What beginners need to know about running a VPN on Android
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If you’ve ever been to Starbucks or Tim Hortons to use their public network on your smartphone or tablet, you should know that this might be a bad idea. The public network is not very secure and thus it is easy for hackers to steal your data. While it is very uncommon. It would be horrible if they got their hands on your bank account credentials, personal information, and worst of all, your collection of cool GIFs.
So, how do you keep your data away from hackers? You can use something called a VPN or virtual private network to keep your information encrypted from prying eyes.
In short, a VPN allows you to connect your device to a secure connection over the Internet. VPNs can do a lot of things, like allow you to access region-restricted websites, keep your data secure, hide your browsing activity on public Wi-Fi and more.
To answer the question more technically, when you connect your device to a VPN, your browsing is routed through servers all over the world, which provide a proxy IP address. For example, let’s say there is a server in Japan that you are connecting to. All your internet traffic is directed to that server where you are provided with a proxy IP address. So, if you’re based in the US and browsing the web, websites won’t see a US IP address – you’ll see a Japanese address.
Just to be as clear as possible, let’s use YouTube as an example. Without a VPN, pointing your browser at www.youtube.com will show that you have a US IP address. After connecting to the VPN, it will look like you are connected from the US, but from Japan.
Why would I want to use a VPN?
As mentioned above, data is simply not secure over a public network. So, if you’re banking, emailing private documents or anything you don’t want others to see, a VPN will keep all that data safe, which is one of the reasons why you might want to use one.
Second, you may want to access a region-restricted website, such as BBC iPlayer. Let’s say you’re in the US and can’t access BBC iPlayer because of a region lock. By connecting to Wi-Fi, and running a VPN like Hideman, you will be able to trick a website into thinking you are connecting from the UK. At this point, you will be able to access BBC iPlayer as much as you want.
Regardless of these two reasons, the video below gives you some additional reasons why you should use a VPN.
word of warning
VPNs are great, and while free solutions might sound better, it would be wise to either stay away from them or avoid moving sensitive data through them. Most free VPNs use a bit of security, not as much as a paid or subscription-based service. The free solutions are great for general browsing, but it would be wise to avoid looking at important information that needs your Social Security number etc.
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On the other hand, a VPN can, in some cases, slow down your connection significantly. If you’re on a broadband connection, you shouldn’t notice a difference in speed, but if you’re on a mobile network, a VPN may have a negative rather than a positive effect.
Ready to start using a VPN? Check out our best ExpressVPN selection
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Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are among the best security tools a web browser can have. You can use it to browse scam public WiFi networks with more security and privacy. They can also be used to get around firewalls if your work has been blocked by, for example, Facebook. Many people use it to get around regional restrictions with different types of content as well. Whatever the reason, VPNs are powerful and popular tools. Here are the best Android VPN apps and free VPN apps (spoiler alert: ExpressVPN is the clear winner)!
ExpressVPN is one of the most reliable and secure VPN brands in the VPN industry, and for good reason. It is extremely fast and extremely secure, and boasts an SSL secured network with 256-bit encryption, get this, Unlimited bandwidth and speed. ExpressVPN has servers in 78 countries (including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and more) in over 100 locations worldwide, so there will always be one near you to give you the best experience possible. On top of that, the service has hidden servers located in Hong Kong that are specifically designed to evade GFW, making it look like you’re not using a VPN at all.
Many users around the web say they can achieve an average speed of 6-7MB on their desktop. There are also some additional bonuses that you don’t see often in the VPN space. For starters, ExpressVPN keeps no browsing logs. All your activities are also mixed with those of other users, so it is almost impossible to identify a user’s activity.
ExpressVPN has apps for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, and it’s all done well. At least for mobile apps, you can easily connect on demand so it’s not constantly running in the background, consuming precious battery life. This is especially useful in China because cellular data networks do not always provide the strongest connection.
As for pricing, you’ll get the best savings (35%) with the 12-month plan at $8.32 per month. But no matter what price category you choose, you’ll have access to all of ExpressVPN’s apps, 24/7 customer support, and unlimited high-speed bandwidth.
ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for a reason, so if you’re not convinced, we recommend that you take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee.
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