France.tv not working with VPN: 11 quick fixes

France.tv is home to some of the best French TV shows and movies. You need a VPN to access it from abroad, but what if your tool stops working? Our support guide explains what to do if France.tv isn’t working with your VPN.

If you have a broken VPN, you won’t be able to stream from France.tv until you’re back in the country. On this page, we’ve rounded up common France.tv VPN fixes.

Which VPNs work with France.tv?

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Why is France.tv not working with my VPN?

If the France.tv website is clever enough to realise you’re trying to use it from a restricted region (outside of France), your connection is going to get blocked. To get past that temporary issue, you’ll need a trusted VPN to help.

How does France.tv detect my VPN?

If your current VPN isn’t hiding your real location, France.tv will try and interfere with the server you’re using, which means your VPN is useless. Bad VPN take a long time to replace blacklisted servers, which means you have no way of gaining access to shows streaming on the France.tv website.

In summary, common France.tv issues include:

• The streaming website and app might have blacklisted the servers of your VPN
• You have a bad network connection
• Cookies saved in your browser (desktop or mobile) reveal your actual location, rather than the location you’re trying to mimic
• Your VPN may be revealing your IP address while using France.tv

Try these France.tv fixes

1. Update your VPN

If you’re getting error messages on the France.tv website, check you’re using the latest version of your VPN. Here’s how to do it:

• To update your VPN on a computer, load up the VPN and choose Settings. Clicking Update will usually take you to the VPN provider’s website, where you can learn more about what’s new.
• To update your VPN on Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile in the corner and then Manage apps and device. Choose Update or Update all.
• To update your VPN on iPhone, open the App Store and tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen.

2. Connect to a different VPN server

There’s no guarantee that any VPN server will stay functional forever. If France.tv doesn’t work, it’s worth checking in on your VPN server, because swapping it out could solve the problem.

Disconnect from the server you’re using. Precise steps will vary, but ExpressVPN users can select the three dots icon to see a list of alternative servers in the same country.

3. Reach out to Customer Support

The VPNs we’ve listed on this page have dedicated teams that deal with technical issues. If you’re having trouble with France.tv, reach out for assistance.

4. Turn your VPN off and on again

If that doesn’t resolve the issue with France.tv, completely uninstall and reinstall your VPN. Open both your VPN and the streaming service to see what the results are.

5. Test your internet connection

Disconnect from your wi-fi, reconnect and then try your VPN again. You can also restart your router (look for a button on the back) for a thorough reset.

Run a free internet speed tool such as Ookla and compare the results you get with your ISP’s ‘minimum guaranteed speed’ promise.

More France.tv fixes:

Clear cache and cookies. From a Chrome browser, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. If you’re using an Apple computer with Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data.

Re-enter your VPN username and password. It sounds obvious, but there’s a chance you entered your details incorrectly.

Check to see if you’ve been hit by a DNS leak. A DNS (domain name system) leak means your usual IP address and location is visible to websites and apps, even if you have a VPN running. We suggest you try the IP Address Lookup tool to see if your IP address changes when you activate your VPN and visit France.tv. If not, that’s a sure sign your VPN is broken.

Check the VPN servers. If you can’t connect to a server, your provider might be to blame. The best providers (we like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Ivacy and PureVPN) are transparent about this.

Check your firewall allows VPNs. On Windows, head to open Windows Security > Allow an app through the firewall. On Mac, try System Settings > Network > Firewall.

Are you using the right browser? Your web browser might be incompatible with your VPN. If you’ve already updated your VPN, make sure you update your browser as well. On Chrome, you would go to Settings > About Chrome.

Are you tiring out your VPN? When streaming, gaming and using social media at the same time, your VPN might struggle to keep up. We suggest you close a couple of apps to test if doing so has a noticeable impact.

VPNs that work with France.tv

ExpressVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.53 per month
• 6-month subscription: £8.12 per month
• 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.42 per month (49% off)

🌎 Number of servers	160
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	5
⏱️ Our speed test results	-8.7% download, -5.5% upload (London)

ExpressVPN is easy to use, nippy and works brilliantly if you’re looking to watch TV on France.tv from abroad. You won’t have to stare at annoying error messages on the France.tv website if you’re protected by this tried and tested VPN.

