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How to use a VPN for Google Play to change Store country in 2023


Many apps, movies, games, and even music on Google Play Store are available in certain regions only. A certain country on your Store dictates what content you can access, but using a VPN for Google Play can help you access other countries’ libraries.

However, a reputable VPN works not only to bypass Google Play Store region blocks but also unblocks other sites, like Netflix. Not to mention the increased level of online security and privacy that comes along.

Read on to learn how to easily change Google Play country with a VPN, the best VPN to do so, and solutions for when Google Play purchases are not supported in your country.

How to change Google Play country

Top 5 Google Play Store country in 2023

  1. NordVPN – best VPN to change location on Google Play Store overall
  2. Surfshark – budget-friendly VPN choice for Google Play
  3. IPVanish – versatile Google Play VPN
  4. ExpressVPN – lightning-fast VPN service
  5. CyberGhost – geographically diverse VPN

How can a Google Play VPN help you change Store country?

Considering getting a Google Play VPN to change the Store location? These are the details you should snatch for:

Encryption: AES-256
Tunneling protocol:WireGuard
Server types:Obfuscated servers, physical servers
Extra features:Kill switch, Split tunneling, Threat protection

A VPN will help you get around geo-restrictions by assigning you a new IP address in whatever location you want since the Google Play Store places geographic restrictions on its apps and content. Consequently, the IP address assigned to your device stops you from accessing certain apps on the Play Store.

A VPN will not only help you bypass geo-restrictions put in place by the Google Play Store but also by individual app companies, such as:

  • Hulu, which is only available in the US and Japan
  • BBC iPlayer, which is only available in the UK
  • Sky Go, which is only available in Europe
  • HBO Go, which is only available in the US

Best VPNs to change Google Play Store country

A VPN for bypassing Google Play region blocks must offer some specific details, such as geographically diverse server fleet to add a new country of your choice, strong security features, strict privacy policy, multiple devices support, and more.

Here, you will find the top 5 VPNs to change country on Google Play Store that have been tested by the Cybernews team and selected specifically for you.

1. NordVPN – best VPN to change location on Google Play in 2023

NordVPN banner 1
Servers/countries:5500+ servers in 60 countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV
Money-back guarantee:30-day
Current deal:🔥Get NordVPN with 63% OFF + 3 months FREE!🔥

NordVPN is our top-picked VPN with intuitive, advanced, and best-performing features. This VPN connection offers more than 5500 servers in 60 countries and its Windows and Android apps are one of the fastest in the market.

The speeds are supported by their Nordlynx protocol. Additionally, when it comes to privacy and security, you can definitely rely on NordVPN. The service is based in Panama – a privacy-friendly country. It also employs a strict no-logs policy and is regularly audited. You can rest assured it won’t share or track any of your data.

The automatic kill switch will also make sure you're safe by cutting off your connection in case any connection drops.

To find out more, read our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – VPN choice for Google Play with the best quality and price ratio

Surfshark banner
Servers/countries:3200+ servers in 100 countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Amazon Fire TV
Money-back guarantee:30-day
Current deal:🔥Get 82% OFF Surfshark + 2 months FREE🔥

Another pick of ours is Surfshark – excellent best value VPN to use for Google Play. It offers affordable long-term subscriptions and unlimited simultaneous connections.

Surfshark is very advanced in its features too. It has fast speeds and a big server fleet, so you’ll be able to connect to your chosen server quickly. Other features like Clean Web, Camouflage Mode, and NoBorders Mode will ensure against malware and phishing.

There’s also a kill switch feature to assure your private data never gets exposed. On top of this, Surfshark is great for streaming and unblocks many platforms.

Check out our Surfshark review to learn more.

3. IPVanish – comprehensive VPN for Google Play Store

IPVanish banner
Servers/countries:2000+ servers in 50 countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Money-back guarantee:30-day
Current deal:🔥Get 72% OFF IPVanish!🔥

Another great VPN choice from our top list is IPVanish. It provides top-notch security and is a good combo of privacy and speeds. It implements AES-256 encryption, which is the industry standard, and you can rest assured your data is safe.

In addition, this provider has a no-logs policy, which means that your personal information will be safe and your data will not be stored or leaked. However, IPVanish is based in the US, which isn’t a privacy-concerned country, and belongs to the 5-Eyes alliance.

In terms of pricing, IPVanish has great deals, the prices start at $3.33/month.

Sound like a great deal? Find out more on our IPVanish review.

4. ExpressVPN – fast VPN service with a decent list of features

ExpressVPN banner
Servers/countries:3000+ servers in 94 countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Money-back guarantee:30-day
Current deal:🔥 Get ExpressVPN, now 49% OFF the 1-year plan! 🔥

ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPNs among users to bypass various geo-blocks like on Google Play Store. And with its in-house built Lightway tunneling protocol, the connection speed remains nearly untouched no matter where you are.

However, not only Google Play Store will be served for you, but you will also be able to enjoy Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and other popular streaming services in full HD and lagging-free. Plus, 3000 servers in 94 countries ensure you find a server that’s either useful or closer to you.

