Installing a VPN on an iPhone is dead simple, just like it should be. Today’s walkthrough shows you how to install three of the market’s best VPNs onto your iOS device, step by step. Keep reading for installation, setup and configuration instructions for ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPVanish onto your Apple phone.
When you’re traveling with your iPhone, you likely connect to plenty of public Wi-Fi networks as you’re out and about. Whether you’re in a cafe or visiting the library, it’s always useful to find a public Wi-Fi network that you can use to check your email and so on.
But did you know that by connecting to an unsecured public network, you could be exposing your phone to hackers who could steal your personal data? You need to protect yourself when using public networks, and the best way to do that is with a VPN.
If you’re new to the world of VPNs, don’t worry. Today we’ll briefly talk about why you might want a VPN on your phone and then show you instructions on how to set up a VPN on an iPhone.
Why You Should Use a VPN
We’ll get right to the setup instructions in a second. But first, here are just a few of the reasons that you might want a VPN for your iPhone:
- Protect yourself from hackers. As we mentioned above, if you connect to a public Wi-Fi network with your iPhone then you could be vulnerable to hackers, as other people on the same network as you may be able to access the information which you send over the network. A VPN stops hackers from seeing your data by encrypting everything before it is sent over the internet.
- Protect your privacy. When you use your iPhone on your home network, if it’s not secured then your ISP can see every site you access and every file you download. If you want to preserve your privacy, especially if you’re downloading or streaming lots of content, then you should use a VPN to prevent your ISP from being able to see your internet use.
- Get around regional restrictions. When you’re using video streaming websites like Netflix, the content that’s available can depend on geographic restrictions. If you want to view another country’s version of Netflix, or you want to use local sites like BBC’s iPlayer, then you can use a VPN to spoof your location and stream the content you want.
SEE ALSO: How to Access Blocked Sites on iPhone
1. ExpressVPN
If you’re looking for the absolute fastest connections in the VPN game, then we recommend that you try ExpressVPN. It has excellent security, with strong 256-bit AES encryption and a no-logging policy to protect your privacy. Additionally, you’ll get access to a massive network of servers, with over 3,000 servers in 145 different locations in 94 countries for whatever you need.
As well as a dedicated app for iPhone, you can get the ExpressVPN software for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and Linux so that you can secure your other devices as well as your iPhone with just one subscription. The software even has special features like a speed test to help you find the fastest server which you can connect to and a DNS leak test and IP address checker to make sure that your connection is properly secured.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
- Unblocking Netflix USA, iPlayer, Amazon Prime
- Fastest servers we have tested
- Secure encryption & VPN protocols
- Strict no-logs policy
- 24/7 Live Chat.
- Slightly pricier than competition.
How to Install the ExpressVPN App for iPhone
Follow the instructions below to install ExpressVPN on your iPhone. This tutorial is guaranteed to work for both iOS 9 and 10:
- Turn on your iPhone and open up the App Store
- Use the search icon to search for ExpressVPN. It’s the one with a red logo shaped like a V. Alternatively, go straight to this page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/expressvpn/id886492891?mt=8
- Click the square blue GET button, and then tap it again when it says INSTALL
- Wait a moment for the app to install. Once it’s complete, the button that previously said INSTALL will now say OPEN. Click on it to open up the app
- This will open up the ExpressVPN app for the first time
How to Set Up the ExpressVPN App for iPhone
- When the app opens, you’ll see options for either Create Account or to Sign in with your account. If you already have an account with ExpressVPN, you can go ahead and select Sign In
- A login screen will appear. Here’s where you should put in your ExpressVPN account information. Enter the email address and the password that you chose when you signed up for ExpressVPN
- Now click Sign in
- Now you’ll see a wizard that will help you get your VPN set up. The first screen says Configuring Your VPN and you just need to tap Allow to start the configuration process
- You’ll see an iOS popup notifying you that the ExpressVPN service wants to add VPN configurations. You should click Allow. You may need to enter your device’s passcode at this time
- Next, you’ll be prompted to make a decision about whether to receive Notifications about ExpressVPN’s announcements and service alerts. The decision is yours, but we Allowed it
