Configure and how to use VPN on iOS

A virtual private network (VPN) ensures the confidentiality and anonymity of the way of creating a private network with an internet connection in public places. VPNs mask your IP address, so your online activities are almost not monitored. Most importantly, VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to ensure greater privacy than even a secure Wi-Fi access point.

VPN configuration options on iPhone or iPad.

What is VPN and why is it needed?

Browsing the Internet or operating on an unsecured Wi-Fi network means that you can share your personal information and browsing history. This is why a virtual private network, better known as a VPN, should be mandatory for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy. What is VPN to iPhone? Think about how many times you were on the road, read e-mails while in a queue at a cafe, or checking your bank account, waiting in the doctor’s office. If you are not logged in to a private Wi-Fi network that requires a password, any data transmitted during your online session may be vulnerable to interception by unauthorized persons using the same network. VPN helps protect your online activities, such as sending emails, shopping online or paying bills. VPNs also help anonymously browse the web.

How VPN protects your IP address and privacy

Essentially, VPNs create a data tunnel between your local network and an exit node in another place, which may be thousands of kilometers away, giving you the impression that you are in a different city. This advantage provides online freedom or the ability to access your favorite applications and websites while on the go. What is VPN for iPhone? VPNs use encryption to encrypt data when they are sent over a Wi-Fi network, which makes data unreadable. Data security is especially important when using a public Wi-Fi network, because it does not allow others in the network to monitor your Internet activity.

There is another side to privacy. Without VPN, your ISP knows the history of your visits. With VPN, your search history is hidden. This means that your web activity will be associated with the IP address of the VPN server, and not with yours. A VPN service provider may have servers around the world. This means that your search activity can be recorded on any of them. Keep in mind that search engines also track your search history, but they will associate this information with an IP address that does not belong to you. Again, your VPN will conduct activities privately.

What does VPN hide

VPN hides a lot of information that could compromise your privacy.

Browsing history

It's no secret where you go to the Internet. Your Internet provider and your web browser have entries about everything you do on the Internet. Many websites you visit also keep a history. Web browsers can track your search history and link this information to your IP address. Here are two examples of why you might want to keep your visit history secret. You may have a medical condition and are searching the Internet for information about treatment options. Without a VPN, you will automatically share this information and you can start receiving targeted ads that will draw extra attention to your status.

Or maybe you just want to buy airline tickets next month. Travel sites that you visit know that you are looking for tickets, and they may not be the cheapest available fare. These are just a few selected examples. Keep in mind that your ISP may sell your browsing history. Even the so-called private browsers are not as private as it seems at first glance.

IP address and location

Anyone who records your IP address can access what you were looking for on the Internet and where you were during the search. Imagine that the IP is the return address you provided in the letter. He leads hackers to your device. Because VPN uses an IP address that does not belong to you, it allows you to maintain confidentiality and search the Internet anonymously. You are also protected from collecting, viewing or selling search history.

Streaming Location

You can pay for streaming services that allow you to watch paid channels or content, such as professional sports. When you travel outside the country, the streaming service may not be available. With VPN, this is not the case - it allows you to select an IP address in your country. In fact, you are protected from losing access to what you pay for. You can also avoid data loss or speed.

Your devices

VPN can protect your devices, including desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone from prying eyes. Your devices can be the main targets for cybercriminals when you surf the Internet, especially if you are on a public Wi-Fi network. In short, VPN helps protect the data you send and receive on your devices, so hackers cannot monitor your every move.

Web activity

VPN protects your ISP from viewing your browsing history. Thus, you are protected if a government agency asks your Internet provider to provide a record of your Internet activity. Assuming your VPN provider does not register your browsing history (some VPN providers do this), your VPN can help protect your Internet freedom.

How VPN can protect against identity theft

Identity theft occurs when thieves steal your personal information and use it to commit crimes on your behalf - for example, seizing or opening new accounts, filing tax returns in your name or renting out or buying property. VPN can help protect against identity theft. It creates an encrypted tunnel for data that you send and receive, making it inaccessible to cyber thieves. If the Wi-Fi on your smartphone is always on, your device may be vulnerable, even if you don’t know about it. Daily activities, such as online shopping, banking and browsing, can reveal your information, making you vulnerable to cybercrime.

A VPN can protect the information you share or access with your devices. This is especially important when using a public Wi-Fi network, where a cyber-thief on the same network can capture your login credentials and a credit card number that you enter when shopping on the Internet. You cannot prevent identity theft. Nobody can. Some aspects of security, such as data leakage in an organization where you have an account, are beyond your control.

