How to Get American Netflix on Mac in Australia [Easy Guide]

Last updated: December 15, 2022

People who live in Australia can’t stream American Netflix as it’s geo-locked to the USA due to rights restrictions. Fortunately, there is a way around this.

If you are from Australia and want to binge-watch your favourite American Netflix shows and movies on Mac that aren’t available on the Netflix Australia library, you’ll need a VPN. A virtual private network or VPN creates an encrypted connection between your Mac device and the internet and allows you to access region-blocked websites like Netflix USA independent of your location. Additionally, you’ll need an active Netflix account, which costs as low as $10.99/month. Visit the Netflix website to sign up.

Below is our quick step-by-step guide explaining how to watch American Netflix in Australia on Mac with best Netflix VPN.

How to Get American Netflix on Mac in Australia – 5 easy steps

To get American Netflix on Mac in Australia, follow these five easy steps:

Subscribe to a reliable VPN service that operates multiple servers in the USA. ExpressVPN is our #1 pick. (Bonus tip: Opt-in for a long term plan to get a nice discount on your purchase)
Download and install the VPN on your Mac using the service provider’s official website. Make sure to follow the installation instructions carefully. When in doubt, contact customer support.
Launch the VPN and connect to a secure U.S. server. Most VPNs will connect you to the fastest available server by default. Now, you are all set to access the American version of Netflix.
Open your web browser and head over to Netflix. Enter your username and password to sign into your account.
That’s it! You can start streaming. Search for movies and shows exclusive to the U.S. region and binge American Netflix from Australia.

Stream American Netflix on Mac

How a VPN helps unblock American Netflix from Australia

Netflix uses your IP address to determine your sign-in location and serves you content accordingly. A VPN takes your Mac traffic, encloses it in a secure tunnel, and routes it through a remote server in the US. This changes your IP address and the server location becomes your new location. Netflix gets tricked into believing that you’re accessing the service from the United States, and it gives you the pass to the great American Netflix library.

Not all VPNs are capable of unblocking foreign Netflix though. The streaming giant has banned several VPN service providers in the last couple of years. However, high-tier VPNs continue to offer easy and secure Netflix access to their customers. We recommend that you avoid using free VPN services to ensure a quality streaming experience.

If you’re having trouble finding the right solution, don’t worry. We’ve done the hard work and compiled a list of the best VPN services ideal for accessing the American Netflix library on Mac.

Best VPNs to Get American Netflix on Mac in Australia

Our team of in-house tech experts tried and tested numerous Mac VPNs and shortlisted the following three service providers as their top choices to stream Netflix USA from Australia:

1. ExpressVPN (Our #1 recommended VPN to watch American Netflix on Mac)

ExpressVPN is a leading VPN service and our personal favourite. It offers incredibly fast and stable connections, making it an ideal solution for streaming American Netflix. You get 3000+ servers in 94 countries, including 24 server locations in the United States. All server locations are optimized for Netflix.

We tested ExpressVPN’s US servers on the Ookla Speed Test tool and recorded an average download speed of 53.7 Mbps on a 65 Mbps connection. To put that into context, Netflix requires around 25 Mbps for UHD viewing.

Headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN offers plenty of advanced features, including IP leak protection, no activity logs, an internet kill switch, split tunneling, and more. Its Mac app has a user-friendly and clean interface and can be used with any Mac device running macOS 10.1 or higher. The service itself supports up to five multi-logins.

You can buy ExpressVPN for AU$10.33/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. A risk-free trial makes it one of the best free trial VPNs out there.

Not only Mac and Apple TV, but this VPN lets you watch Eurosport on Firestick without any hindrance.

In case you want more details about this provider, make sure to go through the ExpressVPN review.

Unblock American Netflix with ExpressVPN30 Days Money Back Guarantee

2. Surfshark (Cheapest VPN to watch American Netflix on Mac)

Surfshark is another popular VPN service. It operates 3200+ servers globally, including 500+ in the US that allows you to beat region restrictions with ease and access American Netflix TV shows and movies from Australia.

Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark is also based in the British Virgin Islands. It is one of the few VPNs that use RAM-only servers for extra privacy, adding an extra layer of protection to your already safe Mac device. Our test results showed an average speed of 46.5 Mbps on a 65 Mbps connection – more than enough to stream Netflix USA in UHD quality.

