Setting Up a VPN on Your iPhone Is Easy. Here’s How

There are several reasons why you may want to use a VPN on your iPhone. A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that creates a secure connection on the Internet between your device – in this case, your iPhone – and a remote server, to hide your public IP address. VPNs scramble your Internet traffic, which makes it difficult for third parties – such as businesses or internet service providers – to connect your activity online.

With an activated VPN, your ISP cannot say what applications you are using or the websites you visit, and by the same merit, applications and websites cannot display information on your ISP. If you are connected to a public W-Fi network, a VPN adds an additional layer of privacy, so your navigation history is hidden from the ISP of this hotspot.

In addition to confidentiality services, VPN can also be used for entertainment and trips, such as access to geo-restricted content. If you live in the United States but you travel to another country, you can use a VPN to give the impression that you are still at home, allowing you to access the American version of Netflix, for example, which is generally not available in other countries. On mobile devices in particular, a VPN can be able to help you broadcast videos in better quality during a cell signal by avoiding the formatting of traffic.

If you are concerned about confidentiality, which you want to access the content locked by the region, travel abroad or want to avoid mobile data limits, a VPN is worth your iPhone. Here’s what you need to know about choosing one and how to configure it.

Here’s how to use a VPN on your iPhone easily and quickly

Installing a VPN application on your iPhone is quite simple – like most other iOS applications, you simply download one from the App Store. Here’s how to install a VPN on your iPhone:

1. First, go to the App Store.
2. Then press the Research Bar at the top, enter the name of the VPN application that you intend to use and then press the name in the results list or press research On your keyboard on the screen.
3. Faucet Get Next to the name of the VPN supplier to download it to your iPhone.
4. Then open the VPN application.
5. Log in if you already have an account. If you don’t have an account, create one and register for a plan. Browse the different plans to see if there is an option that can save you money, especially if you intend to use VPN for more than a few months. You should also keep an eye on free trials.
6. Finally, choose a location from the server list and connect to the VPN server.
7. The first time you try to connect to a VPN server, you will be asked to install a new VPN profile on your iPhone. The context screen you see in the central screenshot below, or something similar, should appear. To install the VPN profile, press Allow And enter your password and this should be the case.

You must then be connected to a VPN server. Browse your VPN application and play with the different settings available. If you want to protect your other devices (your tablet, your computer, the streaming device, etc.), most VPNs allow several simultaneous connections.

If you want easy access to your VPN, you don’t have to access the VPN application to switch it quickly and the entrance. Instead, you can go to Settings> VPN To disconnect and connect to the last VPN server to which you were connected.

There is also a way to manually configure your VPN if necessary …

If your employer, school or a self-heberged server has given you connection details, such as a server address and a connection or certificate, you can add a VPN directly to your iPhone without installing applications. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings> General> VPN and Device Management> VPN> Add a VPN configuration.
2. Choose it Ikev2 VPN protocol (which is the most common for iOS). IPSEC and L2TP still exist, but many suppliers now prefer IKEV2 for faster reconnection and reliability.
3. Enter the description, the server, the remote ID and, if you wish, a local ID.
4. Enter the authentication details using your user name / password or a certificate exactly as indicated.
5. Hit the blue check (iOS 26) or the Do Button (anterior iOS versions) at the top right, then activate the VPN in the same menu. You can also set it up / deactivate from the main Parameters menu or from Control center.

There is also an option to connect to your work or school account via an e-mail address in your settings, if it allows you to access your VPN in this way.

Which VPN should you use on your iPhone?

There are a lot of VPN options, both free and paid, and your decision comes down to two things: what you need your VPN and how ready you are ready to pay. Here are the best iPhone VPNs on the market.

ExpressVPN is the winner of the choice of CNET publishers for the best global VPN for 2025. $ 13 per month, $ 75 for the first 15 months or $ 98 in total for the first 28 months (the plans of one and two years renew at $ 100 per year), it is one of the most expensive options. But we found that ExpressVPN justifies its premium price because it is fast, reliable and simple to use. It may not have as many advanced confidentiality features as the other VPN competitors, but it provides the essential elements of confidentiality, such as a killing switch (which cuts your Internet if your VPN is unexpectedly disconnected), divided the tunneling (to use a VPN connection for certain applications but not others) and a policy of audited non-logs (to save its zero allegations). ExpressVPN is an excellent option to access geo-rock streaming content while you are traveling, because it is so fast and excels by bypassing regional restrictions.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN for iOS. At $ 13 per month, $ 60 for the first year or $ 83 in total for the first two years, the plans of one and two years of NordVPN are initially cheaper than ExpressVPN. But the automatic renewal of $ 140 per year of the company on the plans of one and two years is much more expensive than the $ 100 per year of Express. The application is also simple to use. You can easily choose a location to connect and connect quickly to specialized servers, such as onion via VPN or double VPN servers, which both make your data to your device (like your iPhone).

Surfshark is the best value VPN for iPhones and, despite its relative affordability, it does not compromise on confidentiality features. Like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, Surfshark has an intuitive interface, but it is filled with confidentiality features, such as dynamic multihop connections, an IP rotator and an ad and tracker blocker. While the monthly plan is steep compared to most competitors at $ 15 per month, $ 48 surfhark for the first year or $ 60 in total for the first two years undergo many competitors. Even its automatic renewal of $ 79 per year on the plans of one and two years is cheaper than the renewal prices of L’ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Normally, we do not recommend most free VPNs, for several reasons: you could get lower encryption, data ceilings, slow speeds, data collection, advertisements, limited server options or even malware. The only free VPN that we can guarantee with enthusiasm is Proton VPN because it does not follow you, does not detonate you with ads or accelerate your speeds. The zero -dollars of Proton VPN is limited – it does not allow you to choose a server manually and you can only connect to one device at a time. But the premium paid premium plan is an excellent upgrade path for people who need more simultaneous connections, a larger server network or additional manual control.

Usually it is best to pay if you really need a VPN for confidentiality protection on your iPhone. In addition, most paid VPN options have a free seven -day trial (as long as you register via the App Store) or a setback warranty, there are therefore ways to use paid VPNs without spending money – but only for a limited period.