There’s a lot to do when setting up your new iPhone for the first time. While signing in to iCloud and choosing a cool wallpaper may be the first thing that comes to mind, there are many more ways to get the most out of your new iPhone. A vital step you can take to improve your iPhone experience is to get a VPN.
A VPN (virtual private network) is a cybersecurity tool that can mask your IP address and associated internet activity. While the main goal of a VPN is to protect you from hackers and data collectors, it can also directly improve your online experience. That’s because a VPN also gives you access to global streaming services, blocks ads, and can bypass regional content censors.
Fortunately, many trusted VPN providers provide excellent iPhone VPN coverage, so you have a wide variety of services to choose from. We’re here to guide you to some of the best.
Access streaming content from other countries
Have you ever had a great TV show recommended to you or rewatched your favorite movie only to discover it wasn’t available on your streaming service of choice? The good news is that it may be available in another country. You’ve probably noticed that streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus have slight changes to their catalogs when you’re abroad. This is due to regional differences in media distribution rights. Fortunately, you can expand your mobile streaming options with an iPhone VPN.
For example, let’s say you’re in the United States and you’re hoping to watch The Office on the Netflix app for iOS. It’s a shame then that it hasn’t been on the service since 2021. However, all you have to do to solve this problem is connect to one of your VPN servers in Canada. This will spoof your location and send you to Canadian Netflix, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy all nine seasons of The Office without any issues.
Using a VPN, you can even check out geo-restricted streaming services like HBO Max or BBC iPlayer. Basically, you’ll never run out of things to watch on your iPhone again.
Ad blocking
You may have chosen the larger screen of an iPhone 15 Pro Max, but that doesn’t mean you want to give up a single inch to annoying ads. For a cleaner user experience and to avoid threats like malvertising, you can install an ad blocker.
To kill two birds with one stone, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN come with ad blocking as standard. However, even in the absence of this, all VPN services can reduce the number of ads you encounter while browsing. Any ads that normally appear based on your location will not be shown to you while your IP is masked.
Avoiding Internet Censorship
You may live or travel to an area with restrictions on certain media, websites or services. Despite this, you can improve your digital freedom with an iPhone VPN. Once you connect to a server outside the region, you will have no problem accessing blocked content. Some countries have different restrictions against using VPNs. With this in mind, it’s important to do your research to assess the legal risks of using a VPN in your country.
The best VPN in 2024
Here are our top three picks for the best VPN in 2024.
How to choose a VPN to improve your iPhone
While we’ve outlined our favorite iPhone VPNs, it’s entirely up to you to choose which service best suits your needs. To help you in your decision, here are some crucial factors to consider when comparing VPNs:
Servers:A provider that has many servers well distributed around the world will give you more location spoofing options and will likely produce better speeds.
Content Unlocking:If you’re a big fan of binge-watching, you’ll want to make sure the VPN you choose provides content unblocking for all of your favorite streaming services.
Characteristics:To ensure you get the best coverage possible, be sure to choose a VPN with a wide variety of features like kill switch, leak protection, and split tunneling. It will also ensure that these functions work reliably. This is important to keep in mind because if you disconnect from your VPN server, you don’t want to continue browsing unprotected without realizing it.
Customer service:If you encounter any bumps in the road while setting up or using your VPN, it’s valuable to know that a helpful customer service team can help you get back on the right track. Additionally, if you plan to work (or play) late into the night, it’s important to choose a provider that offers 24/7 customer support.
How we test VPNs
At Jugo Mobile we take our testing procedure seriously. We believe the most realistic results are obtained when providers do not know they are being tested. That’s why we make sure to register anonymously to better replicate the experience of an average customer. Once we access the service, these are the main features that we test:
Application:A complicated and awkward-to-use app can undermine even the best of services. Therefore, we install and use each provider’s applications on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. That way we can thoroughly evaluate the reliability, ease of use, and feature availability of each version.
Security:The last thing you want from your iPhone VPN is spotty protection. To combat this, a good VPN provider will include features like kill switches and leak protection. We make sure to see them in action and rigorously test each service’s line of defense.
Speed:You shouldn’t have to sacrifice speed for security. To confirm you’re getting the best balance of both, we measured the performance of each VPN over a 24-hour period.
Unlocking capabilities:To check the content unblocking capabilities of each VPN, we tried to explore the libraries of virtually every popular streaming service we can think of. Each time we do this, we connect to a server in a different region. In this way, we will be able to see the full scope of the service’s content unlocking capabilities.
Privacy:We read the fine print of each provider’s privacy policy to make sure your data is safe. In addition to this, we like to investigate the third-party audits that each company has received.
Frequently asked questions about using a VPN
What is the best VPN for iPhone?
As reported by our extensive testing, the best VPN provider for iPhone is NordVPN. This is due to its combination of high speeds, impressive server availability, and a great iOS in-app experience.
What can I use an iPhone VPN for?
In addition to giving you added peace of mind regarding your online security, having an iPhone VPN can expand your global streaming library, reduce the number of ads you’re subjected to, and help you avoid online censorship. What features should an iPhone VPN have?
What features should an iPhone VPN have?
The ideal iPhone VPN will have a reliable built-in kill switch, DNS leak protection, and support for highly secure tunneling protocols like OpenVPN. It’s also helpful to have a compatible VPN router so you don’t have to worry about device limitations, as well as an app that’s functional and easy to use. Any reliable VPN provider will also demonstrably commit to a no-logs policy.
Should you use a free VPN for iPhone?
While there are several VPN services available for free, choosing to use a free VPN means accepting some major compromises. Not only will you be saddled with in-app ads and reduced functionality, but you’ll also have to deal with an increased risk of your data being compromised. If you need a low-cost option for an iPhone VPN, it’s definitely worth checking out SurfShark or even trying a free trial of one of the more premium VPN services.
