What a VPN changes on your phone
A VPN app sends your phone's internet traffic through an encrypted connection to a server the VPN company runs. The Wi-Fi network you're on, and your mobile carrier, can see that you're connected to a VPN but not which sites and apps you use. The sites you visit see the VPN server's IP address instead of yours.
It helps most on public Wi-Fi in cafes, hotels and airports, and when you want to appear to be in another country. It doesn't stop malware or phishing on its own, and you're trusting the VPN company with the traffic your carrier used to see, so pick a provider with a clear privacy policy.
How to set up a VPN app on Android
Most people should use an app from the Google Play Store. The steps are nearly the same for every provider. We'll use ExpressVPN's current Android app as the example, because its help center documents each screen.
- Check your Android version. Open Settings, then About phone. ExpressVPN supports Android 7 (Nougat) through Android 16. Surfshark's Play Store app also needs Android 7.0 or newer.
- Search for the VPN in Google Play and tap Install, then Open.
- Sign in with the account you created on the provider's website. ExpressVPN lets you sign in with a code sent to your email, a login token or a passkey.
- Approve the connection request. The app asks you to tap OK to start setup, and Android then shows a request to let the app set up a VPN connection. Tap OK. ExpressVPN warns that setup fails if you decline, and Android asks this of every VPN app.
- Tap the large power button. ExpressVPN picks its "Fastest Location" by default, and the screen shows "Protected" once you're connected.
From then on, the app handles the connection. You can leave it on all day or connect only when you join a network you don't trust.
Choosing a different server
In ExpressVPN, tap the Change box under the power button and pick a location from the Recommended or All Locations tab. The app reconnects on its own. Other apps put the country list on the main screen or behind a search icon. For everyday browsing, a server near you is fastest. Choose a server in another country only when you need to appear to be there.
Turning the VPN off
Tap the power button again. ExpressVPN shows "Not Protected" when you're disconnected. You can also open Settings > Network & internet > VPN and tap the settings icon next to the VPN, which takes you back into the app.
Settings worth turning on
Open the app's settings once after you install it. Three are worth a look.
A kill switch cuts your internet connection if the VPN drops, so apps don't quietly carry on without protection. Surfshark's Android app has one, and it's worth checking that yours does before you pay.
Auto-connect starts the VPN when your phone starts or when you join a Wi-Fi network, so you don't have to remember.
Split tunneling lets chosen apps skip the VPN. Surfshark calls this Bypasser. It's useful for a banking app that refuses VPN connections, or for casting to a TV on your home network.
Setting up a VPN without an app
Android has a built-in VPN client for connections your employer or school gives you. You need the server details from whoever runs the VPN. Google's steps:
- Open Settings and tap Network & internet, then VPN. If you can't find it, search Settings for "VPN". Phone makers move menus around, so the names on a Samsung or Motorola phone may differ.
- Tap Add at the top right.
- Enter the details from your administrator and tap Save.
- To connect, tap the VPN in the list, enter your username and password and tap Connect.
To disconnect, tap the settings icon next to the VPN and turn it off. Forget removes it.
For a VPN you added this way, the same settings screen has an Always-on VPN switch that keeps it connected. Google says the switch isn't available for VPNs set up through an app, so for an app you use its own auto-connect and kill switch settings. Google also notes that some of these steps only work on Android 14 and later.
Pixel phones have a VPN built in
Google's help page says Pixel 7 and later phones, and the Pixel Tablet, include VPN by Google at no extra cost where the service is available. If all you want is protection on public Wi-Fi, try it before you pay for a separate VPN.
Can you use a free VPN on Android?
Yes, if you pick one carefully. Proton VPN's free plan has no data or time limits and no ads, and it covers one device. Streaming support is a paid feature, so it suits browsing and public Wi-Fi rather than video. Be wary of free apps that don't say who runs them or how they pay for their servers, since every page you load passes through those servers.
When a VPN causes problems
Some apps don't like VPNs. Banking apps and streaming services sometimes block VPN servers, and you'll see an error or a "you seem to be using a proxy" message. Turn the VPN off for that app with split tunneling, or try a different server.
Hotel and airport Wi-Fi often makes you sign in on a web page before the internet works. If the VPN won't connect, disconnect it, sign in to the Wi-Fi page, then connect the VPN again.
If your battery drains faster than usual, try a different protocol in the app's settings, or switch the VPN off while you're on your own home Wi-Fi.
Android TV and other Android devices
The same steps work on an Android tablet. On an Android TV or Google TV, install the VPN from the Play Store on the TV itself. Surfshark and Proton VPN both make Android TV apps, and our Kodi VPN guide covers TV boxes in more detail.
Which VPN to pick for Android
Proton VPN is a sensible free start, and Surfshark covers unlimited devices on one plan if the whole family uses Android. ExpressVPN, whose steps we used above, publishes a help guide for each screen of its app, which helps if this is your first VPN. For current prices, trials and refund terms, see our guide to the best VPN for Android.
