A virtual private network might sound like an obscure bit of high-end technology. But a VPN is an incredibly useful thing to have on your Android phone – and setting it up is as easy as installing and registering an app.
Why do you need a VPN? For a start, it ensures that you can’t be spied on when you’re connected to an unsecured public Wi-Fi network. It can also protect your privacy and anonymity while you’re using online services on your phone. It can even get you access to foreign streaming services, so you can enjoy the full range of shows and films on US Netflix, and watch online channels such as Comedy Central that are usually unavailable over here.
There’s a political side to VPNs too. The ability to encrypt your communications, conceal your identity and access blocked content is incredibly valuable to people in countries with restricted internet access. Indeed, a VPN is ideal for anyone who’s concerned about state or corporate surveillance, at home or while travelling.
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How to choose the best Android VPN for you
All VPNs provide the same basic service: they set up a secure, encrypted link (a “tunnel”) between your device and a remote server operated by the VPN provider. Through this, you can connect to whatever sites and services you want to use, and the operators of those services won’t be able to see your real IP address and geographical location – only those associated with the VPN server. Your identity is protected, and if you use a VPN exit node located in another country, you can also access local services that would normally be blocked to international visitors.
How much does an Android VPN cost?
You can spend as much as £12 a month on an Android VPN, but you don’t have to pay a penny. Several commercial VPNs offer a free tier for smartphone users, and you’ll even see some completely free services. We suggest you treat the latter with caution, though, as there’s usually a catch. Often, free VPN services come loaded with intrusive advertising, which pushes you to upgrade to a subscription service. Alternatively, the Hola Free VPN uses a peer-to-peer model, using your bandwidth and processing power to route traffic from and to other users, while you make use of theirs. This might seem a fair exchange, but it eats up bandwidth and raises privacy and security concerns.
The good news is, paid VPN services don’t have to be expensive. Most providers offer a big discount if you pay annually, rather than on a month-by-month basis – often the effective price drops by as much as 50%, and there are even better deals out there if you’re willing to sign up for two years.
You can often also save money if you go for an Android-only service, rather than one that covers all your various devices. You’ll find these deals on the Google Play Store, and you can pay your subscription fees in the same place. Rates can be as low as £3 a month – a steal if you’re not interested in a PC VPN.
What should I be looking for when choosing a VPN?
Aside from the price, there are two things to consider, namely speed and features. Using a VPN always has an impact on your internet connection speed; it’s usually not too severe if you’re connecting through a UK or European server to protect your privacy, but if you need a virtual presence in the US or on another continent, there can be an enormous variation in speed between different VPNs.
On the features front, one thing to look out for is a “killswitch”, which instantly suspends all internet activity should your VPN suddenly fail. This ensures that apps won’t simply switch over to your regular, unsecured internet connection, so your ISP never sees what sites you’re connected to or what information you’re exchanging. Split tunnelling is another worthwhile feature: this allows you to choose which specific apps will use the VPN, while others continue to use your normal internet connection at full speed.
Some Android VPNs also incorporate security features to protect you from online ads, malicious websites and malware. These can be useful, but you may already have other apps handling these duties.
Finally, the most privacy-oriented services offer a few belt-and-braces options for enhancing your anonymity, including double-VPN configurations (where traffic goes through two different VPNs in series), and obfuscation methods that prevent snoopers from detecting that you’re using a VPN. These are probably overkill for most purposes, and may impact on your connection speed – but they’ll appeal to those seeking the tightest possible privacy protection.
What about streaming and torrents?
It’s no secret that the US Netflix service offers a better lineup of movies and TV shows than the UK offering, and there are plenty of other streaming services that are only supposed to be accessible within the US. Many Android VPNs will let you access these services from the UK – but be aware that Netflix, in particular, keeps updating its VPN-detection technology, and there’s no guarantee that a VPN that works today will continue working throughout the course of a year-long subscription. Also note that while you might be excited about US-only services like HBO Now or Hulu, it’s very difficult to sign-up without a US address and credit card.
If you’re a keen user of BitTorrent then using a VPN can also make it harder for copyright holders to track you down and send you threatening messages. Some VPNs actively support peer-to-peer file-sharing, while others forbid it. Check the policy before you buy, and remember that downloads won’t be as fast as they would be over your regular connection.
Can I trust my VPN provider to keep my activities private?
All VPN operators log some information about your usage, but what gets recorded could be no more than the fact that a particular IP address connected to the service at a certain time. The majority of services publish clear policies regarding what they log, as well as who they might pass that information on to and in what circumstances. If privacy is paramount, or if you’re concerned about state or corporate surveillance, check these policies carefully. Think about where the VPN is based too: data-retention laws vary from country to country, and some territories have close relationships with US, UK and European security agencies.
