Surfshark
This time, we’re bringing you a wave of new features and improvements. From stopping scam texts to launching our fastest VPN protocol yet, we’ve been busy. Let’s dive in!
We launched scam text protection
Scam texts are everywhere: fake delivery updates, security alerts, urgent payment requests. They’re designed to catch you off guard. Our new scam text protection solution handles that for you. It checks incoming messages for scam patterns and automatically handles suspicious ones.
Here’s how it works:
On iOS: scam messages go straight to your spam folder. You won’t even get a notification. Your main inbox stays clean, and you can review filtered messages if needed.
On Android: you get a notification when a scam text arrives. Tap it to view the message safely in the Surfshark app and learn what warning signs were flagged. No accidental clicks, no risks.
Scam text protection is now included in Surfshark One and One+ plans. For more details, check out our blog post on scam text protection.
Meet Dausos, our fastest VPN protocol
We built a new VPN protocol from scratch, called Dausos. Most VPNs send all user traffic through one shared tunnel. Dausos gives each user their own dedicated, private tunnel. Your traffic stays separate from everyone else’s for better security and faster speeds.
Here’s what makes it different:
- Up to 30% faster than industry-standard protocols;
- Secure against future quantum-computer attacks;
- Adjusts to your network conditions automatically, whether you’re on home internet or switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Dausos is currently available on macOS. Learn more about the Dausos protocol.
FastTrack expands across more locations
FastTrack, our VPN speed optimization technology, now covers servers across all continents for macOS users. Connect to any location with the FastTrack icon and get up to 70% faster speeds.
Instead of locking you into a single connection path, FastTrack monitors network conditions in real time and reroutes your traffic through the most efficient available paths. When congestion happens or infrastructure changes, FastTrack adapts automatically.
Customize the web content blocker on Windows
Our web content blocker lets you limit access to specific website categories for a safer online environment.
You can block categories like:
- Adult content;
- Vaping, tobacco, and related equipment sites;
- Gambling websites;
- Websites hosting malicious downloads.
Now, you have even more control on Windows.
You can exclude specific websites from blocked categories in the web content blocker. For example, if you’ve blocked gambling sites but need to access a sports statistics page that falls into that category, you can allow it while keeping the rest blocked.
Surfshark is now on Vega OS
You can now download the app for Vega OS Fire TV Stick devices and secure your connection on the big screen. Simply connect the stick to your TV and download Surfshark directly from the app store. Or check out this blog post on how to get it running.
Interface glow-up for the Android TV app
We redesigned the Android TV app to make your experience smoother. You can now use Google login for faster setup, along with clearer error messages and streamlined help center access. We’ve also brought dedicated IP to Android TV and added the ability to create custom shortcuts for the TV apps you use most.
Finding VPN locations got easier on iOS
Noticed anything different? We’ve redesigned the locations tab on our iOS app to make it easier to use. Now everything is split into two clear views:
- Recommended view for your most popular country options, recently used servers, and dedicated IP (if you have one);
- Advanced view offers static IP and Multi Hop options.
Browser extension redesign
We gave the browser extension a cleaner look. The home view now shows how many ads and trackers we’ve blocked on each site, plus quick access to all your protection tools in one place — ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, malicious site warnings, data leak alerts, and email scam checker. We also made it easier to switch between VPN servers.
Can you spot a bot?
We partnered with Malmö University students to see how hard it is to identify fake accounts online. Almost half of the people tested couldn’t tell bots from real humans.
Younger players (up to 20 years old) were best at finding bots — spotting 65% of them. Numbers dropped among people over 40, with bot detection falling to 42%.
The study also found that emotional topics make it harder to spot bots. On neutral topics like data centers, people found 71% of bots. On topics like women’s rights, that number dropped to 49%.
See if you can spot the difference. Try the “Bot or Not?” challenge.
Final note: try our new updates
This quarter brought some new features and improvements. Try scam text protection, test out Dausos if you’re on macOS, and connect to FastTrack-enabled servers for faster speeds. For even more details, check out our latest updates video:
