Install vpn.now on your Chromebook
Protect your whole Chromebook. Our ChromeOS app sets up a native tunnel connection from your account, so every app on the device is covered, not just the browser.
10 KB · works with your free vpn.now account.
Two ways to protect a Chromebook
There are two vpn.now products for ChromeOS, and they protect different things. Pick the one that matches what you need.
| vpn.now for Chromebook (this app) | Chrome extension | |
|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Whole device | Browser only |
| How it works | Native ChromeOS VPN tunnel | Encrypted browser proxy |
| Setup | Import a config file once | One click |
| Best for | Everything on the device | Quick browser privacy |
Need to open one public page through our server without installing an app? The free web proxy may fit that narrow task. This page covers the whole-device app.
Why this app sets up ChromeOS's own VPN
ChromeOS has a built-in VPN client for our protocol. It arrived in ChromeOS 105. That client is what actually moves and encrypts your traffic, and it covers the whole device.
A web app cannot do that job itself. ChromeOS does not let a web app open the low-level sockets a VPN data path needs. So instead of pretending to be the tunnel, this app does the safe thing. It signs you in, builds your settings from your account, and hands them to ChromeOS to run.
In short, the app creates a ChromeOS config file, called an ONC file, that you import once in Settings. ChromeOS then runs the tunnel natively. This is the supported, secure path, and there is no custom encryption to trust. If you want the background, read how VPNs work.
What you get
- Whole-device protection using ChromeOS's built-in tunnel client.
- Location choice and one-tap config creation from your account; no manual key copying.
- The same account works across every vpn.now app.
No account yet? Create a free one in about a minute. No card needed.
Set it up
Five short steps, from the download to the moment ChromeOS turns the VPN on.
1. Add the app
Unzip the download. Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, and choose Load unpacked. Once the app is on the Chrome Web Store, this step becomes one click.
2. Sign in
Open vpn.now and enter your account email and password. Only a sign-in token is stored on the device, never your password.
3. Create my Chromebook config
Press the button. The app builds your settings from your account and saves a vpn.now.onc file to your Downloads. No keys to copy by hand.
4. Import in ChromeOS settings
The app opens ChromeOS network settings. Choose Add connection, then Import ONC file, and pick vpn.now.onc. ChromeOS reads your new VPN.
5. Turn the vpn.now VPN on
Flip the new vpn.now VPN to on. ChromeOS runs the tunnel and your whole device is covered.
Delete vpn.now.onc from Downloads after the import. It contains the private key for this connection.
Prefer to do it by hand?
You can build the config yourself with the manual setup guide. The result is the same native ChromeOS tunnel.
You need ChromeOS 105 or newer
The app needs ChromeOS 105 or newer and a Chromebook that offers WireGuard under Add built-in VPN. Google documents this as available on some Chromebooks. To check, open Settings, then About ChromeOS, and select Check for updates.
If WireGuard is still missing after the update, the Chromebook cannot use this whole-device setup. The free web proxy can open a single public page through our server, but it does not protect other tabs or apps. You can also protect a Linux computer on your network with the same account.
| ChromeOS 105 or newer, on a Chromebook that shows WireGuard under Add built-in VPN. |
| A vpn.now account (the free plan works). |
| Developer mode to load the app, until it is on the Chrome Web Store. |
Verify your download
Every official build ships with its SHA-256 checksum. Matching the hash of your file against the value below confirms you have the genuine, untampered build and not a repackaged copy from anywhere else.
vpn.now-chromebook.zip
SHA-256: 8b17c58b1435088e8d0b918ec1ca6b5fe8505f8289615061864c674bd0b94341
Check it with shasum -a 256 vpn.now-chromebook.zip on macOS or Linux, or certutil -hashfile vpn.now-chromebook.zip SHA256 on Windows.
Chromebook questions
Does this protect the whole Chromebook or just Chrome?
The whole Chromebook. It configures ChromeOS's native tunnel VPN, so every app is covered. The free web proxy is available for the narrower task of opening one public page through our server.
Why does it not run the VPN itself?
ChromeOS does not let a web app open the low-level sockets a VPN data path needs. The supported, secure path is to configure the tunnel client built into ChromeOS, which is exactly what this app does.
I do not see the tunnel option on my Chromebook.
Update ChromeOS from Settings, then try again. Built-in WireGuard is available only on supported Chromebooks, so an updated device may still not offer it. In that case, the free web proxy can open one public page through our server, but it is not a whole-device replacement.
vpn.now on your other devices
One account covers them all.
See every option on the vpn.now apps overview, or set up by hand with the manual setup guide.