The market share for Android running devices has been increasing rapidly at a global scale, with the Androids exceeding the mark of one billion units. This is why there is such a growing concern over the security vulnerabilities of Android devices; in avoidance of security breaches that might jeopardize the overall experience of mobile users who seek to use their devices for various purposes (including the one of connecting online on the go). One of the major lines of defense against online vulnerabilities related to security is none other than the use of VPN.
Since we acknowledge the importance of having a VPN installed on your Android running device (and pretty much on any other device that you use for getting online), we have created this how-to guide that will allow you to learn how to setup VPN on your Android based devices. Still, prior to moving forward with the guidelines, it is only fair that we learn more on what the VPN stands for and what it actually does.
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VPN Safeguarding Your Online Privacy
VPN is a network that enables you to reroute your traffic and connect to the web using a remote server. This in turn helps you remain out of the radar, meaning that your IP address is never exposed. All the data that you share via the VPN is encrypted, which makes every detail that you send or receive thoroughly protected. The VPN allows you to surf the web with complete confidence, without having to think twice before visiting a specific site or expressing your opinion online.
It works toward keeping you safe and protected from online crackers and snoopers, as well as surveillance projects. Last but not least, a VPN allows you to unblock censored content and thus opens new horizons to you on the Internet. There is a plethora of reliable VPN service providers that offer great plans to both individuals and businesses universally. Now, let’s see why you need a VPN on your device having Android OS!
Android: Is VPN Useful?
As we have stated above, the VPN services can truly benefit you throughout your web surfing experience. With the use of a VPN, you can surf the web anonymously and forget about hacking attempts or unprotected Wi-Fi connections at public locations. Regardless of your location, with the VPN you can unblock thousands of geographically restricted websites universally. What is more, you will get the opportunity to encrypt all of your data and therefore you will not need to worry about security leaks. No matter if you wish to chat privately or share classified documents on your Android running device, the VPN will help you do that in a safe and reliable manner.
In a nutshell, you need a VPN on your Android device for:
- Surfing the Internet anonymously and risk-free
- Securing your information
- Staying safe and protected from hackers-snoopers
- Unblocking cool content
- Avoiding heavy censorship
As you will come to see later on, there are two distinctive ways for installing and setting up VPN on Android; you can either go ahead with automatically setup the VPN on your device or you can do so manually. Let’s have a closer look at either one of these ways, shall we?
Automatically Install VPN on Android
As soon as you have chosen a VPN service provider, you must go through their details and check whether or not they support Android and that they have got a detailed setup guide that you can follow. Most of the service providers offering VPN services allow customers to complete their setup process within a few moments. Instead of turning to Google Play for selecting an application that will help you towards installing VPN on your Android device, you ought to check for the respective app that the VPN service provider offers. This will save you from any trouble related to untrustworthy apps available on the market. To be more specific, during your automatic installation you will be expected to do the following:
- Sign up for the VPN service provider
- Check through the setup guides
- Find the guide for Android devices
- Download the app
- Install the VPN
Manually Install VPN on an Android Based Device
Alternatively, you can proceed with a manual installation of VPN on your Android device. This will permit you to fully customize the security protocols and other details of your VPN. In this case, you will have the freedom to choose everything about the VPN and this can be truly beneficial to everyone who knows about computing and online security. The steps that you ought to comply with for completing the installation on your Android include:
- Head to settings on your smartphone/smart device
- If you do not find VPN, click on more
- Click on VPN
- Wireless and Networks is your next stop
- Then, tap on VPN
- Add a new VPN configuration
- Choose the name and type of VPN
- Click on save
- Enter username and password for connecting
This is slightly more strenuous to complete than the automatic process. Nevertheless, it allows you to select whether you wish to use PPTP or L2TP and so on among the list of VPN protocols in use today. All of the information for the manual configuration including username and password are going to be with you once you’ve subscribe to the VPN provider of you choice.
Evaluating the Best Android VPN
You can feel baffled by the plethora of VPN service providers (we linked to our top 10 already in automatic setup section, above for you) that are available on the market for you to subscribe to. Of course, there are also several free VPN service providers that you can turn to; however, the performance of premium VPNs cannot be matched. Prior to making your final decision as to which VPN service provider you had better select, there are quite a few different parameters that you ought to consider; the cost and the bandwidth of the VPN connection, the quality of the services and special features provided, the technical support and customers’ care for Android users and the guides are among the aspects that you need to take into account.
Below, we have displayed three of the most reliable VPN service providers to this date and especially for those who are interested in installing the VPN on their Android running device:
- HideMyAss: HideMyAss VPN is based in the UK and offers an impressive selection of servers in literally every part of the globe. It is among the best options offered at this moment in the market of VPN, with unlimited bandwidth and multiple security protocols, affordable cost and great technical support.
- ExpressVPN: With super easy apps for all devices and OS (including Android), ExpressVPN can help you overcome the difficulty of installing your VPN on your smartphone. It makes use of 256-bit encryption and its network is constantly expanding with new servers.
- PureVPN: Offering 24/7 live chat and great speed, the opportunity to have up to five different devices using the same VPN simultaneously and unlimited server switches, PureVPN provides a superb solution to those who wish to experience remarkable quality services while using VPN.
Which One Is the Best for Android?
We have highlighted three of the most remarkable VPN service providers that you can turn to for getting qualitative services with your VPN. If we were to recommend just one of these three options for Android users, this would most likely be PureVPN. It offers an easy way to complete the download and installation, as well as the setup of the VPN on your smartphone, while it also boasts the special feature of 5 multi-logins.
It allows you to switch from one server to the next at no extra charge and it provides one-click software that is greatly appreciated. Nevertheless, it goes without even saying that you need to do your own research and decide which VPN service providers best suits your personalized needs.
Conclusion
From everything that has been highlighted in this how-to article, you ought to know by now how vital it is for you to make use of the benefits of a VPN subscription. Especially if you are an Android user with a more substantial exposure to unprotected Wi-Fi connections and a lot of security vulnerabilities required of you to tackle, there is no better way to safeguard your online protection and privacy than the VPN. Go ahead with selecting a trusted VPN service provider and enjoy your precious Android running device to the maximum!