Securing the internet connection on your Android has become need of the hour.
Therefore, when using an Android phone, you must secure your privacy with a VPN before connecting to the internet.
Now, Android phones are known for their sketchy online privacy, which is why I’ve come up with a list of 11 best Android VPN apps to keep you totally secure on the go.
NordVPN is my recommended choice in this list as it delivers 5,400+ servers, user-friendly logging policy, and affordable price ($3.49/month).
Why Use an Android VPN App?
Privacy begins from within. Unless you’re serious about your privacy, you yourself can very well face such issues.
Playing it safe and opting a reliable VPN for your Android device can help you:
- Hide your original IP address
- Keep your personal information safe and away from the hands of snoops
- Bypasses geo-restricted content and websites (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, etc.)
- Make you anonymous and virtually undetectable on the web
Considering how spotty the support is for Android apps, opting a VPN app should be your absolute priority. Unless you’re a total rebel and don’t mind getting your data hacked.
According to a research conducted by ESET back in November 2017, it was discovered that the Google Play Store contained eight multi-stage malware apps by the name of AndroidTrojanDropper.Agent.BKY.
The apps although looked legitimate on the surface but on the backend, they were used to replace genuine webpages with uncanny dummy pages.
To secure your Android devices from the negative consequences of such malicious apps, VPN becomes the safest option.
11 Best Android VPN Apps for 2019
Here’s the tough part!
Even though the Google Play Store is filled with hundreds of VPNs both free and paid, I can’t suggest you guys to go and experiment with them.
Since there’s always a possibility that you’ll end up installing something nasty, I’ve taken the liberty to test out dozens of VPN for Android available on the Play Store.
Checkout out 11 top VPNs for Android based on our 11-factor criteria:
- NordVPN ($3.49/month)
- ExpressVPN ($8.32/month)
- Surfshark ($1.99/month)
- PureVPN ($2.95/month)
- CyberGhost ($2.75/month)
- IPVanish ($5.19/month)
- Ivacy ($2.25/month)
- Private Internet Access ($3.49/month)
- VyprVPN ($5.00/month)
- PrivateVPN ($3.82/month)
- AstrillVPN ($8.33/month)
1. NordVPN ($3.49/month)
NordVPN does have a massive server network that allows you to secure your Android devices from anywhere.
Moreover, it offers an impressive list of tunneling protocols that include OpenVPN, IKEv2 and others as well. Likewise, you are free to use 256-bit military grade encryption that takes your privacy next level.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.4 stars out of 5 stars (out of 113,082 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Varies with devices
3. File Size: 23 MB
4. Jurisdiction: NordVPN is a Panama based VPN service. The country is famous for preserving users’ right as it does not have any mandatory data retention laws.
5. VPN Logs: The provider follows no-logging policy in the right way. It does not store usage logs and connection logs too.
6. Leak Tests: NordVPN passed IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak tests with excellence.
7. Transparency Report: The brand is a brainchild of Tefincom. However, the service has not provided any transparency report on its official site.
8. User Reviews on Google Play Store: Here is the screenshot of 5 latest reviews about NordVPN.
Source: AppAnnie
If you read all these reviews thoroughly, you would realize that all the users have appreciated the performance of its Android app.
However, some of its users have shown disappointment over its performance.
9. Speed: Upon using 30 Mbps internet connection, NordVPN offered 27.91 Mbps speed while connected to the UK, US, Germany and Australia server on average.
In terms of upload, NordVPN provided 14.91 Mbps speed on average.
10. Number of Servers: NordVPN delivers massive 5400+ servers in 60 countries worldwide. When you use its Android app, you can attain its adblocker benefit that enables you to surf the internet securely.
Consequently, you may save a handsome amount of bandwidth hassle-free. You just have to inform NordVPN which server you wish to connect and that’s all.
This way, you are connected to your desired server in no time.
11. Cost: At present, the VPN offers four types of pricing plans that include $3.49 (3 years), $3.99 (2 years), $6.99 (1 year), and $11.95 (per month). Ideally, not many VPN services offer that kind of attractive pricing.
Therefore, you can try out NordVPN if you want both security and affordability under one package.
How to download: You can download NordVPN Android app from Google Play Store instantly.
Want to know more about this app, make sure you check out our exclusive NordVPN review.
2. ExpressVPN ($8.32/month)
ExpressVPN offers an extremely user-friendly Android app to its users. Luckily, it offers installation guides you can use on any version of Android from Pie to Jelly Bean.
