Best safe app android

The Best Android Antivirus Apps for 2021

More phones run Android than any other mobile OS, and there’s a correspondingly large variety of malware. Based on our testing, these are the best Android antivirus apps for keeping your devices safe.

Our 10 Top Picks

Best for Android Wear Fans

Bitdefender Total Security

Best for Multi-Device Households

Kaspersky Security Cloud

Best for VPN Enthusiasts

Norton 360 Deluxe

Best for Multi-Device Households

McAfee AntiVirus Plus

Best for Wealth of Bonus Features

Trend Micro Maximum Security

Best for Windows-Android Households

AVG Internet Security

Best for Forward-Looking Users

Avira Prime

Best for Brand Loyalists

Avast Premium Security

Best for Thrifty Users

ESET Smart Security Premium

Best for Parents

F-Secure Safe

Apple’s operating systems (macOS, iOS, and iPadOS) have a deserved reputation for safety and security. They’re not perfect, but Apple’s strict controls mean they can be locked down tight. Windows and Android, on the other hand, weren’t built from the security-first mindset that brought us iOS. You surely have at least an antivirus protecting your Windows boxes, but what about your Android phones and tablets? They’re just as sensitive, and just as vulnerable. You need an Android antivirus, or better, a full-scale security suite that includes antivirus, anti-theft, and more. Get those Android gadgets protected now, before something nasty happens.

Android protection doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The products listed here are all cross-platform solutions, with protection available at least for Windows, macOS, and Android. Most of them also offer some form of iOS protection, though with a feature set that is limited by the closed nature of Apple’s operating system.

Note that the ratings apply to the product as a whole, on all platforms. They don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the Android product. Bad test scores on Windows might drag a product’s overall score down even if its Android edition tested fine.

Testing Results From the Labs

Do these Android antivirus utilities work? We look to three independent testing labs to find out. Almost all the listed products appear in results from at least one lab; three show up in all of them.

Researchers at AV-Comparatives challenged each Android antivirus product to defend against over 3,000 prevalent Android malware samples found in the wild. In the latest round of testing, Avira, Bitdefender, G Data, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro scored a perfect 100%.

The latest test from AV-Test Institute hit 15 Android antivirus solutions with thousands of malware samples. Researchers also installed thousands more non-malicious programs, to make sure that the antivirus didn’t wrongly identify them as malware. They assigned each product up to six protection points for blocking malware, six points for minimal impact on performance and battery life, and six usability points for refraining from mistakenly blocking valid programs. All but one of the products we follow scored a perfect 18 points, while Sophos came close with 17.5. The real loser in this test was Google’s own protection, which earned a big zero for protection.

London-based MRG-Effitas tested 10 products, most of which overlapped with our selection. The testers evaluated each product’s ability to detect and eliminate threats before launch, and the ability to detect and neutralize threats during install. They checked more than 160 samples, ranging from Trojans to adware, with some known valid programs thrown in to check for false positives. And they noted whether a product caught samples early or waited until they were about to install. Almost all the products we’ve reviewed earned a perfect 100% score.

Malware Protection and More

All the Android products include an antivirus component that scans new apps and offers an on-demand scan as well. All but a couple of them can also run scans on a schedule, a feature perhaps more useful on Windows than Android. All of them also offer some form of safe browsing, to keep you from surfing to URLs that might try to plant malware, or fraudulent sites that might trick you into giving away your username and password for the login page they imitate.

All these apps also check your installed apps for potential privacy problems. Typically, they flag programs that have permission to do things like view your contacts, scan your call logs, learn your location, or send texts. If a communication app needs access to contacts, that makes sense. If a goofy game wants to paw through your private info, however, consider deleting it.

All but one of them include antitheft protection for a lost or stolen device. The antitheft outlier is Norton, which dropped this capability in 2019. You can find your device’s location on a map. If you’ve just mislaid it around the house, you can trigger a noisy alarm to help you find it. You can lock the phone to keep a thief out of your apps and data. And if you determine that you’ll never get the device back, you can remotely wipe it. All the apps let you manage antitheft features using an online console. Most of them offer the option of triggering antitheft events using coded text messages, and many of them also surreptitiously snap a photo of whoever is using your device.

