How to Set Up a VPN on Android
by Vít Nováček, updated November 25, 2022
This article is a general guide to setting up and connecting the VPN app to your Android mobile and tablet. The instructions are universal for all VPN providers. Thus, the procedure may vary from provider to provider. Most of the time, however, these are only minor differences that may be due to a different version of Android or its superstructure. You can usually find the instructions for each VPN on the provider’s website.▼ Table of Contents
Setting Up a VPN on Android
Find the Play Store app on your Android device. Open it and search for the name of the VPN program you want to use. Then, download the app and open it. Sign in with the account you subscribed to the VPN or create one (this is especially true for free VPNs, it is more convenient to purchase a subscription through the provider’s website).
You can now use the app. We recommend that you set up the VPN program first before you start the VPN. If you are using the VPN continuously (especially if you have a paid version of the VPN without a limit), then you can turn on the kill switch function (some providers do not offer this).
The kill switch will prevent data from being transferred outside of the VPN’s security.
Another useful setting is to start when connecting to the VPN automatically, so you will not worry about anything next time (the name and settings vary from app to app). You can also turn on other protection features that a VPN may offer. These include firewall features or ad and tracking blocking (features vary by VPN provider).
Connect to a VPN on Android
How to connect to a VPN? In the app, go to the country selector and choose a server based on the VPN IP you want to access the internet with. For normal internet use, we recommend using the server in the country you are in. Select a country by clicking on its icon. It is up to the app whether you will be connected to the VPN straight away or need to confirm with the power button.
The first time you connect, you will see a pop-up to give the app permission to use the VPN connection. Give this permission to the trusted VPN app.
To change the country, select a different country from the menu and then connect to it. If you do not want to use the VPN for certain sites, the best way to disable the VPN is to add the site to a whitelist (this feature varies from provider to provider). If you want to turn off the VPN completely, press the same button as when you turned it on or the “Disconnect” button.