No matter if you are using an old version of Android, your ExpressVPN app will do the job for you.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.0 stars out of 5 stars (out of 84,134 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 5.0 and up
3. File Size: 21 MB
4. Jurisdiction: The famous VPN service typically hails from the British Virgin Island. It means the brand does not have to follow mandatory data retention laws of any five eyes, nine eyes, and 14 eyes territory.
5. VPN Logs: ExpressVPN does not keep logs of its users’ information in any manner whatsoever.
6. Leak Test: It passed different leak tests like IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak tests hassle-free.
7. Transparency Report: ExpressVPN has clearly shown its stance regarding transparency by complying with all the requirements of CDT (Center for Democracy and Technology) in the right way.
8. User Reviews on Google Play Store: Here is the response of five different users that suggests ExpressVPN has received excellent feedback from its subscribers.
Source: App Annie
Overall, the service has obtained 5-star ratings from all their users.
9. Speed: ExpressVPN delivered 25.94 Mbps download speed on average while using 30 Mbps internet connection. On the other hand, the British Virgin Island service offered 16.02 Mbps upload speed on average.
10. Number of Servers: In terms of worldwide presence, ExpressVPN is currently offering its services with the help of 3000+ servers. Furthermore, you can experience its amazing feature in the shape of recommended locations. When you open the interface, the app will suggest servers that provide best connections.
Through a single tap, you can connect to your desired fast servers in no time. Likewise, you are free to save your preferred servers to get faster access.
11. Cost: At present, the service is delivering three kinds of pricing packages that includes $8.32 (yearly), $9.99 (half-yearly) and $12.95 (monthly). Considering its numerous features for Android platform, it’s worth it.
How to download: You can download ExpressVPN Android app from Google Play Store stress-free.
Want to know what else I like about ExpressVPN, check out our comprehensive review of ExpressVPN.
3. Surfshark ($1.99/month)
Surfshark despite being a new entrant has made a mark for itself. It offers realistic pricing feature that helps users avail the service under their budget.
You can watch all your favorite TV shows or movies by unblocking US Netflix media library on your Android smartphones.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.1 stars out of 5 stars (out of 1281 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 5.0 and up
3. File Size: 15 MB
4. Jurisdiction: Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark also belongs to the British Virgin Island. Therefore, the service does not have to fulfill the necessary data retention laws of 5 eyes, 9 eyes, and 14 eyes countries.
5. VPN Logs: The Surfshark does not keep logs of their subscribers’ data.
6. Leak Tests: The provider is free from various kinds of leakages like IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak as well.
7. Transparency Report: The brand has not released its official transparency report yet.
8. User Reviews on Google Play Store: Here is the screenshot of user reviews about Surfshark that indicates the brand has attained positive responses about its performance.
Being a new entrant in the VPN industry, the provider has shown a lot of promise.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: Surfshark provides average connection download speeds i.e. 20.27 Mbps when used on 30 Mbps internet connection.
In case of upload speeds, Surfshark delivers 17.07 Mbps on average.
10. Number of Servers: Currently, the VPN is catering its users’ online privacy needs through 800+ servers globally. You can avail its attractive server list feature to select your desired server appropriately. Moreover, It delivers an efficient Whitelister feature that enables you to exclude websites from the VPN connection.
11. Cost: What makes Surfshark different from other VPNs is its affordable pricing advantage. It is offering three types of pricing plans such as two yearly, yearly, and monthly. Similarly, you will have to pay $1.99, $5.99 and $11.95 on a monthly basis to avail these packages.
After subscribing to any plan of your choice, you can avail its efficient VPN protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2 to secure your crucial data.
Still, it is a good choice for users those who want to secure their Android devices under their budget.
How to download: You can download Surfshark Android app from Google Play Store accordingly.
Couldn’t recommend it enough. Make sure you check out all the amazing features this VPN has to offer in our Surfshark review.
4. PureVPN ($2.95/month)
PureVPN is another VPN service delivering numerous advantages to its users for many years.
As a result, you can use public Wi-Fi securely and anonymously while on the go.
The app provides some out of the box privacy features like internet kill switch, numerous tunneling protocols along with industry-standard military-grade encryption too.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.1 stars out of 5 stars (out of 23,612 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Varies with devices
3. File Size: 27 MB
4. Jurisdiction: PureVPN is a Hong Kong based VPN for Android service that does not have to follow data retention laws.
5. VPN Logs: The brand does not keep logs of its user’s information. As a result, it does not engage itself in storing users’ information.
