Apple devices are in consistently high demand worldwide due to their quality and a high degree of protection of users’ data. But, despite the reliability of iOS, even users of this operating system may need a VPN. Firstly, it is used to visit sites blocked in a certain country. Secondly, a VPN is used to access the Internet if you connect to an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network to connect. And, if there are usually no problems with choosing a suitable VPN, then some users experience difficulties with its inclusion. This will be discussed in the article.
What is VPN
To begin with, let’s figure out what a VPN is. This is a virtual private network with many servers around the world. Thanks to this, the user connects to the website not directly but through an intermediary server.
Due to this, it becomes possible to bypass all kinds of blockages, protect your personal data and prevent third parties from tracking traffic.
Why do I need a VPN on my iPhone?
It would seem that there is no more reliable mobile gadget than the iPhone and iPad. But despite the high-security protocols, even these devices are not completely protected from hacking. In addition, even the latest iPhone model does not have the means to access blocked sites.
That’s why it is required to install a third-party VPN application or manually adjust the settings of the gadget. The majority of users prefer the first option, but it is extremely crucial to know which VPN is best to download for an iPhone and by what criteria to choose it.
How to determine the best VPN for iPhone
There are relatively few criteria for choosing the best VPN for an iPhone, or rather, three.
These include:
- Connection speed: it is important that the bandwidth of the third-party server is as high as possible and the pages of the websites are loaded fast enough. Unfortunately, free apps can’t boast of such a feature, so it’s better to look for a paid program right away.
- Security protocols: all providers, without exception, encrypt user data. It remains only to select the protocol that gives maximum protection. One of the oldest is believed to be PPTP. It is fast enough, but not always reliable. The IKEv2/IPsec protocol is considered more modern, but OpenVPN and SSTP are currently recognized as the best.
- Price and quality: the cost of a VPN should always correspond to its quality. It is important to remember that cheap or generally free programs are not able to provide either high connection speed or data security.
How to set up a VPN on an iPhone
There are two ways to do this:
download the app;
use the built-in phone settings.
Installing an app with a VPN
Not all users are so confident in their knowledge of iPhones to make any adjustments to the settings. In this case, installing a third-party application will be an excellent choice. The advantage of any third-party VPN application is that its developers really care about user privacy and use only the most modern technologies that provide a quick connection to remote servers and consistently high connection speed.
You can install the app from the AppStore, and after the download is completed, the application icon will immediately appear on the gadget’s desktop screen.
The user does not need to make any additional adjustments to the gadget settings. When you require to connect via a third-party server, just click on the application icon, select the country where the server is located, and click on the “Connect” button. When the connection is established, you can safely go to any site without fear for the safety of your personal data.
Configuring VPN on iPhone manually
The iOS operating system has functionality for manual configuration of the built-in VPN. At the same time, the user needs to be prepared that the device settings will have to be “conjured”. Contrary to a common stereotype, you can configure VPN not only on a macOS computer but also on Apple mobile devices. At the same time, the tablet setup is practically no different from the smartphone setup. Another useful guide is described here https://clario.co/blog/set-up-vpn-on-iphone/.
To switch on a VPN, it is not necessary to install a third-party app. The gadgets already have built-in tools for setting up a safe connection.
Step by step, the process of manual VPN configuration looks like this:
- Go to the settings section, open “General” tab, and then to the VPN section. This path will look like Settings — Network — Else — VPN in other OS versions.
- Next, click on the line “ADD VPN configuration”. The user will see a window with settings that can be changed.
- Specify L2TP for iOS 11 and above or L2TP/IPsec for earlier versions in the connection type section.
- In the “Server” line, you must specify the server URL.
- The fields with the profile, passcode, and shared key should be filled in only with the word VPN and necessarily in small letters.
The last step is to click on the “Done” button to run all the entered settings. Move the VPN slider to the ON position if it is necessary to connect to a third-party server.
What to do if VPN doesn’t work
When the device is connected to the VPN, the corresponding icon appears in the upper right part of the screen. If for some reason it disappeared, it means that the secure connection was interrupted.
If the connection was established through the application, you need to:
- register in the app and check the connection: you may have to install it again;
- if the connection is established, you have to proceed to the settings of the iPhone itself and ensure that the slider opposite the VPN is switched to the “Connected” position;
- in case using a third-party app to connect, in the same iPhone settings, you have to check whether the slider is set to “Connect” in the “Personal VPN” section.
If these actions did not help, it is worth deleting and reinstalling the application. If the connection was made through manual configuration, it is worth rechecking the server URL. It may already be inactive: you will have to enter the address of the new server and try to connect again.