Installing a VPN on Android quickly and affordably!Read the quick and easy guide below if you want to set up a VPN on Android as fast as possible! We’ll be using Surfshark as an example, as this excellent VPN is affordable, easy to set up and user-friendly.
- Go to the Surfshark website and get a subscription by pressing the red button.
- Go to the Google Play Store on your Android device and download the Surfshark app.
- Open the app and fill in your login details. Surfshark might ask you for permission to establish a connection, which you can give.
- Choose a VPN server to connect to and enjoy browsing a safer, freer and more anonymous web!
Want to know more about setting up a VPN on your Android devices? Read our article below to learn all about it!
If you’ve got a VPN subscription, there’s a good chance you’ll want to use this on your Android device(s) as well. After all, these days many of us spend even more of their online time on their mobile phone or tablet than on their PC. There are several ways to install a VPN on your Android device. In this article, we’ll discuss and explain four of these.
For those of you who want to get to it right away, we’ll start out with probably the fastest and easiest way: using a dedicated VPN app for Android. If you do require more information, don’t worry. After all, this article also discusses the best VPN services for Android and three other ways to install a VPN on your Android device(s).
Installing a VPN on Android using a VPN app
Using a dedicated Android app is, in our opinion, the easiest and fastest way to install and configure a VPN on Android. Hence this is what recommend we to Android users. However, do make sure your VPN offers a dedicated Android app if you’re going down this route. After all, not all VPN providers do. However, virtually all popular VPN providers have a decent or even a good Android app these days.
Are you unsure what the best VPN app for your Android device is? Have a look at the section that deals with this further down in the article or, if you want to start using a VPN right away, choose one of our top 5 VPN providers. All of the VPNs on this list offer a great app for Android.
Now without further ado, read the short guide below to find out how to setup a VPN on your Android device using a dedicated app from the Google Play Store.
1. Get a subscription and an account with your preferred VPN provider.
2. Download your VPN provider’s Android app from the Google Play Store.
3. Install the app.
4. Open the app. A message will probably appear, in which the app asks you for permission to create a VPN connection to your device. Click “allow” or “yes” (or whatever button you need to click to indicate your permission).
5. Log in with the VPN service. You have probably received an email by now from your VPN service containing login instructions and/or you will probably have created a password yourself. Use these details to log into the VPN service.
6. After logging in, you’ll get to your VPN app’s dashboard, where you’ll see different options depending on your VPN provider.
7. Choose a server location and a server to connect to.
8. The VPN is turned on now. Most Android devices will show you a VPN is running. They mostly do so by displaying a little icon at the top of your screen.
9. If you’d like, you can adjust some additional settings in the app. You could, for example, choose to turn on the kill switch for extra security, if your VPN has one.
Installing an Android VPN without using an app
Most VPN providers these days offer applications for many different operating systems, including Android. However, this is not true for all VPN providers. Moreover, you might prefer installing a VPN on your router, because you want to connect all of your (Android) devices to the VPN. Unfortunately, many VPN services do not offer an application that supports this (yet). Finally, there are also people who’d simply rather set up a VPN manually, for whatever reason.
In any event, whatever your reason to not use a VPN app, below you’ll find three other ways to set up a VPN connection on Android.
Installing a VPN on Android by changing your network settings
If you can’t or don’t want to install a VPN app on your Android device, there is another relatively easy way to set up a VPN: changing your network settings. This method comes in handy if your VPN doesn’t offer a dedicated Android app, for instance. Read the quick and easy guide below to find out how this method works.
- Get a subscription and an account with the VPN provider of your choice.
- Go to you Android’s devices settings.
- Go to the section on networks and select “VPN”.
- You’ll get to a screen where all of your VPN connections are displayed (so probably not a single one yet). When you’ve added a VPN connection you can also configure it from this screen. In any event, for now just select “Add VPN”.
- Now you’ll see a screen where you can fill out the details of your VPN-provider and your login information. You can usually find the VPN’s details on the provider’s website. If not, you can contact the VPN’s customer service.
- When you’ve filled out all of the information, you just save it. Usually this is done by selecting a little “check-icon” in the upper right corner.
- Now connect to the VPN. This is done by pressing on the little switch button, making it turn blue.
Other ways to set up a VPN on Android
Apart from installing and setting up a VPN straight on your Android device, you can also connect your device to a VPN through another device which has a VPN connection. This can be accomplished by setting up a VPN on your (virtual) router. This way all of the (Android) devices connected to the router will have a VPN connection, without you having to download and install any VPN apps or configuring the network settings on your Android device(s). Read on down below to learn how this method works.