One of the first things a typical smartphone thief does is claim the device by swapping out the SIM card. Most of our recommended apps include some form of SIM card protection. Some of them lock the device on SIM card change. Others notify you of the new phone number, so you can still send those coded text messages to invoke antitheft features.

Blocking unwanted calls and texts used to be a common feature, but ongoing changes to the Android operating system have made it more difficult. Almost half our picks don’t offer this feature at present.

Bonus Features

Antivirus and antitheft are core components for any Android security app, but some go way beyond the basics. Common bonus features include backup for your contacts and photos, a battery monitor to show which apps are killing your battery life, and a task killer to send those battery hogs packing. Several of the apps warn when you connect to an insecure Wi-Fi network. Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and McAfee let you pair your phone with your Android Wear, so if you walk away from your phone, your watch can remind you to grab it.

As noted, almost all these security tools scan your installed apps and report on those that might be privacy risks. Norton and Trend Micro take that skill to the next level, reporting on apps as you view them in the Play Store, so you can avoid downloading any that might be problematic.

VPN protection is more important on mobile devices than desktops, because mobile devices connect to a wide variety of networks. Kaspersky and Bitdefender both include a bandwidth-limited VPN with their Android VPN apps. That’s nice, but Avast, Avira, and Norton include VPN protection with no bandwidth limit.

A few of these products feature less-common bonus features. ESET lets you time-schedule your call blocking, for example, to allow only family members to call you at night. Trend Micro offers to scan your Facebook settings and warn about any security problems.

Stay Safe on All Your Devices

So, which one should you choose? It depends on just what you need to protect, but we assume you want a suite that at least installs on your Windows and Android devices. McAfee Antivirus Plus is an Editors’ Choice winning antivirus, with protection for unlimited devices. Kaspersky Security Cloud and Norton 360 Deluxe are both Editors’ Choice picks for cross-platform security suites, and both get excellent lab scores on Windows and Android. Bitdefender Total Security likewise pulls in top lab scores and offers a cornucopia of features on Windows; it’s our Editors’ Choice winner for security mega-suite. You won’t go wrong with one of these four, but the others have their own merits. Click through the links, read the full reviews, and make your choice.

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The Best Free VPNs for Android

Simon is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He’s tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times, CNet and more. Read full bio

Free Android VPN apps are everywhere in Google’s Play Store, but many are unsafe to use.

Our research on the dangers of free VPNs exposed hundreds of free VPNs containing alarming security flaws and requesting intrusive permissions. Some VPNs didn’t even hide our IP address, making them useless.

We tested over 150 free Android VPNs on our test Samsung Galaxy S8. The five choices below are fast, safe and completely free to use on Android 11.0, 10.0, and older AndroidOS versions.

Based on our speed and security tests, the best free Android VPNs in 2021 are:

1. Windscribe Free : The overall best free VPN for Android. Read Summary or Visit Windscribe
2. ProtonVPN Free : A secure free Android VPN with no data caps.
   Read Summary or Visit ProtonVPN
3. Hide.me Free : The fastest free VPN for Android. Read Summary or Visit Hide.me
4. Avira Phantom Free : A basic free Android VPN for beginners.
   Read Summary or Visit Avira Phantom
5. Tunnelbear Free : A popular free VPN with servers in 23 countries. Read Summary or Visit Tunnelbear

The best free VPN for Android is Windscribe. It encrypts your internet connection, masks your IP address, and unblocks geo-restricted video content like US Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

However, even the best free Android VPNs have limitations. They are restricted by data usage caps, slower speeds, limited server locations, and often can’t bypass aggressive geo-blocks.

EXPERT ADVICE

For a faster and unrestricted VPN experience on your Android device, use one of these excellent (paid) Android VPN apps, instead.

Our top choices are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. You can try both for 30 days risk-free.

You could also try a VPN free trial that doesn’t require payment details on sign up.

The 5 Best Free Android VPNs Compared

The table below shows how the top five free Android VPNs weigh up against each other.

