I didn’t choose Honolulu for any clever reason. I wanted a US server I hadn’t tried yet, and I figured a small location might be quiet and fast. Netflix had other plans.
On NordVPN’s Honolulu server, Netflix refused to play anything and gave me the NordVPN Netflix proxy error: “You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy.” I changed one thing, the server. On Phoenix, NordVPN connected in 17 seconds and Netflix loaded like normal.
My screenshots are stamped 1:42 PM for the failed attempt and 2:00 PM for the working one. Here’s what I saw, what I think happened, and what I’d try in your place.
Quick answer
If you hit the NordVPN Netflix proxy error on one server, switch to a different US city before you change anything else. On my phone, Honolulu got the error and Phoenix didn’t. Netflix says this message appears when it sees a VPN or proxy connection, so the fix is usually a different server rather than a different app.
One thing worth knowing up front: Netflix’s own advice is to turn the VPN off, and it says VPNs aren’t supported for live events or the ad-supported plan. Treat everything below as what happened in one test on one day, not a promise.
Tested on: Android phone, NordVPN app, mobile data. [FILL IN: app version, Netflix plan, test date]
What I was running
- Phone: my own Android phone, on 4G mobile data
- VPN: NordVPN [FILL IN: confirm app and version]
- Failed server: Honolulu, United States (#12488)
- Working server: Phoenix, United States (#9548)
- App: Netflix for Android
Same phone, same mobile data and the same Netflix account. The only thing I changed was the server.
First attempt: Honolulu
I picked Honolulu from the list. NordVPN sat on “Loading IP” and the timer showed 1 minute 24 seconds before I took the screenshot. That’s already slower than I expect from a US server, so it should have been my first hint.
The app did say “Secured” for Honolulu. That matters, because it shows the VPN itself wasn’t the problem. It was connected. Netflix just didn’t like what it saw.
What the NordVPN Netflix proxy error looked like
I opened a title page, Ben-Hur (2016). The artwork didn’t load, and instead of a Play button the screen showed only Remind Me and Share. I can’t tell you why Netflix showed it that way. I’m only telling you what the screen looked like.
Then came the message that gave this article its name:
It tells you to turn off unblocker or proxy services and points you to netflix.com/proxy. [FILL IN: did the error appear when you pressed play, or when you opened the app?]
What Netflix says about this error
Netflix’s help page for this message says the error means your device or network is connecting through a VPN or proxy. It also says VPNs can change or hide your internet location, which can cause problems, and that the way to keep watching is to turn off any active VPN. The page lists the code E106 as well. The message on my screen is the older wording, “unblocker or proxy,” and I didn’t see a code in my screenshot. [FILL IN: add the code if you saw one]
You can read Netflix’s own explanation on its Help Center page, “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy.”
If you saw a different Netflix error code, it may be something else. I explain one of those in my Netflix E103 fix on ExpressVPN, which is about Netflix not being able to work out your location, not about a proxy block.
What I changed
I disconnected from Honolulu and connected to Phoenix. This time NordVPN showed an IP right away, 45.86.210.115, and the timer read 17 seconds. The app said “Secured” again.
You can see “United States Fastest” in the Recents list too. That’s a shortcut worth trying if you don’t want to pick a city yourself.
Result on Phoenix
Netflix opened normally. The Movies page loaded with its usual rows (Indian Fight-the-System Movies, Hollywood Action Movies, Today’s Top Picks for You), and a Play Movie button showed up on the featured title.
[FILL IN: did a video actually start playing on Phoenix? For how long? Which title? If you didn’t press play, say so. Don’t claim playback you didn’t test.]
Honolulu vs Phoenix, side by side
| Check | Honolulu | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Server number | #12488 | #9548 |
| Time to connect | Still on Loading IP at 1 min 24 sec | 17 seconds |
| IP shown | Not shown yet | 45.86.210.115 |
| NordVPN status | Secured | Secured |
| Netflix result | Proxy error message | Movies page loaded normally |
| Playback | [FILL IN] | [FILL IN] |
Why the NordVPN Netflix proxy error hits one server and not another
Netflix doesn’t publish exactly how it decides. The commonly reported explanation is that it flags IP addresses it connects with VPN and proxy services. A VPN server shares its address with many people, so one server can get flagged while another server in the same country doesn’t.
