Is Netflix a Good Option On Mobile Devices?

If you are wondering if you can watch Netflix on your Apple device, the answer is yes. You can view the films and TV shows on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch as long as you are running iOS 11.0 or later. It will also work with iOS 5.0 or later where the free Netflix app has already been downloaded. All of these models are supported by Netflix for its streaming services in the areas where it is available.

Which Locales Have Netflix?

Netflix now operates in most countries around the world. However, because of licensing laws and regulations, the catalog available in each country can vary greatly. By far the largest selection is the one for the USA, and that is able to show some 1326 TV shows and 4339 films according to finder.com, which lists every country and what you can watch in each one. Even with the best catalog available in the world, it seems that this is only 40% of the 13, 500 plus titles that are available worldwide. 

Watching Netflix Abroad

If you go on vacation to Europe, you will find there are fewer TV shows and films for you to watch. You could be following a series that is only shown in the US and be wondering how to watch American Netflix. The answer is a VPN. Virtual private networks (VPN) were originally created for businesses that had a large number of employees. They sometimes needed to contact computers that were in different locations. A network of computers within the same building is not a problem, but when a company had branches in more than one country, they still needed the connections to be secure. This was achieved by creating a VPN. 

If you want to hide your true location so that Netflix believes you are still in the US, there are several VPNs for you to choose from. Netflix sees this as a challenge they have to deal with, but for the time being and the foreseeable future, there are some VPNs that have managed to get around every problem Netflix put in their way. For a monthly fee, you can access Netflix from anywhere in the world with VPNs such as Cyberghost, ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Although finding a great VPN that will work with Netflix has become harder, there are ones that will provide you with a vast server network, masking features, no logging of traffic, reliable connections, and great customer service. Most of them also have a free trial period, which is a good way of trying them out without laying out any cash or committing yourself for any length of time.

Alternatives to VPNs

The only other alternative is to download selected titles to watch later when you are not online. However, you can only do this if you are running your Apple device on iOS 9.0 or later, according to the Netflix help center. This could be OK if you want to see a film, but not so good if you are trying to follow a TV series.

There is no doubt that Netflix will continue to try to stop the VPNs making it possible for their programs to be watched worldwide, but for now, you can view American Netflix on your Apple device no matter where you are.