ExpressVPN has a new easy-to-use Apple TV app

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Buried in the rest of the news from WWDC 2023 was the information that third-party VPN support was coming to tvOS 17. The first big-name VPN provider to release its native tvOS app is ExpressVPN.

It’s no secret that VPNs are often used to get around region-locks on content, like on Netflix. And not everyone wants to run a VPN directly on their router, or knows that’s even a possibility.

With this tvOS 17 native app, users won’t have to know the technical details. They just need to sign into their ExpressVPN account, and connect to servers in one of 105 countries around the world.

The best part is that the app does all the hard work for you, but it is missing a few features that advanced users would prefer to see.

Use ExpressVPN on your Apple TV with the new app

ExpressVPN is the first of the large VPN providers to release a native tvOS 17 app, but several other providers are in the process of getting their own apps into the App Store.

Still, ExpressVPN is one of our favorite VPN providers, and I’ve personally used them for multiple years when I lived abroad. The reasons are simple, speed and convenience.

They consistently performed above the competition for throughput speeds, often matching the speed of my connection. And with a short setup through the app, I could be online and be protected with a few clicks.

It’s worth remembering that you’ll have to be on tvOS 17 to use the app, as third-party VPN support didn’t exist in prior versions. Once you’ve updated, you can get the app from the App Store and sign into your ExpressVPN account.

It even has a QR code sign-in method, which is pretty much the quickest way to sign into any account on your Apple TV.

The app is still a work in progress, with the ability to change the region or country of the server you’re connecting to and not much else.

All connections use ExpressVPNs proprietary Lightway protocol, with no way to change the protocol or use advanced features like split-tunneling where only some data types are through the VPN while the rest go over a normal connection.

These are part of the Android app for Fire TV, so we expect them to turn up in the Apple TV app at some point.

And it’s also worth mentioning that VPNs might help you keep safer online, but they can slow down your connection. If your connection is already slow or glitchy, having a VPN probably won’t improve things.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.