Free VPN For Android Rating: 59/10
This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.
- Data Cap:
- 6.86.8/10
TunnelBears free VPN service for Android is ideal for beginners only looking to do a bit of light mobile browsing.
Its not as fast as the very top free VPNs for Android, but its very reliable across its server network almost as quick as TunnelBears Premium version, in fact.
Cheapest Price | |
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Based on a 100Mbps test connection |
52Mbps |
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Today’s Best Overall VPNs
When put through our rigorous testing in search of the best free VPN, it was ProtonVPN that cinched the top spot, climbing up the list as the most competent service.
While you will have to register to gain access to the free service, one of the most exciting elements of ProtonVPN is it comes with an unlimited data package. This means you’ll be able to use it without being careful about the amount of gigabytes used per task. Ideal if you’d hoped to bypass geo-restrictions with a streaming VPN, you can binge without rationing your monthly allowance. The world – or at least the Internet – is your oyster.
Keen streamers will be able to access Netflix, albeit limited to its library of Netflix Original shows with multiple servers across three locations in the US, Japan, and the Netherlands. This means those looking to get access to a foreign Netflix library will have no such luck.
For a free service, there are also a handful of decent features including Auto-Connect, custom DNS servers, Split Tunneling, and IPv6 encryption. While a more limited list than you’ll find on its other plans, this is a great starting point. Better still, while there may be concern around VPNs that only offer a free tool, with subscriptions for ProtonVPN available, you should feel a lot safer that your data is in good hands.
Whats The Best VPN For Android
There are loads of VPNs that provide support for Android devices but the best of them all is ExpressVPN.
Thats why we used it for all the installation examples in this guide.
ExpressVPN has a simple and safe custom VPN for Android devices. Its fast, secure, and can be installed in minutes.
You can read about the rest of our top VPN recommendations for Android here.
Read Also: Urban VPN Firefox
Keeping Your Internet Usage Private With VPN For Android
Using a VPN to access the internet via your Android device allows you to protect your identity and sensitive data, prevents your personal phone information from being hi-jacked, and keeps online snoopers at bay.
Now that weve shown you how to set up and connect to a VPN from your Android device, what benefits have you found using VPN? Let us know in the comments section below.
Best VPNs For Android In September 2021

Its hard to find a free VPN that works well on Android. Ive tested 43 free services on my Galaxy S10+, and most of them were slow and unusable.
Most free VPNs have hidden downsides that range from annoying ads to privacy breaches and data leaks. Because of this, its best to use a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN. Its fast, versatile, and secure. You can test ExpressVPN on your Android risk-free and get a refund within the 30-day money-back guarantee period if you dont feel its right for you.
There are some free VPNs that dont put your privacy at risk, which are the limited free versions of premium VPN services. After extensive testing, Ive put together this list of the top free VPNs for Android, based on speed, security, and performance.
Read Also: How To Turn Off Verizon Smart Family VPN
How Can I Fake My Location On Android
While all good Android VPN apps will let you change location of your IP address to a server elsewhere, they don’t all include fake GPS technology.
In fact, of the big players out there, only Surfshark has an integrated GPS spoofing tool. That makes it the obvious choice if your main reason for getting a VPN is for use with Pokémon Go or similar mobile games.
Why Do I Need A Free VPN On Android
Using VPN software on your Android device is an excellent way to protect your security and anonymity online.
A high-quality free VPN for Android may not have many advanced features, but it will hide your IP address and encrypt your web traffic.
If you dont use a secure VPN, your ISP can see everything you do online. Youll also be vulnerable to hackers and snoopers, particularly when using free public WiFi networks.
A secure VPN masks your IP address so your ISP, or any other third party, cant determine your true geo-location. This allows you to browse the web privately, on a secure and encrypted connection.
Additionally, the most effective VPNs beats strict geo-restrictions and let you unblock web content typically locked to a specific country or location.
Most free VPNs arent very good for bypassing strict web blocks. Read our article on the best free VPNs for every device to see which ones are.
