How to watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 episodes FREE with a VPN ahead of UK release

After years of waiting, The Handmaid’s Tale is back for its final season. Depending on where you live, just 3 episodes of the last-ever season of the show are already available to stream. Those watching on Hulu in the United States, and SBS On Demand in Australia can stream S06E07 today.

How to watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 now — in 3 steps

First up, secure 4 months FREE with ExpressVPN …then create an account on SBS On Demand in AustraliaStream the 7 episodes of season 6 weeks ahead of the UK!

However, if you’re counting down the days until you can stream the last episode of The Handmaid’s Tale in the UK — you’ve got a long wait. The new series didn’t even start airing until May 3, 2025 on Channel 4 and Prime Video.

If you’re desperate to find out how The Handmaid’s Tale will wrap up its plot after eight years on telly… a VPN can offer a shortcut for those who living in the UK who want to start streaming the final season today.

Get started with a VPN like ExpressVPN, which is offering 4 months extra for free, change your VPN server location to the USA, and start a free trial with Hulu to binge-watch the first 7 episodes of season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale before the new series begins in the UK. What are you waiting for?!

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Sign-up to an annual plan with ExpressVPN and unlock an additional four months of its award-winning service for free. ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Apple TV, routers, and even gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. It offers 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee, which serves like a free trial

Surfshark VPN sale cuts prices to just £1.49

Surfshark charges £12.29 for a rolling one-month subscription to its popular VPN, but that plummets to just £1.49 if you sign-up for a longer contract as part of its latest blockbuster sale. That’s one of the lowest prices we’ve seen from any award-winning VPN service, and means you’ll be able to stream episodes on their US or Australian release date, rather than waiting for the UK release in weeks

Why would UK fans use a VPN to stream The Handmaid’s Tale?

For UK fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, the wait for Season 6 on Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video, which began airing on May 3, 2025, might feel interminable — especially when new episodes have been streaming weekly on Hulu in the United States and SBS On Demand in Australia since April 8. If you’re eager to stay ahead of spoilers and immerse yourself in June Osborne’s final fight against Gilead, using a VPN like ExpressVPN or Surfshark to change the IP address to a different country and stream from these services offers a timely and secure solution.

Here are some of the reasons you might be tempted to spoof your IP address and stream from USA or Australia.

Early Access: With episodes already airing on Hulu and SBS On Demand, VPNs allow UK viewers to watch the latest episodes ahead of the local release schedule. Avoid Spoilers: By staying current with the U.S. and Australian broadcasts, you can participate in global discussions and avoid plot revelations that might surface online. Free Streaming Options: SBS On Demand offers free access to the series in Australia. Using a VPN to connect to an Australian server can enable UK viewers to stream episodes without additional subscription fees.

How to Watch The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Using a VPN

Choose a VPN: Select a reputable VPN service like the award-winning ExpressVPN or affordable Surfshark. Install the VPN: Download and install the VPN application on your preferred device. Connect to a Server: For Hulu: Connect to a US server. For SBS On Demand: Connect to an Australian server. Access the Streaming Service: Navigate to Hulu or SBS On Demand’s website or app. For SBS On Demand, create a free account if required. For Hulu, you may need a US payment method or gift card to subscribe. Start Streaming: Once connected and logged in, you can begin watching The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 episodes as they become available.

By utilising a VPN, UK viewers can bypass regional restrictions, gain early access to The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6, and enjoy the series on their own schedule — all while maintaining online privacy and security. Nifty, eh?

How to watch The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 in the UK?

Prime Video didn’t start showing The Handmaid’s Tale final season until May 3. Unlike Australia and the USA, where the first three episodes were released simultaneously …those in the UK can only stream the first episode, entitled Train.

New episodes will be added weekly until the finale on July 12, 2025.

Prime Video is one of the perks included with Prime membership, which costs £8.99 a month — or £95 annually. You’ll also unlock unlimited next-day delivery on thousands of items sold on Amazon at no extra cost, thousands of songs and playlists via Amazon Music, unlimited photo storage via Amazon Photos, and more.

Like all previous seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale in the UK, Channel 4 will also broadcast the same episodes.

These will be available on the free-to-air channel across Freeview, Freely — a service that didn’t exist last time the hit US show was on UK screens, Sky Stream and Sky Glass, Virgin Media TV, and phones and tablets with the Channel 4 app.

Channel 4 is the first public service broadcaster to support Apple’s £3,500 Vision Pro too.

Channel 4 viewers can stream all episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale for free — as long as you’re willing to put up with adverts interrupting the show. It also offers a paid subscription tier, £3.99 a month, that removes adverts.