Surfshark connections are secured by military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption keys and WireGuard protocol. Other features include bullet-proof DNS & IP leak protection, VPN kill switch, NoBorders mode, Camouflage mode, a strict no-logs policy, ad-blocker, and unlimited multi-login support.

You can purchase Surfshark for as low as the low price of AU$3.86/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee, making it the cheapest Mac VPN on the market. A no-quibble 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to test the service risk-free.

Unblock American Netflix with Surfshark30 Days Money Back Guarantee

3. NordVPN (Reliable Netflix VPN with the highest number of U.S. servers)

Headquartered in Panama, NordVPN offers 5000+ servers in 58 countries, including 1700+ US-based servers. That’s the highest of any VPN on this list. You can count on NordVPN to reliably unblock American Netflix on Mac from Australia.

More US servers mean more switching options, which is great for mitigating traffic congestion risks. Combine that with the latest NordLynx tunneling protocol and SmartPlay feature and you get an ultimate streaming experience. Our test results showed an average download speed of around 49.8 Mbps on a 65 Mbps connection. Fast but ExpressVPN still takes the lead.

Equipped with AES-256-GCM encryption, NordVPN offers plenty of nifty features, including a built-in malware and ads blocker, double VPN, automatic kill switch, DNS leaks protection, and an uncompromising zero logs policy. You can use it with all Mac computers running macOS 10.1 or later and secure up to six devices at the same time.

You can get your hands on NordVPN for AU$6.18/mo (US$ 3.99/mo) - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock American Netflix with NordVPN30 Days Money Back Guarantee

Is there a Netflix app for MacBook?

Apple has pulled the Netflix app from its Mac App Store due to their new policy that apps can’t just be website wrappers. So Netflix no longer offers app for MacBook or any other Mac device for that matter. You can only watch Netflix on Mac through the official Netflix website.

What’s the best Mac browser for Netflix?

Safari is the best choice for Mac users to watch Netflix. It is lightweight, offers an easy-to-use interface, and supports 4K streaming for Netflix. You need macOS 11, though, to access the latter feature on Safari.

Does Netflix support downloads on Mac?

Unfortunately, you can’t download Netflix titles on Mac. That option is only available for platforms with Netflix apps. Therefore, it’s vital that you must have an active internet connection and a reliable VPN service if you want to watch American Netflix movies and shows on your Mac device.

What are the minimum system requirements to watch Netflix on Mac?

Netflix is not a heavy power-consuming streaming app, so it doesn’t require the latest system specifications. The Mac devices running OS v 10.4.11 or later can all run Netflix without any trouble. If you want to watch Netflix on Safari, you need Macs developed in 2012 or later. You can watch Netflix TV shows and movies via HTML5 player or the Silverlight plugin. Hardware requirements include 1.83 GHz and 512 MB RAM.

Why won’t Netflix play on my Mac?

Netflix streaming problems are common among Mac users due to no official app. You may encounter different problems when accessing Netflix from your web browsers, like plugin failure, cache problems, error codes, and other issues. Try clearing your web browser cookies and switching to HTML5 (if you’re currently using Silverlight) to stream Netflix. Also, check your internet connection to ensure a poor network isn’t the issue.

What is Netflix error code s7363 on Mac?

If you’re seeing the S7363 error code on your Mac computer when streaming Netflix, it indicates the information on your browser needs to be refreshed. To troubleshoot the error, try the following fixes:

Shut down your P.C. and restart it
Force quit media players like iTunes or QuickTime
Remove Netflix data from your web browser
Use a different web browser to access Netflix

How much data does Netflix use on Mac?

Streaming Netflix consumes data depending on the video quality you select to watch the content. The platform gives you three options: low, medium, and high. When streaming at the lowest quality, Netflix consumes up to 300 MB of data per hour. If you switch to the best video quality, you can expect Netflix to use 7 GB of data per hour from your monthly data allowance.

Conclusion

Using VPN services, you can bypass geo-restrictions and access the American Netflix library to watch exclusive TV shows and movies on your Mac from Australia. We recommend ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN as the top VPN choices. ExpressVPN is our #1 recommended pick.

We hope you found this guide helpful. Until next time, happy streaming!

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