Read Also: VPN On Att Router
Should I Pay For A VPN
When it comes to our professional opinion, subscribing to a VPN service is definitely the way to go to actually benefit from all that a fantastic VPN can offer you, from security, to performance and streaming. With so many fantastic cheap VPN options out there, too, money needn’t be an issue.
Paying for your VPN can give you the reassurance your personal data is in safe hands, as well as stripping you of any of the limitations a free VPN poses. You’ll have unlimited data and the option to load your VPN onto a number of devices rather than just the one. You’ll also have free rein of a service’s server list and features.
Still cautious? Our top recommendation, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, allowing you to trial it risk-free. Alternatively, Surfshark is our budget-friendly VPN of choice, feature-packed and affordable.
Set Up A VPN On Android Smartphones
VPN support is baked into Android, so you can easily set it up via the phones Settings menu without downloading an app.
How to manually set up a VPN on Android
How to manually connect to OpenVPN networks on Android
The built-in VPN feature on an Android phone comes with support for PPTP, L2TP, and IPSec. None are the most secure, and PPTP, in particular, is quite outdated. Use this method if you absolutely have to or if the OpenVPN protocol isnt available for the private network you want to connect to.
To connect to OpenVPN, youll have to rely on a third-party app like OpenVPN Connect instead. OpenVPNs official app runs on any device running Android 4.1 and above.
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How To Change Your Ip Address With A VPN
When you use a virtual private network to hide your physical location, you also change your IP in the process. Here are the steps you need to take to change your IP:
- Get a VPN subscription. You can find NordVPN subscription plans here.
- Launch the application and enter your credentials to log in.
- Thats it, you have changed your IP address and location!
If you want to change your VPN server to, say, USA, just tap the country pin, and NordVPNs smart algorithm will find the fastest server available.
There are other ways to use NordVPN as a location changer as well. You can install it onto your router or download our proxy extension for Chrome or Firefox. In fact, it supports almost any device, and you can even install NordVPN on your router. Also, check out NordVPN reviews where people share their experiences about our VPN as an IP changer tool.
Try changing your location it’s easy with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
Free Android VPNs To Avoid
As we mentioned above, many free Android VPNs come with worrying security and privacy issues.
Below is a list of the worst Android VPNs we strongly advise you dont use:
Hola VPN
Hola Free VPN is just about one of the worst free VPN services you could use on your Android phone or tablet.
Not only does Hola Free VPN monitor absolutely everything you do online, its also not encrypted in any way and has been known to sell user data on to third parties.
Thunder VPN
Thunder VPN is one of the least secure free VPNs for Android weve ever seen.
Along with logging tons of your personal information, Thunder VPN also uses a very outdated connection protocol and just wont keep you safe online.
Snap VPN
Using Snap VPN on your Android device could well be worse than not using a VPN service at all.
Not only does Snap VPN send your personal data to China, and logs a ton of user information, it doesnt even disclose the level of encryption it uses. This leads us to believe there may not be any encryption at all.
Turbo VPN
We just cant recommend Turbo VPN to Android users as a reliable privacy tool as it goes against everything the VPN industry stands for.
Not only has Turbo VPN admitted it sends users personal information to mainland China, it also has one of the most intrusive logging policies weve ever seen.
Also Check: How To Install Free VPN On Xbox One
Can You Get A Free VPN For Android
If you want to protect your Android smartphone or tablet without spending a cent, there are loads of free VPNs available for Android.
However, our VPN security risk index found that many free Android VPNs are dangerous and unsafe to use.
If you want to use an Android VPN for free take a look at our list of the best free VPNs for Android.
How To Set Up A VPN On Windows 10

You will need to set up a VPN profile before you can quickly and easily connect to a VPN on Windows 10.
Manually set up a VPN on Windows 10
Recommended Reading: At& t U-verse VPN
Is A Free VPN Worth Getting
Honestly, there isn’t one easy answer to this question. It depends on what you want to use your free VPN for. If it’s just about having a bit more security on your laptop or mobile when using public Wi-Fi, they can be just the ticket. Jump on the service, turn on an encrypted server connection and crack on with your online activities safe in the knowledge that no prying eyes will be able to see your private information.
