Author: Admin

Christmas is in a couple of weeks, so you may be looking for ways to get into the merry mood. In addition to splurging on festive coffee drinks and shopping for worthy gifts, you can greet the holidays by streaming movies and TV shows.

If you’re dashing full speed into the holidays, streaming services have content to go with your enthusiasm. I sifted through the seasonal fare on services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Peacock and saw tons of titles that could please crowds this season. Movies are a major source of cheer, but you could also find a TV show or special you want to unwrap.

Where to Stream Holiday Content

This year the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac all got big interface changes. You may have found yourself relearning how to use your device which, to me, is the least enjoyable part of a software update.

If you found yourself suddenly confused as to why swiping doesn’t change Apple Watch faces or if you’ve tried to text someone a photo from your iPhone and got caught off guard by the new iOS 17 giant floating circle icons, you’ll know what I mean.

It’s not always “change” just for the sake of change, even if the change feels pointless, because everything was working just fine before. There’s usually a reason for Apple switching things up or how they work that ties into its grand plan — which may be shifting us to think more about augmented reality.

WatchOS 10 and iOS 17 are getting our Apple Watches, iPhones and, most importantly, us closer to a Vision Pro mindset.

StandBy mode conditioning

This year the biggest change to the iPhone’s operating system was StandBy mode. If your phone is locked, charging and propped up horizontally, your display changes to show either the time, weather, photos, widgets or music that is playing. StandBy mode has a few different views and some minor customizations.

No other iOS 17 feature changed the way I use the iPhone more than StandBy mode. Just being able to make my phone into a little bedside clock has me living that MagSafe charger life. I now have MagSafe stands around the house instead of having to play the ol’ “searching for the right charging cord” game. Who needs a Lightning cable or USB-C cord when you can just slap your iPhone onto a MagSafe stand?

Read more: Best Wireless Charger of 2023

As a result, I use my phone more as a smart display around my home so there’s less reason to use other smart home displays from Google or Amazon. Apple convinced me to spend more on special magnetic charging stands, and use its competitors’ devices less.

But there’s another layer to this. Our brains might be working differently because we’ve got iPhones displaying info propped up around our homes. It’s like having widgets floating around in our real life space.

Widget-washing our brains

This year, Apple added widgets everywhere. MacOS Sonoma has interactive desktop widgets you can put anywhere on the screen. In iOS 17, you can interact with a home screen widget without opening the app. WatchOS 10 brings widgets to your watch face to glance at info.

Getting used to working with tiny windows of information floating all around you is like being in augmented reality, where relevant info sits in your space around you. Wherever you look, your Apple screen has widgets. And soon you won’t need a screen in order to have widgets in your field of vision. Soon you’ll just be able to use the Vision Pro.

iMessage has child-like Vision Pro buttons

With iOS 17, Apple blatantly put some of the Vision Pro’s software design into iMessage. When you text someone, there used to be a tray of icons above the keyboard. There were icons to open the camera to take a picture, to add photos, insert GIFs, along with other shortcuts.

Now it’s all tucked away into a plus sign on the bottom left side of the screen. Clicking it brings up a simple bulleted list of really big circle buttons. They’re in your face, floating and blocking whatever you were doing before.

The Vision Pro has this same flavor of child-like circular icons in front of your space. They wait there for you to make a decision on what app you’ll select.

Steve Jobs: ‘God gave us 10 styluses. Let’s not invent another’

Double Tap on the Apple Watch is another move on Apple’s part to get us thinking in a Vision Pro mindset. The Apple Watch Series 9 and the Ultra 2 can be controlled with double tapping your finger and thumb together, like you’re tapping whatever the main button is on the screen, such as answering or ending a call, or skipping a song.

The Vision Pro is also controlled by tapping your fingers. The mechanics are different from the watch, as the headset uses cameras to detect your finger movement. But, nevertheless, Apple is getting us to think more about controlling devices with hand gestures. And this hand control push goes beyond the Apple Watch.

This year, your hands could trigger visual effects in video calls. Apple calls these Reactions. They work on FaceTime calls and even Zoom calls when you’re on a Mac. The effect is on by default — which I was surprised to learn when I was on a Zoom chat with my colleague, Scott Stein. Animated balloons kept going off accidentally across the screen when he talked with his hands, and it was the most ridiculous thing.

You get different animations depending on how you hold up different fingers and thumbs, or if you make a heart shape with your hands.

Apple made a mistake by having it on by default because a lot of people talk with their hands. A lot of people use Zoom professionally, and it’s not always a good time for party balloons to appear on screen, as we saw happen to an ESPN commentator during a live video chat who happens to talk a lot with his fingers.

