Gone are the days of bulky TV sets with even bulkier antennas. This is the age when televisions can do more than what they were initially designed for. Android TV is one of the latest forms of home entertainment today, and it can do more than simple programming and broadcasting. With Android TVs, you can play games, install applications, post updates, watch YouTube videos, and browse the internet on the big screen.
Since most televisions are now connected to the Internet, the need for data protection and internet security has only grown stronger. Whenever you use your television to access the Internet, it becomes vulnerable to online threats, such as data theft, online snooping and malware infection.
One way to protect your Android TV from these risks is by routing your connection through a reliable VPN. However, setting up a VPN on Android TV box is not as easy as setting it up on your Android phone or tablet.
This article will guide you on how to secure your Android TV box with a VPN. The first option is to use a dedicated VPN for your Android TV while the second method requires setting up OpenVPN. Let’s look at these two options in detail below.
Setting up a VPN on Android TV Box, Using a Standalone VPN App
There are a couple of VPN options that support Android TV. Check with your VPN service provider first if it works with the Android TV platform. If it does, then you’re in luck because this is probably the simplest solution to your problem.
Just install the app on your Android TV, sign into your account, and enjoy secure browsing on your TV.
Setting up a VPN on Android TV Box, Using OpenVPN
This process is for those whose VPN subscription does not support Android TVs. The process is a bit tricky, that’s why we made this guide for you.
You will need a reliable VPN account like Outbyte VPN for this method. It provides total activity protection with its military-grade AES-256 encryption and can connect up to five devices using a single account.
To set up OpenVPN on your Android TV, follow these steps:
- First, you need to install Google Chrome and the OpenVPN app on your Android TV. You can download the OpenVPN app from Google Play Store, while Google Chrome can be ‘sideloaded’ from APK Mirror.
- Once these two apps have been installed, launch Google Chrome on your Android TV and log into your VPN account. You can use a Bluetooth keyboard for faster typing.
- Download your VPN configuration file. You can check out your VPN’s website if it’s available there. If not, you can request for it from your VPN provider.
- When asked to choose which configuration file to download, select Linux/Mac config file.
- For newly installed Chrome, you’ll need to grant it permission to write files to the system.
- Once the config file has been downloaded, launch the OpenVPN app you installed on your Android TV.
- Using your TV’s remote, click on the Import icon on the top-right corner of the screen. This button looks like a little box with the down arrow.
- Choose the config file you previously downloaded.
- Once the file has been loaded, click the checkmark on the upper-right corner of the screen to save the config.
- Enable your VPN by clicking on the config file you just imported.
- Type in your VPN account’s username and password.
- After entering your username and password, click OK.
By following this process, you will be able to use the OpenVPN app to connect to and disconnect from your VPN. This process may be a little inconvenient, but it’s better than having no protection at all.