How to unblock Hotstar outside India (from anywhere worldwide)

You are a Bollywood fan or maybe of Indian cricket or dramas, right?

Perhaps, you’re left stuck halfway when trying to stream your favorite movie on Hotstar outside India. Luckily for you, there’s nothing to worry about; there are a plethora of ways you can use to unblock and access Hotstar from wherever you may be.

Read on!

Hotstar is an Indian streaming media platform that burst into the scene in 2015, focusing majorly on cricket matches. However, things have evolved, and its roster of content has rapidly grown, including TV shows, movies, music, sports, and many more. In essence, it won’t be wrong to call it India’s Netflix.

Unfortunately, with all the available content, the platform is geo-restricted, with most of the content reserved for users only with an Indian IP address.

Therefore, if you’re outside of India, your only route to accessing the latest shows on Hotstar is the VPN.

We’ve got a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about several ways to unblock Hotstar from anywhere across the globe. Let’s dive in.

The quick guide to unblocking Hotstar

We understand you want to jump the pan and get straight to the point on how to watch your best show on Hotstar. Therefore, if you don’t want to get into the finer details, here’s a quick guide.

Using a VPN is your best option to access Hotstar, and NordVPN is our top recommendation for the platform. That is because it offers the fastest speeds with the best possible security, making it ideal for Hotstar streaming.

Ideally, a VPN ensures you enjoy the entire catalog of Hotstar, including over 60,000 hours of TV shows, live streams, and all Bollywood movies. You only need to accomplish a few steps to get up and running. Below you go with them;

It’s merely a walk in the park, right?

You could enjoy your favorite Hotstar shows with those three steps wherever you’re.

However, it doesn’t end there, as there’re several ways you can still enjoy your live streams in the comfort of your zone. So stick around and make a decisive choice if you have got some time.

Why is Hotstar blocked outside India?

Hotstar is the definitive go-to resource for all fans of sports and Indian cinema. Of course, cricket is not the only sport you can enjoy, but you’ll also enjoy kabaddi and badminton.

Unfortunately, like most streaming services worldwide, Hotstar offers various selections according to your country. The reason is simple – licensing issues.

Broadcasters merely want to squeeze out every penny from what they air and produce. Once you try accessing the website outside of India, your IP address will show you’re not in India, and you’ll get a not-welcomed screen.

Therefore, it means that there’re copyright infringements that you must deal with when you try to access it outside India. Besides, you’ll have to pay for the premium version to access Hotstar’s premium content. This, when watching from outside India means that you must subscribe to enjoy the service in full.

Now, that means if you don’t have a subscription, you need to do something with your IP address, and that’s where we want to help you.

What will happen if I try to watch Hotstar abroad?

Your guess is as good as mine; you’ll not get what you’re looking for when you try to access Hotstar from outside India.

So, instead, what will you get? The website won’t establish a connection, but instead, they’ll provide you with an error message.

Usually, the error message will be like;

The content is unavailable in your region

OR

We’re having trouble playing the video, please try a different title (ERR_PB_1410).

Once you get such a message, it merely means that you’ve hit rock bottom, and there’s nothing more to do. You can even try to bring your cheekiness to ensure that you watch your favorite show, but that will be the end of the road.

Now, that’s where you need our detailed guide on how to watch Hotstar from anywhere across the globe.

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Unblock Hotstar using a VPN (the complete guide)

As already indicated, using a VPN is arguably the most reliable and easiest way to watch your best shows on Hotstar from anywhere in the world. But first things first; how does a VPN work?

What’s a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is essentially the ideal tool used by folks looking to bypass geo-restrictions.

So, how does a VPN work?

A VPN merely hides your IP address by cloaking it. A top VPN provider will let you alter your IP address to the country of your choice. That means that you can be in the USA or UK (for example), but change your IP address and look as if you’re in India; easy, right?

However, you should ensure that you choose a VPN provider with Indian servers as you would need an Indian VPN. It’s the main route to help you watch Hotstar from anywhere.

Unfortunately, several VPN service providers in the market can make your task of choosing the right VPN indeed overwhelming. In fact, some of the VPNs can be scams, and even worse, they don’t work with Hotstar despite claims.

