What is a VPN and how do I add one to my device? (2024)

FAQs

What is a VPN and how do I add one to my device? ›

You can search for VPN providers in the Play store. You can either access the VPN via your VPN provider's app or by entering their VPN settings directly onto your device. Newer devices have an option in the settings to add and manage direct VPNs. You will need to get the VPN settings details from your VPN provider.

VPN pricing FAQs

A good VPN often costs around $5 to $10 per month. This pricing could vary depending on each VPN service provider, the types of features you want included, and the subscription plan you choose. Choosing an annual plan that you pay for upfront typically reduces the overall cost.

Free VPNs often limit speed, data usage, the number of servers and device connections and hardly unblock streaming sites. But that's not all—no VPN can operate without money, so they tend to make their money in other ways, which often turns out bad for users.

The basic process for using a VPN is to install a VPN app on your device, fire it up, log into your account and select a server. For the fastest speeds, you'll typically want to choose a server geographically nearby, but for accessing region-specific content, pick a VPN server in your desired country.

The best free VPN available

“Proton VPN is a service that will do all it can to protect your privacy. All of its applications are open source and audited by third parties, and it has a robust privacy policy.

NordVPN secured the top spot with its well-balanced speed and best-in-the-industry privacy features. Surfshark, Private Internet Access, Hotspot Shield, and Norton Secure also had strong showings. Each VPN has pros and cons, so read on to find out what we learned about the top 10 VPNs of 2024.

There are free VPNs and paid-for VPN subscriptions. Of course, paid VPNs provide better online privacy. We find it well worth the cost in almost every circ*mstance. So in this guide, we'll help you figure out how much you should be setting aside for a VPN subscription.

Using online services such as IP address locator websites is one of the ways to learn more about your VPN server. When connected to a VPN, these sites can provide data associated with your IP address, including the city and country your VPN server is in and even your ISP.

Do I need a VPN on my cell phone? ›

Using a VPN on your smartphone can boost your privacy in a big way, particularly with all the data tracking that's happening out there today. For some time now, we've recommended a VPN when using public Wi-Fi in airports, libraries, hotels, and coffee shops.

You can also navigate to your settings application, click network, and then see if you're running a VPN/proxy. Harder to check on Android/iPhone and doesn't really happen on the device. Check with your company's IT people to see if the WiFi is set up with a VPN/proxy.

ExpressVPN is one of the safest VPN providers because of strong encryption, malware protection, and strong tunneling protocols. Looking deeper, it appears that ExpressVPN has all the standard features. Your data is protected with AES-256-GCM data encryption, the same protocol that's used by IPVanish and Surfshark.

It depends on what you're using a VPN for.

However, if you're concerned about your online privacy, you'll want to install it on every device you connect to the internet. If you do want a VPN on every device, I recommend using one that offers a native router app, which protects all devices on your network.

To check if you already have a VPN configured on your device go to Settings > Connections > More connection settings > VPN.