VPN On iPhone: What Is It and Why You Need It
‘Privacy’ in the new world we live in has transcended beyond fenced homes and alarm systems. Many literally live on their iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, and other devices. These gadgets – whilst handy – contain vital information including financial data, emails, passwords, private photos, and lots more. Imagine losing such information to hackers and cybercriminals!
As we surf the internet or carry out transactions on our iPhones, it’s critical that we protect our information. One word many throw around when it comes to online security is VPN.
What then is this VPN? Can it be used on an iPhone, and is it necessary? We’ll be answering these questions and more in this article. So, let’s get started already, shall we?
What Is a VPN On an iPhone?
Imagine an underground tunnel linking one country to another. No one knows about what goes through it except you. It allows you to go from one country to another and get all the resources and information you need without being seen.
That’s what a VPN is like. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure and private connection between connected devices over the internet. Therefore, a VPN on an iPhone is a virtual private network that protects your iPhone from cybercriminals and data snoopers.
When installed on an iPhone and connected to a VPN server, a VPN will encrypt all the data coming in and leaving your iPhone through the internet.
How Does a VPN On an iPhone Work?
Here’s how a VPN works on your iPhone. It goes through the VPN’s private server rather than through your internet service provider (which is the normal route).
The VPN stands as an intermediary as you connect to a browser. It conceals your IP address (a string of unique numbers your ISP assigns to you), thus protecting your identity. Even if your data gets intercepted, it can’t be decoded until it reaches its final destination.
Why And When to Use a VPN On Your iPhone
Wondering when you should use a VPN on an iPhone? Here are some reasons you should get a VPN for your iPhone:
1. You’re a frequent traveler
Let’s assume you are taking a vacation in Europe and wish to watch some of your favorite shows from Netflix US on your iPhone. If you try to access the Netflix website directly, you will likely be shown an error message or may be restricted from accessing the same catalogs you had access to back in the US.
That’s where a VPN comes in. It helps you create a secure connection to a server in the US. This way, you will be able to unblock websites and access Netflix US even though you are somewhere in Australia.
Not to mention – some countries such as China, Chad, Turkey, Bangladesh, Chile, the UAE, Saudi Arabia (and many more) have strict censorship in place, making it impossible for people to access certain content or apps. A good VPN is able to let you bypass this censorship, allowing you to access far more content and services.
2. You often use public Wi-Fi
Many public spaces like restaurants, libraries, airports, and cafes offer free Wi-Fi. However, such a connection is insecure as there are lots of hackers and your local ISP network lurking around and waiting to pounce on your data.
These snoopers analyze your eCommerce purchases, browsing habits, social media activities, and lots more, all to hurt you. But with a VPN, you can eat your cake and still have it. You can connect to a public wi-fi and still prevent cybercriminals and local ISPs from snooping around.
3. You want to stay safe and secure online
One of the duties of your ISP is to ensure you are using the internet the right way and not accessing sites or doing things you shouldn’t be doing. But ISPs shouldn’t act like moral police, not with adults and that’s what VPNs try to correct.
A VPN on an iPhone encrypts the connection between the internet and your iPhone. You have all the privacy you need to browse the internet, download documents, movies, and more, make purchases, and make business transactions, all without leaving a digital footprint. Your ISP will never know you accessed the internet, let alone know what you did. It will just be like you were never there.
How to Choose a VPN Provider For iPhone
Thinking of choosing a VPN but don’t know where to begin? These tips will send you in the right direction:
1. Consider the provider’s logging policy
A VPN that logs your data defeats the purpose of its being a VPN. Thus, it’s important to check out the logging policy of the VPN you fancy.
A good VPN only collects basic information such as email addresses for signup and login purposes and payment data for payment purposes. It’s best to consider a VPN with a “zero log policy,” as the provider won’t retain your personal information or data.
2. Check what encryption the VPN offers
The best VPNs should offer more security than the White House and Vatican Secret Archives (if you know what I mean). The stronger the encryption, the better the security. Most VPNs feature the 256-bit encryption, military-grade encryption that’s practically impossible to crack.
