Google Bard’s global release on May 10 officially marked Google’s foray into the AI race to take on ChatGPT and other AI tools. However, many users around the world run into difficulties when trying to use Bard.
Google Bard is currently available in over 180 countries and territories, including the United States and the United Kingdom. But there are many countries where Bard doesn’t work, like China. People trying to use Bard from these countries are denied access and will usually see the following message:
“Bard isn’t currently supported in your country. Stay tuned!“
If you run into this problem, there is an easy solution to get access to Google Bard, no matter where you are in the world. We’ll walk you through it — we’ve tested it ourselves, and it’s pretty easy!
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix “Bard isn’t Currently Supported in Your Country. Stay Tuned!”
Google uses your IP address to determine your country when you try to access Bard. Your IP address is like a digital footprint, indicating where you’re located in the world. Only users with IP addresses from selected locations can access Bard. For example, users with a US or UK IP address can access Google Bard.
To use Google Bard in any other country, we recommend getting an IP address from the UK or US. This way, you can browse the web as if you’re in the US or UK, including chatting with Google Bard. While it may sound technical, changing your IP address is very easy.
Below, you’ll find a quick step-by-step guide to changing your IP address and getting Google Bard to work.
Step 1: Subscribe to a VPN service
First, you need a VPN (virtual private network) — a tool that allows you to change your IP address. We’ve tested dozens of VPNs, and we highly recommend Surfshark VPN. It is an affordable and easy-to-use VPN with servers in 100 countries.
You can try Surfshark completely risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our article on getting a free Surfshark trial for more information.
Step 2: Download the VPN software on your device
Subscribe to Surfshark, and download the VPN software from the official Surfshark site. Surfshark has apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers. It is compatible with all major operating systems, so it should work on your devices.
Step 3: Connect to a server in the United States or the United Kingdom
Open the Surfshark app and select a VPN server in the United States or the United Kingdom. Your internet traffic will automatically be rerouted through the server you pick. This means you can browse the web as if you are in the US or UK.
Step 4: Use Google Bard without problems!
Go to the Google Bard website. Since you’re browsing the internet with a US or UK IP address, you will no longer see the message “Bard isn’t currently supported in your country. Stay tuned!“. Instead, you will be able to use Google Bard without any issues!
You’ll have to agree to some terms and conditions, but after that, you can use Google Bard to your heart’s content!
Why is Google Bard Currently Restricted in Some Countries?
There are several reasons why Google Bard is currently unavailable outside selected locations. You may be getting the “Bard isn’t currently supported in your country. Stay tuned!” message because of the following reasons:
- Bard is still under development, and Google wants to run tests before expanding its availability. The company has said it would “gradually expand” access to other countries and territories.
- There are legal limitations for Google to consider. For instance, the European Union has strict privacy regulation: the GDPR. Google needs to ensure Bard is GDPR-compliant before rolling it out at scale in the European Union. Governments are wary of AI and its impact, so Google has to tread carefully. Otherwise, the company risks Bard getting banned, just like the temporary ChatGPT ban in Italy.
- Language support is still minimal, and Google is likely working on optimizing Bard’s support for other languages besides English, Japanese, and Korean.
While Google is working on these and other issues, people around the world are increasingly using AI tools like Bard. This technology has already become a part of daily life for many. The question is, what role will Bard take on worldwide in this rapidly advancing sector?
After trying out Google Bard over the past couple of days, we have to say it looks very promising. ChatGPT is in for some tough competition with Google Bard’s arrival!