Despite being a paid service, Prime Video introduced adverts last year. You can pay an extra £2.99 a month to remove these ad breaks during films and shows, like The Handmaid’s Tale.

The first five seasons are available to stream in full on Prime Video now. Likewise, all previously-aired episodes of the award-winning show will be accessible on Channel 4 ahead of the final series launch.

How to watch The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 from anywhere?

Viewers in the United States were treated to the first three episodes of Season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale on April 8, 2025. New episodes will be released weekly on Hulu until the final episode airs on May 27, 2025.

That’s a full four weeks before the same episode is broadcast on Prime Video and Channel 4 in the UK. In fact, by the time UK viewers get access to any of this show, US audiences will be halfway through the final season.

If you’re desperate to see what happens to June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) in her battle against the totalitarian regime that once held her captive — or avoid spoilers from US viewers sharing their thoughts across social media or in online articles — then it is possible to stream The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 early in the UK.

This staggered international release schedule will be familiar to fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, with Season 5 arriving on Prime Video and Channel 4 almost six months after the US viewers had streamed every episode. UK viewers consistently recieve new episodes later than their American counterparts.

But UK viewers can use a VPN to stream new episodes of Season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale for free on Hulu at the same time as those in the United States can watch.

Start your free trial with Hulu (US only)

VPNs work by encrypting all of your online traffic by routing it via a VPN server. Choosing a VPN server location in another country changes your IP address and makes it appear as if you’re browsing from somewhere else on the world.

Stream The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 with FREE trial on Hulu

Hulu offers a 30-day free trial for new and eligible returning subscribers, providing full access to its streaming library, including all seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. This trial is ideal for catching up on the series, especially with Season 6 premiering on April 8, 2025, and new episodes releasing weekly.

Choosing a VPN server in the USA will enable The Handmaid’s Tale fans living in the UK stream episodes at the same time as they’re broadcast on Hulu. Since Hulu is geo-restricted to the United States, you must be using a VPN with US server locations to bypass these limitations and access the streamer.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 is also streaming free on SBS On Demand in Australia.

Like those in the United States, Aussie viewers were able to start the final season of the award-winning show from April 8. The first three episodes were all shared on SBS On Demand at the same time.

Start watching on SBS On Demand (Australia only)

Instead of Hulu, it’s possible to leverage your VPN subscription to tune-in to SBS On Demand service from Australia to start binge-watching the first three of the 10-episode run for this final series.

Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Offred (Elisabeth Moss), one of the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.

In the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, June’s unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead. Luke and Moira join the resistance.

Serena tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick faces challenging tests of character. This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom.

The season features returning cast members including Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, and Madeline Brewer. New additions to the cast include Josh Charles from The Good Wife and D’Arcy Carden from The Good Place.

The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner Yahlin Chang has revealed that the finale will include “victory and feelings of hope and triumph and uplift.” She has confirmed the 10-episode final season will lay groundwork for the upcoming adaptation of Atwood’s sequel novel, The Testaments.

“There will be cliffhangers for The Testaments,” Chang explained, while assuring that The Handmaid’s Tale will conclude “in some very satisfying ways.”

List of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 episodes

Showrunner Yahlin Chang has confirmed the epic conclusion to the award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale will consist of 10 episodes. In the USA and Australia, where the final season started on April 8, the first three episodes—titled Train, Exile, and Devotion — were released simultaneously.

The remaining episodes are titled:

PromotionJanineSurpriseShatteredExodusExecutionThe Handmaid’s Tale

It’s unclear whether UK broadcasters will follow the same pattern when the new season begins on May 3, 2025.

Best VPN to stream The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6

For a limited time, NordVPN is offering 3 months for free.

The generous giveaway is only available when new or returning subscribers sign up for a two-year plan with the popular VPN provider. NordVPN will slash your remaining subscription by 77% for bigger savings.

If you’re concerned about launching into such a long contract, NordVPN offers a 30-day no-quibbles money-back guarantee. If you’re unhappy with the service, VPN server locations, NordVPN apps, or anything else… you can cancel the two-year plan within that initial 30-day period and spend nothing.

Trial NordVPN during 30-day money-back period

NordVPN is available as a standalone VPN subscription, but can also be paired with several other popular services, including a password manager to generate, encrypt and store one-of-a-kind alpha-numeric passwords for all of your online accounts and apps.

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NordVPN can also scan your downloads for malware and automatically issues alerts when your personal details or passwords have been leaked on the Dark Web.