Finally, and most importantly, ExpressVPN uses advanced encryption for your traffic. It also offers a functional kill switch feature and follows an independently audited no-logs policy. Yet, it belongs to Kape Technologies, which has been reported to violate users’ privacy in the past.

Learn more about the features in our ExpressVPN review.

5. CyberGhost – Google Play Store VPN with the most servers

CyberGhost VPN banner
Servers/countries:9700+ servers in 91 countries
Compatible with:
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Money-back guarantee:
45-day
Current deal:🔥 Get CyberGhost VPN, now 83% OFF + 2 months FREE 🔥

CyberGhost can help you access the richest Google Play Store libraries by giving you a selection of 9700 servers distributed across 91 countries. And its specialized servers for gaming can enhance your experience even more.

In fact, there are also servers for streaming that constantly rotate your IP address, boost your connection speed, and always guarantee access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more. But even without these specialized servers, you receive great connection speeds thanks to the WireGuard tunneling protocol.

CyberGhost is also a secure option to choose, as it encrypts your data using AES-256 cipher, has an automatic kill switch feature, and has also gone through independent audits. Nevertheless, just like ExpressVPN, it’s purchased by Kape Technologies, so some privacy concerns can’t be ignored from our side.

Read our CyberGhost review and find out more.

6. Atlas VPN – decent all-around Google Play VPN service

Atlas VPN banner
Servers/countries:750 servers in 38 countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Money-back guarantee:30-day
Current deal:🔥Get Atlas VPN, now 83% OFF + 3 months FREE!🔥

Atlas VPN is another robust VPN service for Google Play Store. It has a free version, is user-friendly, and offers overall great security. Atlas VPN has more than 750 servers in 38 countries.

This VPN provider offers great speeds with the WireGuard protocols that ensure fast speeds. There are also quite a few features AtlasVPN has to offer, such as Data Hack Detection, SafeBrowse, and more. On top of that, this VPN can unblock geo-restricted content.

In terms of pricing, Atlas VPN is one of the cheapest options available on the market. Also, it has unlimited simultaneous connections.

Get to know more on our Atlas VPN review.

7. PureVPN – VPN for complete online privacy and security

purevpn
Servers/countries:6500+ servers in 78+ countries
Compatible with:Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
Money-back guarantee:31-day
Current deal:🔥Get PureVPN, now 81% OFF + 3 months FREE!🔥

Last but not the least on our top list of VPN providers is PureVPN.

Regarding the VPN itself, PureVPN has everything necessary to compete with the leading VPN brands. The top security rating on this list goes to PureVPN thanks to AES-256 encryption and an ongoing audit. Additionally, the extremely quick and safe WireGuard protocol provides exceptional overall performance.

Also, PureVPN is able to unblock some geo-blocked content depending on the server you’re connected to. Speaking of servers, PureVPN has a solid number of them – 6500+ servers in 78+ countries. Prices are also excellent, with long-term plans starting at $2.08/month

Interested? Read our PureVPN review.

How we tested and selected these Google Play VPNs

This is what we paid attention to when choosing the best VPN for changing Google Play Store country:

  • Server fleet. The bigger number of servers and the wider geographical distribution is the more versatile content you will access. That’s why we selected those VPNs that offer geographically diverse server fleets.
  • Connection speed. It’s no secret that a VPN connection can impact your internet connection speed. Therefore, we have tested and picked only the fastest VPNs that use the WireGuard tunnel and cause as less damage to the speed as possible.
  • Strong security. Security and a VPN should be inseparable. With that in mind, we have picked those VPNs that offer an advanced suite of security features.
  • Ease-of-use. A user-friendly interface helps a user to achieve the most efficient protection. We made sure our suggested VPNs offer intuitive applications for various platforms.
  • Money-back-guarantee. Having the possibility to test the service before fully committing to it should be one of the VPN market’s priorities. Fortunately, each of the listed VPNs offers a risk-free month for you to feel the service.

How can I change location in the Google Play Store account?

While a VPN can change your IP, there’s still a high chance that you’ll need to update your Google Play location manually on the app itself.

Wondering how to change location in Play Store? This can be done by creating a new Google Play Store payment profile with a virtual credit card and an address from the country you wish to access.

How to change Google Play country on a smartphone or a tablet

To manually update your current account’s location on an Android device, you will need to:

  1. On your Android device, open the Google Play Store application.
  2. At the top right, find the profile icon and click the downward arrow by your icon.
  3. In the drop-down menu, click on “Add another account” and follow the steps on the screen.
  4. After filling in all the information, it should ask if you want to add a phone numberskip this step.
  5. After creating an account, go to Google Play and choose the payment account you just created.
  6. In the menu, choose “Payments and subscriptions”, add a virtual card, choose any US address, and you are ready to download US apps.

How to change Google account country on PC

  1. Go to pay.google.com.
  2. Click on "Settings".
  3. Scroll down to “Payments profile” and find Country/Region.
  4. Click the pencil and add another payment account to change the country.