6. Leak Tests: PureVPN passed IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak tests without any hassle.
7. Transparency Report: The service has not published any transparency report till date.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: The Hong Kong based service has received mixed reviews by users on Google Play Store.
However, few subscribers have liked its simple and attractive app a lot.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: PureVPN offers 29.03 Mbps download speed on average when connected to 30 Mbps internet connection.
Conversely, the Hong Kong based VPN Android service delivers 10.87 Mbps upload speed on average.
10. Number of Servers: The service is present in 140+ countries through 2000+ servers.
11. Cost: The service is providing different plans by the name of yearly, two-yearly and monthly as well. In order to get these packages, you will have to pay $3.33, $2.95, and $10.95 on monthly basis.
Thus, it becomes an interesting option if you wish to attain tons of interesting advantages in one package.
How to download: You can download PureVPN Android app from Google Play Store in no time.
But that’s not all, there are tons of other amazing features which I’ve covered in my in-depth PureVPN review.
5. CyberGhost ($2.75/month)
CyberGhost hails from a user-friendly country and follows no-logging policy in true letter and spirit. It offers an attractive Android app you can download and install from anywhere.
Overall, the Romania based service is a blend of Affordability and advancement for their users.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.3 stars out of 5 stars (out of 54,073 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.1 and up
3. File Size: 31 MB
4. Jurisdiction: CyberGhost is a Romanian based VPN for Android service. Fortunately, the country does not belong to any eyes territory.
5. VPN Logs: The provider does not store usage logs. Still, it records connection logs.
6. Leak Tests: CyberGhost passed IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak tests hassle-free.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has published a detailed transparency report on its official website. CyberGhost received more than 27K complaints regarding DMCA breach in the year 2018.
But, it did not provide its users’ data to the concerned authorities.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: Here is the screenshot of 5 latest reviews about CyberGhost on Google Play Store.
Source: App Annie
CyberGhost has received varied responses from their subscribers on Google Play Store. Interestingly, few users have appreciated its numerous features and performance overall.
But, few users have raised questions about the performance of CyberGhost.
9. Speed: CyberGhost, a Romania based VPN service provides 17.1 Mbps download speed while using 30 Mbps internet connection.
Furthermore, the best VPN app for Android service has 7.18 Mbps upload speed on average for its users.
10. Number of Servers: CyberGhost is one of the best-unlimited VPN for Android as it has 3600+ servers in 58 countries worldwide.
11. Cost: CyberGhost delivers four types of pricing plans to its users. You can consider these packages in shape of 3 years, 2 years, 1 year and 1 month respectively.
In addition, you will have to pay $2.75, $3.69, $5.99 and $12.99 on monthly basis accordingly. This is the reason I am suggesting CyberGhost to new privacy seekers.
How to download: You can download CyberGhost Android app from Google Play Store quite easily.
Interested in CyberGhost? Why not check out our detailed review of CyberGhost.
6. IPVanish ($5.19/month)
There is no denying IPVanish has become one of the hottest contenders for the Android VPN recently. It offers a highly customizable user interface that you can experience after installing the app.
As a result, you can protect your Android devices from numerous online threats in no time.
When you use its Android app, you can select your desired servers straightaway. Likewise, it supports Android 4.0.3+ operating system.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 3.6 stars out of 5 stars (out of 6,399 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.0.3 and up
3. File Size: 22 MB
4. Jurisdiction: IPVanish is a US-based VPN for Android service hence it surely belongs to five eyes country. In case the US government issues a subpoena to IPVanish, they have to abide by the law.
5. VPN Logs: Interestingly, the service follows no-logging policy in true letter and spirit.
6. Leak Tests: Upon testing, IPVanish cleared different leak tests including IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak successfully.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has not published any transparency report on its official website.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: The below-described screenshot highlights that users have liked the performance of the service overall.
Source: App Annie
Not a single user has mentioned about any issue whatsoever.
9. Speed: IPVanish has 24.86 Mbps download speed for its subscribers while connected to 30 Mbps internet connection.
Moreover, the VPN delivers 14.34 Mbps upload speed to its users overall.
