➤How to install and use a VPN on Android? 🕹

There is nothing easier than installing and using a VPN on Android. We explain how to do it.

A VPN is not only used to encrypt your connection, but also to relocate your IP address by connecting to a server. By installing a VPN on your Android smartphone, the idea is to improve your privacy: no hacker or state entity can know what you are doing or downloading by looking at your Internet connection. From its technical principle, a VPN can seem impressive to install and use. This is really not the case, as we will see.

To better explain how to install and use a VPN on Android, we are going to rely on the application of Surfshark. This is currently on promotion, at the price of 1,85 euros per month with the two-year subscription. In total, this subscription costs 44,40 euros, it is one of the cheapest offers on the market and one of the best for trying out a high-performance VPN without breaking the bank.

Learn more about subscribing to Surfshark

How to install a VPN on Android?

This is by far the easiest part. To install a VPN like Surfshark, you must go through the Play Store. Start the download, then the application. Surfshark then offers to log into your account or start a 7-day free trial. Enter your credentials to then access the interface.

Going through the Play Store, installing Surfshark is very easy.

Whether for Surfshark or for any other VPN, it is very important to always go through the Play Store or the App Store to download the official applications. An unofficial VPN application exposes you to very high risk of hacking, such an application being allowed to take control of the Internet connection, for example.

How to use a VPN on Android?

Once the app is launched and you're signed into your account, you can start using a VPN. The Surfshark application has the advantage of being both very accessible and very comprehensive.

For example, if you want to quickly connect to a VPN server without going into technical details, just click on the "Connect" button. This allows you to connect to the fastest server or the one in the nearest country. With one click and without further manipulation, you are then connected to a VPN server. Your connection is then encrypted and your IP address delocalized.

During the first connection, Android will ask you to validate Surfshark's VPN connection.

However, this method does not allow you to choose the server - and therefore the country - on which to connect. To do this, go to the "Positions" tab. It has a search engine (located at the top right of the application), a list of cities and countries, and allows you to connect to the 1700 servers in 63 countries around the world.

For experienced users or those concerned about their confidentiality, Surfsahrk also allows you to connect to one of the servers with static IPs (which do not change with each new connection to the server) or "Multihop". On this tab, each line offered includes two countries. These are in fact the two countries in which the servers to which the VPN will connect simultaneously are located. Connected behind two VPN servers, confidentiality is even more reinforced ... However, despite the speed, which is greatly slowed down.

A search engine makes it easy to find server locations to connect to.

As such, if you want to browse the Internet, download files or watch videos, the “Positions” tab is sufficient. The static and Multihop tabs are reserved for more specific VPN uses, for the automation of certain tasks or for confidentiality.

What are the options to know?

Surfshark's Android app comes with a lot of handy features. Here are the most important:

Whitelister :

In the characteristic tab, the Whitelister option actually corresponds to split tunneling. By clicking on this option, you can automatically exclude or include certain applications from the VPN connection. For example, you can make the Netflix app the only one going through the VPN - to bypass geoblocking and access the US catalog - while all other apps will have the faster Wi-Fi or 4G connection. .

The Whitelister option allows the VPN to integrate or exclude specific applications in its connection to a VPN server.

Kill Switch :

We advise you to activate it systematically. This option allows you to cut the connection to the Internet if ever access to the VPN server is suddenly cut. And this in order to guarantee the confidentiality of the data.

Replace GPS position:

Surfshark is one of the only VPN apps that offers to match your phone's GPS location to the VPN location. A good way to prepare your vacation a few days in advance on Tinder for example.

Surfshark VPN subscription is one of the cheapest on the market

The two-year Surfshark subscription is currently priced at 1,85 Euro per month with the two-year subscription. This is one of the lowest rates on the VPN market, since generally the price for a two-year subscription is around 80 or 90 euros.

For this price, Surfshark offers many advantages: a subscription that allows you to connect as many devices as you want and applications for iOS, Windows, Mac or Linux are also available.