How to get an IP Address from the UK

UK IP Address

There are plenty of different reasons why someone would want to change their IP address and if you’re looking for a UK IP Address specifically, this is the guide for you.

In this day and age, with restrictions all over the web, reaching the desired content sometimes requires using special tools.

Most people will find themselves in such a situation from time to time, but only a few know what to do to get their IP address changed.

If you were wondering how it is done, you have come to the right place. We will explain everything right now, and below you will learn how to get a UK address from anywhere in the world.

Why might you need a UK IP Address?

Before we move on to how to get a UK IP address, let’s first discuss some situations that might lead you to need a UK IP address in the first place.

Those might include:

Bypassing censorship

If you live in a country where specific content is blocked by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but you really want to access it, the best way of doing so is to replace your IP address by connecting to a server in an overseas country.

If you live near the UK, then the UK might be your best option due to both, excellent access to different content, as well as the proximity of the servers which is ideal for speed reasons.

Bypassing UK geo-restrictions

Next, you may want to access some content that is only available in the UK, but is restricted outside of the country.

This is a common occurrence when it comes to streaming content or accessing some local UK websites.

Most popular sites include streaming sites like BBC iPlayer or online gambling services.

Safe use of public Wi-Fi

Another reason why you might want to change your IP address is to protect yourself while using public WiFi.

You may have used free internet in parks, hotels, airports or coffee shops but you should know that this can be dangerous, as you never know who else is connected to the same network.

If you happen to connect to a network used by hackers, they might conduct a Man-in-The-Middle attack and intercept your data, thus stealing all kinds of sensitive information.

While this attack mostly depends on the lack of encryption, it also requires an IP address to work, so by changing it, you are one step closer to being safe.

Stopping advertisers

We also mentioned advertisers, which are always hungry for more data that they use to target you with ads.

They used to care about selling things, but now, they are also quite interested in tracking your activities, which many see as privacy intrusion.

By hiding your real IP address and exchanging it with another one, such as a UK-based one, you can keep your location and other sensitive data private.

Private browsing

Last but not least, we all seek online privacy and anonymity.

These were supposed to be some of the main features of the internet, but things are far from that due to advertisers, hackers, government agencies, and alike.

So, everyone is left to fend for themselves, and if you wish any real amount of privacy, you must secure it yourself.

The best way to do so is to hide your IP address and exchange it with another. That way, your browsing activity will be recorded in connection to a random IP instead of your own.

The tools you’ll need to get a UK IP Address

Now that you know why changing your IP address is useful let’s talk about the best way to get a UK-based one.

The most reliable way is to use a VPN app.

You can then use these apps to connect to locations around the world, including in the UK. Doing so will grant you a new IP address that is connected to the server and its physical location.

In other words, nothing would point towards you.

Further Reading

Discover more in our ‘What is a VPN?‘ beginner’s guide.

However, that is only a part of what a VPN does. In addition to protecting your real IP, it also protects your online data, by hiding it with a secure tunnel, and encrypting it so that it is unreadable to anyone other than yourself.

VPN apps are provided by ‘VPN services’ or ‘VPN providers’, and there are many to choose from which I discuss below.

Where to get a VPN?

One potential issue with this entire idea is where to find a good VPN.

There are hundreds of services today, and if you don’t know what to look for, you can quickly end up with the wrong provider. This is especially the case when it comes to the UK, as nearly every service offers UK-based connections.

However, there are still plenty that work exceptionally well. My recommendation is ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is excellent for the UK because it is capable of unblocking pretty much all of the country’s websites, streaming services, and alike. It is also lightening fast, so it can actually be used for streaming.

Apart from that, ExpressVPN is also very affordable, it is located in the British Virgin Islands, so it is far from any intrusive government, and it has over 3,000 servers in 94 different countries, many of which are in the UK.

There are servers in London, Wembley, East London, and London, Docklands.

Alternatively, you can also go for services such as CyberGhost or NordVPN, both of which should also serve you quite well. The choice is down to you.

30-day money back guarantee

Steps to get a UK IP Address

Lastly, let’s talk about what you should actually do to get a UK IP address.

The steps are straightforward, follow these and you’ll have a UK IP address in minutes:

Step 1: Get a VPN

The first step revolves around picking a VPN and signing up. Again, I recommend visiting ExpressVPN.

It is all pretty simple, and if you have ever made a Netflix account or even a Facebook account, it is no more difficult.

In fact, making a VPN account is even simpler, as you only need to enter your email and payment method, in addition to picking a payment plan.

Step 2: Get the app

The second step would be to download the VPN app. You can do it from the VPN website, or from your usual app store if you plan to use a mobile device.

Step 3: App installation and setup

Next, you need to install the freshly-downloaded app.

On a mobile device, the process will be automatic and it will install itself after the download.

However, on a PC, you will need to do it manually, although it is also effortless. You will also have to set up certain preferences during the installation, or when you try to log in, depending on a VPN you chose.

Step 4: Connect to the UK

Lastly, you will have to log into the app, find a list of servers, and find any server in the UK. Then, select it and hit ‘Connect,’ and that’s it.

ExpressVPN connecting to the UK

Connect to the UK to get a UK-based IP Address.

Summary

There are many reasons why you might want to change your IP address, and even more why you might want to change your address to a UK-based IP.

We have listed some of them above, but whether or not your reason is on the list, you will still find our instructions helpful for achieving it.

So, if you want a UK IP address, grab ExpressVPN or one of the other recommended services from above, sign up and connect to their UK location.

 

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Author: Ali Raza

Ali is a journalist with a keen interest in VPN usage. He is an expert in the field and has been covering VPN related topics for VPNCompare and numerous well-respected publications for many years.

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