Therefore, to ensure that you don’t get difficulties when you connect to Hotstar and pick only the right Hotstar VPN, we’ve done the donkey work for you below.

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Best VPNs for unblocking Hotstar

As you know by now, if you’re outside of India and wondering how you can access Hotstar, VPN is your solution. However, to be on the right path, pay attention to the following when selecting a VPN for Hotstar;

• Speed
• Number of servers
• Reliability
• Location of servers
• Ease of use
• Affordability
• Encryption protocol
• Compatibility with OS and devices

To save you a lot of time and hectic research, below are the best VPNs that you can consider and be sure of seamless Hotstar streaming. These three ranked highest when we tested more than 30 with Hotstar.

1. NordVPN

The VPN has a no-logs policy, meaning your privacy is guaranteed. In addition, you can pay in cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, if you decide to go that route.

Interestingly, NordVPN supports up to six connections simultaneously. Moreover, it’s compatible with a lot of OS and devices. Finally, if you need answers to questions like ExpressVPN, they feature excellent 24/7 customer support.

Although NordVPN sometimes has inconsistent server speeds, it’s one of the best VPNs to use to access the Indian Hotstar from your region.

Read our extensive review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark completes our list of the best Hotstar VPNs.

The main attraction of this VPN service for users is its pricing. No wonder they have a motto; “Eating other VPN deals alive.” With Surfshark, you’ll get all the features required at a fragment cost. App whitelisting is one of the best features you can enjoy with Surfshark VPN, together with spilled tunneling, IP leak protection, and a kill switch.

Also, the provider offers sophisticated AES-256 encryption with a no-logs policy. Moreover, you’ll enjoy unlimited connections simultaneously with one account.

It has more than 3200 servers in more than 65 countries. Its performance is also super-fast, and it boasts excellent 24/7 customer support.

Read in-depth Surfshark review.

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3. ExpressVPN

It has more than 3,000 servers across over 94 countries. ExpressVPN doesn’t log any data; their customer support is second to none.

It’s a reliable and credible VPN that will never let you down as it enables military-grade encryption. Moreover, it features super-fast speed with an outstanding censorship bypass mechanism. It’s also compatible with a plethora of devices such as macOS, Android, Apple, Linux, and Windows.

Although ExpresVPN may have a relatively expensive subscription, it’s worth every penny, especially now that you want to stream Hotstar from your region. And the best thing is, the provider offers a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee.

That means you can try it risk-free. We tested its guarantee via multiple accounts to see if one can hack ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee and ultimately use it for free. And we can confirm the provider’s guarantee works like a charm if a user ever wishes to cancel his subscription within one month.

Read detailed ExpressVPN review.

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The very best option

So, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark VPN are the go-to VPNs that you can use to enjoy Hotstar India from anywhere. Each comes with its own unique advantages over the other.

For instance, NordVPN balances between price and speed, Surfshark is your cheapest option, and ExpressVPN is the most reliable choice.

Moreover, they all offer a plethora of servers in India that are spread across Indian cities. There’re also some virtual servers based in the UK, meaning that it’s a fast option for the UK and European folks to access Hotstar.

As we had indicated earlier, accessing Hotstar outside India is merely more than signing up with the best VPN service. Fortunately for you, you’ve stayed around to learn all the details required.

First, you’ll most likely want to watch your Hotstar favorite movie on a mobile device from your current region. Therefore, here we go on what you’re required to do;

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How to download the Hotstar app on your Android device

You probably have been downloading apps on your Android in several scenarios, but to download Hotstar, you must be aware of a few tricks.

However, that should not frighten you as it’s merely an easy process. You simply have to do the following;

• First, you need to quit Google Play Store on your Android if it’s open.
• Then you need to open your chosen VPN service (preferably NordVPN).
• You then select a server that’s based in India and click on “Tap to Connect.”
• The next thing is to open Google Play Store on your Android device.
• Using the search box, find the Hotstar app, and then click on “Install.”

By now, you should be getting the Hotstar app on your Android device; however, if you can’t get the app, then you should clear all the data from Play services apps and Google Play Store.

That is straightforward to do, too. For that, you head over to your Settings and get to where you can access all the installed apps. (That’s dubbed as ‘App Manager‘ in most Android devices these days, which you can find in ‘More Settings’ once you are in Settings.)

