How to change your Google TV region and access other countries' apps

How to Change Your Google TV Region and Access Other Countries' Apps

You've just set up your Google TV or Chromecast, opened the Play Store, and the app you want isn't there. Not hidden. Not buried in a menu. Just... gone. Meanwhile, you know for a fact that app exists — you've seen people talking about it — but Google has decided your country doesn't get it.

Here's the frustrating part that most guides skip: Google TV's region isn't just tied to your device. It's tied to your Google account. That's what makes this different from other smart TVs, and it's why simply connecting to a VPN isn't always enough on its own.

Why Google TV Locks You to a Region in the First Place

Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, BBC iPlayer, and dozens of others license their content country by country. So Google, as the platform, enforces those restrictions at the account level. When you created your Google account, it registered a home country. That country determines what's available in your Play Store — and it follows you everywhere.

So if you moved from the US to Germany, or you're an expat in Australia trying to access apps only available back home, your Play Store still shows your original country's catalogue. Or vice versa — you might be in the US and want BBC iPlayer, which is technically a free app but only available to UK accounts.

The good news: this is fixable. It just requires a couple of steps done in the right order.

What You'll Actually Need

Before we get into the steps, let's be honest about the requirements:

• A VPN connected to the country you want to access
• A Google account (ideally a secondary one you're willing to reassign)
• Ideally, a payment method registered in that country — a virtual card or prepaid card can work

Google does limit how often you can change your Play Store country — currently once every 12 months. So pick the country you want carefully.

The VPN Question: Free vs. Paid

Free VPNs don't cut it here. And we're not saying that just to push you toward paid options — there's a real reason. Google's systems are good at detecting VPN IP addresses, especially the shared, recycled IPs that free services use. If Google detects a mismatch (your IP says UK, but your account data says US), it'll either ignore the VPN or flag your account.

We'd recommend NordVPN for this. It has a large, regularly rotated pool of IP addresses, and its servers are reliable enough that Google actually registers the location change. It's around $4–5/month (about £3.50–£4 / €4–€4.50) on a longer plan, which is genuinely worth it for what you get.

If NordVPN isn't right for you, ExpressVPN is a solid second choice — slightly pricier but consistently fast. Surfshark is worth a look if you want to cover multiple devices on a budget.

Step-by-Step: How to Change Your Google Play Country

Step 1: On Your Phone (Android or iOS)

The country change has to be made through the Google Play Store on a phone or tablet — you can't do it directly on your TV. Here's how:

1. Connect your phone to NordVPN and select a server in the country you want (e.g. UK, US, Canada).
2. Open the Google Play Store app.
3. Tap your profile photo in the top right corner.
4. Go to Settings → General → Account and device preferences.
5. If you're eligible to switch countries, you'll see a country option there. Tap it and follow the prompts.
6. You'll be asked to add a payment method in the new country. A virtual card or local prepaid card works — or you can skip this and have limited access.

Keep the VPN connected throughout this process. Once confirmed, the change takes up to 48 hours to fully propagate, though it often happens within an hour.

Step 2: On Your Google TV / Chromecast

Once your Google account's country has changed:

1. Connect your Chromecast or Google TV device to NordVPN. The easiest way is to set up NordVPN on your router, or use a VPN-enabled travel router plugged into your TV's HDMI port.
2. On the Google TV home screen, open the Play Store.
3. Search for the app you want — it should now appear if it's available in your newly set country.
4. Download and install as normal.

The good news: once an app is installed, it typically keeps working even when the VPN isn't active — as long as the streaming service itself doesn't block VPN IPs at the content level (which some, like BBC iPlayer, do).

Accessing the Content Inside Those Apps

Getting the app installed is step one. Some apps — particularly free, licence-funded ones like BBC iPlayer — also check your IP address when you press play. For those, you'll need to keep NordVPN running on your network while watching. For most paid streaming services, once you're logged in with a valid subscription, they care less about your current IP.

Using a Desktop to Manage Your Google Account Region

If you want to verify or manage your Google Play country from a computer:

1. Connect NordVPN on your desktop (Windows or Mac) and select the target country.
2. Go to pay.google.com and sign in.
3. Click your profile → Settings → scroll to find the country/region option.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to update it.

But honestly, the phone method is smoother. The Play Store app makes the country option more visible than the web interface does.

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

"I don't see the option to change my country"

This usually means you changed your country less than 12 months ago, or you have an active subscription tied to your current country. Cancel any active Google Play subscriptions first, wait for them to expire, then try again.

The app still isn't showing up after I changed my country

Give it a few hours — the change can lag. Also try clearing the Play Store cache: Settings → Apps → Play Store → Clear Cache, then restart the Play Store.

The app installed but won't play content

The app (BBC iPlayer is the classic offender) is also checking your IP at playback. Make sure your VPN is still active on the device or network you're watching from.

Google is asking for a local payment method and I don't have one

You can skip the payment method step — you'll still get access to free apps. For paid apps, a virtual card (like those from Revolut or Wise) with the right billing country set often works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch back to my original Google TV region?

Yes, but not immediately. Google only lets you change your Play Store country once every 12 months. So if you switch to the UK and want to go back to the US, you're waiting a year. Plan ahead.

Will changing my Google Play country affect my existing apps and purchases?

Your existing purchases stay intact. But apps that aren't available in the new country may stop receiving updates, and some region-locked subscription services might get confused. Keep a note of what you have before switching.

Do I need to change my Google account country to use a VPN for streaming?

Not always. For streaming services you're already subscribed to (like Netflix), you often just need the VPN active to access content from another region — no account change needed. The account country change is specifically required to access apps that aren't available in your Play Store at all.

Is this legal?

Using a VPN is legal in most countries. Whether it violates a streaming service's terms of service is a separate question — most services do prohibit using VPNs to access geo-restricted content in their T&Cs. You're unlikely to face legal consequences, but an account could theoretically be suspended. In practice, this is extremely rare for personal use.

Does this work on all Chromecast and Google TV devices?

The Google account region change applies to all devices logged into that account, including Chromecast with Google TV, older Chromecast devices (with some limitations), and Android TV devices running Google TV. The Play Store behaviour is consistent across them.

What's the easiest way to get NordVPN onto my Google TV?

NordVPN has an Android TV app that you can install directly on Google TV devices via the Play Store. Alternatively, install it on your router so every device on your network gets the VPN automatically — this is the cleanest solution for always-on protection without fiddling with the TV settings.

Our Honest Recommendation

If you're serious about unlocking your Google TV and keeping it unlocked, do this properly. Change your Google account country once using NordVPN connected to your target region, get the apps you need installed, and then decide whether you need the VPN running continuously for playback.

For most people, NordVPN running on their router is the set-and-forget solution. You connect everything to your home Wi-Fi, pick the server country once, and your Google TV — along with everything else in your house — thinks it's in the right place. No fiddling every time you want to watch something.

It's a bit of setup upfront. But you only do it once, and then the geo-restrictions stop being your problem.