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It’s not the only NordVPN that’s offering free access to its VPN at the moment, ExpressVPN will treat new subscribers to 4 months for free.

The freebie will be awarded to anyone who signs up for an annual plan.

Trial ExpressVPN during 30-day money-back period

ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Apple TV, routers, and even gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. It offers 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee, which serves like a free trial.

ExpressVPN supports a number of payment plans, so you can sign-up for a longer contract to unlock the best VPN deal but still pay in smaller, more manageable instalments.

Sign-up for 4 months of ExpressVPN for FREE

Sign-up to an annual plan with ExpressVPN and unlock an additional four months of its award-winning service for free. ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Apple TV, routers, and even gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. It offers 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee, which serves like a free trial

No matter which of these best VPN deals you choose, setting up everything to start streaming The Handmaid’s Tale from anywhere in the world is simple enough. Follow the below steps to get started:

Install the VPN app on whichever device you want to use to watch The Handmaid’s TaleSign-in with your login — NordVPN lets you use up to 10 devices at the same timeChoose a VPN server location (UK if you want to stream on Channel 4, US for Hulu)Start a free trial with Hulu for US air datesStart streaming on your device as if you were reclined on a sofa in the States

Hulu requires a subscription, which starts from $9.99 per month. However, if you haven’t watched on the US-only streamer before, you can get started with a free trial. Be aware that you may need a US payment method to sign up, though some VPN providers offer workarounds for this issue.

Even if you’re not fussed about waiting the extra month until episodes become available in the UK, you might need a VPN to continue watching uninterrupted if you’re abroad on your holidays.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK. Prime Video is available in hundreds of countries worldwide, but Amazon varies the catalogue of shows and films in each location based on the rights agreements signed in each territory. So, even though Prime Video is available …it doesn’t mean that The Handmaid’s Tale will be available to stream.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.

The most reliable VPNs employ the same encryption standard as governments in the United Kingdom and the United States, ensuring that even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) connected to Wi-Fi cannot record the websites you visit, the duration of your sessions on each site, or your current location. This protection extends to advertisers, trackers, and hackers, preventing them from monitoring your online behaviour.

Furthermore, personal information entered into online forms and sensitive data transmitted to and from your device will be safeguarded from hackers using strong encryption provided by a VPN.

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The Handmaid’s Tale — Recap of Season 1 – 5

As The Handmaid’s Tale enters its sixth and final season, it’s the perfect time to revisit the tumultuous journey of June Osborne and the oppressive world of Gilead.

Season 1: The Rise of Gilead

Introduction to Gilead: June Osborne, a former copy editor, is captured and forced into servitude as “Offred,” a Handmaid assigned to Commander Waterford. Life as a Handmaid: The season delves into the rituals and strictures of Gilead, highlighting the Handmaids’ role in a society plagued by infertility. Seeds of Resistance: June begins to resist her oppressive circumstances, forming clandestine alliances and rekindling hope for a better future.

Season 2: Deepening Struggles

Pregnancy and Peril: June becomes pregnant, intensifying her desire to escape and protect her unborn child. Expanding the World: The narrative explores the Colonies, where women are sent to toil in toxic environments, and introduces new characters who aid or hinder June’s quest for freedom. Acts of Defiance: June’s rebellious actions escalate, symbolising a growing resistance within Gilead.

Season 3: Alliances and Rebellion

Strategic Partnerships: June collaborates with Commander Lawrence, a key figure in Gilead’s creation, to orchestrate a plan to smuggle children out of the regime. Personal Sacrifices: Her relationships with allies and adversaries deepen, revealing the complexities of survival and resistance. Climactic Escape: The season culminates in a daring operation that sees numerous children rescued, though June chooses to stay behind, wounded but resolute.

Season 4: Consequences and Captivity

Aftermath of Rebellion: June faces severe repercussions for her actions, including capture and torture by Gilead authorities. Shifting Dynamics: Key characters like Nick and Commander Lawrence navigate their roles in the evolving power structures, while June’s husband, Luke, grapples with her absence. Quest for Justice: June’s journey leads her to confrontations that blur the lines between vengeance and justice, setting the stage for further upheaval.

Season 5: Power and Redemption

New Challenges: June adjusts to life outside Gilead, facing new societal and personal obstacles. Serena’s Transformation: Serena Joy navigates her own path, seeking influence and redemption in a world that continues to oppress women. Evolving Resistance: The fight against Gilead takes on new forms, with characters reassessing their roles and the cost of their choices.

With the final season underway, the stakes have never been higher. June’s unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead. Luke and Moira join the resistance. Serena tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick faces challenging tests of character. This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom.