Luckily, it’s easy to resolve this problem by using a VPN. It hides your real IP address and assigns you a new one from the country of your choice. So when you connect to an Indian server, Hotstar will think you’re actually in India and won’t block you from the site. This way, you can access Hotstar from anywhere, including the US. I tested 35+ VPNs and found only a few that could reliably get past Disney+ Hotstar’s tough geoblocks. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN because it consistently unblocks Hotstar and provides superfast speeds for uninterrupted streaming. It’s even backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test ExpressVPN out for yourself risk-free. If you don’t like it, you can get a full refund. Watch Disney+ Hotstar Today March 2023 Update: Some VPN providers are reluctant to host physical servers in India, due to a recent change in VPN data-sharing laws. However, you don’t need a real server in India to access Disney+ Hotstar. The VPNs we list below all offer fast, reliable access to Hotstar with virtual Indian servers that work.
Why You Need a VPN to Watch Disney+ Hotstar
Due to broadcasting restrictions, Disney+ Hotstar is only available in a limited number of countries, such as India, Singapore, and the UK. If you try to access the site from outside these locations, you’ll be blocked from accessing its content, even if you’ve paid for a subscription. However, you can easily overcome this problem with a VPN. A VPN masks your real IP address and replaces it with a new one in a different location. For example, when you use an Indian IP address, your traffic and virtual location get rerouted through this country. This way, it appears as if you’re in a licensed location — so Hotstar won’t block you. Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free
The Best VPNs to Watch Disney+ Hotstar India From Anywhere in 2023
1. ExpressVPN — Superfast to Watch Hotstar in Ultra HD Without Lag
ExpressVPN has ultra-fast speeds, so you can watch your favorite Hotstar shows without buffering. During my tests on its India (via Singapore) and India (via UK) servers, I got an average download speed of 55 Mbps, which is over 2 times what’s needed for Ultra HD streaming. I didn’t encounter any lag as I binge-watched Criminal Justice in Ultra HD. I also tested connections in London and Wembley, which gave me no lower than 47 Mbps. To bypass Hotstar’s tough geoblocks, ExpressVPN has 2 virtual servers offering Indian IP addresses. Its India (via UK) server unblocked Hotstar on the first attempt, and I could connect in under 2 seconds. The connection was also reliable — I never got disconnected from the VPN while streaming Special OPS, even though I was thousands of miles away. This way, you can watch Hotstar hassle-free no matter where you are. MediaStreamer allows you to enjoy Hotstar on WiFi-enabled devices that typically don’t support VPNs. For instance, many gaming consoles and smart TVs lack VPN compatibility. However, by following the instructions on ExpressVPN’s website, I could set it up on my smart TV in under 10 minutes. The entire process was quick and easy, allowing me to stream Hotstar on my big screen. The only downside with ExpressVPN is that it’s a bit expensive; the cheapest plan is $6.67/month. However, you can usually save some money since ExpressVPN offers generous discounts throughout the year. When I signed up for its long-term plan, I got 49% off my subscription and 3 months of extra service for free. I found this to be the best value — the short-term plans offer the same features but at a higher price. You can try ExpressVPN with Hotstar completely risk-free using its money-back guarantee. If you’re not impressed, you have 30 days to get your money back. I wanted to test out this guarantee, so I reached out to support via 24/7 live chat. The agent asked me why I wanted to cancel and quickly accepted my request once I gave my reason. The money was refunded in and back in my account within 3 days. Watch Hotstar With ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost — Streaming-Optimized Servers to Easily Access Hotstar
CyberGhost offers specialized streaming servers to help you get around Hotstar’s geoblocks. You can easily find this in the “For streaming” category within the app. During my tests, I connected to its Hotstar-optimized server and got instant access to the platform. Plus, it also reliably unblocked Zee5, Voot, and Alt Balaji. Each of these sites loaded right away — I never had to change servers. Its speeds are impressive, so you can stream without slowdowns. I tested one of its Indian servers, which gave me download speeds of 42 Mbps. During this time, I watched 7 Game of Thrones episodes and didn’t experience any buffering or loading times. It was even faster when I tested a couple of UK locations (London and Manchester) — these produced an average of 45 Mbps. CyberGhost has native apps for most modern devices, which are super easy to use and set up. I downloaded and installed the VPN on my Windows laptop