You can quickly compare criteria such as top speed, access to US Netflix, monthly data cap, and Android app installation size:

The Top Free VPNs for Android: Performance Ratings

The table below compares the five best free VPNs for Android and how they perform in each of our key testing categories:

5 Best Free Android VPN of 2021

1 . Windscribe: Best Free VPN for Android

The best free Android VPN that works with US Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

1. User-friendly Android app
2. Fast same-country speeds
3. Unblocks 10 Netflix regions & BBC iPlayer
4. No credit card/payment details required
5. Minimal web usage logs
6. Unlimited simultaneous connections

1. No kill switch on Android
2. 10GB monthly data cap
3. No human live chat available

Free VPN for Android Rating: 8.3/10

This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.

Windscribe the best free VPN app for Android, and it’s also the best free VPN overall.

It’s a fast and safe free VPN. You shouldn’t experience any noticeable speed drops, even when you’re streaming or downloading large files.

Cheapest Price	Free
Data Cap	10GB
Top Download Speed i

Based on 100Mbps local test connection

54Mbps Servers — See all features US Netflix Yes Data Leaks No Countries 10 Compatible with

1. Android
2. +more

Streams 10 Netflix libraries & BBC iPlayer

The standout feature of Windscribe Free is its ability to unblock 10 Netflix libraries, including the US catalog, and BBC iPlayer.

The ability to unblock streaming platforms is incredibly rare among free VPNs, which shows just how good Windscribe is.

A very private free VPN

The VPN service collects minimal activity logs, so you can use the internet privately on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Although Windscribe is based in privacy-unfriendly Canada, this privacy-focused logging policy will protect you from Canada’s surveillance laws.

While the Windscribe VPN Android app doesn’t have a VPN kill switch, this is common among Android VPNs.

On the plus side, the VPN secures your web traffic with AES 256-bit encryption, and it doesn’t suffer from IP or DNS leaks.

The free VPN also features extras such as a built-in ad and malware blocker.

A 10GB monthly data allowance

Sadly, like most safe free VPNs, Windscribe limits its use to 10GB of data each month.

While 10GB may not seem a lot, it’s actually a very generous usage allowance among free Android VPNs.

Only ProtonVPN beats Windscribe when it comes to data allowance, but ProtonVPN has other considerable limitations.

No live support chat is one major drawback

Also, Windscribe’s customer support needs improving. It doesn’t offer human live support, and instead relies on its chat-bot service ‘Garry,’ which is average.

Luckily, Windscribe’s online resources are useful and answer many troubleshooting queries.

On the whole, the free version of Windscribe VPN is ideal for both VPN beginners and more experienced Android users.

Whether you want to unblock websites and apps, or use the internet more privately and safely, this free VPN doesn’t disappoint.

2 . ProtonVPN Free

A fast and secure free Android VPN with no data usage cap.

1. Unlimited data usage
2. Fast download speeds
3. Payment info not required
4. ‘Always On’ feature
5. Privacy-friendly logging policy

1. No Android kill switch
2. Only three VPN server locations
3. Doesn’t work with Netflix

Free VPN for Android Rating: 7.2/10

This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.

ProtonVPN can’t match first place in our list mainly because it only offers three server locations on its free plan. Usually, this can affect download speeds, but the Android VPN app is surprisingly fast.

Cheapest Price	Free
Data Cap	Unlimited
Top Download Speed i

Based on 100Mbps local test connection

95Mbps Servers 23 See all features US Netflix No Data Leaks No Countries 3 Compatible with

1. Android
2. +more

Easy to use and virtually no logs retained

All of ProtonVPN’s custom VPN apps are easy to set up and use, and the Android version is no exception. Connections are secured with AES-256 encryption, and the Android app uses the most secure VPN protocol, OpenVPN. It also enforces what is nearly a no-logs policy to further protect your anonymity.

Like many VPNs, there’s no VPN kill switch feature on the Android app, but at least ProtonVPN’s ‘Always On’ setting reestablishes the VPN connection automatically, in case it drops.

