Mobile VPN: How to set up VPN on mobile? (Android + iOS) (2024)

Are you thinking about whether it is worth installing a VPN on your mobile phone?

A VPN application on a smartphone is an important security element these days, which can protect your device from threats on the Internet, keep your personal data safe, as well as make content that would normally be inaccessible to your phone available.

In this article, we will therefore take a closer look at:

• What exactly is a mobile VPN (and how does it work)
• Why is it worth using a mobile VPN?
• How to install VPN on mobile
• Top 8 VPN applications for smartphones

What is a mobile VPN?

Mobile VPN (or Mobile Virtual Private Network ) is a tool for encrypting the IP address and data from a mobile device, thanks to which users can anonymously and safely visit websites on the Internet, shop in e-shops, or gain access to content that is not available within their actual IP address in their location.

You can get a VPN for mobile either in the form of a mobile application or by manually connecting to a VPN server from your smartphone.

Thanks to this, third parties will not be able to capture and monitor your data online, and at the same time, all your personal information on the Internet will be protected from hacker attacks.

💡 Tip: If you are a complete beginner in the VPN world and don’t know where to start, be sure to read my guide: What is a VPN and what is it for?

How does a VPN work on a mobile phone?

In principle, a mobile VPN behaves the same as a classic VPN on a computer.

It is about connecting your phone to a remote server, from which you then connect to online services, visit websites or other content, make payments on the Internet, etc.

The IP address plays an important role here – each device (in this case, a smartphone) normally connects to the Internet with a specific IP address, which specifies the exact physical location of the device (that is, the user).

The VPN application is an intermediary between the user’s IP address and the online world: Instead of connecting to the Internet directly, you connect your phone to a VPN server that is located in a completely different place from you, and only from there you connect to the Internet network .

Thanks to this, all websites and any third parties online will only see the IP address of the VPN server and not the phone (that is, you).

In addition to covering the location and IP address, the VPN also provides protection protocols and very strong data encryption between the smartphone and the network of VPN servers, with which no one can see any activities or data about the user in the online environment.

Why is it worth using a VPN on a smartphone?

You can use a VPN on your phone for several reasons:

• To protect privacy
• Increased security
• Making unavailable content available

Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits.

a) Protection of privacy

A VPN application on your smartphone can provide you with anonymous internet surfing without internet services collecting personal information about you.

In practice, almost every person has encountered unexpected advertisem*nts or pop-up windows on websites that offered products or services from your previous search on the Internet.

These advertisem*nts are adapted to each user individually on the basis of information collected about them by Internet platforms such as e.g. Google, Facebook, Youtube, Amazon, etc., and subsequently used to create the given advertisem*nt.

Although such customized advertisem*nts and banners are an essential part of online marketing, these services can often be annoying for the user – and it is in such cases that a VPN service comes into play.

With a mobile VPN, you prevent ad providers from being able to collect information about you (since the VPN serves as an intermediary between you and the platforms) and thus you can surf the Internet completely anonymously.

b) Increased security

VPN for mobile is also worthwhile because of higher security of your device and protection of sensitive data during connection from any network or Wi-Fi.

Many people use free Wi-Fi services outside their home or when working remotely (so-called remote work ) – whether it is connecting to the Internet from a cafe, on a train or to Wi-Fi in a shopping center.

However, in such cases, each person is exposed to a greater security risk, as anyone who is connected to the same network as you (e.g. on the Wi-Fi in a bar) can monitor your activities on the Internet and potentially gain access to your personal information (e.g. login passwords, information about your bank account, etc.).

For this reason, it is usually not recommended to use publicly available Internet connections, or to use a VPN application every time you connect to unknown Wi-Fi.

Thanks to the VPN service, all your activities and information will be encrypted, and virtually no one who is connected to the same network as you will be able to find out what websites you have visited, or what information about yourself you entered on them.

💡 Tip: If you would like to learn more about protecting your device, I recommend reading my comprehensive article on antivirus and cyber threats .

c) Making content available

A VPN in mobile enables access to content or to a social network that is specifically blocked in your country or region.

