Where to watch Friends online for free from any country
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There's no denying that Friends is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. The series helped define the hangout comedy genre and breathed new life into will they/won't they on-screen pairings. Despite going off-air 20 years ago, the show is still a hot commodity in the streaming world. We'll show you everything you need to know about streaming the series, including where to watch Friends from anywhere for free.
The series follows six friends who live in New York City. The comedy isn't about any one thing in particular and instead focuses on their various entanglements with each other, romantic and otherwise. Friends launched the careers of Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry. It also featured various top-notch guest stars like Tom Selleck, Reese Witherspoon, and Paul Rudd, among others.
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends went on to receive more than 60 Emmy nominations in its time on air, winning six. Aniston and Kudrow were among the cast members to take home Emmys and the show finally won the coveted Outstanding Comedy category in its eighth season.
Whether you first watched the show when it premiered almost 30 years ago, or you're looking to stream it for the first time, we've got you covered. Keep reading to learn how to watch the show from anywhere, including a free streaming option.
How to watch Friends in the US
All ten seasons of Friends are available to stream on Max. The series was removed from Netflix in early 2020 and moved to HBO Max, now called Max. Subscriptions start at $9.99 a month. This is also where you'll find the Friends Reunion special, which premiered in 2021.
How to watch Friends in the UK
Friends is still on Netflix in the UK. Subscriptions to the service start at £4.99 a month. Check out our full pricing guide for more information. If you already have Netflix in another country, you can use a VPN to watch the UK library with the same account.
How to watch Friends in New Zealand
Friends is available to stream through TVNZ+ in New Zealand. All ten seasons are available for free. Viewers just need to create a free account account to watch. Not in New Zealand? Then simply fire up a VPN, and you can watch along for free, too.
Is Friends on Netflix?
In a small number of countries around the world, you can indeed watch Friends on Netflix. The UK is one such country and comes with every season of the famous sitcom. Max has a tight grip on the show in the US, so we wouldn't expect it on the US Netflix library anytime soon.
However, if you have a Netflix account in any country around the world outside the UK, you can still watch Friends on the UK library by using a VPN to change your viewing device's country. This is super convenient if you're already using the streaming service elsewhere, as you'll be able to track your progress through watched episodes just like Netflix in your own country. Just switch the VPN to UK mode before you load up the app, and you're all set for a Friends binge.
How to watch Friends without Netflix for free from anywhere
If you're currently traveling outside of New Zealand but would like to watch it for free via the option mentioned above you can still keep up with your binge-watch with a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs are handy ways to temporarily change your device's virtual location so that you can access websites and apps that might differ in availability from region to region. VPNs are also solid ways to boost your online privacy, even if you're not on the go.
Interested in learning more? You can try out our go-to, ExpressVPN, a beginner-friendly VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our ExpressVPN review for all the details, and keep reading to learn how to use a VPN.
How to watch Friends with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
- Install it on the device you're using to watch Friends.
- Turn it on and set it to New Zealand.
- Go to TVNZ+ and create a log-in profile.
- Watch Friends.
- If you already have a Netflix account, you could also use a VPN in UK mode to access the show there.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.