VPN for iPhone
Your iPhone joins public Wi-Fi networks all day. Set up vpn.now with the official tunnel app from the App Store and protect your connection wherever you go.
The native iPhone app is coming soon. You can connect today with the official tunnel app, below.
The vpn.now app for iPhone is on the way
Until it lands, the steps below connect you with the official tunnel app. Want to be told when the native app ships? Head to the download page.
Set up vpn.now on iPhone
The whole process takes about five minutes. You will need a free vpn.now account before you start.
Step 1: Sign in and add a device
Sign in to your vpn.now account, open the Devices page, and add a device. Choose iPhone and give it a name, like My iPhone.
Step 2: Install the tunnel app from the App Store
Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for the official tunnel app, and install it. It is free.
Step 3: Import your config
On the Devices page, download the config file, or scan the QR code with the tunnel app if you generated the config on another device. The private key is created at that moment and is not stored on our servers.
Step 4: Connect
Toggle the tunnel on inside the tunnel app. iOS will ask permission to add a VPN configuration the first time. After that, you can connect from the app or from Settings.
Prefer to configure things by hand? See the manual setup guide.
How a VPN actually runs inside iOS
iOS does not let apps touch each other's traffic. Instead, Apple provides a system called Network Extension. When you approve a VPN, iOS starts a small, sandboxed packet tunnel process (Apple calls it a packet tunnel provider) and routes the whole phone's traffic through it. The tunnel app uses exactly this system.
In plain words: the tunnel is run by iOS itself, with the tunnel app supplying the encryption. That is why the VPN keeps working when the app is closed, and why every app on the phone is covered, not just the browser. The protocol doing the work is the same modern VPN protocol we use everywhere. Our protocols overview explains why we chose it.
Cellular, Wi-Fi, and switching between them
Phones change networks constantly. You leave home Wi-Fi, ride on cellular, then join a cafe hotspot. Our VPN protocol was built for this. It has no long handshake to redo, so the tunnel follows you across network changes with barely a pause. Older protocols often had to reconnect from scratch.
The cafe hotspot is the moment that matters most. On a network you do not control, the VPN keeps the operator from watching where your traffic goes, and it shields you from other people on the same network. Our guide to public Wi-Fi safety explains what an attacker on shared Wi-Fi can and cannot see.
The battery question, answered honestly
A VPN does cost some battery. Every packet gets encrypted, and that work is not free. But our VPN protocol was designed to be quiet: when no data is moving, it sends almost nothing, so an idle phone with the tunnel up barely spends extra power.
In normal daily use, most people see a small single digit difference in battery life. Heavy streaming or large downloads over the VPN cost more, because there is simply more data to encrypt. We measured this in detail in our VPN battery life guide, including tips like preferring Wi-Fi over a weak cellular signal.
What you need
- iPhone or iPad running iOS 15 or newer
- An active vpn.now subscription
- An Apple ID to install the tunnel app
Having trouble? Our setup help section covers the most common issues, or you can contact support.
iPhone VPN questions
Does the VPN drain my iPhone battery?
Our VPN protocol is designed to be light on battery. It stays silent when no data is moving, so the impact is small for most people.
Will the VPN stay connected in the background?
Yes. Once activated, iOS keeps the tunnel running in the background. You can check the VPN status in Settings or by the VPN icon in the status bar.
Does this work on iPad too?
Yes. The setup is identical on iPad. Add the iPad as its own device in your account so it gets its own keys.
Protect your iPhone device today
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