01/2021 by Roxy
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a method that can be used to route your IP and traffic through another network securely. Think of it as a secret tunnel that you can run your internet traffic through to provide anonymity.
There are many VPN providers, the key to selecting one is to ensure that users trust the provider. Research the company since you will be routing all of your traffic through this provider. It is critical that you trust them with your data. If the company has been approached by the government/law enforcement and handed them user data – that is likely not a company that you would give all of your data to. Anther consideration is connection and downtime. In order to route your traffic through the VPN, you need to connect to it. If it takes upwards of 30 seconds to do this, it may not be worth committing to. Next, uptime is crucial – review the VPN provider for uptime, the network you connect to needs to be running 24/7. Finally, if its free – its probably a bad sign (unless it is a free trial). Be cautious about free VPN’s.
My recommendations for 2021 VPNs:
- F-Secure Freedome – I have been using this on iphone and desktop for over a year now and it is quick to connect and highly trustworthy. https://www.f-secure.com/us-en/home/products/freedome
- ExpressVPN – I enjoyed the ease of the iphone app as well as the quick connection. https://www.expressvpn.com/
Setting up a VPN for the iPhone
Depending on the application you choose, it will be pretty straightforward to set up the VPN. After you purchase a subscription to a VPN, install the app from the apple store and enter your newly created credentials. If the app does not prompt you to turn on your new VPN, you can go to your Settings Menu -> VPN and turn it on manually. When your VPN is up and running, you will notice a new icon in the top task tray as shown in the screenshot below.
Its dangerous, be safe out there!