in less than 3 minutes. Plus, I could easily find and connect to its Indian server in just a few clicks. What’s more, you can add a server location to ‘favorites’ for easy access in the future. One minor con is that its short-term plans are pretty expensive. However, you can get CyberGhost for just $2.11/month with its yearly plan. Considering all the plans have the same features, it’s better to go with long-term options since they will save you the most money overall. This plan comes with a trustworthy 45-day money-back guarantee, as opposed to the 14-day money-back guarantee offered by its short-term options. When I tested it, I had no issue getting my refund. All I had to do was contact support via the 24/7 live chat feature. The agent asked a few customer satisfaction-related questions and approved my request within 5 minutes. I had my money back after 4 days. Watch Hotstar with CyberGhost
3. Private Internet Access — Reliable Servers to Access Hotstar From Anywhere
Unblocking Hotstar is easy with PIA’s massive server network. During my tests, I used its Indian server to get Hotstar on my screen in under 30 seconds. The connections were reliable — I didn’t experience a single interruption while watching Grahan on my PC. This way, you’ll have consistent access to Hotstar, no matter your location. With its fast speeds, you can watch Hotstar in HD with zero buffering. When I tested its Indian server, I recorded speeds of 35 Mbps. With its UK servers, I found an average of 38 Mbps — this wasn’t as fast as ExpressVPN, but I could still enjoy Hostages in HD without lag. Plus, it never took more than 4 seconds for each episode to load. PIA allows Unlimited simultaneous device connections, so you can cover your entire household with a single subscription. While testing, I connected my Windows laptop, Android tablet, and iPhone to its Indian server. Despite having multiple connections, I never got disconnected from the VPN and could watch Hotstar on all of them without issues. A downfall with PIA is that it’s not the most user-friendly app. It has tons of customization options which can be overwhelming for beginners. However, it comes pre-configured, so if you prefer not to adjust any advanced settings, you can start streaming immediately. I found its yearly plan to be the best value — with it, you can get PIA for just $2.03/month. Short-term subscriptions offering the same features are also an option, but they’re more expensive in the long run. In addition, PIA lets you test out its features risk-free with its reliable 30-day money-back guarantee. After using the service for 22 days, I contacted support using the live chat option and asked them to cancel my subscription. My request was approved quickly, and the money was back in my account after 5 days. Watch Hotstar With PIA
Where Can I Watch Disney+ Hotstar Online?
Aside from India, you can also watch Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In addition, Hotstar is also available in Canada, Singapore, and the UK, where it operates as a standalone streaming service targeting Indians living abroad. The easiest way to watch Hotstar from anywhere (including the US, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden) is by using a VPN. The available content and subscription prices vary from country to country. After my tests, I found that Disney+ Hotstar India has the most shows and a low comparable price. However, it does require a local Indian phone number and payment method to sign up.
How to Set up Disney+ Hotstar India on Your Device
To set up Hotstar on Mac and PC, you just have to connect your VPN to an Indian server and log into Hotstar to begin streaming. You can sign into Hotstar in your browser — otherwise, it also offers apps for these devices if you prefer. On the other hand, it gets a little bit trickier with other devices. One method for Android is to change your current Google account’s location. However, this isn’t really practical since it doesn’t let you access any of your local apps anymore. You can only change your region once annually, so you’ll be locked into this region’s Play Store for a year. Additionally, for this to work, you need to have an Indian payment method. I’ve found an easier method to set up Hotstar on Android — as well as iOS and Apple TV.
Android
If you do not have an Indian payment method, you’ll need to create a new Google India account. To do that, follow the steps below: Alternatively, you can download Hotstar’s.apk file from sites like APKPure and install it manually. Just be sure to have third-party installations enabled on your Android device.
iOS and Apple TV
Note: This method changes the App Store region, so you can download the Hotstar app on your iPhone, iPad, or AppleTV. However, Apple TV doesn’t natively support VPN connections. To stream Hotstar on your Apple TV, you’ll either have to configure a VPN on your router or use a smart DNS service like ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer. Watch Hotstar With ExpressVPN
Can I watch Hotstar for free?