Mad Dog is not happy with Iowa for not being able to hit the first half over of 2.5 points which he bet.
Also, there are virtual balloons flooding his screen like it’s his birthday on Twitter for some reason? pic.twitter.com/RkOwPS3IYx

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 4, 2023

But yeah, controlling computers with your hands: It can be awkward, but it’s all part of the bigger plan.

Using Snoopy as a gateway drug

My absolute favorite thing that Apple did this year was Snoopy.

Snoopy is on the Apple Watch. There was a ton of work that went into making this cartoon run around your screen. Apple made 148 different animations of Snoopy and Woodstock for the watch face that can pop up throughout the day. There’s also a number of animated sequences that were sourced directly from Charles M. Schulz’s original Peanuts comic strips.

Why, you might ask, did Apple put so much effort into putting Snoopy on its watch? Back in 2018, Apple struck a deal to make Apple TV Plus the home of Peanuts content. And it’s not just the holiday specials. There are new shows like Snoopy in Space and The Snoopy Show. Apple just announced there will be a new Peanuts movie starting production in 2024 starring Snoopy and Charlie Brown. (Snoopy gets top billing.)

But this Snoopy watch face has done something very interesting in my home. My 4-year-old loves seeing what Snoopy is doing on mommy’s watch. And now he gets excited whenever he sees Snoopy anywhere. You can bet now that I’m going to watch more Snoopy content with my son and keep that Apple TV Plus subscription going, all because I have this silly cartoon doggie always hanging out with me. Good grief!

Is this the ultimate dream for media companies and their intellectual property? In Disney’s video pitch for the Vision Pro, it showed Mickey Mouse hopping around someone’s living room. I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually see Snoopy and Woodstock chilling on your desk in Vision Pro. They’re just doing their thing, floating in your space. Media icons suddenly just live inside your everyday world, beside you in all screens and mediums. The future is maximum Snoop.

CNET’s Patrick Holland contributed to this story.

Sonos makes some of the best consumer-grade audio gear on the market. Unfortunately, that also means that it’s quite expensive, and there are rarely any deals on its products. That’s why it’s incredible to see a massive holiday sale across all Sonos products, with some items going as low as $119. If you’ve ever wanted a Sonos product, now is the perfect time to grab one.

If you don’t have the room to fit a whole surround sound system, then a soundbar is an excellent option, and if you’re going for a Sonos one, the cheapest is the Sonos Ray, which is going for $223, down from $279. For a mid-range option, you’ll be happy to see the Beam Gen 2 discounted down to $399 from the usual $499. Of course, the highest end soundbar from Sonos is the Arc, although it costs a whopping $899, which is luckily discounted down to just $719. You might also want to pair these with either the a subwoofer, such as the Sub Mini for $343 instead of $429 or the Sub Gen 3 for $639 instead of $799.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in a more traditional speaker, the Era 100 is a solid option, and while it’s not a portable speaker you can take outside, it does have some excellent audio. The Era 100 is going for $199 instead of $249 so it’s a great price. If you want something fancier, then the Sonos Five is the one to go for as it has a lot more power and audio fidelity, as well as a higher price tag of $549, although it’s discounted down to $439.

If you’d like a portable option, then the Sonos Roam is a good pick going for just $134 instead of $179. That said, we’d probably go for the Roam charging set that includes the wireless charger since it’s only an extra $15 at $149.

If it’s premium audio on the go you are after, then check out our roundup of the best earbud and headphone deals.

These days, everyone has a smartphone but there’s still something special about capturing precious moments on an actual camera. If you or someone on your gift list is into photography, right now is a great time to snag some gear at deeply discounted prices. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs on this list.

Looking for more discounts? CNET has the best deals from B&H Photo & Video, GoPro, Canon and many others, along with promo code offers — all updated and verified daily.

Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best smartwatch that the company has made to date. It’s only been around for a few weeks but that seemingly isn’t going to stop Amazon from offering a huge discount on a product that never quite got this low even during the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness. That means that this price might not stick around for all that long which means placing an order soon is absolutely the right way to go if you want to lock this deal in.

And lock it in, you will want to. Right now you can put an Apple Watch Ultra onto your wrist for just $730 so long as you make sure to clip the on-screen coupon before adding anything to your cart. There are multiple color combinations to choose from at this $69 discount, so be sure to select the one that best fits your vibe first.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the latest and greatest wearable that Apple has to offer, and it comes with a huge 49mm display and high-precision GPS for use when you’re out in the wilderness or just want reliable data for your workouts. The extra-long battery life ensures you get multiple days from a single charge, and the rugged titanium case is strong yet light, perfect for your next adventure. This is the most rugged Apple Watch, but you still get access to all the usual features including fitness and activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, and more.

Not sure whether an Apple Watch Ultra 2 is for you? Don’t worry if that big, rugged look doesn’t suit you — there are often plenty of Apple Watch Series 9 deals to be had, too.