This VPN keeps your real IP address hidden, so websites won’t know if you’re streaming TV through France.tv while abroad. Every ExpressVPN member can enjoy servers in over 90 countries around the world. ExpressVPN works on lots of different devices including Mac, PC, Android or iOS smartphone.

Pros: Smartphone app lets you connect in seconds, 'favourite' most-used VPN servers for quick access, performed remarkably well in our chat support speed test

Cons: Rival VPNs are cheaper, can't use many devices at once

Try ExpressVPN today

Ivacy

• 1-month subscription: £8.62 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3 per month (65% off)
• 5-year subscription + FREE password manager: 80p per month (90% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,700
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

Ivacy is worth a closer look if you want to stream TV on France.tv while you’re travelling. This is one of the most popular, affordable VPNs around, thanks in part to its battle against blacklisted servers.

This trusted VPN will hide your real location so you can use all of France.TV’s features, even if you’ve roamed outside France itself. Use our exclusive link below and you get instant access to over 1,000 VPNs servers across the world. A single membership to Ivacy also means you can protect up to 10 gadgets at a time.

Pros: Connection is steady when using multiple devices, notifications mention if Ivacy is disabled, server locations split by country and city

Cons: We think the ExpressVPN mobile app is faster, below-average results in our chat support speed test

Try Ivacy today

NordVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.49 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3.99 per month (40% off)
• 2-year subscription: £2.79 per month (58% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,200+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	6
⏱️ Our speed test results	-14% download, -7% upload (London)

NordVPN has servers all over the world and all of them are protected by military-grade encryption. That means they’re extremely secure and you can connect without handing over your valuable personal data to companies that shouldn’t own it.

If you run into some problems while getting to grips with NordVPN and France.tv, you can make use of the live chat feature for a helping hand.

Pros: Built-in internet kill switch works well, profile page on app includes 'Security score' with privacy tips, takes less than a minute to reach a live chat agent (based on our tests)

Cons: Other VPNs tested are cheaper, some streaming services require multiple resets to work

Try NordVPN today

PureVPN

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month (12% off)
• 1-year subscription: $3.74 per month (70% off)
• 2-year subscription + 4 extra months: $1.96 per month (84% off)

🌎 Number of servers	6,500+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

If your current VPN doesn’t work with France.tv, treat yourself to a better alternative. PureVPN is a great example, being powerful enough to unlock geo-locked websites so you can enjoy them without a hassle. You’ll be able to log in to your France.tv account even if you’re not currently in France.

PureVPN also works with ITV Hub, Hulu and Amazon Prime. There are around 2,000 secure PureVPN servers based in over 130 different countries.

Pros: Surprisingly affordable considering features, lots of UK and US-based servers, generous with simultaneous devices

Cons: Takes a couple of minutes to reach live chat agents (based on our tests), performs better on iOS compared to Android (in our experience)

Try PureVPN today

FAQs: Using France.tv with a VPN

How to watch France.tv on Windows

1. Pick one of our recommended VPNs and sign up – let’s use ExpressVPN for this example.
2. Once you’ve created your ExpressVPN account, sign in using your username and password.
3. From your Windows device, open ExpressVPN and select a server located in France.
4. Once you’re connected to that server, head to the France.tv website.

Watch France.tv on Mac

1. Pick one of our recommended VPNs and create your account – we’ll use ExpressVPN for this example.
2. Once you’ve created your ExpressVPN account, sign in using your username and password.
3. From your Mac, open ExpressVPN and select a server located in France.
4. Once connected, head to the France.tv website.

How to watch France.tv on iPhone

1. Head to the Apple App Store from your iPhone.
2. Download the ExpressVPN app to your device.
3. Download the France.tv app to your device – it’s on the Apple App Store.
4. Sign in to your ExpressVPN account, and then connect to a server based in France.
5. Now that you’re connected to a VPN, open the France.tv app and log in to your account.

Watch France.tv on Android

1. Head to the Google Play Store from your Android tablet or smartphone.
2. Download the ExpressVPN app to your device.
3. Download the France.tv app to your device – it’s on the Google Play Store.
4. Sign in to your ExpressVPN account, and then connect to a server based in France.
5. Now that you’re connected to a VPN, open the France.tv app and log in to your account.

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