Why Is My VPN Not Changing My Location?
Over the years, VPN has become an optimal choice for people who need higher standards of security and privacy. VPN is a private virtual network that conceals the user’s location and helps access the restricted content. The real IP address will be masked by the VPN’s ability to connect servers from foreign places.
But there are some instances when VPNs aren’t able to work on their best capability and fail in hiding the user’s real location. Even more, it sometimes doesn’t mask the regular IP address, which makes your location and IP address vulnerable. This also implies the restrictions back on the content or the websites. There are some websites that have the capability to know the audience’s real location, even with a VPN.
For instance, Netflix has been able to block down all the proxies and virtual private networks with effective results. But if someone is using VPN to access a certain website, there ought to be a reason, right? The reason for websites not supporting VPN is their ability to control their content and put on firewalls for higher security.
But as a user, one is always looking for a VPN service, but nothing offers the top-notch service as desired. It’s needless to say that VPN services and their issues can be pretty straightforward to solve. In this article, we are sharing a complete guide through which users can work on their location issues. Also, it will help us understand the root cause and help work optimally. So, let’s start!
1. The First Yet Big Step
Whenever you are going through location issues with your VPN service, you need to confirm the app’s or service’s messages. There are multiple things that one needs to consider while working on location issues, such as;
- There are instances when VPN service might share one location, but in reality, the location might be completely different. For instance, if your VPN service shows that you are connected from the UK or Germany, but it won’t play the iPlayer. This is the sign that you aren’t connected to the country’s IP address that VPN app is showing
- These issues can arise due to poor programming of the VPN clients. Such virtual private networks will monitor the state that you are connected to. Even more, the VPN connection might drop as well. This will show that VPN servers are being used from far-off locations, but websites will be able to see your original IP address
2. Checking The Location Issues
If you are facing any location problems with your VPN, you will be able to access them by looking at the IP location on the website. The website will check the IP address through various services, and in no time, they will portray the origin location of the connection. There are high chances that cities won’t be accurate, but if the country is right, you are good to go.
For instance, if the connection location shows from your real location, there are high chances that the VPN service isn’t working. With this notion, you need to reboot the app or website and try making a connection again. However, if the location isn’t your real country but is different than what you chose, VPN might be going through a technical glitch.
As a user, it is better to connect with different servers, reboot the VPN app, and use the location verification websites. Take screenshots of these details and send them over to your VPN service provider. In contrast, if the IP address location is as you requested, VPN is working fine (obviously!) But still, the problem isn’t over, and you need to adopt a different method.
3. Using A Different Server
There are times when the IP address will be masked, but platforms are still able to recognize that you are using the VPN service. This way, servers will use their blocking services by limiting down the access and blocking your device. For instance, it might show that your device is connected to the US, but users won’t be able to access the geo-restricted content of that country.
The virtual private networks might work on the tasks according to the best servers out there. With this notion, users will be able to access the right server for a certain app. Even more, websites offer server lists that are helpful to share information regarding locations. But also, you can check with the company for their list of servers and apps.
It is optimal to use different servers if you aren’t able to access the content from a website. There is no assurance that the server interchanging will help, but there are high chances that it will work. So, try your luck!
4. The Cookies Matter
People might think that using different IP address will ensure access to the website by working on the geo-restrictions. Also, there are chances that issues will occur even if you’ve been able to access a certain website (from the reallocation.) This is because websites might have the location and IP address information from the first visit.
The websites tend to imply cookies for maintaining information about the location. For instance, any social media platform would have the login information saved and access the location information. However, the cookies might not be used by everyone, but you need to be considerate about the website’s policy about information collection and storage.
If one website has the information saved through cookies, you need to log out from the account. Also, you need to connect to the virtual private network and log in again. Now, delete the browser history and delete all the cookies by removing every ounce of information. With a VPN, you will be able to mask your identity, and no information is saved on the browser. If you are using Google Chrome, you can use the incognito mode.
The Bottom Line
If you are using VPN, one can mask the locations and IP addresses. However, if it doesn’t, it is better to check for the location issues, cut out the cookies, and using different servers. So, implement the suitable methods and get away with your location issues and access the restricted content!