Currently, a smartphone is not only a means of communication, but also a game console and a portable multimedia device. Smartphones store arrays of important information such as private messages, bank information, photos, and more.
To protect personal information from intruders, you will be better served if you install and use a VPN on your Android. These applications provide maximum anonymity on the Internet, thereby preserving your personal data.
In this article, we take a look at the useful functions of a VPN and tell you how to use and set up a virtual private network (VPN) on an Android phone.
Reasons for Using a VPN
A VPN hides the real network address of the host and allows you to hide from hacker attacks and malware. All VPN protocols with which the network is set up and running support traffic encryption. Such an approach guarantees a high level of confidentiality of the transmitted data, which cannot be decrypted if intercepted.
Even if you think that you have nothing to hide and are not afraid of information theft, you still need to know about VPN setup. The fact is that VPN services have much greater capabilities than just encrypting transmitted information.
They can also help you bypass being blocked from various websites, circumvent censorship, book cheap flights, and much more.
For example, if you are visiting or living in the People’s Republic of China and want to watch your favorite YouTube channel. You may not succeed because the country has imposed a restriction on a gigantic number of websites.
Using a virtual private network will circumvent this limitation and give you the freedom of choice on the Internet. The Android operating system employs about 2.5 billion active devices. For this reason, the use of a VPN is an urgent topic that affects a huge amount of people from all over the world.
Virtual Private Network Connection Instructions for Android
Many users do not know that the Android OS allows you to connect and disconnect from a VPN with standard settings. Follow our instructions so that the process does not take you much time:
• On Samsung Galaxy phones, select Connections, then select More Connection Settings, and in the window that opens, tap VPN.
• On Google Pixel smartphones, open Settings, then Network and Internet, click on Advanced and select VPN.
• In the next window, you will need to enter the PIN code. This step cannot be missed, you need to enter any number of four digits and remember it.
• Tap on the “+” icon in the upper-right part of the screen or on the Add VPN Network button
• In the line Network Name, you can enter any name that you want
• In the next cell, select the connection using the PPTP protocol – this is the protocol used for VPN connection in Android
• In the line Address, you need to enter the address of the VPN server
• If you wish, you can add several VPN servers
• When all these items are entered, you need to click Save
• If configured correctly, a new connection should appear in your connection list. When you first connect, you need to enter a username and password.
Note: Google Pixel smartphones have a built-in VPN called Wi-Fi Assistant.
Thanks to this instruction, you can easily connect a VPN on your Android. However, for the average user, manual tuning is not always the best solution. Perhaps many users will not find the time to figure out where to find the address of a suitable server.
In this situation, the best option would be to install VPN applications, which you can always download on Google Play. To do this is not difficult, just install the application and configure it. The range of free and paid VPN services might surprise even the most demanding user.
Best VPN Applications
Many free VPN services have hidden flaws such as annoying ads, privacy breaches, and data leakage. For these reasons, we recommend using the services of a paid, but inexpensive service.
Having thoroughly tested various services, we have compiled a small list of the best VPNs for Android, taking into account their speed, security, and performance.
Avira Phantom VPN is an application for anonymity and security on the Internet. It protects your connection with strong encryption methods and provides access to all websites and online services.
The free version offers 500 MB of traffic per month, but after registration you can use 1 GB of free traffic per month.
NordVPN is one of the most popular VPN services today with more than 5,700 servers in more than 60 countries. The service offers users advanced features such as double encryption, obfuscated (hidden) servers, P2P support, and many other functions.
For a few dollars a month (before the current promotion it was $11.95), you can start working with NordVPN, and if the quality does not suit you, then after 30 days they will return the money.
Private Internet Access VPN is a service that encrypts Internet traffic and can serve up to five simultaneously connected devices. The service is fully consistent with its name as it does not provide user data and protects against IPv6 and DNS leaks.
Among the advanced features, it is worth highlighting automatic emergency disconnection from the Network, protection from malware and snooping software, and port forwarding.