- Now you’ll see a screen titled Help Improve ExpressVPN, which asks if you want to send anonymised information about your VPN connections. There is no personal data contained in this information, but just in case we prefer to opt out by selecting Don’t allow
- Once this is done, the setup is complete and you’ll see a Setup Complete! page
How to Use the ExpressVPN App for iPhone
- The first screen you’ll see when you open the ExpressVPN has a big round grey button in the middle of the screen. All you have to do is tap the button and the app will begin connecting you to a VPN server
- You’ll see a text that says .. and you have the option to cancel if it takes too long. It usually only takes a second thought, then you’ll see text saying VPN is ON and the button will have a green background
- Now you know that your VPN is connected and is keeping you safe. You can leave the ExpressVPN app and open any other app like a web browser, and all of the information that your device sends out will be encrypted
- To quickly check whether your VPN is connected, look in the status bar for the VPN symbol: a small box with the letters VPN When you see this symbol, you know that the VPN is connected
- When you press connect, by default you’ll be connected using the smart location feature which finds a server near you for maximum speeds. But if you want to connect to a server in a particular location–for example, if you want to connect to a server in the US to watch Comedy Central videos–then you should click the smaller round button to the right of the big connect button which says CHOOSE LOCATION
- On the choose location page you’ll see four options. At the top is a search bar, where you can enter the name of a city or country to quickly search for a server in this location. Below are three options for sorting the data: Recommended, All, and Recents. Recommended lists the most frequently used and fastest countries you can connect to, with a flag of each country to help you find it quickly. All has a list of all of the servers available across the entire network, organised by continent. And Recents show you the servers that you have connected to recently
- Once you have picked a server to connect to, tap on it and you will be connected to the new location
- If there’s a location that you use for your servers often, you can add it to your favourites by clicking the star to the right of the country name, which will then turn red. You can see a list of your favourites in the Recents tab
- Now your VPN is connected and your device is protected
2. NordVPN
If it’s the highest security that you’re after, then we recommend the NordVPN service. In addition to the strong encryption and no-logging policy that are standard in the industry, NordVPN has extra security features like double encryption to keep you as safe as possible. The connections are sufficiently fast for all your needs and the server network is impressive, with more than 5,700 servers in over 60 different countries.
There is an app for the iPhone as well as software available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Chrome OS, Android, and Windows Phone, plus a Chrome browser extension.
Read our full NordVPN review.
- SPECIAL OFFER: 3-year plan (75% off - link below)
- Over 5,400 servers in 61 countries
- Torrenting/P2P explicitly allowed
- Strict zero logs policy on both traffic and metadata
- Great support (24/7 chat).
- Very little
- Can't specify City or Province in App.
How to Install the NordVPN App for iPhone
If you want to install NordVPN on your iPhone, you can follow our written instructions below:
- Open your browser and go to https://nordvpn.com/
- Go to My Account and then enter your email address and password and click Log in
- This will take you to your Profile Now click on Download Area
- Find the iOS section and click on Application. Alternatively, go straight to the page on the app store with this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nordvpn-worlds-most-advanced/id905953485?ls=1&mt=8
- Tap the square blue GET button, and then tap it again when it says INSTALL. You may have to enter your passcode or Touch ID to proceed.
- Wait a moment for the app to install. Once it’s complete, the button that previously said INSTALL will now say OPEN. Open your new app by tapping this button.
- Now you can use the NordVPN app
How to Set Up and Use the NordVPN App for iPhone
- Once you have opened NordVPN and logged in, you’ll see the home screen, which shows you a map with possible server locations you could connect to.
- The first thing you’ll want to do is log in to your account. Tap on the user icon in the top left corner, then on Sign In. Enter your credentials to proceed.
- Now that you’re logged in, try using the Quick Connect feature by tapping the button at the bottom of the home screen. You’ll be prompted to grant the application permission to proceed. Allow, then either enter your passcode or your Touch ID. This feature will evaluate the performance of nearby servers to you, and choose the fastest one for you automatically.
- Alternatively, tap on the List in the bottom right corner of the home screen to manually choose a country-based server, or one of NordVPN’s specialty servers: Anti DDoS, Dedicated IP servers, Onion Over VPN, or P2P.
- Whatever server you decide on, you’ll need to confirm your choice and connect to it by tapping on the on/off button.
- Wait a moment for the connection to be established. Once the power button turns green, you know that your VPN is active and that your iPhone is protected
3. IPVanish – Slick and Private
If you want a VPN which covers all of the bases: security, speed, and flexibility, then you should take a look at IPVanish. This provider is known for their lightning-fast connection speeds and they also have a large server network with more than 1,300 servers in 75+ locations around the world. The security is strong, with 256-bit encryption to keep your data safe and a strict no-logging policy to protect your privacy.
IPVanish offer a dedicated iPhone app, plus software support for Windows, Mac OS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Windows Phone, and Chromebook so you can protect all of your other devices too.
Read our full IPVanish review.
How to Install the IPVanish App for iPhone
To install IPVanish on your iPhone, you can follow the instructions below:
- Go to the App Store
- Use the search function to search for IPVanish
- Find the item IPVanish VPN: The Fastest VPN and tap on it. It’s the one with a black and green logo with a P. Alternatively, go directly to the app store page here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipvanish-vpn-the-fastest-vpn/id763638165?mt=8
- Tap the square blue GET button, and then tap it again when it says INSTALL
- Wait a moment for the app to install. Once it’s complete, the button that previously said INSTALL will now say OPEN. You can now open the app by tapping on this button
- Now the IPVanish app will open
How to Set Up and Use the IPVanish App for iPhone
- The first time you open the app you’ll be asked whether you want to accept notifications from IPVanishVPN. Click on Allow
- Now you’ll see a log in screen. Enter your username and your password, then click Login.
- When you use the app for the first time, you’ll see a tutorial. Click Begin tutorial to see the walk-through or Skip tutorial if you already know how to use the software
- The tutorial will show you the key features of the app and how to use it. We recommend that first time users look through it
- After the tutorial, you’ll be taken to your IPVanish home screen. In the bottom half of your screen you’ll see your Quick connect preferences
- Click on Country, City, or Server to choose which server you will be quick connected to when you log in. Now you can press Connect and you’ll be connected to the VPN
- When you click connect, you’ll see an iOS warning you that the VPN wants to add VPN configurations. Click on Allow. You might need to enter your device’s passcode or use your Touch ID to confirm
- Now you’ll see a graph of your VPN activity and the button at the bottom will turn red and now say Disconnect. This means that your VPN is up and running
- To connect to a server in a different country, click on the grey pin icon in the top left to bring up the menu, then go to Server. This opens up a list of available servers which you can search or filter using the spyglass and filter icons in the top right of the screen. Click the name of any server to connect to it
- To change your settings so that are always protected by IPVanish, go to Settings (the little gear icon in the top right corner), then scroll down to Advanced and click on On Demand. You’ll see three choices that dictate how the VPN behaves. For now, just toggle the button next to Enabled to get the always-on protection you’re looking for, or simply leave it alone as per your preference.
- Now your VPN is running and will protect your iPhone
Conclusion
A VPN is important for all internet users, but especially for iPhone users who are likely to be connecting to public Wi-Fi networks frequently when out and about. We’ve shared installation and setup information for three of our favourites VPNs on the iPhone: ExpressVPN, IPVanish, and NordVPN. Any of these services will keep you safe and protected, whether you’re travelling and using unknown internet networks, or you’re at home and you want to keep your browsing private.
If you have any problems setting up these VPNs on your iPhone, then drop us a comment below and we’ll do our best to help!
Read How to Install a VPN on an iPhone: Quick Setup Guide by Diego Villena on AddictiveTips - Tech tips to make you smarter
Post a Comment