*Pricing and offers accurate as of published date. See provider websites for most current offers and pricing.
What Is a Mobile VPN
A mobile virtual private network (VPN) is used for two main purposes. It creates an encrypted tunnel for data transfers online to and from your mobile device to protect your online activity. It also may maintain a connection to a VPN as your phone moves between connections, such as from phone data to public Wi-Fi.
How To Choose a Mobile VPN
Choosing the best mobile VPN for you should come down to pricing, ease of use, device allowance and server location. These are the basics you should consider when narrowing down your own list. You can also look at extras, add-ons and trial periods.
The cost of a mobile VPN usually starts high for month-to-month plans, so compare annual plans, too. You can often get deep discounts for signing up for longer-term plans, so if you know you want a mobile VPN for a long while, consider picking up a three-year or lifetime plan.
Next you need to decide whether you’re tech-savvy enough to configure your settings yourself or if you need a mobile VPN that is super user-friendly. You might want to look for a long trial period also so that you can test the VPN out for a while to make sure you can use it easily.
Mobile VPN services vary in how many devices you’re allowed to use with your VPN subscription. You can find some that let you use all the devices you and your family have or they may limit you to five devices. Usually, a business VPN will allow more devices but limit them per user.
Finally, server location is important if you’re looking to connect in certain regions. For example, if you live in the United States, but you want to watch a TV show or movie that’s only on a streaming service in the United Kingdom, using a VPN that has a server in the U.K. is necessary. Another reason for wanting to choose a specific country for your VPN is if you’re a resident of a country that blocks specific websites or information that you want to access.
Benefits of a Mobile VPN
A mobile VPN is almost a necessity for companies that have remote workers or have adopted a hybrid work policy. Your employees may conduct the majority of their work off your intranet, which means they’re probably using unsecured networks to check email or even connect to your business servers. A mobile VPN can protect their work and your proprietary information. There are multiple benefits of using a mobile VPN for personal or business purposes:
- Public Wi-Fi security: Working on the go is necessary sometimes and it isn’t always possible to use your phone’s data. It’s tempting to connect to public Wi-Fi, but it may be monitored by cybercriminals. A VPN can protect user IDs, passwords and internet activity when your employees use public internet connections.
- Protect your data: If you have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, your employees may be exposing your company data by using unsecured networks, including their own at home. A mobile VPN can protect your info on any connection.
- Enhances trust: In a recent survey by ExpressVPN and Pollfish, 59% of employees reported feeling anxiety about digital surveillance by their employer. Providing workers a mobile VPN to keep their online activity private may increase morale and improve trust between employee and employer.
Keep in mind that a mobile VPN is just one layer of security. A VPN cannot protect against identity theft or malware.
Is Mobile VPN safe?
Yes, VPNs are safe to use on your mobile devices as long as you choose a trustworthy app. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel through which data may pass back and forth virtually untraceably.
