Recommended by:

Privacy's a tap away with one of the best mobile VPNs in 2024

  • Protect your Android & iOS devices
  • Surf the web at top speed with IKEv2
  • Enjoy unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Chill out with a 30-day money-back guarantee
A hand holding a phone with the Surfshark logo on its screen with a VPN Connected sign next to it and a globe in the background.
Safety online & offline
Take care of your online activities, device security, and digital identity
Get Surfshark One
Feature Element
Change your IP address & stay safe online with a VPN
Feature Element
Secure your device with malware, spyware & virus protection
Feature Element
Get real-time email, credit card, & ID breach alerts
Get Surfshark One

Make your mobile experience better with Surfshark’s mobile VPN app

Whether you need an iOS VPN or a VPN for your Android, Surfshark has you covered.

Hide your real IP address

Hide your real IP address

A VPN app allows you to appear anywhere in the world virtually. And with Surfshark as your VPN provider, you can choose from 3200+ servers all around the globe. Switching to a different IP address is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Remain secure with Kill Switch

Remain secure with Kill Switch

Kill Switch disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, thus ensuring your real IP doesn’t leak. It’s one of those great features you only have to enable once!

Pick the fastest server with a single tap

Pick the fastest server with a single tap

When you open the app on your mobile device, it instantly offers you the Quick-Connect option. By default, it connects you to the fastest server. But if you want, you can set this option to connect to the nearest country!

Clean up your cyberspace

Clean up your cyberspace

Use CleanWeb on your Android and iOS devices to stop annoying pop-ups, ads, and phishing attempts.
CleanWeb also works as malware and phishing protection, filtering out suspicious links so you don’t get hacked.

Take control of your apps with split-tunneling

Take control of your apps with split-tunneling

Sometimes, you need your real IP address to be visible. That's where mobile VPN apps with split tunneling — Bypasser on Surfshark — shine, allowing you to make some apps exempt from VPN protection. Exclude food delivery apps, workplace printers, or even banking apps for maximum convenience.

Double your smartphone’s security with Dynamic MultiHop

Double your smartphone’s security with Dynamic MultiHop

Use Dynamic MultiHop to connect to two server locations simultaneously to make your mobile VPN connection even safer. You can pick a pre-set pair of locations, or make your own combo.

Spoof your GPS location on Android

Spoof your GPS location on Android

Sometimes, you don't even know that an app tracks your location. The free GPS spoofing feature changes your mobile phone's location, so your location data isn't exploited. For now, this feature is only available on Android, though.

Secure multiple devices

Secure multiple devices

You only need a single Surfshark account to get the VPN app up and running on every mobile device you own. Secure your entire family at once, or even go as far as securing your entire home!

Why use a mobile VPN?

Your smartphone is your life: one device to reach people via various apps, store your photos and media, access your bank account, and more. Here's why it needs a VPN:

Stay safe on public Wi-Fi

Stay safe on public Wi-Fi

Malicious actors make public Wi-Fi hotspots unsafe. Thanks to the VPN encryption, your internet traffic will be useless to the hackers.

Bypass censorship as you travel

Bypass censorship as you travel

Your holiday destination may restrict you from using Instagram, Facebook, or Messenger. A mobile VPN app can help you keep in touch.

Stay at home while you’re away

Stay at home while you’re away

Certain services like banking apps may be inaccessible overseas. But with a VPN, you’re always digitally back home.

How does a mobile VPN work?

How does a mobile VPN work?

Mobile VPN works fairly simply — in fact, the same way as it works on other devices. 

  1. You choose a server on the VPN app and click connect. 
  2. The VPN app opens an encrypted connection to the VPN server — a VPN tunnel. 
  3. The VPN app encrypts any outgoing data.
  4. The VPN server decrypts this data so it’s readable to the recipient. 
  5. Once the response comes, the VPN server encrypts it for the VPN app to decrypt. 
  6. Et voila!

Encryption is the scientific method of turning data into a scrambled mess only someone with the right encryption key can read. In the case of a VPN, that’s the fast and sleek VPN app on your device and the chosen VPN server.

How to set up a VPN on mobile

Get Surfshark

1. Get Surfshark

Sign up for a Surfshark account

Download the VPN app

2. Download the VPN app

Download and install the app from the Google Play store or the App Store

Connect to a server

3. Connect to a server

Run the VPN app, log in, connect to a server, and enjoy safe browsing

View our in-depth guides for Android setup or iOS setup

Take the mobile VPN out for a spin with a 7-day free trial!

Apple and Android users can test the app for seven days free.

Download the Surfshark app from the Google Play store or Apple App store.

1. Get Surfshark

Download the Surfshark app from the Google Play store or Apple App Store.

Begin the free trial week

2. Begin the free trial week

Open the app and click “Start free trial.”

Create an account

3. Create an account

Start a fresh account and select the 12-month option.

Note: Register through the app rather than the website to get the free trial.

Up-to-date VPN security protocols for mobile devices

Our VPN service will guard your Android and iOS devices with the best VPN security protocols in the game.

WireGuard

WireGuard - fast, smooth, and easy to audit for security flaws. This is the newest hotness on the block. We love it, and so should you.

OpenVPN

OpenVPN works best with long-distance connections. Since it’s open-source, it’s constantly being improved by security professionals.

IKEv2

IKEv2 protocol showcases outstanding mobile performance, especially when connected to nearby servers.

FAQ

Can you use a free mobile VPN?

You can use free mobile VPNs, but you shouldn’t. Many free VPNs have a data cap, slow connection speeds, and flood users with intrusive ads. Worst of all, your data may be sold to third parties. It’s better to go for a premium VPN like Surfshark, both in terms of the quality of service and your online privacy.

Can a VPN be bad for mobile?

Premium mobile VPN services won’t harm your smartphone or alter your settings if that’s what you have in mind. Aside from that, a mobile VPN will make it safer to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots, let you enjoy streaming services throttle-free, and give you better access to the entertainment you deserve.

What do mobile VPNs do?

The mobile VPN routes online data traffic via a VPN server, encrypts outgoing data, and decrypts the incoming. This means that if data is intercepted between your phone and the VPN server, it will be unreadable to snoopers.

Meanwhile, the routing replaces your phone’s IP address with the VPN servers, making the world think you’re connecting from the server’s location. This tricks websites into thinking you’re in that country and keeps your location secret.

Can I use a VPN with mobile data?

Yes, a VPN can be used on mobile data, but may increase data usage. Also, remember that using a VPN doesn’t bypass data limits or provide unlimited roaming.

Does a VPN work on 5G?

VPNs can work on 5G networks and are highly recommended for added security. Encrypting your data with a VPN ensures safe browsing, even on public networks.

What can I use a mobile VPN for?

A mobile VPN app encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a secure server, making it impossible for your mobile carrier or internet service provider to see what sites you’re accessing on your device.

Which is the safest VPN for Android?

All premium VPN services that aren’t priced suspiciously low are safe. A good VPN should have the latest protocols, encrypt and obfuscate its users’ online traffic, retain user privacy, and have additional anonymizing tools. So by our estimations, Surfshark is among the safest VPNs for Android.

What features should a mobile VPN have?

A mobile VPN should:

  1. Have a kill switch to protect you in case the VPN connection drops;
  2. Have a split-tunneling function for those travel cases when you need some apps or services not to use a VPN;
  3. Be optimized for mobile by offering features like the IKEv2 protocol.

Time to get a VPN on your mobile phone!

VPN deal that Rocks

Get % off + mo. FREE
Get VPN Deal