How to Use a VPN on Apple TV: Native Apps, Routers and SmartDNS

If your Apple TV is a 4K model or an Apple TV HD, the easiest way to use a VPN is the same as on an iPhone. Download the provider's app from the App Store, sign in, and connect. Apple added support for VPN apps in tvOS 17, and both NordVPN and Surfshark have shipped tvOS apps since then. Router setups, SmartDNS and connection sharing still matter, but mostly for older boxes or whole-house setups.

Which Apple TVs can run a VPN app

The App Store app is only an option on models that run tvOS 17 or later. Apple's model list, matched against current tvOS support, breaks down like this:

tvOS 27 dropped the Apple TV HD and the first Apple TV 4K. Those boxes still run tvOS 26 and can still install VPN apps. Over time, though, providers may stop updating their apps for older tvOS versions. If a VPN app won't install or update, NordVPN's help center suggests installing any pending tvOS update, restarting the box, and reinstalling the app.

Not sure which model you have? Apple lists the model numbers on its "Identify your Apple TV model" page. You can also check Settings > General > About on the box.

Method 1: Install the VPN app on the Apple TV

This is the best option for almost everyone. It only affects the Apple TV, it takes about two minutes, and you can switch servers from the couch.

NordVPN on tvOS

1. Open the App Store on the Apple TV. Search for NordVPN and install it.
2. Sign in. Use your Nord Account, or subscribe from the app if you don't have one yet.
3. Connect. Use Quick Connect to get the closest fast server, or pick a country from the list. You can also search by city.

NordVPN says its tvOS app uses NordLynx, its WireGuard-based protocol, which is the same default as its other apps.

Surfshark on tvOS

1. Install the app from the App Store on the Apple TV.
2. Sign in the easy way. Scan the on-screen QR code with your phone. You can also enter the login code from a device that's already signed in (Settings > My account > Enter login code), use Continue with Apple, or type your email and password.
3. Pick a location and allow the VPN profile. The first time you connect, tvOS asks you to approve a VPN configuration. Press Allow.

The Surfshark app lets you save favorite locations, and dedicated IP locations show up if you pay for that add-on. If a connection gets stuck, Surfshark's fix is to go to Settings > Network > Connection Details on the Apple TV, delete the VPN profile, and connect again.

Method 2: Put the VPN on your router

A VPN router encrypts traffic for everything on your network, including Apple TVs too old for apps. It's also how you cover game consoles and smart TVs that have no VPN support at all.

The trade-offs are real. Every device in the house appears to be in the same place. To switch locations, you change it on the router, not from the TV remote. And the router has to support a VPN client, either natively or through firmware like DD-WRT or a GL.iNet travel router. Our router guide covers what to look for.

Method 3: SmartDNS (NordVPN only, now)

SmartDNS swaps your Apple TV's DNS servers for ones that make certain streaming services think you're in another region. It's not a VPN. NordVPN's help center is clear that it doesn't protect your device the way a VPN connection does.

The Surfshark option is gone. Surfshark discontinued Smart DNS as of February 2, 2026, and now points people to its tvOS app, a router setup, or a VPN hotspot from a Windows PC.

NordVPN SmartDNS still works. Setup goes like this:

1. Disconnect from any VPN so your real home IPv4 address is visible.
2. Activate it in Nord Account. Open NordVPN, then the SmartDNS tab, and activate it. This allowlists your home IP. NordVPN says activation can take up to 10 minutes.
3. Enter the DNS servers on the Apple TV. Set DNS to manual in the network settings and use 103.86.96.103, with 103.86.99.103 as a second server if there's a field for it.

Two catches. SmartDNS doesn't support IPv6. And because it's tied to your home IP, it can stop working when your internet provider assigns you a new IP address. When that happens, reactivate it in your account. NordVPN also says it may not work with every service its VPN apps can reach.

Method 4: Share or mirror from another device

Two more workarounds can help in a pinch, for example with an old Apple TV in a hotel or a box you can't reconfigure:

• Share a VPN connection from a computer. Run the VPN on a Windows PC or Mac and share it over Ethernet or a hotspot, then connect the Apple TV to that. NordVPN calls this relatively advanced. Surfshark says its Windows virtual-router version won't give full VPN functionality.
• AirPlay from a VPN-connected iPhone or Mac. Connect the VPN on your phone or laptop, start the video there, and AirPlay it to the TV. The stream comes through the device that's on the VPN.

What a VPN on Apple TV does and doesn't do

A VPN on the Apple TV hides your streaming traffic from your internet provider and from whoever runs the network. That's useful on hotel, dorm or Airbnb Wi-Fi. It also changes the region that apps see, which matters when you're traveling and want the same streaming library you pay for at home.

What it doesn't do: it won't hide your activity from Apple or from the streaming apps you sign in to. Those services still know your account. Streaming services also actively block known VPN IP addresses, and their terms of use often restrict region-switching. Results vary by service, by server, and from week to week. Neither NordVPN nor Surfshark can guarantee a specific library.

Speed is the other factor. 4K streams need a fast, steady connection. Pick a server close to the region you need and use the default protocol before blaming the VPN for buffering. Our slow VPN fixes walk through the usual causes.

Troubleshooting common Apple TV VPN problems

The app connects, but a streaming app still shows the wrong region

Streaming apps often cache your location. Fully close the app by double-pressing the TV button and swiping it away, then reopen it while the VPN is connected. If it still won't change, try another server in the same country. Services block VPN IP addresses one by one, so one server can fail while the next works.

The VPN won't connect at all

Restart the Apple TV, then try again. If that doesn't fix it, delete the VPN profile under Settings > Network > Connection Details and reconnect from the app. That's Surfshark's documented fix, and the same profile reset helps with other providers too. Also check that you're not running a router VPN and an app VPN at the same time. Stacking two tunnels slows everything down and can stop either one from connecting.

Everything got slow after setup

Connect to a server closer to you, and use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi if the box supports it. Every Apple TV 4K except the Wi-Fi-only 3rd-generation model has an Ethernet port. If you set up SmartDNS earlier and then switched to the app, go back into the network settings and set DNS to automatic so the two don't clash.

Which setup to choose

• Apple TV 4K or HD, one TV: Use the native app. NordVPN allows up to 10 devices per account. Surfshark advertises unlimited simultaneous connections, which helps in a house full of screens.
• Apple TV 3rd generation or older: Set up a VPN router, or use NordVPN SmartDNS if you only care about region, not privacy.
• Several TVs and consoles that should all be protected: A router VPN, with the tvOS app on any Apple TV that needs a different location than the rest of the house.
• Travel with an Apple TV: Use the app. Hotel networks change, and SmartDNS depends on a registered IP that won't match the hotel's.