In this guide I’m going to teach you the easiest and quickest way to watch All 4 (formally 4 On Demand) from abroad in any country in the world.
All 4 is one of the most popular UK streaming services and if you want to watch outside the UK, you’re not alone.
If you’ve already tried to watch All 4 abroad you’ll no doubt know that you’re blocked from doing so. To unblock this you’ll need to get yourself an app called a VPN from a service such as ExpressVPN.
A VPN allows you to disguise your online location and appear elsewhere, but don’t worry, they’re really easy to use. Just keep reading to find out how to use one to watch All 4 abroad.
Steps to stream All 4 overseas
To access All 4 when you’re not in the UK you need a special service called a VPN (Virtual Private Network), this is a small extremely easy tool you can download.
There are hundreds of companies that provide VPN services but I recommend ExpressVPN because they’re competitively priced and they’re fast which is important when watching video online.
Just follow our four simple steps below and you will be up and running in no time.
- Click here to Sign up to their service.
- Download and install their software for your Desktop, Laptop, Apple or Android device.
- Press Selected Location (1.) and click United Kingdom (2.) then press Connect (3.).
- Visit the All 4 website and watch live streaming or on demand.
You can now watch All 4 abroad including the live streaming and catch up service. There really is nothing more to it.
There are other providers who also offer VPN services that can do exactly the same job.
Two others that I recommend are CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN. All three providers recommended are fast enough to stream video which is important when it comes to watching All 4 outside the UK.
While there are other good providers available some of which are listed in our VPN Comparison Guide there are others whose service is just to slow for video so if you’re searching Google be sure to do your research before signing up.
NOTE: You may need to change the timezone on your computer to that of the UK once connected to the VPN service.
Take a look at our example video below which shows how easy it is to watch All 4 abroad.
Can I watch on a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick
Yes, if you’ve got an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick then it’s possible to watch All 4 on them too.
Just sign up for ExpressVPN as explained earlier in this guide and then from your Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick search for the ‘ExpressVPN’ app and install it.
Once it’s installed, open the ExpressVPN app on the Fire TV or Fire Stick and press Choose Location. Select the United Kingdom and Connect.
Once it’s connected open the Channel 4 All 4 app and you can then watch as if you were in the UK.
What is All 4?
All 4 was the new name given to the online streaming service for Channel 4, in essence it is a rebranded version of their successful 4 On Demand (4OD) service.
The main difference between the original 4OD service and All 4 is the inclusion of live streaming. This allows you to watch TV shows that are currently being shown on standard TV at the same time online.
The redesigned site is split in to three areas including On Demand for the usual catchup programme access, Now for watching Live TV and On Soon for exclusive access to watch certain programmes before they’ve aired on standard TV.
The Live TV area is one of the most exciting new features and brings Channel 4 in line with the BBC who have offered live TV via iPlayer for quite some time.
Access to Channel 4, E4, More4, F1lm4 and 4Seven are all available on the live TV service. With a channel such as F1lm4 it greatly increases the opportunity to watch some quality films for free.
All 4 is available on desktop, laptop and iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone with support for Android planned for the future.
Why is All 4 blocked abroad?
When you connect to the internet you’re assigned an IP Address. This IP Address is unique to you at the time of connection and from this any website you visit or service you use can determine the rough location of yourself.
When you go outside the UK the All 4 site determines from your internet connection that you’re not in the UK and so it blocks you from streaming content.
With a VPN service it allows you to change your IP Address to one of another location. For using All 4 you want to change your IP Address to one based in the UK so if you’re abroad in Spain, the USA, Australia, France or anywhere else in the world then when using a VPN service you give the impression you’re still in the UK.
What about my tablet
All three providers recommended have apps for both iOS and Android and the one service can be used across your desktop, tablet and mobile phone.
30-day money back guarantee
I cannot get All 4 to work with TunnelBear VPN. It worked fine before the rebranding. BBC and ITV are working fine.
I recommend you try one of the alternative providers in the article, they work fine with All 4.
At the time this article was written, IPVanish might have worked for watching UK Channel 4 stations from the US. It doesn’t work now though — I signed up based on the info in this article — doesn’t work, I receive a “not available in your area” when signed in through IPV’s London servers. Fortunately, there’s a 7-day money back policy.
The providers are checked on a regular basis but I’ve just doubled checked after reading your message and it’s still working fine on Windows.
What system or device are you using?
I’m using a MacBook Pro with the most current release version of OS X
There’s no reason why it shouldn’t work then.
If you still have access to the service you should visit https://iplookup.flagfox.net/ when connected to make sure your IP is reporting that you’re in the UK.
You’ll need to disable location services on your MacBook/web browser. Also using an equivalent inprivate or incognito mode would be best.
Locations services in Chrome was set to ‘ask first’, never did get a prompt though. I turned it off, rebooted and tried again. Same thing. I guess they’re just getting smarter about blocking foreign access — I’ve recently read similar things about Netflix and VPN’s not working like they used to.
Channel 4 don’t block like Netflix do, that’s a separate issue.
As I said, I’ve just tested in and it works fine, the issue is something on your system. Did you visit the website I suggested to make sure it’s reported you’re in the UK.
Yes, the site you linked to shows me in the UK — but Channel 4 doesn’t ‘believe me’… Who knows, maybe it’s something my ISP (Verizon) does — this is the 3rd VPN service I’ve tried, none have worked for Channel 4. Cancelled the service, was worth a try…
It’s definitely not the VPN services, it something with your system.
This worked for someone else with C4. Change your timezone to the UK and try again while connected to the VPN.