How to set up a VPN on your iPhone or iPad
– 👌
AppleInsider is supported by its audience and you may earn commission as an Amazon Partner and Affiliate Partner on eligible purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not affect our editorial content.
While Apple’s Private Relay is on the way, not everyone may want to sign up for iCloud+ to get its benefits, or even wait for it to arrive. Here’s how to set your iPhone or iPad to use a VPN right now.
Apple has introduced the private paging service as part of its iCloud package, which will include other items like Hide My Email, with the ultimate goal of making web browsing safer and more private for iPhone and iPad users.
However, while Private Relay is an important component, it can be said that many users can actually enjoy enhanced online privacy and security by using a VPN service. Since Apple has included the ability to add a VPN connection to iOS and iPadOS for a long time, it may be worth exploring adding a VPN separately, before Apple rolls out the service.
What is a VPN, and why should I use it?
A VPN connection is basically a way to route your internet connection through a specific gateway over the internet. Since the data from your device is encrypted before it is sent to the VPN service, and vice versa, the encrypted data is kept private and secure so that no one trying to listen in on the connection can snoop on it.
This may seem overkill for home network users, but it can be very useful in public places.
For example, let’s say you connect to Wi-Fi in a coffee shop that is offered free to customers, but the Wi-Fi access point is actually malicious. The access point can be used for a man-in-the-middle attack, listening for unencrypted or publicly transmitted data, all without the knowledge of the client.
With a VPN, once the encrypted connection is established, MITM attacks simply won’t work, because everything that goes through the access point remains encrypted and out of reach.
There’s also the security and benefit of making your connection appear to originate from another city or country, with a VPN capable of masking your real location.
This also has the byproduct of allowing users to access websites as if they were based in different countries, changing the experience and possibly allowing access to content that could be blocked in certain regions.
VPN vs. private relay
Apple’s Private Relay Service is, effectively, a VPN but with an enhanced level of privacy. Like a regular VPN, Private Relay encrypts the user’s web traffic and passes it through a gateway, providing all the security and privacy benefits that a VPN can offer.
However, Apple adds in the use of several secure proxies operated by third-party companies that have not yet been named. The system encrypts the data in such a way that Apple knows the identity of the user and not the servers or the content they are viewing online.
This data is then passed on to the third-party service that Apple has partnered with, which can decrypt enough to determine what data the user requested, albeit without knowing the user’s identity.
With Apple knowing who the customer is but not what they want, and the third-party service knowing what the user wants but not the user’s identity, this in theory means there is less data for tracking services to use for fingerprint connections, as well as making them more secure for end users.
Although Apple has made it clear how secure its service is, there is an issue with users needing to trust the functionality of the system as described, and that there is no collusion with an unknown third-party service integrating data points to get a complete picture of a user’s browsing habits.
For those who do not necessarily trust the new system, there are always other third-party services that they can use. However, the same questions about trust can be asked of VPN providers, again there is no guarantee that a VPN will operate with honesty and in good faith.
In the end, it all comes down to user trust.
VPN selection
The first thing you need to do is to get the details of the VPN service you want to use. A quick scan in the search engine will reveal that there are many different services on the market that offer VPNs, including some that are free.
While a free VPN may seem like a good thing for a one-time trial or infrequent use, be very wary of it, because it is plausible that the service does not provide important elements such as secure encryption, or may be limited in some way. There is also the possibility that the free VPN you are using is actually a bad factor, monitoring your data going through the connection, or worse.
Remember that even a free service has to make money in some way, and while advertising is the obvious medium, your data can easily be sold to third parties.
As for paid VPN services, there are also a few things to look out for.
First, check the privacy and security of the service. Make sure it uses at least 256-bit encryption, and look for assurances that there is no logging of your activity. You may also want to check the privacy policies of the services you want to use for any tracking language.
Other things to look for are quality of life elements, such as whether there are data limits, if your data allowance is large enough, how many sites you can pass your traffic through, how many devices you can have a plan and connection speed.
Popular VPN options include:
Setting VPN for Consumers
The easiest way to get started with a VPN is to use the service app. Once you’ve set up the account with them, including payments if necessary, you’ll then have to open the app, authenticate and then follow the app’s procedures to set up the VPN on your iPhone or iPad.
While the initial setup will vary depending on the app and service, the process for telling iOS and iPadOS to enable the VPN is the same across the board. Usually after you select the connection to a site, you will be warned that the app will need to install a new VPN profile on the device.
The process of adding a VPN is quite straightforward via the service application.
This will bring up a new notification that the VPN “would like to add VPN configurations”, and network activity can be “filtered or monitored” when using the VPN. Click Allow.
You will then be asked to enter your passcode to add VPN configurations. Once authenticated, the VPN will complete setup and your connection will pass through your chosen service.
Screens for switching between multiple VPNs and for manually adding a profile.
You can tell that you are connected via a VPN by seeing the VPN icon appear briefly in the upper-right corner of the screen. You can also drop down the Control Center and see the icon there, along with other connection icons.
Manual VPN Configuration
If you have to use a company-provided VPN for work, you can set it up through your iPhone and iPad settings menu.
How to set up a VPN manually in iOS and iPadOS
- to open Settings
- Faucet general, and then VPN
- Faucet Add VPN Configurations
- Faucet Type and select the type of VPN you will configure, then Add configurations
- Login rest of the information that you will need to connect, such as server address, account name, password details, local and remote identifiers, and whether a proxy is in use.
- Once you have added the details, tap he did.
Manage your VPNs.
If you use a service app, there are usually options to enable and disable the VPN inside, but Apple also includes the option to enable and disable the VPN within the Settings app. The same section can also be used to manage if you have multiple VPNs running, and to delete the VPN.
How to turn VPN on and off within iOS and iPadOS
- to open Settings
- Faucet general, and then VPN.
- Next to Status, tap electrical disconnect switch.
There is also a possibility that your installed VPN will prevent you from turning it off via a switch. This may be because the VPN profile is set to enable itself automatically when a data connection is required.
The same screen that shows details about the VPN connection can also be used to delete the profile from your device.
To disable this, click on the information circle icon next to the VPN to bring up more information about the VPN settings. If the toggle next to Connect On Demand is green, tap it to turn it off.
How to switch between installed VPN profiles in iOS and iPadOS
- to open Settings
- Faucet general, and then VPN.
- Click on VPN want to use it.
How to delete VPN configuration from iOS and iPadOS
- to open Settings
- Faucet generall, then VPN.
- Click on Information circle symbol next to the VPN you want to remove.
- Faucet Delete VPN.
- In the notification box, tap delete.
Keep in mind that this will delete the installed VPN profile, but any installed VPN apps will remain on your device.
[ad_1]
Don’t forget to share this post with friends !