10. Number of Servers: The service provides 1300+ servers in 75+ locations internationally.
11. Cost: IPVanish offers three kinds of pricing plans like yearly, quarterly and monthly as well. You can avail such packages after paying $5.19, $8.99, and $10.00 on monthly basis respectively.
So, it is not a bad choice at all considering its presence in all the leading countries of the world.
How to download: You can download IPVanish Android app from Google Play Store without any hassle.
Check out our IPVanish review for complete details about this amazing VPN.
7. Ivacy ($2.25/month)
When you use its Android app, you can experience various features like one-click instant connection, anonymous and secure browsing, Netflix unblocking, and Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber access from anywhere.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.0 stars out of 5 stars (out of 2,161 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.0.3 and up
3. File Size: 29 MB
4. Jurisdiction: The best VPN Android brand is a Singapore based service. Unfortunately, the country is perceived as an ally of 14 eyes countries.
5. VPN Logs: The service does not keep logs of their subscribers’ information.
6. Leak Tests: The service has passed numerous leak tests like IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak with excellence.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has not published any transparency report on its official site.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: Surprisingly, Ivacy has not lived up to the expectations of its users. This is because different user reviews suggest that you may anticipate issues while using the Android app.
However, few users have liked various benefits of the service.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: Ivacy also provides average 18.71 Mbps download speed on 30 Mbps internet connection. Similarly, it delivers 7.70 upload speed on average to its subscribers.
10. Number of Servers: The provider offers 1000+ servers in different countries of the world.
11. Cost: At present, the service is offering three diverse pricing plans like two yearly, yearly and monthly too. You can avail these plans at the cost of $2.25, $3.33, and $9.95 per month.
Thus, I recommend you to avail the above-described plan of Ivacy to protect your Android devices.
How to download: You can download Ivacy Android app from Google Play Store straightaway.
If you want to know more about Ivacy, make sure you check out our detailed Ivacy review.
8. Private Internet Access ($3.49/month)
Private Internet Access offers appealing features such as automatic server recommendation, ad blocking, easy connectivity, and per-app VPN rules.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.0 stars out of 5 stars (out of 19,211 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Varies with devices
3. File Size: 11 MB
4. Jurisdiction: PIA is a US-based service. Unfortunately, the country is one of the leading 5 eyes member countries.
5. VPN Logs: The service does keep logs of their subscribers’ information.
6. Leak Tests: The service has passed numerous leak tests like IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak with excellence.
7. Transparency Report: The provider publishes a transparency report on its official site on a continual basis.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: Frankly speaking, PIA has lived up to the expectations of its users. This is because different user reviews suggest that you may attain desired level of anonymity while using the Android app.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: Private Internet Access provides an above-average 21.39 download speed on 30 Mbps internet connection. Similarly, it delivers 9.37 upload speed on average to its subscribers.
10. Number of Servers: The provider offers 3300+ servers in different countries of the world.
11. Cost: At present, the service is offering three diverse pricing plans like two yearly, yearly and monthly too. You can avail these plans at the cost of $3.49, $5.99, and $9.95 per month.
All these above-described benefits motivate you to give PIA a shot.
How to download: You can download PIA Android app from Google Play Store straightaway.
If you want to know more about PIA, make sure you check out our detailed Private Internet Access Review.
9. VyprVPN ($5.00/month)
VyprVPN is an expensive brand but does the job eventually. You can experience its various features including tunneling protocols like OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, and Chameleon as well. The Chameleon protocol is VyprVPN own customized solution for its users.
You can contemplate its other advantages in the form of the internet kill switch, URL filtering, DNS options, protocol switching, and auto-connect for untrusted networks.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.2 stars out of 5 stars (out of 44,640 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.1 and up
3. File Size: 23 MB
4. Jurisdiction: VyprVPN is a Switzerland based VPN service.
5. VPN Logs: The service does not keep logs of their subscribers’ information.
6. Leak Tests: The service has passed IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak tests hassle-free.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has recently published third party audit report on its official site.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: To be honest, VyprVPN has not lived up to the expectations of its users. This is because different user reviews suggest that you may face various problems while using the Android app.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: VyprVPN provides an average 15.75 download speed on 30 Mbps internet connection. Similarly, it provides 7.10 upload speed on average to its subscribers.
10. Number of Servers: The provider offers 700+ servers in different countries of the world.
11. Cost: Currently, VyprVPN is offering two types of pricing plans such as monthly and yearly. You can avail these plans at the cost of $9.95, and $5.00 respectively.