If you’re an iPhone user, then you probably know that your phone’s display brightness can automatically adjust depending on the amount of light in your environment. While this can be a pretty useful feature to combat eyestrain and make your screen easier to see, auto-brightness is not always as helpful as it could be.

The problem can be that your display automatically dims down even when you’re out in the sun. If you’re partially in the shade, your phone might get tricked into automatically dimming your screen, even if it doesn’t need to. This can make it difficult to see what’s on your screen. If you manually increase the brightness, it’ll just go back down again because of auto-brightness. Fixing this issue isn’t always as easy as toggling off the necessary settings — but that’s a good place to start.

We’ll show you two settings you need to disable to help prevent your iPhone from automatically dimming. Be advised, your iPhone might still auto-adjust its brightness, even when those two settings are disabled.

While you’re here, you should also check out everything we know about the iPhone 15, and what you need to know about the iOS 17 Beta.

First, disable auto-brightness

Yes, this may seem a bit obvious, but the first thing you want to do is to make sure that you have automatic brightness disabled in your settings. The feature is pretty self-explanatory — it automatically adjusts your brightness depending on the light in your environment. If you want to prevent your display from always trying to adjust, you must disable this feature.

In the Settings application, go to Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle off Auto-Brightness at the bottom of the page. You would think that this setting would exist in Display & Brightness, so it’s not uncommon that auto-brightness would be enabled without you knowing since it’s tucked away in Accessibility.

If your brightness continues to automatically adjust, there’s another setting you need to disable.

You also need to turn off True Tone

If you have an iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later, the True Tone feature measures the color temperature and brightness in your environment and then adjusts its display to match it. True Tone is useful when you want it — it not only helps show more accurate colors across various lighting situations, but it’s also easier on the eyes, which you need if you’re constantly reading on your phone.

Again, if you don’t care about the feature, don’t use it or are simply annoyed that your brightness continues to automatically adjust, you need to disable it. In Settings, go to Display & Brightness and toggle off True Tone under the Brightness header. As long as auto-brightness is also disabled, turning True Tone off should prevent your iPhone from automatically adjusting your brightness.

One exception applies.

Don’t let your iPhone overheat

Your iPhone has several ways of protecting its internal components, and that includes automatically dimming your display. Even if you have both auto-brightness and True Tone turned off, if your iPhone is overheating, it will automatically adjust the display intensity.

According to Apple, to help prevent this from happening, you should use your iPhone in temperatures between 32 to 95 degrees F (zero and 35 degrees C) and store it in temperatures between 4 and 113 degrees F (between 20 below zero and 45 degrees C). If you leave your iPhone in your car or on the sidewalk on a hot day, or even if you try to use it by the pool or beach on a hot day, there’s a good chance that it will overheat and cause your display to automatically dim.

Overheating doesn’t occur only because of a sunny day. A faulty battery can also cause your iPhone to overheat: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and check if your battery needs to be replaced. Another reason could be buggy software: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and more sure to always be on the latest update to deal with any software bugs and issues.

A new cybersecurity report commissioned by Apple paints a dire picture of consumer data leaked through breach after breach. In this climate, the tech giant is nudging users to activate the Advanced Data Protection feature for iCloud it introduced a year ago, which end-to-end encrypts most data uploaded to and sent between Apple’s apps and devices.

Cybersecurity breaches of company systems that expose consumer data are on the rise, says the report, which was written by MIT information technology professor Stuart Madnick — 1.1 billion personal records were exposed in 2021, which has grown to 1.5 billion records exposed in 2022. Malefactors are increasingly using “vendor exploitation attacks” to infiltrate businesses through other businesses they’ve partnered with or the software systems provided by vendors.

The Advanced Data Protection feature doesn’t explicitly protect users from these breaches; rather, Apple is urging owners of its devices to use the feature to keep their personal devices from being vectors of attack and exposure. Turning it on is easy on iOS: open the Settings app, tap on your iCloud account, tap iCloud, then tap Advanced Data Protection and follow the instructions to set up account recovery options — you’ll need them once end-to-end encryption is activated for more data categories.

iCloud already protects 14 sensitive data categories including health data and passwords in the iCloud keychain through end-to-end encryption. Advanced Data Protection is an optional feature that adds seven additional protected categories for a total of 23, including iCloud backups, Notes and Photos.

