Sky Go not working with VPN: Fix it in MINUTES (walkthrough)

In the UK, Sky Go has quickly become one of the most popular streaming services for telly fans. But depending on which country you’re currently in, you might not be able to gain access to the website or app. A reliable VPN will solve your issues, but what if it stops working? Our walkthrough explains what to do if your VPN isn’t working with Sky Go.

If you want to watch TV shows on Sky Go while you’re travelling, you don’t want to deal with error messages. And if the VPN you’re using at this moment is struggling, there’s a chance that Sky Go has blacklisted the server you’re trying to use. In other words, you can’t use the service outside of the United Kingdom unless you use one of our trusted VPNs.

Which VPNs work with Sky Go?

Why you can trust GadgetMouse: Our content is written by a team of humans and we refuse to use AI. Plus, we own (and use) every VPN that we write about. For more details, see our editorial policy.

Why is Sky Go not working with my VPN?

If the Sky Go website sees you’re trying to stream from outside the UK, your connection could be blocked. However, a trusted VPN can still help you watch TV shows from anywhere in the world, even if you’re traveling around.

Your VPN isn’t working with Sky Go and that’s probably because it’s not hiding your real location properly. The VPN servers you have available to you through your current VPN may be blacklisted by the website. By swapping to a better one, you’ll be able to stream without being interrupted.

How does Sky Go detect my VPN?

If your VPN isn’t hiding your real location from Sky Go, the website and app will interfere with the server you’re using, making your VPN useless. Bad VPNs take a long time to replace blacklisted servers, which means you have no way of streaming live TV channels.

In summary, common Sky Go issues include:

• The streaming website and app might have blacklisted the servers of your VPN
• You have a bad network connection that’s affecting your experience
• Desktop or mobile cookies reveal your location if you’re outside of the UK
• Your VPN may be revealing your IP address while using Sky Go

Try these fixes

1. Update your VPN

If your VPN isn’t letting you stream Sky Go outside the UK, make sure you’re using the latest version – the developers might have spotted a problem and patched it with an update.

On a PC, open your VPN and then the Settings or Options menu. Some VPNs will display a message on the start screen telling you about updates. ExpressVPN shows this:

If you’re using an Android smartphone or tablet, you need to open the Google Play store, tap on your user profile and then choose Manage apps and device. You can then select Update on your VPN.

On an iPhone, open the Apple App Store and tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen. Again, select your VPN and have a quick look at the update notes if you’re curious what changed.

2. Use a different VPN server with Sky Go

Sometimes, VPN servers that you’ve previously relied on can become temporarily unavailable.

The best VPNs that we’ve tried have multiple servers per country. For example, ExpressVPN (shown below) hosts a ‘UK – Docklands’ server as well as alternatives in East London, London and the Midlands. In other words, you can cycle between servers and see which one works best for you.

3. Contact your VPN support team

Our recommended VPN providers manage support teams that can deal with technical problems. From a computer, head to your VPN provider’s website and find the Support or Contact us pages. Some VPNs offer a 24/7 live chat service for members.

4. Reset your VPN

The tried and tested ‘off and on again’ trick often works with computer issues and we’ve found it’s a similar story with VPNs.

Restart your device and open your VPN again. If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall your VPN. Load up your VPN and Sky Go and see if performance has improved.

5. Check your internet connection

Sky Go could be failing to load because of your internet connection.

Disconnect from your wi-fi network and then reconnect. Try and run your VPN once again. You can also go a step further and restart your router – you might need a pin to press the button on the back. Note that speeds of 5-10Mbps should be enough to stream TV shows and films.

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

More Sky Go fixes:

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 Sky Go. If not, that’s a sure sign your VPN is broken.

Have you cleared cache and cookies from your internet browser? On Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. From an Apple computer, open Safari and go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data.

Have you entered your VPN username and password correctly? Double-check your credentials. If you can’t remember them, find the ‘Reset password’ option on your VPN provider’s website.

Are the VPN servers online? If you can’t connect to a server, your provider might be experiencing a temporary server outage. The best providers are transparent about this and update their server status online.

Is your firewall blocking your VPN? If Sky Go won’t work outside the UK on your PC, make sure your VPN is mentioned in the ‘Allow’ list. On Windows, head to open Windows Security > Allow an app through the firewall. On Mac, try System Settings > Network > Firewall.

Should you update your web browser? Your current web browser might be incompatible with your Sky Go VPN. After you’ve updated your VPN, make sure you update your browser as well.

Are you overworking your VPN? Your VPN might struggle to keep up if you’re running loads of apps at once. Close a couple of apps to test if doing so has a noticeable impact.

The best VPNs for Sky Go

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)

If you want to watch TV shows abroad through Sky Go, create a membership with ExpressVPN. It’s easy to use, delightfully fast and works well if you’re looking to access content that’s usually reserved for the UK. To watch Sky Go anywhere, all you need to do is open up ExpressVPN, connect to a server based in the UK and go from there.

This VPN keeps your IP address at all times, so streamers such as Sky Go won’t know you’re accessing content from outside of the UK. Every ExpressVPN member has access to servers in over 90 countries around the world. ExpressVPN works on a range 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 a great pick if you enjoy watching shows on Sky Go, and it’s well-suited if you don’t want to spend lots of money. This service supports 256-bit encryption, which helps keep cybercriminals away. You also get public wi-fi security that protects your gadgets against malware if you’re connecting to a hotspot in a public area.

Wherever you are, you can use Ivacy to access geo-restricted websites like Sky Go without anybody knowing about it. Ivacy enforces a very strict no-logs policy, which prevents your valuable personal data from being sold to sinister third parties.

This is one of the most widely-used VPNs for Sky Go. If you try it for yourself today, you’ll get instant access to over 3,000 VPN servers around the world. A single subscription for Ivacy has you covered on up to 10 different devices at once, which is ideal for a family of streamers.

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)

Here’s another VPN that lets you watch region-locked content outside of the UK. NordVPN has servers all over the world and all of them are protected by military-grade encryption. With Nord’s enhanced encryption technology, you can even stay safe on public wi-fi networks without speeds being affected.

NordVPN’s servers are brilliantly secure and you can connect without handing over personal data. This VPN doesn’t watch how you’re using the service, so privacy is guaranteed. You can also try the CyberSec feature, which blocks suspicious-looking websites and lowers the risk of your device being infected with data-grabbing malware.

In just a couple of minutes, you can start streaming shows on Sky Go using NordVPN. To access the service, just connect to a VPN server based in the UK. If you need help at any time, you can call on NordVPN’s 24/7 live chat service.

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

PureVPN is one of our favourite services to recommend for VPN newbies that want to use Sky Go abroad. It’s simple to use and doesn’t limit bandwidth. Members have access to optimised servers that are specifically designed to provide a buffer-free experience.

As soon as you connect to PureVPN, your data is encrypted and then passes securely through a series of tunnels that lead to the company’s servers. That means you’re completely anonymous. You have a 24-hour support team at your disposal, so you can reach out at any time if you have a question or need help.

PureVPN is a great VPN that allows you to bypass geo-locked websites so you can enjoy TV without a fuss, even if you’re not currently based in a supported country. You can also take advantage of the brand’s 31-day money back guarantee if you’re not fully convinced.

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

Watch Sky Go on Windows or Mac

[WPSM_AC id=17131]

As per our affiliate policy, we might earn affiliate commission when you select a retailer link. Prices and information correct at time of publication.