The Best Android VPNs for 2024 (2024)

When you connect to a virtual private network or VPN, it routes your web traffic through an encrypted connection to a server operated by the VPN service. An observer will see all your web traffic (and the traffic of other VPN customers) flowing in and out of the VPN server, not your Android device.

When you're connected to a VPN, your real IP address is hidden. This means that all those advertising snoops or other scurrilous spies only see the IP address of the VPN server. This protects your privacy and makes it harder for anyone to discern your location because IP addresses are distributed geographically.

An Android VPN also prevents your ISP from seeing what you're up to—which is good because they're also keen to monetize your data. Read on for the top Android VPNs we've tested, followed by everything you need to know about choosing the right app.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

Buying Guide: The Best Android VPNs for 2024

What Does a VPN Do on Android?

Mobile devices move around with us, out of our safe home networks and into all sorts of other places. We've seen some remarkable research hinting at the privacy consequences of mobile devices: phony Wi-Fi devices that impersonate familiar networks can ensnare thousands of unsuspected devices and bogus base stations that can track phones (and perhaps intercept data). These are exotic concerns, but it's important to understand the worst-case scenarios to protect yourself.

Too much of the security industry relies on fear, uncertainty, and doubt among consumers. Although there are threats to your privacy and security lurking out there, no single tool will protect against all of them.

While some VPN services claim to protect you against malware and phishing sites, standalone antivirus software does a better job at this. One of the most dangerous threats people face is having an account taken over by an attacker. To protect against this, we strongly recommend using a password manager to create strong, unique passwords for every site and service you use. We also recommend enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it's available. While VPNs make it harder for you to be tracked online, advertisers and snoopers have various tools at their disposal, such as browser fingerprinting. We strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the privacy settings in Android OS and in your browser of choice.

Remember that although VPNs improve your privacy online, they aren't actual anonymization services, and you can't use one to connect to hidden websites on the dark web. For both of those activities, you should use the Tor anonymization network. Tor client Android apps are on the Google Play store, so getting online with Tor is simple.

Finally, a VPN could potentially have as much insight into your online activity as your ISP, so it's essential to pick a VPN you can trust. When we review VPNs, we read through privacy policies and interview company representatives to understand their efforts to protect customers. If you don't trust a particular VPN, choose another. There are plenty.

Do Android VPNs Work With Netflix?

One everyday use of VPNs is location spoofing. When you send your web traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server, the data appears to originate from the VPN server rather than your actual location. Journalists and activists have used this capability to get around restrictive internet controls imposed by various governments.

But for most people, location spoofing with a VPN is for streaming content restricted to specific geographic regions. That said,video streaming servicesare starting to fight back. We've noticed Hulu and Amazon Prime Video also frequently block access when they detect a VPN. Note that streaming companies are well within their rights to block VPN users. Just because you're paying to watch Netflix in the US doesn't mean you can view UK Netflix.

Some VPNs work with Netflix, but their effectiveness can change daily as the streaming companies and VPN services play a cat-and-mouse game of spoofing and blocking.

What Is the Best VPN for Android?

Although Android phones and tablets have radically different form factors than desktops and laptops, what we look for in a VPN remains the same.

The number and distribution of available VPN servers the service provides are important. Having lots of servers in lots of places means finding a server near where you live, and while traveling, it should be easier than with a service with only a few server locations. A surfeit of servers also means there are many options when spoofing your location.

The location of a VPN company is also important. Depending on where the company has its corporate headquarters, local laws may require it to retain user data. That's not good if maintaining your privacy is your primary concern.

Another important feature Android owners should look for is split tunneling. This lets you designate which apps send their data through the VPN connection and which travel outside. That's useful for apps that frequently block VPN access or require a lot of bandwidth but no security, such as video or music streaming apps and mobile games.

The price and number of licenses per subscription are key factors to consider. VPN services range from free to incredibly expensive, but it's typical for a service to allow five simultaneous accounts per subscription. Some companies have started moving away from this restrictive model, which is good news for consumers. If you're paying more than $10 per month, be sure the VPN service offers features that justify the price. Our list of the cheapest VPNs is an excellent place to start, and our list of free VPNs gets the job done without requiring you to open your wallet.

Finally, it's worth considering the experience provided by a VPN app. You probably won't use it if it's ugly, confusing, or hard to use. A good VPN app doesn't need to be a work of art, but it should be reliable and easy to use. Look for apps with simple interfaces and those that provide most, if not all, of the functionality you'd find in the app's desktop version.

Which Free VPN Is Best for Android?

Proton VPN is the only service that does not have data restrictions, making it the only genuinely free VPN on our list. However, the free tier limits your server location to the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States, and you can only use the free VPN service on one device at a time.

Proton VPN's excellent reputation was built on the success of its sibling product, ProtonMail. ProtonVPN also has good privacy policies and regularly submits to third-party audits.

Max Eddy contributed to this article.