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The best Android VPNs you can get in 2018
1. CyberGhost: The best Android VPN for streaming
Price: Free to £8.99 per month | Buy now from CyberGhost
CyberGhost is ideal for those who don’t want to deal with the technical side of virtual private networking; rather than directly choosing a server, you simply tell the app what you want to do online, and it automatically sets up an appropriate connection. Options include Wi-Fi Auto-Protect and Surf Anonymously – great for staying safe on a public network or maintaining your privacy online – while the Secure Streaming service is designed to let you access most of the major US and international video services. We had no problem streaming US Netflix from the UK, and there are so many US servers that it’s never a struggle to connect. For the odd bit of protected surfing there’s a free, ad-supported option – but this comes with a three-hour time restriction and a smaller set of servers, so if you want to enjoy streaming video, it’s worth paying for.
Key Specs – Number of devices connected simultaneously: 5; Servers: 1,250 in 60 countries; Logging policy: Zero logs; Killswitch: No; Split tunnelling: No; Ad-blocking and tracker blocking: Yes; Location: Romania/Germany
2. TunnelBear: The best Android VPN for security and free use
Price: Free to £4.79 per month/£38.49 per year (Android only); £9.49 per month/£56.99 per year (PC, MacOS, iOS and Android devices) | Buy now from TunnelBear
If you only need to use a VPN once in a while, TunnelBear’s free 1,500MB plan could be all you need. For those with greater demands, it’s still a good-value option, with an annual plan costing £56.99 for year across all your devices, or just £38.49 a year for Android devices only. It’s easy to use with reasonable speeds, and includes advanced features to scramble your VPN communications so they look more like normal internet traffic, as well as an automatic killswitch to keep your location and privacy intact should your connection quit. It’s based in Canada, which is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, so it might not be your first choice for ultimate online anonymity – but its clear privacy policies tell you exactly what’s logged and why.
Key Specs – Number of devices connected simultaneously: 5; Servers: 354+ servers in 22 countries; Logging policy: No usage data stored; Killswitch: Yes; Split tunnelling: Yes; Ad-blocking and tracker blocking: No; Location: Canada
3. PureVPN: The best Android-only VPN
Price: Free to $2.95 per month (Android only); $59 per year (PC, iOS and Android) | Buy now from PureVPN
You can use PureVPN as a completely free service, but the annoying ads will soon make you want to pay up. Luckily, it’s very affordable, costing just £2.95 per month for an Android-only package, or even less on a six-month or annual plan. Like CyberGhost, the app lets you pick your priority – streaming, internet freedom, privacy or file sharing – and automatically sorts you out with a suitable connection. But if you’d rather make your own choice from the 750 servers in 140 countries, that’s fine too. PureVPN isn’t completely leak-proof, but it does an effective job of concealing your identity, and it also has useful features that block malicious websites and dodgy search results. It has a strict no-logging policy too – and, best of all, it’s fast.
Key Specs – Number of devices connected simultaneously: 5; Servers: 750 servers in 140 countries; Logging policy: Zero logs; Killswitch: No; Split tunnelling: No; Ad-blocking and tracker blocking: Yes; Location: Hong Kong
4. ExpressVPN: The best Android VPN for privacy and global reach
Price: $12.95 per month, $99.95 per year | Buy now from ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN’s globe-trotting credentials are hard to beat, with over 2,000 servers spread across 94 countries – so wherever you travel, you should be in reach of a fast, encrypted VPN link. You can select your own server, or trust ExpressVPN’s Smart Location feature to pick the best available; the app even has a built-in ping tester to help you get the fastest connection. Be aware that performance is only so-so over long-haul VPN connections, however, and we weren’t able to stream Netflix US. It’s expensive for a fairly basic Android VPN too. However, ExpressVPN’s trump card is its location in the British Virgin Islands, which has no intelligence-sharing commitments and no data retention laws. Factor in ExpressVPN’s strict no-logging policy and it’s a solid choice for those who really value their privacy.
Key Specs – Number of devices connected simultaneously: 5; Servers: 2,000+ servers in 94 countries; Logging policy: Zero logs; Killswitch: No; Split tunnelling: No; Ad-blocking and tracker blocking: No; Location: British Virgin Islands
5. NordVPN: The best all-round Android VPN
Price: $11.95 per month, $69 per year | Buy now from NordVPN
Some services focus on speed, features or price; NordVPN hits a great sweet spot. You can pick your exit node from a map, or go for a specialist server, with options including ultra-secure Onion-over-VPN and double VPN links, plus BitTorrent-friendly hosts. Netflix US works perfectly, and there’s good global coverage across 62 countries, with every region represented to some extent. Short-range VPN speeds are excellent and even long-distance connections are respectably speedy.
Security meanwhile is close to watertight: as NordVPN is based in Panama, your data should be safe from state snooping, and NordVPN states that it doesn’t log any identifiable information. The $11.95 monthly price is steep, but it’s just $69 if you pay annually, with up to five simultaneous connections from PCs, Macs, Android phones and iOS devices. A superb VPN.
Key Specs – Number of devices connected simultaneously: 5; Servers: 3700 servers in 62 countries; Logging policy: Zero logs; Killswitch: Yes; Split tunnelling: No; Ad-blocking and tracker blocking: Yes; Location: Panama