How to set up a VPN on your iPhone

How to set up a VPN on your iPhone.

Today we bring you a guide with which to know how to set up a VPN on your iPhone, so that you can hide where you browse, create a virtual network or simply access content that is blocked in your country by any website. We will try to explain it in a way that you understand everything even if you have never used one of these services.

Therefore, we are going to start by explaining what exactly a VPN is and what you can use it for. Then, we will tell you the two methods with which you can have one on iOS. The first will be configuring the VPN by hand through the settings, and the second with a selection of applications that we are going to propose. We have taken the steps with iOS 14, but it also works for previous versions.

What is a VPN

As we have already explained in depth, a VPN is a Virtual Private Network (Virtual Private Network in English). Initially they were designed for the creation of local networks in which to connect several devices through the Internet, but over time they have evolved, and their use has spread to hide where you are connecting from to a web page.

When you are browsing from your mobile or PC, when you connect to a website, you do it directly through your Internet provider. This means that the web will obtain your IP. But if you connect through a VPN server you will be using their IP and not yours, so the website you are visiting will not know exactly who you are or where you are physically connecting from.

In this way, you will not only be able to gain a little extra privacy. In addition, in the event that the web has content blocked so that it cannot be seen from your country, you can connect through a VPN that has an address in another country that is admitted. so that the page thinks you come from there, and show you the content.

But not all VPNs are the same. For example, although the free ones are the most used to evade regional blocks, they are very ineffective in keeping your privacy, and it is important to keep in mind that they can give you away before betting on them.

It is also important that the VPN does not save logs, because if not, even if your operator cannot know where you are going, the owners of the virtual network can. To give you an idea, in 2018 it was revealed that 26 of the 100 most popular VPNs in the world stored their users’ dataTherefore, those who use them would avoid giving the data to a company to give it away to others.

Many VPNs indicate that they only store the personal information necessary to create an account and process payment, something that it doesn’t have to be wrong If they do not register IP addresses, the bandwidth used during your connection or the hours they access. And of course, the maximum privacy would be that they allow you to pay with cryptocurrencies.

How to set up a VPN on iOS

The first method to be able to configure a VPN on your iPhone is to do it manually. For that, you have to enter the iOS settings, and once inside click on the General section what you will see with the icon of a cog wheel.

Once you are in General, you will see a good number of options. Here, you have to go down a bit and click on the VPN option to enter to configure it.

Once you enter the VPN, you will see a list with the ones you have configured, and if you do not have any, as it is, it will appear blank. Here, click on the Add VPN configuration option that will appear at the top of everything.

A window will open with the most important part of the process, in which you have to configure your VPN data. Here is an explanation with all the boxes that you have to fill in, which you should find in the VPN that you have hired or want to use.

• Guy: The type of server you want to use, something you should look at in your VPN information. The number of possibilities is long, from PPTP to L2TP / IPSec and IPSec in different configurations.
• Description: Here you can put the name of the VPN to identify it.
• Server: The most important data, as it is the address of the server to which you will connect. It can be an IP address or a domain name, you will have to look at it in your VPN data.
• Remote ID: It is an identifier that the VPN must provide you. Sometimes it is their website, and other times it is different.
• User authentication: You have to choose how to log in, such as with username.
• Username: The username of your account, necessary to identify yourself in the VPN service.
• Password: The password of your account in the VPN service.

Another alternative: use apps

The other alternative you have available is use applications for your mobile rather than having to configure VPNs by hand. Most services offer an app with which you can connect much easier. Here you have a small list with a selection made by our colleagues from SamaGame Móvil.

• NordVPN: One of the best-rated mobile VPNs for its security and speed. Based in Panama, it has servers in more than 61 countries and allows us to connect up to six devices. Download it here.
• CyberGhost: One of the virtues of CyberGhost and that has made it have so many followers is the simplicity of its interface. It is also based in Romania and has servers in more than 30 countries. Allows simultaneous connections on five devices. Download it here
• Tunnelbear: Another application famous for the simplicity (and originality) of its interface is Tunnelbear. The free option allows up to 500 MB of connection data but we can purchase the paid subscription. Download it here.
• VyprVPN: This Swiss-based provider has servers in more than 70 countries on all continents. We can connect up to five devices and it also offers support 365 days a year. Download it here.
• ExpressVPN: With servers in 94 countries and 145 different cities, ExpressVPN does not offer a free trial version as such but does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Allows you to connect 3 devices. Download it here.
• IPVanish: Finally we have IPVanish, one of the fastest VPNs that we can find on the market. It’s perfect for playing online or streaming high-quality content. It offers 1000 servers located in more than 60 countries. Download it here.

And if this list is not enough and you want more alternatives, in Engadget we have a complete buying guide with up to 9 services from various platforms that you can take into account. We have already mentioned many of them, but you will also see others that you may also want to consider.