Based on the above-explained attributes, I am recommending you to use VyprVPN in case you can bear the cost.
How to download: You can download VyprVPN Android app from Google Play Store straightaway.
If you want to know more about VyprVPN, make sure you check out our detailed VyprVPN Review.
10. PrivateVPN ($3.82/month)
PrivateVPN offers some amazing features like internet kill switch, tunneling protocols, anonymous torrenting, user-friendly interface, and simple server connection as well.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 3.9 stars out of 5 stars (out of 913 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.0.3 and up
3. File Size: 24 MB
4. Jurisdiction: PrivateVPN is a Sweden based VPN service. The country is a member of 14 eyes countries.
5. VPN Logs: The service does not keep logs of their subscribers’ information.
6. Leak Tests: The service has passed IP leak, DNS leak and WebRTC leak tests hassle-free.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has not published any transparency report on its official site.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: PrivateVPN has received impressive remarks from their users overall.
Source: App Annie
9. Speed: PrivateVPN provides a below-average 8.37 download speed on 24 Mbps internet connection. Similarly, it provides 1.35 upload speed on average to its subscribers.
10. Number of Servers: The provider offers 150+ servers in different countries of the world.
11. Cost: PrivateVPN is offering three types of pricing plans such as monthly, quarterly and yearly. You can avail these plans at the cost of $7.67, $4.88 and $3.82 respectively.
Considering the pricing and other features, Android users can give PrivateVPN a shot.
How to download: You can download PrivateVPN Android app from Google Play Store stress-free.
If you want to know about PrivateVPN in detail, you must check out our detailed PrivateVPN Review.
11. Astrill VPN ($8.33/month)
Astrill VPN offers a highly customized app for Android platform. With a single click, you can connect to your preferred servers instantly.
You can also experience its smart mode feature that allows you to access local websites through your actual IP address with fast speed.
1. Rating on Google Play Store: 4.0 stars out of 5 stars (out of 4,205 reviews)
2. Compatibility: Android 4.0 and up
3. File Size: 10 MB
4. Jurisdiction: Astrill VPN is a Seychelles based VPN service. The country supports users’ online freedom rights to another level.
5. VPN Logs: The service does keep logs of their subscribers’ information.
6. Leak Tests: The service has passed IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak tests hassle-free.
7. Transparency Report: The provider has not published any transparency report on its official site.
8. User Reviews on Google Play: Astrill VPN has received disappointing remarks from their users overall.
Source: App Annie
Surprisingly, users are unable to use the app in China as per their own terms.
9. Speed: Astrill VPN provides an impressive 24.76 download speed on 30 Mbps internet connection. Similarly, it provides 3.87 upload speed on average to its subscribers.
10. Number of Servers: The provider offers 700+ servers in different countries of the world.
11. Cost: Astrill VPN is offering three types of pricing plans such as monthly, half-yearly and yearly. You can avail these plans at the cost of $15.90, $11.65 and $8.33 respectively.
If you can tolerate the cost, you can opt for Astrill VPN to secure your privacy on your Android devices.
How to download: You can download Astrill VPN Android app from Google Play Store stress-free.
If you want to know about PrivateVPN in detail, you must check out our detailed Astrill VPN Review.
My 11 Steps Process to Review the Best Android VPN Apps in 2019
Selecting a VPN service that provides next-level anonymity and protection under your budget is a daunting task.
I have described 11 best VPN for Android-based on these 11 factors:
- Rating on Google Play Store: Rating picked from Google Play Store
- Compatibility: To see if the brand has one of the best Android VPN clients or not
- File Size: Described download size of the VPN file
- Jurisdiction: To check whether a VPN service is based in 5, 9 and 14 eyes territory or not
- VPN Logs: Does a VPN keep logs or not, you can check out our detailed guide about several VPNs and their logging policies
- Leak Tests: Is your VPN service free from IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak, explore our detailed VPN leak test guide
- Transparency Reports: Has your VPN service has shown its stance over transparency in the past or not. Explore our guide about most transparent VPNs in the industry
- User Reviews on Google Play Store: Reviews gathered through Google Play Store
- Speed: Conducted the speed test of each VPN service read our detailed VPN speed test guide
- Number of Servers: Checked server counts and locations To know about these major types of VPN servers, read our VPN server locations guide
- Cost: Mentioned the cost including packages of every VPN service
Key Findings’ Summary against the Best Android VPN Apps
To summarize our key findings against the best VPN apps for Android platforms, let us compare some major factors for all VPN apps for Android.