3. Check the number of servers available
For convenience purposes, you want to consider a VPN with many servers to connect to. A VPN with tons of servers allows you to find a reliable and fast server. Some of our favorite VPNs, such as NordVPN offer as much as 5,000 servers or more.
Also, consider if there are lots of servers in your region. For instance, if you wish to connect to a server in Asia, you want to be sure many servers are there.
4. Speed matters
Trust me; you want a fast enough VPN to download videos, movies, and documents and surf the internet in no time. Hence, when choosing a VPN, consider one with lightning speed. This can be difficult to determine beforehand, though.
This is because while many VPNs claim to have fast speed, you won’t know until you try it out. However, it will help to read customer reviews. This will give you an insight into the performance of the VPN. The Bitcatcha team have written plenty of in-depth VPN reviews – including a roundup of the best VPNS on the market.
5. Watch out for any extra features
The extras are what separate the big boys from the rookies in the world of VPN. Some nice extra features a VPN can have include:
- Allows torrenting
- Has an internet kill switch
- Works with Netflix
- Ability to bypass the great wall of China
- Easy installation on your router
6. Consider the VPN’s country of origin
Avoid VPNs that operate within the 14-eyes, five-eyes, or nine-eyes countries. These are countries with a common goal of monitoring and reporting their users’ internet activities.
These countries include Denmark, Canada, the UK, the US, France, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Belgium, New Zealand, and Australia.
Want a VPN for your iPhone?
Check out our best VPNs for iPhone article to get the best privacy protection for your phone!
How Do I Get a VPN on My iPhone?
There are two options to consider; you can either configure the VPN on your phone manually or download and install the app and allow the wizard to run the app.
Here are some details of how to get a VPN on your iPhone:
Step 1: Go to the Apple Play store and type in your preferred VPN.
Step 2: Click on the download button to initiate the download.
Step 3: Open the VPN app and click on the signup button to create a new account.
Step 4: Follow the prompts to create your account.
Step 5: Next, select a subscription package.
Step 6: Select “agree and continue” when prompted.
Step 7: Tap on the quick connect button.
Step 8: Confirm your choice when asked to “allow the VPN” to add VPN configurations to your device.
Step 9: Now your VPN is ready for use on your iPhone.
How to Fake Your Location with a VPN On iPhone
Apple isn’t one of the friendliest when it comes to ease of change of location. As a result, many resort to installing a GPS-downloading app, but this isn’t effective most of the time. You are either being blocked from accessing content or prevented from using your preferred services.
The good news, though, is that a VPN allows you to change your location without downloading a GPS-spoofing app. You could be in London, but your network says you are somewhere in New Zealand. Cool, isn’t it?
Here’s how to fake your location with a VPN on iPhone:
Step 1: Select a reputable VPN from the Apple Play Store.
Step 2: Download and install the VPN.
Step 3: Follow the instructions and prompts to sign up.
Step 4: Connect to a location of your choice (e.g., Brazil).
Step 5: Start accessing and enjoying Brazilian content from where you are.
Note
Gain a comprehensive understanding of how to change your iPhone’s location.
Other Safe Browsing Tips For iPhone
A VPN is designed to provide online security and safety by default, yet it does no harm to take further steps to ensure your online security. Some safety tips you should adopt for your iPhone include:
- Use a secure browser to browse the internet.
- Use the in-built privacy and security protection of the iPhone.
- Set a strong password.
- Turn on Find my iPhone.
- Use Touch or Face ID.
- Safeguard your Apple ID.
- Always use the sign in with Apple when available.
- Allow iPhone to develop a strong password if “Sign in with Apple” isn’t available.
- Use the in-built two-factor authentication.
- Control the information and data you share.
Conclusion: Should You Use a VPN on Your iPhone?
Using a VPN for your iPhone isn’t just about protecting your device; it’s also about protecting your network connection and online privacy.
VPNs can help secure your online data and traffic against Wi-Fi spoofing, constant ad-tracking, eavesdropping, and cybercriminals anytime you are connected to public Wi-Fi. It also lets you access geo-blocked sites and countries and enables you to torrent endlessly.
If you value your privacy, security, and peace, then yes, you should certainly use a VPN on your iPhone.