How to choose

The VPN market is full of various services, so when choosing, it is important to consider your needs. Think about what is important to you. Do you want to be able to browse the web anonymously, masking your IP address? Are you afraid that your information may be stolen on public Wi-Fi? Are you a traveler who wants to be able to watch your favorite shows on the go? A good VPN will check all three points, but here are some other points to consider.

Do developers respect your privacy? The point of using a VPN is to protect your privacy, so it’s imperative that your VPN provider also respect your privacy. They should have a no registration policy, which means that they never track or register your actions on the Internet. Is the latest protocol used? OpenVPN provides higher security than other protocols, such as PPTP. OpenVPN is open source software that supports all major operating systems.

Are there any data limitations? Depending on your use of the Internet, bandwidth may be the deciding factor for you. Ensure that their services meet your needs by checking to see whether you will receive full, immeasurable bandwidth without data limitations. Where are the servers located? Decide which server locations are important to you. If you want to look like you are connecting to a network from a specific location, make sure that there is a server in this country. Can you configure VPN access on multiple devices? If you are like a regular consumer, you typically use between three and five devices. Ideally, you could use VPN on all of them at the same time.

How much is it? If price is important to you, then you might think that a free VPN is the best option. Remember, however, that some VPN services may not cost you money, but you can “pay” in other ways, such as frequent advertising or collecting your personal information and selling it to third parties. If you compare free and paid options, you may find that free VPNs:

  • do not offer the most current or secure protocols;
  • do not offer maximum bandwidth and connection speed for free users;
  • have a higher shutdown speed;
  • not so many servers in many countries of the world;
  • do not offer support.

Let us dwell on the issue of setting up VPN on iOS in more detail.

How to configure VPN for iPhone or iPad manually

There are several ways to use VPN on iOS. To set up VPN on iPhone, follow these steps:

  1. Download your favorite VPN application to your iOS device.
  2. Run it.
  3. Now let him configure VPN on your device.

IMPORTANT! Get configuration information such as server, remote id, username and password. You can contact the VPN service or contact your system administrator for help.

To connect VPN manually, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
  2. Click on VPN. If you set only one VPN configuration for iPhone, you can turn it on or off right next to the “VPN” item. In case you have installed and activated more than one application, you will need to click on the VPN in order to be able to configure and enable / disable the program status.
  3. Click Add VPN Configuration.

  4. Next, select the type of VPN. There are three options: IKEv2, IPSec or L2TP. Then click “Add configuration” in the upper left corner.

  5. Now you need to enter information about VPN settings, such as description, server, remote identifier. Then you need to enter your VPN authentication login on iPad - username or certificate and password.
  6. Select Manual or Automatic if you are using a proxy. Then click Finish.
  7. Finally, activate the status switch in the VPN configuration.

Done! Now you can use VPN on your iPhone or iPad.

Configure VPN using applications

You can use VPN on your iPhone or iPad using one of the third-party applications. Consider the most popular of them in more detail.

ExpressVPN

In terms of horse racing, ExpressVPN is the most popular service. Some virtual private networks succeed in certain areas, while others simply lose the palm. ExpressVPN clearly considered the functionality from top to bottom. They offer the most complete service, each item has professional processing.

  • Servers - 2000+;
  • Countries - 94;
  • Programs - Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux;
  • Parallel connections - 3.

For iPhone and iPad users, there is a very useful application that allows you to make VPN configuration as simple as possible. You can run three devices at the same time in your ExpressVPN account. Security and privacy ExpressVPN puts it on the top line of the rating. The bottom line is that they use ultra-secure protocols and do not have journaling policies, so you can browse the Internet freely.

ExpressVPN is incredibly impressive when it comes to speed and location. They have over 2, 000 servers in more than 90 countries, and their performance is more than stable, regardless of whether you are connecting from Spain or South Africa. If the application itself is not enough, ExpressVPN and its configuration goes one step further with its support services. Not only do they have a claimant for better customer support in the VPN space, their support offers will also make the offers of many other software companies seem weak in comparison.

Cyberghost

CyberGhost is one of the most convenient VPN networks on the market. These are fast-growing VPNs with an ever-growing network of servers present all over the world.

  • Servers - 3071;
  • Countries - 60;
  • Programs - Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux;
  • Parallel connections - 7.

