Why Can’t I Connect to Amazon With NordVPN?

Many of you may have tried to use Amazon’s Alexa to order a pizza or get some coffee. If you’re from the U.S., you may have also tried to use the online grocer’s AI to purchase household items or get information on local businesses. Most people are unable to successfully use Alexa in the U.S. due to the country’s restrictive rules surrounding commercial use of AI and big tech in general. But what happens when you need to connect to Amazon with a VPN? You may find that you’re unable to connect and perform the tasks you need due to privacy restrictions and throttling imposed by the VPN company you subscribe to. In this blog post, we’ll examine the various ways that NordVPN limits the functionality of Amazon’s Alexa, Google Shopping, and other similar applications and services so that you can’t use them to their full potential.

Alexa Is Disabled By Default

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a customer of NordVPN or know someone who is. You may have heard of the VPN company from our blog posts, social media posts, or through various online lists. The VPN service allows users to access content that is otherwise blocked by big tech and copyright holders such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix. In some instances, Alexa may be disabled by default when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks while using a VPN. In other words, the service makes it difficult for you to use Alexa to its full capacity. The reason for this is simple. Alexa is unable to determine the location of your VPN server and thus can’t provide the best experience for you as a user. In some cases, this can even result in Alexa delivering inaccurate information or refusing to respond altogether. In other instances, it can cause significant latency issues that prevent you from using the virtual assistant to its full potential. As a result, your overall user experience may be diminished because Alexa can’t process your requests as quickly as it should.

To enable use of Alexa on public networks when you’re connected to a VPN, you’ll need to navigate to your device’s Software & Preferences section and adjust the ‘Allow Alexa to use my voice on my devices’ setting. You may also need to adjust your TV’s settings so that it doesn’t mute the sound when a voice assistant is launched.

Google Shopping Is Limited

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a customer of NordVPN or know someone who is. You may have heard of the VPN company from our blog posts, social media posts, or through various online lists. The VPN service allows users to access content that is otherwise blocked by big tech and copyright holders such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix. In some instances, Google Shopping is limited when you’re connected to a VPN. In other words, the service makes it difficult for you to use the online shopping search engine to its full capacity. The reason for this is simple. When you’re connected to a VPN, Google can’t determine your location and thus can’t provide the best experience for you as a user. In some cases, this can even result in Google failing to find what you’re looking for because it can’t process the search request rapidly enough. As a result, your overall user experience may be diminished because Google can’t find what you’re looking for in the first place.

To enable use of Google Shopping on public networks when you’re connected to a VPN, you’ll need to navigate to your device’s Software & Preferences section and adjust the ‘Allow Google shopping to use my location’ setting. You may also need to adjust your TV’s settings so that it doesn’t mute the sound when a voice assistant is launched.

YouTube Is Limited

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a customer of NordVPN or know someone who is. You may have heard of the VPN company from our blog posts, social media posts, or through various online lists. The VPN service allows users to access content that is otherwise blocked by big tech and copyright holders such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix. One of the things that you’ll often find when you use a VPN is that content is either unplayable or requires you to download software that may not be available for your device. One of the reasons for this is that when you’re connected to a VPN, your device’s IP address may be restricted by the service and you’ll need to download content from specific locations to be able to use it. In some instances, this can even result in slower speeds for you as a user because content is being downloaded from multiple locations. As a result, your overall user experience may be diminished because of the time it takes to load content and the bandwidth it consumes.

To enable use of YouTube on public networks when you’re connected to a VPN, you’ll need to navigate to your device’s Software & Preferences section and adjust the ‘Allow YouTube to use my location’ setting. You may also need to adjust your TV’s settings so that it doesn’t mute the sound when a voice assistant is launched.

Facebook And Other Social Media Is Limited

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a customer of NordVPN or know someone who is. You may have heard of the VPN company from our blog posts, social media posts, or through various online lists. The VPN service allows users to access content that is otherwise blocked by big tech and copyright holders such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix. Many people use VPNs to prevent their personal information from being collected and used by advertisers or even law enforcement. One of the consequences of this is that when you’re connected to a VPN, it can sometimes be difficult to use certain social media platforms. This is because when you’re on public Wi-Fi and you connect to a VPN, the service will often block your account from making any posts or interacting with other users. The reason for this is simple. Once you connect to a VPN, your IP address may be logged and later used by the service to determine if you’re following the rules. If your account is blocked, it may mean that your IP address is being monitored and you may get a warning or even be temporarily frozen from using the service.

To enable use of Facebook and other social media on public networks when you’re connected to a VPN, you’ll need to navigate to your device’s Software & Preferences section and adjust the ‘Allow social media to use my location’ setting. You may also need to adjust your TV’s settings so that it doesn’t mute the sound when a voice assistant is launched.

Restricted Access To Amazon And Other Online Grocery Stores

Some people use VPNs to access websites that are otherwise restricted to certain regions or countries. One of the things that you’ll often find with these types of VPNs is that when you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi network, the service will often block access to major online retail stores such as Amazon and Netflix. The reason for this is that when you’re on public Wi-Fi and you connect to a VPN, Amazon and other similar stores can’t determine your location and thus can’t provide the best experience for you as a user. In some cases, this can even result in Amazon and other online stores providing inaccurate information or failing to respond altogether when you ask questions about products or order something online. As a result, your overall user experience may be diminished because the online stores you rely on aren’t functioning as effectively as they could be.

To enable use of Amazon and other online retail stores on public networks when you’re connected to a VPN, you’ll need to navigate to your device’s Software & Preferences section and adjust the ‘Allow Amazon and other online stores to use my location’ setting. You may also need to adjust your TV’s settings so that it doesn’t mute the sound when a voice assistant is launched.

More Than Meets The Eye

Inevitably, whenever we write about restrictions imposed by a VPN service, a significant number of you will comment that you have no issue with the service as long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to use key apps and functionality on your devices. Keep in mind that we are writing this blog post from the perspective of someone who wants to use Amazon’s Alexa, Google Shopping, and other similar applications and services to their full capacity. For people who don’t want to be restricted by a VPN when using these applications and services, this article is not for them.

In closing, we would like to reiterate that unless you have a specific reason for using a VPN, you’re better off not using one. As a general rule, a VPN should not restrict your access to certain applications or functionality on your device. For instance, if you want to use WhatsApp or Instagram, you should not use a VPN. Keep in mind that if you do use a VPN and need specific help or support, you may need to contact the service’s support team and notify them of your issue.