Google Play Store Ratings
Here is the screenshot of Google Play Store ratings of 11 VPN services:
NordVPN has beaten the other contenders in terms of Google Play Store ratings by narrowest of margins.
Positive and Negative Ratings
There is no harm in examining the positive and negative feedback about 11 safe VPN for Android providers on Google Play Store provided by Android users.
Note: Positive reviews calculations are based on 5 and 4 star ratings. On the other hand, negative reviews calculations are based on 1 and 2 star ratings.
NordVPN has again maintained its superiority over other VPN providers like PureVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, Ivacy, and IPVanish.
Compatibility
Here is the list of VPN Android providers that are compatible with different Android versions.
| Providers | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| NordVPN | Varies with devices |
| ExpressVPN | Android 5.0 and up |
| Surfshark | Android 5.0 and up |
| PureVPN | Varies with devices |
| CyberGhost | Android 4.1 and up |
| IPVanish | Android 4.0.3 and up |
| Ivacy | Android 4.0.3 and up |
| Private Internet Access | Varies with devices |
| VyprVPN | Android 4.1 and up |
| PrivateVPN | Android 4.0.3 and up |
| AstrillVPN | Android 4.0 and up |
File Size
File size is another important factor you must consider while opting the best VPN app for Android devices.
In case you want to use a lightweight VPN app, you should go through the below-mentioned table.
From the above table, it is obvious that AstrillVPN has the smallest file size i.e. 10 MB. On the other hand, CyberGhost has the largest file size i.e. 31 MB.
Note: I have collected all the data from Google Play Store.
Server Network
Here is the list of servers’ network of all the 11 VPN Android providers:
NordVPN is again leading from the front through 5400+ servers. Furthermore, CyberGhost remains at the second position as it has 3700 servers.
Analysis on Android VPN App Permissions
Surprisingly, Android users do not pay much attention to various VPN Android apps “permissions” they need at times to download and install certain apps on their devices.
Likewise, these permissions allow you to secure your privacy by allowing or disallowing access on your devices.
You can classify these permissions into two major categories. These are “Normal” and “Dangerous”.
Normal
Usually, systems grant these permissions to the apps by default. This is because these normal permissions do not have any repercussions related to them.
You can also restrict such permissions however; you may face hassles while using a certain Android app.
Dangerous
Dangerous apps are those that can harm the performance of your Android device to a specific length. In other words, it can affect your privacy a great deal.
Therefore, you should take some precautionary measures at the time of allowing different VPN apps permissions.
Common Permissions Asked by VPN Apps
Undoubtedly, several apps may need numerous permissions due to different reasons. You will have to grant access to different permissions but it depends on which app you use and how it works.
As I already mentioned, normal permissions are highlighted in green color. On the contrary, dangerous permissions are emphasized in red color.
| Permission | Count |
|---|---|
| Android.permission.Access_Network_State Allows VPN applications to access information about networks | 79 |
| Android. Permission. Internet Allows VPN applications to open network sockets | 81 |
| Android. Permission.wake_lock For keeping device active | 58 |
| Android.permission.receive_boot_completed To notify if device restart is completed | 55 |
| Android. Permission.Access-WIFI-State Allows VPN applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks | 54 |
| com.Android.vending.BILLING for in-app billing purposes | 50 |
| Com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE Push notifications | 49 |
| Com.google.android.finsky.permission.BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE Gives the VPN developers information on how the users arrived to the app before installing | 32 |
| Android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE Allows VPN to write to external storage like SD | 27 |
| Android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE To help keep the VPN application running | 20 |
| Android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE Allows read-only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information and the status of any ongoing calls | 18 |
| Android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION Enables the API to use WiFi or mobile cell data (or both) to govern the device’s location | 16 |
| Android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE Enables VPN applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state | 16 |
| Android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION Allows VPN app to access users precise location | 9 |
There are different Android permissions like android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE and Android.permissions.INTERNET.
You can assume these permissions quite normal and mandatory because these enable VPN services to develop a connection over the internet. By doing so, identity cloaking becomes a reality.
There are some other Android permissions such as android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION and android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION that fall under the “Dangerous” category.
When you connect to a new WIFI network, these help you in notifying you that you aren’t connected to a trusted network.
