How to Get US Apps on a UK Amazon Firestick
Amazon recently tightened its regional app restrictions, making it harder than ever to grab US-only apps from a UK Firestick. If you've tried searching for Peacock, Paramount+, or the full US version of Netflix on your device and come up empty — you're not imagining it. The UK Amazon Appstore simply doesn't show apps that aren't licensed for your region.
The good news? There are two ways around this, and one of them takes about ten minutes.
Why Your UK Firestick Won't Show US Apps
Your Amazon Firestick is tied to your Amazon account, and your Amazon account is tied to a country. The UK Appstore and the US Appstore are genuinely different shops — they stock different apps, just like different countries get different Netflix libraries.
Apps like Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV (in its full US form), and the American version of Paramount+ simply don't exist in the UK Appstore. It's not that they're hidden. They're not there at all. So even if you've got a VPN running, you won't find them by searching — you have to get them another way.
And then there's Netflix. Netflix is on the UK Appstore, but the US library has thousands more titles than the UK one. Same app, completely different content depending on where Netflix thinks you are.
Method 1: Change Your Amazon Account Region to the US
This works, but it comes with strings attached. Changing your Amazon account country means your purchases, Prime membership, and billing all shift to the US. If you're in the UK and using Prime for next-day delivery, that's going to cause problems. So unless you're setting up a dedicated US account on a spare Firestick, we'd skip this method for most people.
If you still want to try it:
- Go to Amazon.com (not .co.uk) and sign into your account
- Head to Account & Lists → Manage Your Content and Devices
- Click Preferences → Country/Region Settings
- Change your country to the United States
- Restart your Firestick — the US Appstore will now appear
Again — this flips your whole account. Tread carefully.
Method 2: Sideload US Apps (The Better Way)
Sideloading means installing an app directly onto your Firestick without going through the Appstore. It sounds technical, but Amazon actually makes this fairly straightforward — they allow it natively.
Step 1: Enable Apps from Unknown Sources
- On your Firestick, go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options
- Turn on Install Unknown Apps
- You'll also want to turn on ADB Debugging while you're here
Step 2: Install the Downloader App
Search for "Downloader" in the Firestick Appstore — it's the orange icon, made by AFTVnews. Install it. This is your browser and file installer in one.
Step 3: Find the APK for the App You Want
APK files are Android app packages — and since Firestick runs on Android, they work fine. Sites like APKMirror or APKPure host legitimate APK files for most major US streaming apps. Search for the app you want, download the APK link URL, and paste it into the Downloader app on your Firestick.
Step 4: Install and Open
Once downloaded, Downloader will prompt you to install. Hit install, then open the app. Job done — it'll now appear on your Firestick home screen like any other app.
But You Still Need a VPN to Actually Watch Anything
Here's where people get tripped up. Installing the app is only half the battle. When Peacock or Tubi opens and tries to load content, it checks your IP address. If that IP says "United Kingdom," you'll get an error or a geo-block message. The app's installed, but the streams won't work.
That's why you need a VPN running a US server at the same time.
Why We Recommend NordVPN for This
NordVPN is what we'd point you toward here, specifically because it has dedicated streaming servers optimised to get past the detection systems that services like Netflix and Peacock use. A lot of VPNs get blocked almost immediately — the streaming platforms know which IP ranges belong to VPN providers and block them. NordVPN rotates and refreshes these constantly, which means it actually works day-to-day rather than just in theory.
It's also got a native Fire TV app in the Appstore, so you don't have to sideload the VPN itself. At around $3.99/month (about £3.15 / €3.69) on a two-year plan, it's not expensive for what it does.
If NordVPN doesn't suit you, ExpressVPN is a solid alternative — it's faster on some connections and has great Fire TV support, though it costs a bit more at around $6.67/month (about £5.30 / €6.15). Surfshark is worth a look if you want to cover multiple devices cheaply.
