A good VPN service can help to keep your data safe while using your phone online, it can also offer faster surfing speeds and help you bypass geo-restrictions on the web (particularly for streaming content like movies and sporting events).
But could installing and using a VPN app actually harm your phone?
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Are VPNs Bad For Your Phone?
A VPN will not be bad for your phone, as long as you choose a trustworthy VPN service.
A good VPN app will not be harmful to your device in any way and it will work just as you’d expect any other trusted app to work on your phone, carrying out the tasks it’s designed to do, without doing any harm.
So, if you sign up for a good VPN service like ExpressVPN or Surfshark, don’t hesitate to download the newest versions of their apps on your phone and all other devices that you want to protect online.
However, there are a few potential risks that you should be aware of when using a VPN on your phone.
First of all, some unscrupulous VPN services – usually free ones – have been caught selling user data to third parties, so it’s important to do your research and only use a reputable service with a track record and lots of positive reviews.
There is usually more potential for a free VPN service to harm your device because they may not be able to generate enough money from the free service they offer.
An untrustworthy VPN may log your data and record all of your online activity.
They might then sell your data to advertising companies who will use it to better target ads at you.
Additionally, using a VPN can sometimes slow down your phone’s speed, due to how it encrypts your data.
However, you can always disconnect your phone from the VPN if you’re using a trusted WiFi network and connecting to a secure website over HTTPS.
The above points should be taken into consideration, however, I’ve never heard of a well-known and trustworthy VPN app to harm someone’s phone.
Unfortunately, there are still some bad apples in the VPN industry with sub-par apps, so make sure you choose carefully to avoid these risks.
You Might Also Like: When Should I Use A VPN? (The Top 16 Reasons)
Could An Untrustworthy VPN Be Bad For Your Phone?
Yes, an untrustworthy VPN service could be bad for your phone.
If you’re not careful, you might end up downloading a VPN app that actually contains malware.
Malware can harm your device in a number of ways, including by stealing your data or slowing down your phone’s performance.
So, how can you protect yourself from installing harmful VPN apps?
Well, many people choose to install a trustworthy antivirus app on their PC before they download any software.
If you want to do the same for your Android or iOS phone, try Avast Mobile Security or Avira Mobile Security.
Fake VPNs are particularly dangerous because they can be set up overnight and look quite convincing.
But their only goal is to get you to make a payment to them.
These apps often impersonate well-known and reputable VPN services in order to trick people into downloading them.
Make sure you do your research before downloading or making a payment to any VPN app and only use services that have tons of good reviews from all over the internet.
You should also be wary of VPNs that make bold claims.
If a VPN service promises unlimited device connections and all the features of a premium VPN for a fraction of the price, you should be wary.
After all, no VPN service is truly free, and most reputable ones will not make such bold claims in their marketing material or on their official website.
Will A VPN Drain My Phone’s Battery?
While a VPN will not drain your phone’s battery, you should expect to see about a 5 to 15% reduction in battery life while your VPN is running.
But the amount of battery is used will depend on the VPN provider you use, how strong the encryption is, and how much data is being transferred.
Many VPN apps -like Max VPN – allow you to choose which applications you want to block from accessing the internet and this allows you to reduce the amount of data being transferred which can save battery life.
Some VPN servers also compress the data so it ends up being less of a drain on the battery as it is less information for your phone to download.
What VPN Apps Will Work Well On My Phone?
There are a number of good and trustworthy VPN services that you can use on your phone.
Some of our favorites include ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN.
All of these services offer excellent mobile apps with great features, high speeds, and no data logging.
Plus, all three of these have been tested and found to be reliable even on mobile data networks.
This means you can use the VPN to unblock websites and videos, send encrypted messages, or download files without any fear of being monitored.
Additionally, all three of these services offer great customer support.
So, if you ever have an issue – whether it’s changing servers or recovering a lost password – you can easily get help at any time of the day or night.
VPNs are becoming an increasingly popular way to stay safe and secure while using your phone online, but not all VPN services are created equal.
Some VPNs can be bad for your phone, as they may not be able to generate enough money from the free service and may instead use unscrupulous practices to generate an income.
A VPN service that is trustworthy will not be bad for your phone and provide you with good speeds, zero data logging, strong encryption, and a full-featured app with customer support to help if you ever have any issues.
