Currently, HideMyAss is not available on the Fire TV app store. Several other VPNs are, however, including ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, two of the highest-rated VPNs available.
Long story short: You can still set up HideMyAss on a wifi router and connect your Firestick to it, but it’s easier just to use a different VPN. We’ll go into more detail below, but first, take a look at our quick summary.
Already using HMA? Jump straight to our workaround for setting up HMA on a Firestick.
Best VPNs for Firestick:
- ExpressVPN Best VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick and Kodi. Great Firestick app. Industry-leading security. Ranked #1 in our speed tests. It unblocks all sorts of streaming services. And it has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- CyberGhost A budget option that outperforms HMA on several fronts. Easy to use and unblocks a ton of streaming services.
- NordVPN Excellent security. Unblocks lots of streaming services. Nice Firestick app.
- Hotspot Shield Recently launched a new Fire Stick app.
- IPVanish A long-time favorite among Kodi users.
- Surfshark Connect as many devices as you want at the same time.
Fire OS, the operating system that Fire TV Sticks and Fire Cubes run on, is basically just a spin-off of Android. In some cases, we can use a workaround to install the Android phone versions of apps on Firestick.
But with HMA, that won’t work. We tried. After installing the HMA Android phone app on Firestick, we were greeted with an error page instructing us to update Google Play services. Firesticks don’t have access to Google Play, so this is a dead end.
Best HideMyAss alternatives for Firestick
Because there’s no official HMA app for Amazon Fire Stick and the latest official Android version is incompatible with it, the easiest thing to do would be to choose a different VPN. We’ve listed our top HMA alternatives for Firestick below.
ExpressVPN’s Firestick app can be installed just by searching for it from the Fire TV home screen. After a brief setup, it’s very simple to use. All the default settings work fine for me; all I had to do was choose a location. ExpressVPN runs servers in 94 countries, so you can favorite the ones you use the most.
ExpressVPN unblocks pretty much everything we’ve thrown at it, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. It’s also suitable for Kodi users and works with any Kodi addon. It even works in China. If you run into any trouble, the live chat support on the website responds 24/7.
You can connect up to five devices at once. Aside from Fire TV, apps are also available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
Pros:
- Great Fire TV app
- High speeds for downloading and video streaming
- Comprehensive security and privacy features
- Unblocks all major streaming services
- Live chat available 24/7
Cons:
- Slightly more expensive than some competitors
BEST VPN FOR FIRESTICK:ExpressVPN costs about the same as HMA and offers a far superior experience. Plus, it comes with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.
No VPN makes it easier to unblock streaming services from out-of-country than CyberGhost. You can literally pick Netflix out of a list, and it will connect to the right server. Speeds are fast enough for high quality, uninterrupted video streams.
CyberGhost isn’t lacking in security, either. All data sent and received is protected by military-grade encryption, perfect forward secrecy, and leak protection. Live chat customer support is available 24/7.
You can connect up to seven devices at once. In addition to the Firestick app, CyberGhost is available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
Pros:
- Easy to install and use on Fire TV
- Fast, reliable service
- No issues unblocking US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more
- Strong encryption and solid privacy policy
Cons:
- Doesn’t reliably work in China
BUDGET FRIENDLY:CyberGhost comes in at a much lower cost while offering competitive security, speed, and features. It comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is another VPN catering to Fire Stick and Android TV users. The app’s simple interface works well with the Amazon remote. Setup is quick, so you can go from signup to a connection in a few minutes. NordVPN is highly recommended for users who value privacy and security, but still want to stream their favorite shows from abroad.
Live chat support is available 24/7, but the service has always proved reliable for us. It unblocks Netflix, Amazon Fire TV, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and several others if you’re traveling abroad.
NordVPN lets you connect six devices at a time. In addition to Fire TV, apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
Pros:
- Strong security and privacy credentials
- Firestick app is easy to set up and use
- Easily unblocks a wide range of geo-locked sites
- 24/7 customer support via live chat
SECURE STREAMS:NordVPN keeps your online activity private and unblocks a range of streaming services. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hotspot Shield recently launched a Fire TV app that you can download right from the built-in app store. It offers competitive unblocking capabilities, and it should be fast enough to stream anything in HD without buffering.
Hotspot Shield emphasizes strong security to keep your online activity safe and private. It doesn’t store any logs of what you do online.
You can connect up to five devices at once. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.
Pros:
- Recently launched a Fire TV app
- Plenty of servers to choose from
- Decent speeds and unblocking ability
Cons:
- Some past privacy concerns
- No live chat support
UNBLOCK AND WATCH:Hotspot Shield has everything you need in a Fire TV VPN, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
IPVanish was the first-ever VPN we tried on Fire Stick, and it’s only gotten better since. It started out catering to Kodi users, and they’ll be happy to know IPVanish still works with any Kodi addon. It now unblocks quite a few streaming services as well, including Netflix. Speeds are sufficient for HD video without buffering.
IPVanish uses top-notch security and keeps no logs of your online activity. Its servers are in more than 75 countries.
Up to 10 simultaneous connections are allowed. Apps are also available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.
Pros:
- Great VPN app for Fire Stick and Kodi
- Offers 24/7 live chat
- Unblocks Netflix US
Cons:
- Struggles to unblock some major streaming services
KODI FAVORITE:IPVanish lets you securely stream Kodi and unblocks a few region-locked streaming apps. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark makes an easy-to-use app for Fire TV that’s available from the built-in app store. It unblocks Netflix, Amazon Fire TV, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more. Speeds are decent and will stream in HD without buffering.
Security is tight thanks to strong encryption and a no-logs policy. Live chat support is available on the website.
Best of all, Surfshark lets you connect an unlimited number of devices per account. That makes it a good option for a family or group of housemates. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android in addition to the Fire TV app.
Pros:
- Unlimited devices
- Steady, reliable speeds
- Great at unblocking popular streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer
Cons:
- Server network is smaller than most other VPNs
- Occasional slow server
WORKS WITH FIRE TV:Surfshark’s Fire TV app makes it easy to unblock streaming services from abroad. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
HMA Firestick workaround: Get HideMyAss VPN on your wifi router
If you’re committed to HideMyAss and really need it to work with your Firestick, the only option would be to set it up on a wifi router. You can then connect the Firestick to the VPN-enabled router. This should allow you to access region-locked content, use Kodi privately, and secure your connection if you use your Firestick at hotels.
FlashRouters sells home wifi routers with HMA pre-configured starting at around $250. Once it arrives, you just set it up like a normal router and enter your HMA login credentials, choose a location, and connect.
If you don’t want to fork over hundreds of dollars for a new router, you can try configuring one yourself. You have two options here: configure your existing router or set up a VPN-protected virtual router on a laptop.
Configuring HMA on a wifi router
To do this, you’ll need a router with firmware that supports VPNs. HMA lists the following compatible firmware on its support website:
- AsusWRT
- DD-WRT
- Mikrotik
- TomatoUSB
- Vilfo
If your router doesn’t have any of the above firmware installed, it’s possible to replace the existing firmware. The process of replacing firmware is called “flashing” and it should be done with caution. Failing to properly flash firmware can permanently damage your router.
Find a firmware that’s both compatible with your router model and supports VPNs. Keep in mind that all of the above firmware have various versions, not all of which will support VPNs.
Once you’ve got a router with VPN-compatible firmware, you’ll need to configure each HMA VPN server to which you want to connect. The process varies for each firmware, and HideMyAss support offers setup tutorials for most of them.
Setup takes place in the router’s administration dashboard. You can usually access the admin dashboard by connecting to the router via LAN or wifi, then opening a web browser and entering one of the following IP addresses:
You’ll be prompted to enter your admin username and password. If you haven’t set this manually, then your router is probably still using the default username and password. You can look them up here.
Once you’ve logged into the dashboard, follow the instructions provided by HMA. You’ll typically need the following info for setup:
- Interface type: TAP or TUN
- Protocol: OpenVPN TCP, OpenVPN UDP, L2TP, or PPTP
- Server IP address and port number
- Username
- Password
- Shared secret
There will also be several other options to address per HMA’s instructions.
In many cases, you will also have to download certificates and keys for each server and add them to VPN connection profiles.
Create a VPN-protected virtual hotspot
If you don’t have a router that’s compatible with VPNs or you don’t want to risk flashing new firmware onto your existing router, this is a handy alternative. It does, however, require keeping a spare laptop handy.
Most laptops made in the past few years have the ability to broadcast their own wifi hotspots to nearby devices. Here’s a general idea of how it works:
- Get the HideMyAss app for Windows, MacOS, iOS, or Android
- Connect to HideMyAss on that device
- Setup a wifi hotspot on that device
- Connect your Firestick to the wifi hotspot
- Share your VPN connection with the Firestick
We’ve got detailed tutorials on how to set up VPN-secured wifi hotspots on both Windows PC and MacOS.
Will HMA release a Firestick app?
HideMyAss will probably release a Firestick app at some point, but until then, router setup is the only safe option. These workarounds are a bit involved, requiring both time and tech savvy. The easiest option at this point would be to switch to a VPN that already has a Firestick app, like ExpressVPN or CyberGhost.