Then tap on Google Play Store and Google Play Services to clear all the data. It’s important to note that if you closely follow all the steps without connecting to a VPN first, then you’ll not get the Hotstar app.

Basically, without the VPN, the Hotstar app will detect that you’re not in India, and the Google Play Store will disable the device from accessing the Hotstar app for installation.

But, if everything is done right, then you don’t have anything to worry about but rather to proceed with the installation process;

• After clicking on “Install,” you now wait for Hotstar to download and then install on your Android device.
• Once the app has finished installing, it will show on your screen.
• Now you can launch the app to get into the free version of the app.

Up to that point, you’re free to browse for any content in Hotstar after making some little tweaks, below you go with them;

• Get to the Settings and then into Advanced Settings, and then to Date & time.
• You should turn off Automatic Date & time (9) as well as the Automatic time zone.
• Now select the time zone and set it to Indian time GMT +5:30.
• Once you’re done with everything, now you need to close the Hotstar app and then reopen it. By now, you’re literally “in India,” and you can enjoy your beloved content.

However, you should be aware even if you’ve got Hotstar unblocked, all you can enjoy is the free Hotstar content. It means that you won’t be able to enjoy the best movies and TV shows unless to subscribe to a premium or VIP account.

Now, all is good for Android folks, what about an iOS fan? Do not worry. We have got you covered, too.

How to download Hotstar on iOS

It doesn’t matter the device or platform you use; Hotstar will undoubtedly provide content.

So, how will you be able to get the app on your iOS devices?

Fortunately, the process is equally straightforward for you.

You only need an Indian Apple ID, which you’ll only acquire by creating an account.

Here are the instructions for you;

• Whichever device you’re using (PC or Mac), you first have to log off the iTunes account.
• At the bottom of your store, ensure that you change your location to India by simply selecting the flag of India.
• Now get to any free app in your App Store and click.
• Your iTunes app will then ask you to create the account. It will provide a “no card” option that you must select and proceed to create your account. Ensure that you choose the ideal username with a strong password.
• The next step is getting an Indian address that you can easily generate from a service like FakeAddressGenerator.com. You can also use maps.google.com to find one or even use a relative or friend’s address.
• Now turn on your device and get to the iTunes account, and log out. (You can quickly do that from Settings.)
• Finally, log into iTunes with your new Apple ID credentials on your device.

That is all. You can now easily download your Hotstar app on your iPad, Apple TV, or iPhone from anywhere across the globe, and start enjoying the free Hotstar content.

And, if you want to access the premium account for the best movies and live sports, you don’t have to worry; simply do the following;

• First, turn on the VPN.
• Connect to a server in India.
• Change your device’s time zone to India (GMT +5:30).
• Head over to https://www.hotstar.com/subscribe/sign-in
• Create your account.
• Ensure that you use an Indian address.
• Now it’s time for payment. You can use an Indian friend or buy a cheap gig from an individual with a bank account in India for the payment method.
• Once it’s activated, you’re all set to go.

The next big thing is to create a premium account to ensure that you enjoy all the best TV shows and movies along with live sports. The process is simple.

How to set up a premium Hotstar account outside India

Hotstar would be of no great entertainment without a premium account. With a premium account, you’ll be able to access all the best movies and shows you can dream about. Therefore, the need to have a Hotstar premium account is a no-brainer.

Additionally, it grants access to all mega-hit titles of the future. In essence, it’s the real-deal package that includes almost everything.

As far as the Hotstar premium account is concerned, two plans are involved; yearly and monthly plans. Whichever plan you choose, all the Hotstar payments are non-refundable.

Follow the following steps to set up your premium account;

• Visit the VIP membership site or the Hotstar premium website here. (What’s more interesting is that you can use a browser of your liking.)
• To complete your registration process, you must provide your email address and choose a strong password.

You may be tempted by the fact that they offer an option to sign up with your Facebook account, but that can come back to haunt you later. The reason is, they may use it to double-check your location; therefore, using your email address is the best option.

• Now is the final step, the payment. Enter your payment details.

Here you need to be very careful as you need an Indian payment method; a place like Fiverr can come in handy here.

After creating the account, now you can seamlessly log into your account on your phone. You can send the login details to Fiverr gig to purchase a subscription with a payment source based in India. Sign in to the app using the login details you gave during registration, and all is set.