These permissions can expose your original location to others. Besides, it allows users in activating VPN service to keep their online existence secure and anonymous.
Hence, you can safeguard yourself from the consequences of using untrusted networks.
Android VPN Apps Permissions Chart
You would not want to risk your privacy by using such VPN services that ask access to dangerous permissions.
The below-described table explains the chosen VPN apps permissions including total, custom and suspicious in detail.
This way, you can get enough insights about how you can use “Safe” choices eventually.
| VPN Services | Total Permissions | Custom Permissions | Dangerous Permissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| ExpressVPN | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Surfshark | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| PureVPN | 21 | 6 | 2 |
| CyberGhost | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| IPVanish | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivacy | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| Private Internet Access | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| VyprVPN | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| PrivateVPN | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Astrill VPN | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Why I don’t suggest Free VPN Apps for Android?
Now you might be wondering, “Why would I pay for a VPN service when I can just get it for free”.
You’re right, you can find tons of free VPN apps on the Google Play Store. But you know what, I Don’t recommend using them…
Let me tell you why…
Let’s get one thing straight, free apps are not technically free. If developers aren’t charging you upfront, they’re making money some other way.
Unlike best VPN providers that make money by charging you a small subscription fee, free providers make money through advertisements.
You might have heard of a saying, “If you’re not paying for it, you are the product”. That’s exactly the case with free VPN providers.
In order to generate revenue, best free Android VPN providers sell your data to third party advertisers.
Since they are logging everything you do on your phone, it makes it dead simple for marketers to target their ads directly to you.
Another reason why you must avoid free Android VPN apps is because they offer few feature, servers and generally pathetic performance.
To sum it up, free VPN’s are nothing more than free proxies incapable of offering any privacy.
If you still want to check out some free VPN services, there are a few reputable best free VPN for Android.
Final Verdict
So there you go, these were my 11 best Android VPN 2019 apps.
In the world filled with uncertain data breaches and identity thefts, it’s just not smart to use your Android device without any protection.
Now that you know some of the absolute best VPN apps for Android, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use one of them right now.
So, what VPN app you’re currently using on your Android device? Let me know in the comments below.
What VPN can I use in China for my Android device?
Hey Tris,
Good question. If you don’t mind paying a bit extra, suggest you go for ExpressVPN. It’ll cost you $6.67 a month, however, you do get much better support and obviously much better speeds.
The ivacy app on the google play store doesnt work with Android no matter what they tell you. Whats tech suppport’s solution? Download the app from someplace off the google play store. If you’re trying to be safe and secure you really should not go around installing apps from unknown sources. Whole thing is a little suspicious, I’ll be trying to get a refund.
Hey Hans, try installing it from their website. This worked for me. If it doesn’t, then let us know. We’ll figure it out to run it for you.
I’ve used Express but now I use NordVPN. I would say both of them are industry leaders. Don’t know about other VPNs.
Yes, Loha. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are undoubtedly the industry leaders in the VPN industry and this is the reason why they are listed in our top 5 best Android VPN providers’ list. There are other VPN providers that are equally better in performance. These include PureVPN, PrivateVPN, and Ivacy.
Thanks for the good writeup. It actually used to be a leisure account it. Glance complicated to far introduced agreeable from you! By the way, how could we be in contact?
Hello Rocky, thanks for your feedback. We also mentioned this information in the 4th paragraph. But you’re right we did not mention it in the first paragraph.
Well I have experienced only couple of VPN services for my mobile including MPN and Norton service, unfortunately it wasn’t smooth experience I thought initially. However, still looking for VPN that work for a long time and more importantly with quick browsing. Looking forward to give Nord VPN a try, hoping for good experience this time!
Hey Curtis, yes you should really go with NordVPN as it is the fastest VPN in the industry. Hoping you have a good experience using NordVPN.
Received emails from att uverse warning illegal use. I have showbox and kodi on tablet galaxy Does a VPN allow me to continue use show box and kodi with no problem. New to VPN do not fully understand what it does. Am I safe with a VPN
Hello Geneo, a VPN completely encrypts your online activity, thus making your identity anonymous to others (i.e. the government and your Internet Service Provider). Not only that, a VPN will protect you against cybercriminals. If you use Kodi third-party add-ons or watch movies in Torrents, then you can get one of the 5 best VPN providers that are available in this guide. Remember, whenever you watch a copyright material for free, you got to have a VPN or else you risk your online privacy.