The latest version of CyberGhost VPN is the best on the market. It comes with a completely redesigned interface, simple enough even for beginners. As you begin to dig deeper, you will see many interesting options used to fine tune usage.

First of all, this VPN is able to unblock websites such as Netflix US, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and many others. To achieve this, you can connect to specialized servers that easily go beyond web barriers. Let's also not forget that CyberGhost can also be used for torrent, which has become rare in our days. Among other important information, CyberGhost comes with over 3, 000 secure servers. And most importantly, it does not pass or store your personal data on its servers. This is a rare “no registration” policy that can support its requirements.

NordVPN

NordVPN is a respectable VPN provider that is present on all major platforms. In addition to providing a standard set of features, this VPN is incredibly easy to use and acts as a fully automated solution.

  • Servers - 5100+;
  • Countries - 62;
  • Programs - Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux;
  • Parallel connections - 6.

NordVPN has an impressive list of servers - thousands of servers distributed over more than 60 countries. Easy access to a wide range of servers is one thing, but this VPN also offers one of the most accessible applications to work with. If you are new to VPN and are worried about being confused, do not worry, NordVPN performs its functions just as easily. As for performance, there are faster offers, but most often the analogues do not have all the functions of the program in one solution.

What is even more impressive is the privacy of the VPN. NordVPN offers a terrific set of encryption protocols and ensures that its users have everything they need to surf privately. To support this requirement, they also have a zero logging policy. At first it seems that ExpressVPN service offers can not be better, but round-the-clock support service in NordVPN can even be a head taller. They respond quickly and are very friendly, patient and knowledgeable. It really makes you feel good (especially if you signed up for a long period) to know that they care about their customers.

IPVanish

IPVanish is a US VPN service. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, be aware that the company has a strict opt-out policy, so even if a government agency requests user data, they will have nothing to provide.

  • Servers - 1100+;
  • Countries - 60+;
  • Programs - Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux;
  • Parallel connections - 5.

IPVanish has a VPN app for the iPhone, and recently added a VPN app for the iPad. The user interface is not the best - both in terms of ease of use, and with some errors that we encountered. However, once everything is set up, the performance will be more than worthy. Although this is far from the fastest option, it offers content for P2P users - BitTorrent is unlimited. Many VPNs limit the use of BitTorrent to a small number of servers, but with IPVanish you can freely use the client to share files on any server.

A big plus of his achievements is the army of servers in more than 60 countries of the world. If you want to access the network using a server from a specific country, then a wide global network of server options is needed. Moreover, IPVanish uses robust security and privacy systems to ensure the confidentiality of your online activity. And finally, IPVanish offers up to five simultaneous connections. However, their terms of service stipulate that an account should be used by only one user - the owner of the account.

Private internet access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a multi-year VPN with a strong reputation for ensuring the security of its users. Несмотря на то, что он поступает из США (что не является идеальным с точки зрения сбора данных), PIA с помощью официальных средств доказала, что не собирает никакой личной информации.

  • Серверы – 3382+;
  • Страны – 33;
  • Программы – Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux;
  • Параллельные соединения – 5.

Что интересно в PIA, так это дизайн пользовательского интерфейса. В операционных системах для настольных компьютеров оно выглядит аналогично мобильному приложению, что очень удобно с точки зрения простоты использования. Вы можете настроить софт с помощью ряда переключателей, которые включают различные виды опций. Существует усовершенствованный переключатель защиты, технология PIA против рекламы и вредоносных программ, защита от утечек DNS и IPv6, а также многое другое.

Помимо использования широкого спектра протоколов VPN, в PIA входит более 3000 серверов в более чем 30 странах. Многие из них обеспечивают хорошую скорость, но их нельзя использовать для потоковой передачи мультимедиа. Мы говорим о популярных потоковых веб-сайтах из США. При этом мы настоятельно рекомендуем PIA, если вы хотите безопасно просматривать веб-страницы, не желая разблокировать основные потоковые веб-сайты.

Как отключить VPN

Отключить VPN на iPhone или iPad так же просто, как и включить. Для этого перейдите в настройки устройства, а затем в раздел VPN. Далее просто снимите флажок с используемой программы или настроенной сети, и готово! Теперь вы не используете VPN. Удаление стороннего VPN-сервиса со смартфона также позволит отключить VPN. Независимо от того, какого провайдера вы выберете, будьте уверены, что хороший VPN обеспечит большую безопасность, конфиденциальность и анонимность в интернете, чем общедоступная точка доступа Wi-Fi.