Can You Just Use a Free VPN?
Honestly? No. Free VPNs get blocked almost instantly by streaming services because their IP ranges are well-known and heavily flagged. You'll connect, it'll look like it's working, and then you'll hit a proxy error the moment you try to stream. Beyond that, free VPNs frequently have data caps, slower speeds, and — this matters — questionable privacy practices. They need to make money somehow.
For something like this, a paid VPN is just the cost of doing it properly.
Setting Up NordVPN on Your Firestick — Step by Step
- Search for "NordVPN" in your UK Firestick Appstore and install it (it's available in the UK store)
- Open NordVPN and sign in (or create an account at nordvpn.com first)
- Tap the search icon and type "United States"
- Connect to any US server — or, for streaming, look for servers labelled "Optimised for streaming"
- Once connected, open your sideloaded US app and start watching
Keep NordVPN running in the background while you stream. If you close it, your IP reverts to UK and the stream will likely cut out or throw an error.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
"This content is not available in your region"
Your VPN isn't connecting properly, or the server you picked is being blocked. Try switching to a different US server in NordVPN — sometimes one city works better than another. New York and Los Angeles servers tend to be reliable for Peacock and Netflix.
The app crashes on launch
The APK version you downloaded might not be compatible with your Firestick's Android version. Go back to APKMirror and look for an older stable version of the app, or check user comments for Fire TV compatibility notes.
Buffering or slow speeds
VPNs do add a small overhead to your connection. If you're buffering, try a server geographically closer to the UK within the US — East Coast servers (New York, Washington DC) will generally give you better speeds from the UK than West Coast ones.
NordVPN won't stay connected
Go into NordVPN settings and enable Auto-connect and the Kill Switch. The Kill Switch will stop your internet if the VPN drops, so you won't accidentally stream unprotected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sideloading apps on a Firestick legal?
Yes — sideloading is legal. Amazon permits it and even provides the settings to enable it. What you do with those apps is a separate question, but installing legitimate streaming apps like Peacock or Tubi is completely above board.
Will using a VPN get my Amazon account banned?
Amazon's terms of service do mention VPN use, but in practice, account bans for VPN use alone are extremely rare. The risk here is low, especially if you're just using the VPN for third-party streaming apps rather than to manipulate Amazon's own services.
Does this work for US Netflix on a UK Firestick?
Yes. Netflix is already installed on UK Firesticks — you just need NordVPN connected to a US server when you open it. Netflix will then serve you the US library instead of the UK one. NordVPN's streaming-optimised servers handle Netflix reliably.
What US apps are worth getting?
Peacock is the big one — it's got huge live sports and NBC content that UK viewers can't get easily. Tubi is free and has a surprisingly deep library. Pluto TV is also free with solid live channels. Paramount+ US has more content than its UK counterpart. And Crunchyroll US has a larger anime catalogue than the UK version.
Do I need to keep the VPN on all the time?
Only when you're using US-region apps. You can turn it off for normal UK streaming (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, etc.) — in fact, some UK services may not work correctly if they see a US IP. Just toggle the VPN on when you switch to a US app.
What if NordVPN stops working for a particular service?
Streaming platforms regularly update their VPN detection. If NordVPN gets temporarily blocked, try a different server first. If that doesn't work, NordVPN's support team is genuinely responsive and usually fix server issues within a day or two. That's another reason we prefer paid VPNs — there's actually someone to contact when something breaks.
Our Honest Take
The sideload + NordVPN combination is the cleanest solution here. It doesn't mess with your UK Amazon account, it works with the specific apps you actually want, and once it's set up, you'll barely notice the VPN is running. Ten minutes of setup for a properly unlocked Firestick is a good trade.
If you're only after the US Netflix library rather than totally separate apps, the process is even simpler — install NordVPN, connect to a US server, done.
Get NordVPN set up first, then sideload whatever apps you're after. That's the order that makes everything easier.
