Selecting the right VPN server for the best connection might challenge you from time to time. Fortunately, ExpressVPN devised a useful feature to pick up your most appropriate server location. It’s called ExpressVPN Smart Location, and this will let you connect to the optimal VPN server location automatically.
Now, connecting to the right server location is important for the anticipated speed, minimised latency, and distance. Since ExpressVPN has servers in over 94 countries, you might not know which server location will suit you most.
That’s why ExpressVPN invented Smart Location so that users don’t have to fret about choosing locations over anything. Let’s figure out how the feature works and when you can use it.
ExpressVPN Smart Location: How Does it Work?
As you already know, ExpressVPN Smart Location is a built-in feature with ExpressVPN. Additionally, it allows you to readily pick the most suitable server from your nearest feasible location. Smart Location also automatically selects the media streaming or game server you wish to access through the VPN service.
This feature is built in such a way that it will connect you to the best-performance server, even though you haven’t mentioned your preference. Furthermore, your security and protection remain intact, and you stay anonymous online.
So, how does ExpressVPN Smart Location work? Basically, Smart Location is an improved algorithm that ranks the available servers on the client app of ExpressVPN. Thus, you can access the best servers near you within a few seconds.
How does it help you while you’re connected to the web? Be it gaming, high-speed streaming, online security, or torrenting, Smart Location will manage you to connect to the most efficient server out of more than 160 locations worldwide. However, Smart Location decides the best server location based on the following parameters:
- Your distance from the server
- Server speed
- The server latency
Depending on these metrics, Smart Location gets you an amazing server that lets you handle data-intensive tasks at an excellent speed. On the other hand, ExpressVPN is already renowned for its unlimited and reliable bandwidth. So, you can stream high-quality content or play online games with your security uncompromised with ExpressVPN.
How to Turn on Smart Locations on ExpressVPN?
You might be looking for a way to turn on the ExpressVPN Smart Location feature. Fortunately, you don’t have to do anything additional to take advantage of this brilliant algorithm. Turning on the VPN service will automatically enable the Smart Location feature. And, you will directly connect to the best and nearest possible server location.
Hence, Smart Location is a default feature of ExpressVPN. It will start working on your device once you turn on the VPN service. Install the ExpressVPN application on your Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. After that, set up a connection for the first time with your router or access point.
Onwards, you have to follow the steps below whenever you want to turn on both the VPN service and its Smart Location feature:
- Navigate to the ExpressVPN app on a particular device.
- Next, click the Power button to turn on the VPN service. This will enable the Smart Location feature as well.
How to turn off Smart Location on ExpressVPN? Well, you can select another location manually in some special cases, and this will disable the Smart Location algorithm.
How to Change Smart Location on ExpressVPN?
As you are aware, you might not access every content on a streaming platform due to geolocation restrictions. For example, if you live in Australia and want to stream a TV show on Netflix, that particular content is unavailable in Australia. However, the same content might be available on the USA server of Netflix.
The problem with this automatic ExpressVPN Smart Location is that it might connect you to one of Australia’s servers. As a result, you can’t watch the desired show on Netflix. However, there’s a way to fool it. You can now connect to a preferred server different from what Smart Location has chosen.
Here’s how to change Smart Location on ExpressVPN:
- First, go to your ExpressVPN application’s user interface.
- Then, locate 3 horizontal dots next to the currently set location name.
- Click or tap on that 3 horizontal dots. This will take you to a list of available servers.
- Next, using the search bar, you can search for a specific location, such as the United States, United Kingdom, or anything else. Otherwise, you can scroll down the list to select the right location.
- This will be your preferred location, and ExpressVPN will allow you to connect to the selected server location.
This will turn off the ExpressVPN Smart Location feature, and you can browse content without worrying about geolocation restrictions.
How to Turn Smart Location on ExpressVPN?
On the other hand, you should go default again in terms of server location. How can you turn on the Smart Location feature again on ExpressVPN? Here’s what you need to follow:
- Open up the ExpressVPN app.
- Afterwards, tap or click the 3 horizontal dots beside the selected location name.
- Next, click the Recommended tab and connect to the listed server.
This will turn on the Smart Location feature again on your ExpressVPN service.
Steps to Use ExpressVPN Smart Location on Linux Devices
If you use ExpressVPN services on your Linux computer, you have to follow a different way to enable the Smart Location feature. Let’s check how you can use ExpressVPN Smart Location on a Linux device:
- Open up a Terminal window on your Linux computer.
- Now, you must type in the following command: expressvpn connect smart.
- Next, hit the Enter key to execute the command and turn on the Smart Location feature.
On the other hand, you can set the same preference on your router. If your router doesn’t set up the ExpressVPN Smart Location feature on its own, then here’s what you should do:
- Sign into your router using the ExpressVPN portal.
- Next, click the 3 horizontal dots or ellipsis button.
- Then, choose the Smart Location server.
When Should You Use ExpressVPN Smart Location?
ExpressVPN Smart Location is undoubtedly an advanced feature to strengthen your internet connection with improved speed and minimised latency. However, there might be better decisions, especially when you have to bypass geolocation restrictions over some streaming.
Hence, you can enable Smart Location when browsing or streaming. Otherwise, you can turn off the Smart Location feature by manually selecting the server, as mentioned above. Once you are done, you can connect to the internet with the enabled Smart Location feature again.
Final Words
A VPN service mainly benefits users in 2 ways. The first objective is to protect the user’s identity online and maintain his/her privacy. On the other hand, a VPN service helps users circumvent geo-restrictions. For instance, some nations ban specific content. If you want to access such content, then you should try VPN services.
However, you can also turn off the ExpressVPN Smart Location feature for the best results. Thus, you can fool such streaming services by manually selecting a feasible server location.