As you might have guessed by now, the most significant thing about setting up a premium account is to have an Indian payment method. Therefore, our next section is equally substantial when you want to enjoy the best Hotstar can offer.

How to get your Indian payment method

Ideally, without an Indian payment method, you won’t be able to complete your premium Hotstar account. And, it is tough to pay online in India as a foreign national. So, what will you have to do?

As we’ve seen earlier, the easiest path for you is to buy a gig on Fiverr. All you need to do is head over to fiverr.com and type in ‘Indian payment method‘ in the search box there that reads Finds Services.

We tested that for you. You will find multiple Indian payment providers to choose from there.

You can also get an Indian guy you know to pay for you.

An essential note regarding Indian payment methods

One popular method of getting hands on the Indian payment method that many blogs have been teaching their readers is through Airtel Money and a fake Indian passport. But that simply does not work.

However, one can create an Indian wallet online via the My Airtel app with the help of a fake passport number. But, you cannot load money onto it to use as you’d need to get KYC approval for that. So the only option you have is to either purchase a Fiverr gig for the Indian payment method or use a guy you know there to pay for you.

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Can I watch Hotstar in Singapore?

Hoster is available only in India, with the USA and Canada also in the mix but not having all the content. Apart from that, in all the other countries, Hotstar is blocked.

Therefore, like in most other countries, you cannot unblock Hotstar in Singapore unless you use a VPN. To stream the Indian version of Hotstar, you only sign up with the best VPN service (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark) and connect to an Indian server.

How to access the Indian version of Hotstar in the US

Like with the other countries outside India, you’ll have to bypass geo-restrictions to watch Hotstar. All you need is a VPN service. And luckily, this article has got that covered for you already.

How to watch Hotstar in the UK

If you’re in the UK and want to access all your favorite Hotstar shows, all you need to do is also merely use a quality VPN.

How to watch Hotstar in Australia

You don’t need anything else to watch Hotstar in India apart from signing up with the right VPN. So you download the VPN app, launch the app, and connect to an Indian server. Boom, all good; you could then enjoy Hotstar streaming.

Since the problem in accessing Hotstar outside India is geo-blocking, you’ll only need a quality VPN with servers in India wherever you are.

Watch Hotstar with Kodi

You could be thinking that the only way to watch Hotstar outside India is by using a VPN, but that’s not entirely true.

Another excellent option you can use to access Hotstar is Kodi, which is an Open Source software that allows the importing and organizing of media. It supports a wide range of operating systems and devices, including iOS, OSX, Windows, Android, Raspberry Pi, and Linux.

To access Hotstar with Kodi, here’s what you need to do;

• Open Kodi and get to your Settings.
• Click “file manager.”
• Then click on “add source.” (You’d see it on the left menu.)
• Now select “none,” and then you need to type “http://srp.nu/.”
• Go on and click “done,” then proceed to the empty bar where you need to enter “SuperRepo” and select OK.
• Now get back to Kodi home screen and then select “add-ons.”
• Select “add-on browser,” and then “install from zip file.”
• There you need to pick “SuperRepo,” “Krypton,” “all,” and then “superrepo.kodi.krypton.all-x.x.x.zip“
• Now you may select “install from the repository,” then “SuperRepo All,” and get to “video add-ons.” Locate “Hotstar” there and click on “install.”
• Now you need to be patient for a while and wait for the add-on to be enabled.
• Get to the home screen and then select “videos,” and then head over to “add-ons.”
• Select Hotstar there.

That is it. Up to that point, you should be watching your favorite Hotstar content on Kodi.

Conclusion

Nothing should stop you from having fun in Hotstar from your region outside India. All you need is the best VPN service, and you’ll be watching your favorite shows in your comfort zone. Moreover, you can use Kodi to watch Hotstar.

Moreover, apart from the VPN offering you the ability to unblock Hotstar, it also enhances your security online via advanced encryption.

Either way, you should have finally found the solution you have been looking for today.

Should you encounter any problems while trying to watch the Indian version of Hotstar outside India, let us know via the comments box below.

We will be there for you for any further help. And yes, if you have other tricks and tips than what we shared in this article, please share your thoughts using the comments below.