Netflix and Hulu are less likely to be geo-blocked on a browser than in their respective apps. This is because an app can override a VPN’s DNS settings and force DNS requests to go to the nearest DNS server. When the location given by the user’s IP address and their DNS server don’t match, a proxy is detected and the video is blocked.
DNS, or domain name system, works sort of like the internet’s phone book. Every internet connected device on the internet is assigned a unique IP address. Websites and apps usually have domains, however, such as “www.comparitech.com”. Translating an easy-to-remember domain into a usable IP address is the job of DNS servers. DNS servers are usually run by ISPs and public providers like Google.
Most good paid VPN services operate their own DNS servers, which assists in location spoofing. In a browser, the Netflix and Hulu websites have no power to change the VPN’s DNS settings. An app, however, can override the VPN’s DNS settings and reveal a mismatch between the IP address location and the DNS location, indicating that the user is connected to a VPN.
Very few–ExpressVPN, VyprVPN, and NordVPN–have figured out how to combat the Netflix and Hulu apps’ DNS override mechanism.