But if your main purpose is to have a streaming VPN say, or want to use it while downloading terabytes of torrent files, a free VPN just isn’t going to do the trick. For starters, most of them limit you to a daily or monthly data allowance that you’ll rinse through in no time at all. While most don’t have the kind of easy access support or server range required to make those activities easy with a virtual private network.
Paid VPNs Vs Free VPNs Which Is Better
Yes, paid VPNs are always better than free VPNs. We say this because paid VPNs offer better security features, better support, and superb unblocking capabilities. On the other hand, free VPNs will most likely never work with streaming services like Netflix.
Also, with free VPNs, youll always have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Youll have to worry about logs, hidden malware, and annoying ads. With paid VPNs, on the other hand, you wont have to worry about any of that. But dont get me wrong, there are still some trustworthy free VPNs for Android that you use. I recommend only using the VPN Ive listed in this guide.
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Connect To Servers In 22 Countries
TunnelBear has one of the biggest server networks weve seen from a free VPN service, with 22 countries on offer. It covers Europe, the US, and Asia.
We particularly like TunnelBears privacy-friendly logging policy, too, which is paired with top-class AES-256 encryption to keep you safe on your Android phone.
Free Vs Paid VPN: Which One Is Right For Me
If youre not a power user and only need an Android VPN now and then for some light browsing at home, and on public networks, a free VPN will do you just fine. But if you want to use a VPN to watch content on streaming services, regularly download stuff from the internet, and keep browsing history private at all times, a paid VPN is the way to go. Simple as that.
Theres a third option as well. If you only need a VPN for a week or so to test it out, you could just sign up for a free trial. Not all providers offer it, but some do. This will get you unlimited data, likely faster speeds than free VPNs, and you wont have to worry about the provider selling your personal data as much. If you dont need the VPN after the free trial, just cancel your subscription. To keep using it, pay the subscription fee at the end of the trial and remain anonymous online.
One of the best options for a free trial is ProtonVPN, which gives you full access to its services for seven days without spending a dime . But if after reading this article youve decided to skip free VPNs altogether and dont care much about free trials, check out the three paid providers we recommend, along with their prices, below:
- ExpressVPN from $8.32 to $12.95 per month
- NordVPN from $3.30 to $11.95 per month
- Ivacy from $1.33 to $9.95 per month
To learn more about good VPN providers, check out our guides for the best VPNs for gaming, torrenting, and Netflix.
Also Check: How To Install Free VPN On Xbox One
Install An Android VPN With The Apk File
In some circumstances, installing a VPN via an .apk file is the only option available to you – for example, if you’re based in China, or you have de-Googled your Android device . If you need to go down this route, then most VPNs will be provide you with an .apk file of their software that you can side load to Android.
Before we start, please note that side loading files from outside the Play Store presents a security risk. So be sure to obtain the .apk from a reputable source – such a from your provider. It cant hurt to run a malware scan on it either.
Providing you are sure that you have an official VPN .apk, follow the steps below to install it on your device.
Start by downloading an Android file manager app.
There are many options available, but we recommend ES File Manager.
You can download it directly from the web using your web browser, send it to your Android device as an email attachment, transfer it from a desktop computer via USB lead or USB stick, access it from your Dropbox account, or whatever.
Top tip:IPVanish allows you to download the .apk direct from its website.
Find the downloaded file using your chosen file explorer and select “Install.
What Is A VPN
A VPN is an application that gives you access to a virtual server network. It enables you to send or receive data across a public or shared network. Many such programs help you to securely access your favorite websites with ease. VPN applications allow you to surf the Internet anonymously and prevent data leaks.
Recommended Reading: How To Use Urban VPN
How To Setup A VPN On Android For Free
Below is a step by step process on how to setup a VPN on an Android device for FREE:
- Step 1) Go to Settings in your Android device
- Step 2) Go to Network Settings or Wireless & Networks
- Step 3) Open the VPN tab
- Step 4) Press the + or go to options and Add VPN Profile
- Step 5) Now, enter the necessary details like server address, name, type, username, and password provided by the network administrator and click Save
- Step 6) Now, you can use the VPN on your Android device without installing any third-party VPN App