At the same time, you can change Google Play country without a payment method. Yet, our tests have shown that even though you’ll be able to find geo-specific apps in your store, you won’t be able to download them without adding a valid payment method.

Cybernews author’s note

Be mindful that you can change your country in Google Play Store only once every 12 months, with no way of changing back earlier. For this reason, it is advised to change your Google Play Store location only if you’ve actually moved countries.

Google Play not working with a VPN – what to do?

Even though using a VPN for Google Play Store is very simple, even the best VPNs sometimes don’t work exactly as we need them. To solve that, here are a few things you can do:

  1. Clear your Google Play Store data/cache and try using a different server
  2. Make sure that your VPN provider is not leaking your real IP address
  3. Contact your VPN provider’s customer support
  4. Try a different VPN service provider
Best VPN for Google Play Store
Do you wish to access a specific app that is available in a specific location? Use NordVPN to mask your IP address and change your Google Play Store location easily. You can expect great speed and many security features from this provider.
cybernews® score
4.9 /5

Can you change your Google Play Store location with a free VPN?

Yes, a free VPN for Google Play might be able to change your store location. However, that itself might come at a certain price.

It is a known fact that free VPNs are often more harmful than helpful. A free VPN usually lacks standard security features, has a small server fleet, and might not even block your IP all that well. And that is something you definitely need to access Google Play’s geo-restricted content.

Yet, worst of all, most free VPNs might be selling user data to third parties. And that is definitely not something to be after. For that reason, I suggest you look into freemium VPNs, or VPNs that offer free trials.

Some of the best VPNs with a free trial are:

  • NordVPN – offers a standard 30-day money-back guarantee plus a 7-day free trial. By opting for either, you can try the fast speeds, military-grade security, and a large fleet of servers for free.
  • Surfshark – similar to NordVPN, Surfshark also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 7-day free trial. Enjoy very secure and very fast services on as many devices as you wish. Free of charge, of course.

How can to change the country in Google Play without a VPN

If a fully-fledged VPN package isn’t what you need at the moment but changing the region for the Play Store app is still your goal, then take a look at other solutions for shifting your IP address country:

Smart DNS

Smart DNS is a technology that helps you bypass geo-restrictions and access global content by rerouting your DNS traffic through a proxy server. Unlike a VPN, it doesn’t require you to have the application, it’s faster, and works where a VPN is blocked. Yet, this way, you risk your online security as there’s no encryption.

Proxy servers

Just like a VPN, proxy servers transmit your connection through a remote server. This way, you bypass firewalls and bypass region restrictions. However, proxies are often badly managed and are likely to collect your data.

Bottom line

All in all, Google Play Store offers you apps based on your geo-location. Simply put, the store determines your location by your IP address. That prevents you from downloading geo-specific apps.

The only way how to bypass these restrictions is by creating a new Google Play Store account, using a VPN, like NordVPN, to mask your original IP address, and using a virtual card and an address from the desired location you wish to access the content from.

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FAQs

Comments

Will
Will
prefix 6 months ago
I have a google Playstore a/c with a Playstore balance that I created through VPN. I load my a/c by purchasing gift cards. So far had been using this to buy apps from the US-based Playstore. Every time I accessed that store, I would VPN to a US IP. But last night I forgot to VPN. Now even with the US IP, it says Pay Balance can only be used in United States. Clearing data/cache of the app didn't work too. Any suggestions?
Cybernews Team
Cybernews Team
prefix 6 months ago
Hi! It seems that this issue has been happening more and more. Here are a few ways that could help you out: 1. Clear apps cache and cookies; 2. Contact Google support; 3. This is the riskiest solution - if you have a trustworthy friend in the US, you can get them to connect to your Google Plat and it could fix the issue. This last option is risky since you could just be scammed out of your account, so thread carefully.
Emmanuel Ade
Emmanuel Ade
prefix 10 months ago
How to get Google play
Aurelija Tomkevičiūtė
Aurelija Tomkevičiūtė
prefix 10 months ago
Hi!

If you have an Android, Google Play store will be on your phone by default. If you have an iPhone (or an iOS or Mac device), then your Google Play equivalent is App Store. Unfortunately, you cannot get Google Play on an iPhone.
Eric
Eric
prefix 1 year ago
I followed all the steps and retried several times but despite choosing Chile in my Kaspersky VPN, the Google Play Store offers only to change me to the United States store, and nothing happens if I click it.
Cybernews Team
Cybernews Team
prefix 1 year ago
Hi!

The problem can be related to the VPN that you are using - it might be leaking your real IP address. You can always try to change your VPN provider. NordVPN has worked for us.
6969
6969
prefix 1 year ago
thanks for helping me
Sarah
Sarah
prefix 1 year ago
Hello, I tried all the steps with NordVPN on my brand new Google Pixel 6, bought in the US. I tried to put a Belgian VPN but it did not work. It only allows me to be in the US
Samuel
Samuel
prefix 1 year ago
I have been trying to use TextNow on my phone in Nigeria… I used different vpns but still… TextNow did not open not until I followed the steps you mentioned in this article… Now, TextNow is working… Thanks a bunch…I’ll keep visiting this site
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