Installing a VPN on your router
Installing a VPN on your router is not completely risk-free. After all, this involves altering a little bit of fiddling with your router’s firmware, also called “flashing”. If this isn’t done properly, it could damage your router. Therefore, always make sure to follow our instructions to avoid any major issues.
- First, check whether it’s possible to install a VPN on your particular router. Our article on the best VPN routers offers help with this.
- Flash your router’s firmware and install your VPN. To do this, follow this useful and extensive guide.
- When you’ve flashed your router’s firmware and you’ve installed your VPN, you simply connect your Android device to the router. Now it will automatically be connected to the VPN, just like any other devices connected to your router.
Installing a VPN on a virtual router (PC or Mac)
If you can’t or don’t want to flash your router’s firmware, there’s another option. In that case you can use your PC or Mac computer as a virtual router and set up the VPN on this virtual router. This means your computer will essentially act as an actual router for all connected (Android) devices. This in turn means all of these devices will also be connected to your VPN. Follow the quick guide below to use this method.
- Install a VPN on your computer. This is usually just a matter of downloading an application for your PC or Mac computer. If you’re having some trouble, just have a look at our VPN review section. Here you’ll find many VPN reviews, including installation instructions.
- Enable the hot spot function on your computer. The way this is done differs per computer and operating system. On many computers you”ll just navigate to internet connections and then to “settings”, where you’ll find a section that’s called “mobile hot spot” or something similar.
- Connect your Android device to this hot spot. Now your device is connected to your VPN as well.
What is the best VPN for my Android device?
If you’ve skipped our short and handy guide for now, because you require some more information, on the best VPN for you for example, don’t worry. We understand not everyone is already clear on which VPN is best for them. The choice can seem a bit overwhelming with so many VPN providers out there these days.
Fortunately, choosing a good VPN provider is not as difficult as you might think. After all, just like with any other purchase, you just need to be aware of your own wants and needs when choosing a VPN provider. For instance, do you want to use the VPN to unblock and enjoy streaming content, such as the US version of Netflix? Or do you just want more privacy at a very reasonable price?
Because we understand that Android users too, have very different requirements when it comes to their VPN service, we have listed the three best Android VPNs in this article, all of which offer their own advantages. The very best option, at least according to us, is Surfshark.
Surfshark: the ultimate premium budget VPN for Android
A premium budget VPN? Is that even possible? Thanks to Surfshark we know it is! Surfshark shows this unlikely formula of premium quality and affordability can also be applied to Android. After all, Surfshark offers some of the most reliable encryption protocols around, among which OpenVPN (UDP) and OpenVPN (TCP). These protocols are viewed by many experts as two of the safest (if not the safest, period), fastest and most efficient encryption protocols.
As such, Surfshark offers great speeds, whether you’re browsing, streaming, downloading, or even gaming. Moreover, Surfshark offers some great extra features, some of which are normally only offered by pricier competitors. For instance, Surfshark offers a kill switch, static IP-addresses, double VPN connections and a white-listing feature. All of this comes at a price of only $1.99 with Surfshark.
Lastly, Surfshark is one of very few VPN providers (especially within its price range) which allow you to use one subscription on as many devices as you like. As such, Surfshark allows you to enjoy all of a VPN’s advantages on all of your (Android) devices!
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
Final thoughts
Most VPNs work very well on Android. Simply install the right app from the App Store or Play Store, log into your VPN account, and you’re ready to go. Does your VPN provider not have its own Android app? Then you could always choose to install the VPN through your Android settings, or to set it up on your (virtual) router. If you’re looking for a good VPN to use on Android, we recommend Surfshark.
If you have a question, simply click one of the options in our FAQ below to see the answer. Is your particular question not included? Make sure to leave a comment so we can personally help you out.
A VPN protects your internet connection by redirecting your data via a remote server. Using a VPN on Android gives you more online privacy, safety, and freedom. Want a VPN on your Android phone? It only takes a few steps. Download the right VPN software and create an account.
For almost every purpose, ExpressVPN is the best option. This VPN is incredibly fast and works almost always and on any device. Both NordVPN and Surfshark are good options to use on your Android phone as well, because they are easy to work with and user friendly. Read more about the best VPNs for Android here.
Just like on a desktop computer, a VPN has many advantages when installed on your Android phone. All your online traffic will be protected in one go, giving you more privacy. Moreover, with a VPN you’ll also have access to more online pages, such as a bigger number of films and series on Netflix.
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