As VPN services usually use a network of IP addresses from different parts of the world, you can virtually connect to the Internet from a completely different country during your Internet activities and access online content that is geo-blocked in yours.

A great example of when you can use a VPN application is while watching the Netflix platform – this service quite often makes available and blocks series and movies in different parts of the world.

With a VPN on your phone, you can easily bypass this problem and connect to Netflix with a foreign IP address (e.g. from the USA) and watch series that you would normally not be able to watch in Slovakia or the Czech Republic, for example.

VPN applications can also provide you with similar benefits on other platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, or even Facebook.

How to set up VPN on mobile?

Smartphones (with Android and iOS operating systems) have natively built-in manual VPN connection functionality.

You can use this option if you have available data about a specific VPN server, or if you can get it yourself from the VPN administrator.

VPN setup for android

VPN settings on Android devices may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, smartphone and Android version on which you want to configure the VPN manually.

However, you can generally find and run it on any Android smartphone by following these steps:

1. Open “ Settings ” and go to “ Connection and Sharing ” folder.

2. Click on “ VPN ” and go to “ Add VPN ” button.

3. In the given window, fill in the items ” Name ” and ” Server address ” (if necessary, you can also view advanced options for VPN configuration).

4. Select the “ Type ” of the VPN connection (IPSec PSK, RSA, MSCHAPv2, etc.).

5. Fill in the login name and password.

After filling in and submitting the information about the VPN server, you can start using the service to the full.

If you’re still not sure how to manually configure a VPN for an Android phone, be sure to watch this short video tutorial:

VPN setup for iOS

VPN settings on iPhone devices may differ slightly, or be found elsewhere on each phone depending on which iPhone (and iOS version) you are currently using.

However, you can generally set up a VPN manually on any iPhone by following these steps:

1. Open “ Settings ” and go to “ General ” on your iPhone.
2. Click on “ VPN and Device Management ”
3. Press the “ Add VPN configuration ” button.
4. Select one of the VPN protocols (eg L2TP, IPSec, IKEv2, etc.).
5. Fill in the necessary VPN authentication data – type, server, login name and password.
6. Click on the “ Status ” button and start the VPN on your iOS system.

If you want to take a closer look at how to manually set up and run a VPN on your iPhone, be sure to check out this short video on VPN configuration for iOS:

How to choose the right VPN application?

You can find many VPN applications in the Play Store and the App Store.

However, when choosing the right VPN, you need to be aware of a few important factors – whether it is a paid or free VPN application:

• Security and privacy – one of the main reasons why you are probably considering a VPN application is increased security. For this reason, always take a good look at the extent to which the given application guarantees the protection of your personal data and what security features it offers (this applies especially to free VPN applications).
• Connection speed – a great internet connection should be a matter of course, where you don’t have to worry that your download speed will start to drop drastically while watching a video or playing online games with a VPN.
• Data encryption – high-quality encryption of the data you provide or receive via VPN is another essential element when choosing the right app. Any good VPN should provide different types of encryption and keys (such as AES 256-bit encryption).
• Number of servers and locations – the number of physical servers (and therefore also IP addresses) with a VPN will help you connect to the Internet from different corners of the world, as well as increase the stability and speed of your Internet connection. In other words – the more, the better.
• User environment – while browsing VPN applications, be sure to also look at their interface, or whether they are difficult to use, install, or whether it is possible to use the given VPN also on devices other than mobile.
• Extra services – good VPN service providers can often offer you various useful features that come with their applications, such as Kill Switch protection, Meshnet, multi-VPN connection, online scanning, etc.

8 Best VPN Apps for Smartphones

1. NordVPN

NordVPN has been operating since 2012 and as one of the top VPN application providers offers its services to millions of users in more than 60 countries around the world.

As part of the VPN mobile application, NordVPN gives you the option to hide your IP address and thus view content on streaming services that would otherwise be unavailable to you.

Installing the application is very simple – you download and install the application from the store, create an account, log in and you can start using NordVPN to the fullest.

NordVPN works on both Android and iOS devices – you can use all commonly available VPN protocols and encryptions (NordLynx, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec).

As such, the application offers more than 6100 fully optimized servers in more than 67 countries. By simply pressing ” Quick Connect ” you can choose a specific server either yourself or leave it to the application.

In addition, NordVPN provides several special services such as:

• Onion Over VPN – combines the anonymity of Tor with the security of a VPN tunnel.
• P2P – fast and simple peer-to-peer connection.
• Favorite servers – by simply pressing a button, you will automatically connect to your favorite VPN server.
• Double VPN – within the android interface you also have the option of using double encryption after connecting to NordVPN.
• NordPass – password manager for protecting and managing passwords, credit cards, etc.

NordVPN provides several price packages – with a higher price comes more interesting functions and options:

• Standard – €12.99/month
• Plus – €13.99/month
• Complete – €14.99/month
• Ultra – €16.59/month

2. PureVPN

PureVPN is a premium VPN service provider that was founded as a product in 2006 by founders Uzair, Umair and Aqib.

As a service, it prides itself on high transparency and dedication to its customers – since its inception, it has been used by more than 3 million people worldwide.

PureVPN has 6500 VPN servers in 78 countries around the world and can provide up to 20 Gbps bandwidth.

As an application, it is available for both main mobile operating systems – Android and iOS – and within them it offers several interesting extra functions:

• 256-bit encryption
• Automatic start of VPN on unsecured Wi-Fi networks
• DDoS protection
• Dedicated IP address
• Kill Switch

In addition to the application for mobile devices, it also works on all other operating systems and browsers (Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, etc.).

In terms of pricing packages, PureVPN comes with 3 pricing versions:

• Standard – $10.95/month (or $1.96 per month for a 2-year plan)
• Plus – $16.95/month (or $3.21 per month for a 2-year plan)
• Max – $20.95/month (or $3.85 per month for a 2-year plan)

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the oldest VPN services (since 2009) that exists in the world – currently it enjoys more than 94 server locations around the world.

One of the main reasons why ExpressVPN is so popular among users is the ability to unblock streaming content on platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max or Disney+, thanks to which it is possible to watch various films and series that would otherwise be unavailable in your location.

In addition, with ExpressVPN you can safely and easily surf the Internet or share your photos and videos without being exposed to cyber threats.

Thanks to this simple VPN mobile application, you also have the option of blocking unwanted ads or annoying trackers that would track you practically anywhere in the online environment with a simple Internet connection.

ExpressVPN comes with a rather interesting price list – you can choose from 3 plans, but the prices vary according to the length of the subscription:

• 1-month plan – $12.95/month
• 6-month plan – $9.99/month
• 12-month plan – $6.67/month

ExpressVPN can be installed on both Android and iOS devices – within the application you can also use:

• Threat Manager – function for blocking trackers on websites and online platforms.
• Ad blocker – simple blocking of unwanted ads.
• Connect to multiple devices at once – ExpressVPN allows you to use its VPN services on 8 devices at the same time.
• ExpressVPN Keys – password manager , which is built directly into the application.

💡 Tip: If you would like to learn more about password management applications, be sure to read my article: What is a password manager? Which apps are the best?

4. PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN is a young Swiss company that came to the fore in 2017 with the aim of meeting the demand for security and privacy in the online world.

One of the main advantages of this VPN provider is the possibility to use the VPN server and transfer data for free – it is one of the few VPN applications that offers a really large free limit within its services.

In addition, this VPN also offers several extra functions such as:

• Advanced encryption (256-bit-AES)
• Ad blocker
• Fast data download
• Parental protection
• Malware scanning

The PrivadoVPN application can be installed on Android but also on iOS, as well as on other common operating systems.

As part of the price list, this VPN provider offers 3 packages (with a 30-day money-back guarantee):

• 1-month plan – €10.99/month
• 12-month plan – €2.99/month
• 24-month plan – €1.99/month (+ 3 months free)

5. Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a Swiss VPN service provider that has been operating in the world of VPN services since 2014 – since then, it has managed to build a network of more than 3,500 servers in 85 countries.

Thanks to its intuitive interface and a large number of useful functions, it ranks among the leading and most secure VPN applications in the world.

Proton VPN is really very easy to install on your smartphone – just download and install the app from the store, click ” Quick Connect ” and Proton VPN will automatically connect you to the fastest VPN server in your location.

The application is of course available for Android and iOS, but also for other operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, Linux), or web browsers (Chrome and Firefox).
In addition, ProtonVPN also offers some extra features such as:

• Kill Switch
• Adblocker (NetShield)
• P2P support
• VPN accelerator
• DNS and IPv6 protection

This Swiss VPN service can be purchased in 3 subscription types:

• Subscription for 1 month – €9.99/month
• Subscription for 12 months – €5.99/month
• Subscription for 24 months – €4.99/month

6. CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN is another popular smartphone VPN app that owns around 7,800 servers in over 91 countries.

In addition to anonymous Internet surfing, you can also use CyberGhost to watch unavailable content on Netflix or Disney+.

Similar to the VPN applications mentioned above, CyberGhost is very easy to use – simply download and install the application from the online store and you can immediately start surfing the Internet securely.

CyberGhost VPN is available not only for iOS and Android devices, but also works on other operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, FireTV, Linux, Apple TV, etc.
Among the very popular user features of this VPN provider are, for example:

• One-Tap Connect – within the application, you can hide your IP address with a single press of a button and use VPN protection to the full.
• Streaming functions – You can use CyberGhost VPN on most popular streaming platforms.
• Wi-Fi Protection – after connecting to any public network, you will receive an automatic notification that the given network is not secure.
• High speed – with this VPN application, you definitely don’t have to worry about loading web pages or online videos fast enough.

Similar to the ExpressVPN app, CyberGhost VPN comes with several interesting pricing packages:

• 1-month plan – €11.99/month
• 6-month plan – €6.99/month
• 2-year plan – €2.19/month (+ 2 months free)

7. iTop VPN

The iTop VPN service has been operating in the world of virtual private networks since 2016 – currently as software it is available for both mobile and PC devices and is enjoyed by more than 20 million users worldwide.

Among the main advantages of iTop VPN is a very fast internet connection, thanks to which you can watch your favorite series and movies on streaming platforms such as Netflix, HBO or Hulu without any latency.

In addition, every user will enjoy playing online games smoothly on mobile and tablet devices.

Although iTop VPN is only available as a mobile app for iPhones and iPads, you can also install it on Windows and MacOS.

In addition, iTop VPN also offers several interesting features such as:

• Anonymous web browsing
• Password manager
• Data protection
• Recover lost data on your mobile
• Screen recorder and PDF converter

For price packages, you have a choice of 3 price offers:

• 1-month subscription – $11.99/month
• 6-month subscription – $6.99/month
• 12-month subscription – $3.99/month

8. Ivacy VPN

Ivacy VPN is a dedicated virtual private network provider, which was founded as a small project by two friends in 2007 – but since then it has spread throughout the world and already in 2010 it became one of the world’s most popular VPN providers.

The goal of this VPN service is to allow its users to access any content on the Internet without any geoblocking.

Whether it’s streaming services or websites blocked in certain countries around the world, with Ivacy VPN you can access anything from blocked Netflix series to special promo offers on websites in any location.

Ivacy VPN can be installed on up to 10 devices at the same time and supports practically all common operating systems and interfaces such as mobile phones (iOS and Android), computers (Windows, MacOS, Linux) and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).

In terms of features, Ivacy VPN offers everything a quality VPN service should have:

• 256-bit encryption
• Wi-Fi security
• No Logs Policy
• Smart VPN selection
• Anti-ISP Throttling
• Kill Switch
• Dedicated IP
• Split Tunneling
• DDos protection

As a VPN provider, it offers its services at very fair prices:

• 1-month subscription – $9.95/month
• 12-month subscription – $3.99/month
• 5-year subscription – $1.17/month