating: 4.3 | Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited
If you’re on a tight budget but don’t want to compromise your streaming experience of Hulu + Live TV, is going for top-level premium VPNs the best option? Well, when Surfshark is in the conversation, the answer to that question would be yes.
Surfshark is the only high-quality premium VPN that provides you with all the services that you might get from an expensive VPN provider without making a dent in your pocket. Its affordability is coupled with powerful features, making it an excellent option for streamers who want to apply Hulu location trick.
Surfshark has a lot of advanced features. Starting with its CleanWeb 2.0 feature that allows you to use the internet without ads and cookie pop-ups. The Bypasser feature is also worth noting as it allows you to gain full control over the app that you want to access VPN while leaving the rest untouched. It also employs protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2/IPsec.
All these amazing advanced features of Surfshark provided us with the smoothest and most secure streaming experience of Hulu on Chromecast possible at a price like that.
It has 3200+ servers across 100 countries. The top recommended American servers of Surfshark are New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. They enable users to bypass the geo-restrictions of Hulu from anywhere in the world while maintaining a stable and reliable connection.
However, when we watched Hulu on Apple TV, Surfshark’s Latham server proved to be less effective. Due to its poor connectivity, we had to face Hulu error codes 3 and 5. Besides that, Surfshark is fully capable of delivering lightning-fast download speeds of 85Mbps and upload speeds of 73Mbps.
Additionally, Surfshark allows you to connect unlimited devices simultaneously on a single subscription and offers dedicated applications for various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, and Firefox.
Surfshark is an economical VPN solution, priced at just $1.99/month (86% discount on 24 + 3 months free plan). It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and if any issue arises while using it for the Hulu location trick outside the US, Surfshark’s customer support is available for assistance. We have already tested this VPN to watch Hulu in Hungary, and it provided us with promising results.
Can I Use a Free VPN for Hulu Location Trick?
We knew this question would be popping up in every one of our readers. Well, technically speaking, it might be possible to use a free VPN to bypass Hulu’s geo-location restrictions, but it’s not recommended at all.
Before we get into why we don’t advise using free VPNs for Hulu location trick, you should know that we’re speaking from personal experience. We have already used various free VPNs to access Hulu from Europe, and every one of our trials was full of disappointing results.
Free VPNs often assign the same IP address to multiple users since they share IP addresses. This makes it easy for Hulu to recognize and block these poorly encrypted IPs. This can trigger a proxy error similar to Netflix’s proxy error, which indicates that your VPN usage has been detected by the platform.
Instead of using free VPNs, it’s safer and more effective to use a reputable, premium VPN service like ExpressVPN for Hulu location trick. This will ensure you a much more reliable experience of watching Live TV content on Hulu without any limitations.
Hulu + Live TV Availability and Broadcast Restrictions
We have already mentioned a couple of times in this blog that Hulu + Live TV is a geographically restricted service. The range of Live channels you can access depends on your home location. All types of live TV channels and popular live events like NFL games, the Super Bowl, La Liga, or the Grand Prix are subject to limitations due to broadcasting rights agreements.
If you’re interested in accessing channels that are blocked in your region, there’s a solution. By using a high-quality premium VPN like ExpressVPN and connecting to a server in the area where your desired live TV content is accessible, you can bypass these regional restrictions. This approach is called the Hulu location trick.
Note: By entering your zip code, you can use Hulu’s Live Guide to find live event coverage and channels.
What Devices is Hulu Compatible with?
One thing that is great about Hulu is that it offers seamless compatibility over a variety of devices and operating systems. The table below will give a better idea of what devices you can use to enjoy Hulu:
| iPhone and iPad (iOS) | Smart TV |
| Android phones and tablets | Xbox |
| Firestick | PC |
| Roku | LG TV (with WebOS) |
| Nintendo Switch | Samsung Smart TVs |
| PlayStation | Apple TV (4th generation or later) |
Note: To check all the Hulu-supported devices, you can visit the official Hulu website as well.
FAQs
1- How does Hulu identify your Home Location?
Hulu identifies a user’s actual geographic location using multiple advanced techniques. The main method involves tracking the IP address of the device used for streaming Hulu content. Additionally, Hulu may gather location details from the user’s smartphone or smart TV.
This includes data about the Wi-Fi network or GPS location. The IP-tracking system employed by Hulu is specially crafted to pinpoint the home location of a user. By identifying a subscriber’s Home location, Hulu decides the availability of content. The Hulu location trick specifically exists to counteract this IP-tracking system.
2- How to fix the Hulu Live Guide not working error?
Here’s a list of common issues with Hulu Live Guide and a step-by-step guide to solve each of them:
- Hulu Live Guide not loading: Try closing the app forcefully or perform a power cycle to reboot your internet connection.
- Incorrect or Missing Live Channel Guide: Update your zip code to your current residential area. Verify the channels available in your locality by inputting your zip code.
- Inaccurate Time Zone: In case the programming in the Live guide displays a time zone different from yours, ensure to recheck your device’s settings.
3- How does Hulu know if you use a VPN for the Hulu location trick?
Hulu can detect the use of VPNs for changing IP locations by identifying common signs such as shared IP addresses, differences between DNS server locations, and IPs that are widely recognized as belonging to VPNs.
We have faced this issue while watching Hulu on Firestick and have come to know that to effectively bypass Hulu’s location tracking, it’s advisable to go for a premium VPN like ExpressVPN that guarantees a secure and smooth experience and its AES 256-bit encryption ensures your VPN usage is almost impossible to detect.
4- Can I watch Hulu + Live TV using a mobile hotspot?
It is to keep in mind that setting up Hulu + Live TV requires you to establish your home location using a residential internet service. Using a mobile hotspot does not qualify as this type of connection and cannot be used for configuring your home location and watching Hulu + Live TV.
5- Can I share my Hulu account with family in a different house?
Sadly, no. You cannot use the same Hulu account for family members residing in a separate house because Hulu + Live TV is designed to be used in a single household. For those who need Hulu + Live TV access in multiple residences, consider subscribing to another Hulu plan.
What to Watch on Hulu in 2023?
If you are new to Hulu or a seasoned subscriber but just confused and looking for what to watch on Hulu in 2023, check out our list of recommendations below:
- Class of ’09
- Saint X
- Tiny Beautiful Things
- The Good Mothers
- Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
- Up in Here
- Good Trouble
- UnPrisoned
- History World Part II
- Bruiser
Wrap Up
In conclusion, there are multiple scenarios where changing your virtual location through the Hulu location trick becomes necessary, especially when using Hulu + Live TV. For instance, when traveling abroad. Additionally, if you’ve moved or switched internet providers, updating your Hulu Live + TV home location is necessary to maintain access to live channels and events.
What you need for the Hulu location trick is nothing else but a premium VPN service like ExpressVPN. This VPN’s optimized American servers have already proven their worth when we watched American Netflix in various countries outside the US. Try it for yourself today!