You can watch select movies and shows (with ads) on Disney+ Hotstar India for free. However, it’s only available to viewers based in India. If you’re traveling outside of the country, the best way to access Hotstar’s free content is to use a VPN with Indian servers and reliable unblocking abilities. That being said, the free version of Hotstar has another limitation — it only lets you stream live sports for 5 minutes and you can’t watch IPL matches. If you want to access the entire Hotstar library and watch live sports without limitations, you’ll have to upgrade to its premium version.
What devices can I watch Hotstar on?
You can watch Hotstar on multiple devices and operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromecast, Firestick, Roku, and more. All the VPNs on this list are compatible with these devices, so you’ll be able to stream Hotstar without issues. If you want to watch Hotstar on a smart TV, it’s important to choose a VPN that offers a Smart DNS service, like ExpressVPN. This is because smart TVs don’t natively support VPN connections. The Smart DNS feature replaces your device’s DNS address with one in a licensed location so you can watch geo-restricted content on your smart TV. Hotstar lets you stream on up to 4 devices at a time, depending on the plan you choose. Plus, since all of the VPNs in this list allow for 5+ simultaneous device connections, you can cover your entire household with one subscription.
What if my VPN is not working with Hotstar?
First, you should try switching to a different server. It’s possible that Hotstar has blocked the IP address of the server you’re connected to. That’s why it’s helpful to get a VPN with multiple Indian servers that can reliably unblock Hotstar. If this doesn’t help, you can try the following:
Disable IPv6. Not all VPNs are reliable — some may fail to secure your traffic, resulting in IPv6 address leaks, which will reveal your true location. However, you can prevent that by disabling IPv6 traffic on your device. To do that on Windows, go to “Network and Sharing Center”, click “Change Adapter Settings”, right-click on the network you’re connected to, and uncheck “Internet Protocol Version 6”. Clear cookies. Many websites collect your data (like your location) through cookies. Hotstar can use this to identify your true location, even when you’re connected to a VPN. However, you can prevent that by clearing the cache and cookies in your browser. Change VPN protocol. Most VPNs offer multiple security protocols, and each protocol uses different encryption and tunneling methods. You can experiment with all the available protocols until you find something that works. Generally, OpenVPN is preferred because it’s stable and reliable for bypassing geoblocks. However, it’s a bit slower than IKEv2 or WireGuard.
Can I use a free VPN to watch Hotstar?
Possibly, but free VPNs are usually very limited and make it difficult to stream at all. A better option is to use a low-cost premium VPN that comes with a money-back guarantee. This way, you can test out a VPN with the service and get a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied. I tested the money-back guarantees of each of the VPNs in this list and each of them was a simple process. I received my money back in full in every case. To elaborate, most free VPNs do not work with Hotstar at all. Even if you managed to find one that works, you’ll likely have data restrictions and slow speeds. This makes it almost impossible to stream shows in high quality, if at all. On top of this, free VPNs usually interrupt you with tons of annoying targeted ads — it’s simply not worth the hassle.
Can I sign up for Hotstar India outside of India?
You can, but it’s a bit tricky. Disney+ Hotstar (India) requires an Indian phone number and payment method for signup. If you don’t have an Indian number, you can get a virtual one online to receive Hotstar’s required passcode for signing up. Then you’ll need to use a VPN to connect to an Indian server and create your Hotstar account. I do not recommend sites that give you shared disposable numbers. With a shared disposable number, you’ll have no control over your account since Hotstar sends you a verification code to your number when you log in. This means that anyone can access your account as long as that number is still on the site. Also, you’ll need an Indian payment method to purchase a Hotstar subscription. You won’t be able to subscribe to a paid plan if you don’t have one. That said, you can still watch select Hotstar titles with its ad-supported free version. Watch Hotstar With ExpressVPN
Start Watching Disney+ Hotstar Now
Hotstar is only available in a few countries, like India, Indonesia, and the UK. You’ll run into geoblocks if you try to watch Hotstar in the US or anywhere else the platform isn’t available. Luckily, a reliable VPN with Indian connections can help you overcome this. Of all the VPNs I tested, I found that ExpressVPN worked best with Hotstar. Its reliable Indian servers gave me access to the platform in seconds. Plus, I could watch all my favorite shows in HD thanks to its lightning-fast speeds. You can test ExpressVPN with Hotstar risk-free, and if you’re not happy with it, you have 30 days to get a refund.
To summarize, the best VPNs for watching Disney+ Hotstar are…
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