What happens at the border
Tubi is free because adverts pay for it, and both the adverts and the films are licensed by country. The service reads your IP address to work out which country you are in. Land somewhere it does not operate and the app opens to an apology. Land somewhere it does operate, such as Canada, Mexico, Australia or the UK, and you get that country's smaller shelf in place of the American one. Your watch list may be full of titles that are greyed out.
Nothing is wrong with your account, if you even have one. Tubi streaming simply follows the address that it sees.
Before you leave home
- Get a key and test it. App stores and Telegram are easy to reach at home and sometimes are not abroad.
- Install a client on every device that is going in the suitcase.
- Check that Tubi plays with the tunnel connected to a US city. If one city is refused, note which one works.
- Pack an HDMI cable or a streaming stick if you want it on a hotel TV.
- Download nothing from unofficial Tubi sites. The real apps are in the official stores.
On the trip
Connect to New York, Dallas or Seattle, whichever is closest to where you are. Closer means less buffering.
Open Tubi. The US home screen should appear.
If you see a not available message, switch to another US city and reopen the app.
For the hotel TV, cast from your phone, plug in a laptop, or use a Fire TV stick with v2rayNG on it.
Why it sometimes refuses a VPN
Streaming companies know that VPNs exist and they buy lists of data centre address ranges. When a range gets listed, players on those addresses see an error until they move. That is why we name three US cities and do not promise that any one of them works forever. No provider can honestly promise that. What we can offer is five free days to find out before your trip and not during it.
Fair play
- This page is for people using a free, legal service they use at home while they happen to be away.
- Tubi's terms restrict access by region. Whether to go ahead is your call and your responsibility.
- We do not support pirate streaming sites under any name.
- Video is heavy. On hotel Wi-Fi expect standard definition at busy hours, whatever tunnel you use.
- One key covers five devices, so everyone in the room can watch something different.
A note on accounts
Tubi works without signing in. If you do have an account, it keeps your list and your place in a series, and neither is affected by the city you connect through. Parental controls on the account keep working as well. None of it is visible to us. We see neither what you watch nor which service you open.
Q.Why does Tubi not work outside the US?
A.Its licences and adverts are sold per country, and it checks your IP address to enforce them.
Q.Which city should I pick?
A.Any US city. Choose the one nearest to where you are for smoother video.
Q.Tubi shows an error with the VPN on. What now?
A.Switch to another US city and reopen the app. Address ranges get blocked in waves.
Q.Can I watch on the hotel TV?
A.Yes. Cast from your phone, connect a laptop by HDMI, or bring a streaming stick that runs the client.
Q.Do I need a Tubi account?
A.No. It is optional. An account only saves your list and your progress.
Q.Is this allowed?
A.A VPN is legal. Tubi's terms limit use by region, so the decision is yours.