That fits what I saw, but I only tested two servers once each, so I can’t prove it. I also noticed that the failing server was the slow one. I’m not saying slow servers cause the error. I’m saying that in this test both problems showed up on the same server.
What I’d try, in this order
- Don’t keep retrying the same server. If the error shows up, another tap on the same location rarely changes anything.
- Disconnect, wait a few seconds and reconnect. Sometimes you land on a different server in the same city.
- Switch to a different US city. That’s what worked for me. Phoenix did what Honolulu couldn’t.
- Try the “United States Fastest” option if your app has it, and let the app choose.
- Close the Netflix app completely and reopen it. A stale session can keep showing an old result.
- Turn the VPN off and test Netflix once. If the error goes away, you know the VPN connection is the trigger. That’s also Netflix’s own first step.
- Contact NordVPN support if every server fails. Netflix says VPN settings are handled by the VPN provider.
If Netflix gets stuck loading with no error at all, that’s a different problem. I wrote about that in my NordVPN Netflix buffering fix, where one server tested at 0.03 Mbps.
Mistakes to avoid
- Picking a tiny, unusual location first. I did, and it cost me. Starting with a big city is a safer bet. This is my guess from one test, not a rule.
- Judging a VPN from one server. One bad server isn’t the whole VPN.
- Skipping the “turn it off” test. It’s the quickest way to tell whether the VPN or something else is the cause.
- Assuming it will still work tomorrow. Netflix can flag any server at any time, including Phoenix.
What this test doesn’t prove
This was one phone, one day, one Netflix account and two servers. I don’t know if Phoenix will work next week, and I haven’t tested Honolulu again. I haven’t tested other Netflix regions or the iPhone app either. If you try the same steps and get a different result, that’s normal. Netflix and VPN servers change often.
If your goal is just to understand what’s going on with a VPN and Netflix, I compare a few more servers in my ExpressVPN Houston Netflix proxy error test.
Bottom line
The NordVPN Netflix proxy error looks scary, but my fix was small: a different server. Honolulu got blocked, Phoenix connected in 17 seconds and Netflix opened normally. Start there before you reinstall anything or blame your phone.
FAQ
What does “You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy” mean on Netflix? It means Netflix thinks your connection is going through a VPN, proxy or unblocker service. Netflix’s help page tells you to turn the VPN off to continue watching.
Why did Netflix block NordVPN on Honolulu but not Phoenix? Netflix doesn’t say how it decides. The likely reason is that it treated the Honolulu server’s address as a VPN address and didn’t treat Phoenix’s the same way. I only tested each server once, so I can’t be sure.
How do I fix the NordVPN Netflix proxy error? Switch to a different US city first, then reconnect, then try the “United States Fastest” option. If nothing works, turn the VPN off to confirm it’s the cause and contact NordVPN support.
Does the Netflix proxy error mean NordVPN isn’t working? No. In my test the app said “Secured” on both servers. The VPN connected fine. Netflix is what objected.
Can I use a VPN on any Netflix plan? Netflix says VPNs aren’t supported for live events or on the ad-supported plan, and it asks you to turn off any active VPN if you get this error.
Is this the same as Netflix error E103? No. E103 is about Netflix being unable to determine your location. The proxy message is about Netflix detecting a VPN or proxy connection.
Will Phoenix work for you? Maybe, maybe not. Servers get flagged and unflagged all the time, so treat my result as a snapshot from the day I tested.
Tested on my own Android phone. Results vary by server, time of day and Netflix plan. Netflix’s rules and detection can change without notice.
Source: Netflix Help Center, “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy” (help.netflix.com/en/node/277)
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