U.S. Expats living in Canada and abroad, here is how to watch legal USA apps on Roku devices streaming in Canada
That is a great question, and there is indeed a solution. There is a way to set up and use a U.S. Roku account in Canada and open up access to some new content and apps that would not otherwise be available in Canada, all without the need to use nefarious Internet tools or VPN services. Just a bit of a caveat regarding the work-around I am about to offer, though: a VPN will still be needed only for account registration, and not all U.S. apps or logins will work if your Roku will be connected to a Canadian Internet IP address, but it's still a great solution for Expats looking to watch content from their home country which would not otherwise be available here in Canada. (I will summarize some of the limitations later in this article.)
By the way, if you are a U.S. Expat who already uses Roku and you brought over your device from the U.S. and you already created a Roku login while you were still residing in the U.S., you already have access to your U.S. apps and live channels across the border, so you can skip the workaround process I am about to outline and go right to the limitations you may expect to receive (or observed already).
Set Up Your U.S. Roku Account
So here is the workaround: you will need to set up a US Roku account to get any US apps from the Roku store, including such popular apps as Pluto TV, Xumo and many more. Here is how you do that:
- Make sure you have a VPN in your browser on your home computer where you will be setting up a Roku account. The registration process will be the only time you will need a VPN. (I used a browser based VPN extension and set the region to USA when navigated over to the Roku website at https://www.roku.com/, but any VPN service will do).
- At the very bottom of the Roku website also make sure that the Region setting is set to US (change it to US if it is on EN-CA, for example, if you are in Canada.)
- Create an account with an email address you have not used before on Roku. It does not matter in what country the email account was created (I used a Canadian gmail account) as long as it was never used with a Roku.
- You do not have to use a credit card to register a method of payment in your Roku account, instead Roku allows a Canadian Paypal account to work. If you do not have a Paypal account, set one up here: https://www.paypal.com/ca/for-you/account/create-account, it will save you the headache of requiring a US credit card as a required payment method for Roku. NOTE: A method of payment is only necessary if you will be doing in-app purchases on your Roku, but there are plenty of free apps and channels on Roku that you should not need to use the payment method you will set up.
- After that I followed the normal account set up steps on the Roku website.
- Before you can choose channels for your new Roku account (that step is part of the setup process on the Roku website), go to your physical Roku box and set up the Roku device with the email address and password you just set up on Roku's website. (Do a factory reset IF your Roku device is already active with a Canadian Roku account and you need to change it to your new U.S. Roku account.) After your Roku device has been properly registered, you will be able to pick your channels, including some channels that were not previously available on your Roku in Canada such as Xumo and Pluto TV, among others.
Follow these steps and you will now have access to many additional free streaming apps and services that would not otherwise be available on Roku in Canada. You will also have access to the US version of The Roku Channel with the new Live TV Channel Guide update.
Just a few caveats to this workaround however- there will be limitations (such as: you won't be able to watch free content from US networks, such content will be geographically blocked if your Roku device is connected online through a Canadian Internet service provider; some streaming services such as CBS All Access won't work because the version that is in the USA Roku Store is not the same as the Canadian version of the app; and the like). Additionally, content that is featured in US versions of apps like The Roku Channel may not load or play if the video is not available in Canada. Good news here, though, is that (from what I have tested so far, and as of this writing), you will be able to use your Canadian logins for Netflix (but still get Canadian-only content if your Roku device is connected online through a Canadian ISP) as well as Disney+.
For purposes of reporting for this blog and for full disclosure, I am in Canada and I set up a U.S. account for one of my Roku devices, and it works. I use my U.S. Roku account for review purposes and to report on any issues that may be experienced. This article will be updated frequently as issues and limitations arise.
Latest Issues, Limitations and Observations
Here are the latest issues for U.S. Expats using Roku in Canada (information in alphabetical order by name of app, and all observations and limitations observed below are all subject to change without notice):
- CBS All Access: CBS All Access Canada is not the same version as CBS All Access from the U.S.; U.S. login will not work.
- The CW / The CW Seed: Although the app becomes available in Canada, content is geo-blocked and cannot be viewed in Canada. (Getting "No Data Returned" and menu screens are blank.)
- Disney+: As of this writing, U.S. subscribers will be able to log in to Disney+, but will only have access to content available in Canada.
- Distro TV: The Distro TV app is available in all regions, but channel availability is geographically restricted. (Not all channels available in the full Distro TV line up will be available in all markets.)
- Netflix: As of this writing, U.S. subscribers will be able to log in to Netflix, but will only have access to content available in Canada.
- Peacock: Although the app becomes available in Canada, content is geo-blocked and cannot be viewed in Canada.
- Pluto TV: This app becomes available in Canada, however you will only get the very limited list of channels streaming only to Canadian IP addresses, not the full U.S. version of Pluto TV (you can go to their website - https://pluto.tv/live-tv/ - to see what is available in Canada).
- Redbox Live TV: This app becomes available in Canada with the full slate of U.S. streaming channels, the live streams are not geographically blocked. All other media, movie rentals and VOD specials are not available or accessible in Canada.
- STIRR TV: Although the app becomes available in Canada, content is geo-blocked and cannot be viewed in Canada. In fact, the app will crash and force-close to the Roku main screen.
- The Roku Channel: The Roku Channel app can be installed. Content limitations: VOD content that is not available in Canada will not load or play. Live TV: The Live TV Channel Guide is now accessible with the full slate of U.S. streaming channels, the live streams are not geographically blocked.
- Tubi TV: VOD content varies between regions / markets. Geographically restricted by country's Internet IP location.
- Xumo TV: This app becomes available in Canada with the full slate of U.S. streaming channels, the live streams are not geographically blocked.
Be sure to visit this page often for the latest updates.
Be sure to visit my blog for the latest updates on how to #StreamOnABudget!
Happy Streaming! -GB
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| If you are in Canada and looking to buy a new Roku / Roku TV, please consider buying from Amazon.ca! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING and help support the @StreamOnABudget blog and the Free2View TV Project! I truly appreciate your support! -GB. |
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