Apple declined to state how many users have activated Advanced Data Protection.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy advocacy group, lauded the Advanced Data Protection feature for protecting consumer data — especially for encrypting iCloud backups, which had been potentially exposing user information.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released on Sept. 18, shortly after the company held its “Wonderlust” event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17 and to help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

Getting started with iOS 17

• iOS 17 Review: StandBy Mode Changed My Relationship With My iPhone

• Whether or Not Your iPhone Supports iOS 17
• Do This Before Downloading iOS 17
• How to Download iOS 17 to Your iPhone

Using iOS 17

• Three iPhone Settings to Change after Downloading iOS 17
• iOS 17’s Best New Features
• The iOS 17 Features We’re Excited About
• iOS 17 Is Filled With Delightful Features, Intuitive Improvements and More
• 17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Shouldn’t Miss
• iOS 17 Upgrades Your iPhone’s Keyboard
• You Can Tag Your Pets In Your ‘People’ Album With iOS 17
• How to Create Live Stickers in iOS 17

• How to Set Up Contact Posters in iOS 17
• How to Automatically Delete Two-Factor Verification Codes in iOS 17
• What to Know About iOS 17’s Unreleased Journal App

• How Good Are Offline Maps in iOS 17?
• How to Use iOS 17’s Live Voicemail Feature
• You Can Change Your Private Browsing Browser in iOS 17

• Hidden iOS 17 Feature Makes It Easier to Send Photos and Videos

• You Can Clone Your Voice with iOS 17. Here’s How

• Are Audio Message Transcripts in iOS 17 Any Good?

• Sharing AirTags in iOS 17 is Easy. Here’s How

• How to Create Camera Shortcuts in iOS 17

• What You Need to Know About the Improved Autocorrect in iOS 17
• Use This Hidden iOS 17 Feature to Reduce Eye Strain

• How to Enable Sensitive Content Warnings on Your iPhone

• Let Your Loved Ones Know You’re Safe With This iOS 17 Feature

• Simplify Your Grocery List With iOS 17

• How to Turn Off FaceTime Reactions in iOS 17
• What Is iOS 17’s Journal App and How Does It Work?
• You Can Use Albums for Photo Shuffle on Your Lock Screen

• Play Daily Crosswords in Apple News With iOS 17
• How to Turn Off the Most Annoying iOS 17 Features

iOS 17 updates

• iOS 17.2 Could Bring the Journal App and Other Features to Your iPhone

• What iOS 17.1.2 Fixes on Your iPhone
• iOS 17.1.1 Patches These iPhone Issues

• What New Features iOS 17.1 Brings to Your iPhone
• What to Know About iOS 17.0.1

• Apple Made an iPhone 15 Mistake, but iOS 17.0.2 Is Here to Fix It

• iOS 17.0.3 Fixes This iPhone 15 Pro Problem

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

Relegation-threatened Everton will be aiming to build upon last weekend’s win over Nottingham Forest as they face a Newcastle side that comes into this clash off the back of a big win of their own in the English Premier League.

While Everton’s legal team look to overturn their 10-point deduction for financial rule breaches, the punishment means the Toffees remain in the bottom three despite a crucial away win on Sunday.

They now face a Newcastle side buoyed by their impressive 1-0 win over Manchester United. Magpies boss Eddie Howe will be mindful that his side have only won one of their last eight games away from home, but will be encouraged by the fact that their hosts have won just once at Goodison Park in the EPL so far this season.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Everton vs. Newcastle United: When and where?

Everton host Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Thursday, Dec. 7. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. GMT local time. That’s 2:30 p.m. ET or 11:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 6:30 a.m. AEDT early on Friday morning in Australia.

How to watch the Everton vs. Newcastle game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch; that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream the Everton vs. Newcastle game in the US

Thursday’s Everton-Newcastle match is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.

Livestream the Everton vs. Newcastle game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Everton vs. Newcastle is part of a full program of Premier League games being shown exclusively live on Amazon Prime this week.

Livestream the Everton vs. Newcastle game in Canada

If you want to stream this match live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Everton vs. Newcastle game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on the streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Tottenham will be looking to get back to winning ways on Thursday as they host West Ham in what looks set to be an explosive London derby.

Spurs ended a run of three straight defeats in the English Premier League with a battling 3-3 draw against defending champs Man City at the weekend. But with title-chasing rivals Liverpool and Arsenal winning their midweek games, boss Ange Postecoglou will be determined to see his men claim all three points here.

Despite a number of uninspired performances, West Ham have managed to go on an unbeaten run of seven matches across all competitions. They may have been unconvincing in their recent showings, but the Hammers shouldn’t be discounted here, with their counter-attacking style of play likely to be well suited against Postecoglou’s signature high-press tactics.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United: When and where?

Spurs host West Ham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 7. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. GMT local time. That’s 3:15 p.m. ET or 12:15 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 7:15 a.m. AEDT early on Friday morning in Australia.

How to watch the Tottenham vs. West Ham game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch; that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream the Spurs vs. West Ham game in the US

Thursday’s Tottenham Hotspur-West Ham match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Spurs vs. West Ham is part of a full program of Premier League games being shown exclusively live on Amazon Prime this week.

Livestream the Spurs vs. West Ham game in Canada

If you want to stream this match live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on the streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.