Browsing anonymously and protected from prying eyes has become increasingly difficult, especially if we connect our smartphone to unknown public Wi-Fi or 4G: skilled hackers or the same telephone operator can monitor incoming and outgoing traffic, thus tracing our chronology and obtaining valuable information about our habits; in the worst case we can fall victim to phishing or identity theft which can compromise our reputation on the Internet or make us complicit in cybercrime! To avoid this type of danger, it is highly recommended to surf the Android smartphone with the help of a VPN, to be used every time we surf the Internet outside the home. In this guide we will show you how to configure VPN on Android and what services to use to be able to surf anonymously and securely on any type of Internet connection, with an eye to public wifi hotspots. It should also be noted that VPNs can be useful to bypass any geographical block on websites, in order to be able to freely visit blocked, obscured or censored sites that do not open in Italy.
Article Index
- What is a VPN
- VPN integration on Android
- Best VPN services for Android
- Other VPN services for Android
- Free VPN for Android
What is a VPN
The VPN (i.e. Virtual Private Network) is a connection system between two devices (for example our smartphone and any server on the Internet) that offers an additional security system compared to a simple Internet connection: all incoming and outgoing traffic exit from this connection is protected with a very robust encryption algorithm, so no one can intercept the traffic that we are generating as long as the VPN is active. There are several services that offer VPN with an eye to privacy and anonymity, and allow you to connect to high-speed servers with a different exit IP than that obtained by the telephone operator: not even the latter is in able to monitor our traffic and so we can surf really safe and without leaving traces on the Internet .
Obviously like anything else that works through the Internet, we will have to choose a reliable VPN service, which in turn does not monitor or keep track of our activity and which offers high speed, to the point of not noticing the difference compared to a "smooth connection ". Fast servers cost money, so it is no coincidence that the best services are paid: luckily many VPN services offer apps with free connection or limitations on the amount of traffic, more than enough for an occasional connection or to try a service first to proceed with the actual purchase.
To learn more about the potential of a VPN, we invite you to read our guide on how to connect PCs remotely and control them via VPN .
VPN integration on Android
In the latest versions of Android, VPNs are managed directly by the operating system, showing a notification whenever a new VPN service is available and showing an icon (in the shape of a key or with the word VPN) at the top of the screen, so as to know at any moment if we are actually browsing with a VPN.
We will not even have to make complicated configurations, since it is sufficient to install the app of the preferred VPN service, start it and accept the warning message that will appear on our smartphone.
At the moment it is possible to use one VPN service at a time on Android : to check the VPN services added to the system and choose from time to time which one to start, simply open the Settings app and look for the VPN menu. In the screen that will open we can see all the VPN services configured by the various apps installed on the smartphone, plus a button for manual configuration of a VPN. Given the abundance of services ready to use, we can also avoid manually configuring a VPN and immediately use one of the free services available in the second part of the guide.
Best VPN services for Android
After seeing how the VPN system is integrated on Android, let's see together the best VPN services that we can take advantage of on our faithful Android smartphone . We preferred to report only the services that offered a free trial version or a limited service (a certain amount of GB or time available), so that we can test all the services and decide independently which one to activate.
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is the best VPN service that we can activate on Android, since it does not provide for any traffic and speed limits for accessing its servers.
Its policy is very transparent in this regard: the servers are maintained thanks to users who sign up for a subscription, but 3 servers can also be used by free users, without the need to place annoying banners or other methods of making money. Obviously, those who have a subscription will have a greater number of servers available and a higher connection speed, but also by taking advantage of one of the free servers made available to the app, we will be able to surf in complete anonymity and without leaving any traces on the Internet. If we are interested in the subscription service, we can subscribe to the desired one here -> ProtonVPN prices.
ExpressVPN
One of the fastest VPN services in the world is definitely ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has 160 servers in 94 countries, so that we can hide our position and our IP quickly and easily, simply by selecting the flag of the country in which we want to appear. The service is accessible for free without time limits, without bandwidth limits and with all the servers available for 7 days, after which the payment of a monthly subscription is required in order to continue using it. If we are interested in the subscription, we can view the prices here -> ExpressVPN prices.
NordVPN
Among the VPNs with the largest number of secure servers, NordVPN certainly stands out.
With over 5000 VPN servers worldwide and a technology designed to protect every type of information that is exchanged, NordVPN is without a doubt a candidate for a prominent place in the panorama of VPNs for Android. Just like ExpressVPN, we can try any server without traffic limits and choosing any server we want for 7 days, after which we will have to subscribe to one of the subscriptions available here -> NordVPN prices.
Avira Phantom VPN
From the manufacturer of the famous Avira antivirus comes a free and fast VPN for Android, namely Avira Phantom VPN.
The service offers a good number of VPN servers to choose from, distributed in various countries, and allows you to activate the VPN automatically every time we connect to a new Wi-Fi network, so as to immediately protect our mobile device. The free version offers unrestricted bandwidth and server access for up to 500 MB per month (resets every month start); at the end of the 500 MB, we can continue to browse anonymously by subscribing to a subscription directly from the Google Play Store, or by purchasing the subscription from here -> Avira Phantom VPN prices.
TunnelBear VPN
Another VPN service that we recommend you try on an Android smartphone is TunnelBear VPN.
With this service we can choose the VPN server to be used directly from a map, so as to immediately obtain the desired exit IP and circumvent any regional or national blocks. Just like Avira, TunnelBear VPN offers 500 MB per month of free traffic, in which we will be able to obtain maximum bandwidth and choose all types of VPN servers; in order to get unlimited traffic and the possibility of using TunnelBear VPN for up to 5 devices, we recommend that you subscribe to one of the subscriptions available here -> TunnelBear VPN prices.
Other VPN services for Android
The ones we have listed above are without a doubt the best VPN services that we can try on Android smartphones; however, many other free VPN services are available or with more or less felt limitations, and we have decided to list them below:- Hola Free VPN Proxy
- FinchVPN
- Betternet Hotspot VPN
- Hotspot Shield
- Windscribe VPN
- CyberGhost VPN
- VPN: VyprVPN
READ ALSO: Best VPNs for Android, iPhone free and unlimited
Using the free services offered by these VPN apps, we will be able to surf anonymously and for free for over a year without having to pay a euro; some services even offer unlimited browsing, we will only have to install and exploit them to be able to surf the Internet respecting our privacy.
Free VPN for Android
Free VPNs for Android are excellent apps for visiting blocked and obscured sites in Italy or in other countries, even if they do not guarantee the security of an encrypted traffic since the connection data is then used by the companies to collect statistics.Among these there are at least three very comfortable, useful and without limitations, which are worth keeping always at hand, which we talked about in other specific articles:
- Opera Browser with VPN
- Aloha Browser with VPN
- CloudFlare to set up a secure DNS
To learn more about the VPN available for PC, Mac and mobile devices, we invite you to read our guide to the best free VPN services and programs for safe and free surfing .
If we want to use the TOR network on Android, we invite you to read our dedicated guide below.
READ ALSO -> Download TOR on Android to surf anonymously from smartphone