The only free app we recommend with no data cap

As with the vast majority of free VPNs, ProtonVPN’s free app won’t unlock Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and all other popular streaming platforms.

While ProtonVPN doesn’t offer the same range of free VPN servers as Windscribe, it’s still a good VPN with a high level of security. Importantly, it’s the only VPN on this page with no data cap, so you can use it without worrying about running out of data.

Japan, the Netherlands, and the USA are the only servers available, but you can use them as much as you like.

3 . Hide.me Free

The Android VPN with the fastest speeds.

1. Sleek & simple Android app
2. Really fast same-country speeds
3. Built-in VPN kill switch
4. No payment details required
5. Minimal logs policy
6. 24/7 live chat feature

1. Only five server locations
2. Slow international speeds
3. Doesn’t work with Netflix

Free VPN for Android Rating: 7.1/10

This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.

Hide.me is one of the safest free VPN services for Android we’ve come across. It’s also very easy to use. It’s the only free VPN on this list that includes a kill switch on Android, and it comes with a minimal-logs policy.

Cheapest Price	Free
Data Cap	10GB
Top Download Speed i

Based on 100Mbps local test connection

72Mbps Servers Not Disclosed See all features US Netflix Yes Data Leaks No Countries 4 Compatible with

1. Android
2. +more

Five global servers and 10GB of data per month

Hide.me provides five free VPN server locations: the Netherlands, Canada, Singapore, and the US. It’s good to see a VPN remember Asian users when creating a free option – this means your speeds will be much better if you’re anywhere near Singapore.

Hide.me’s 10GB monthly data cap might limit your online activity, especially if you’re planning on streaming or downloading any large files. But it’s still one of the most generous offerings on the market from a safe VPN provider.

24/7 live support is available even to free customers

There’s a handy live chat feature available on Hide.me’s website 24/7, which is very useful should you encounter any issues with the free app.

It’s also greatly appreciated that Hide.me did not restrict this live chat feature to paying users.

There’s a one device limit in place, meaning you can’t use it on multiple platforms at the same time. If all you want to do is protect your Android smartphone or tablet, though, then that’s not a problem.

4 . Avira Phantom Free

A simple yet secure free VPN for absolute beginners.

1. Beginner-friendly Android app
2. No payment details on signup
3. Minimal logging policy
4. 52 server locations in 38 countries
5. Reliable same-country speeds
6. First-party DNS servers

1. 1GB monthly data cap
2. No Android kill switch

Free VPN for Android Rating: 6.4/10

This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.

Avira Phantom makes it into our top five thanks to its clean, simple Android app. It also has a very respectable logging policy.

Cheapest Price	N/A See all plans
Data Cap	1GB
Top Download Speed i

Based on 100Mbps local test connection

51Mbps Servers 52+ See all features US Netflix No Data Leaks No Countries 38 Compatible with

1. Android
2. +more

Sensible logging policy and huge server list

We like Avira Phantom’s minimal logging policy as it means none of your browsing activity can be linked back to your specific Android device.

What we love, though, is its huge choice of servers. 52 locations in 38 countries spread evenly around the world is fantastic for a free Android VPN.

One of these servers is dedicated to US streaming. However, we were able to unblock US Netflix on a number of random US servers, which is even better.

While Avira Phantom isn’t quite as quick as our top picks, speeds are still fast enough that you shouldn’t notice too much of a different on your Android.

1GB per month data cap and no kill switch

The biggest downside is Avira Phantom’s restrictive 1GB monthly data cap, as this really restricts what you’re able to do online. It’s actually 500MB initially, but once you register your account that limit doubles.

There’s also no VPN kill switch on Avira’s free Android app, although we do like that it uses the most secure VPN connection protocol, OpenVPN.

Avira Phantom will do the job if you’re an Android user just looking for a basic free VPN service to use from time to time. With that data cap you really need to keep track of how often you use it, though.

5 . TunnelBear Free

Popular free VPN with free servers in 23 countries.

1. User-friendly Android app
2. Reliable download speeds
3. VPN servers in 23 countries
4. No need to provide payment info
5. Minimal logging policy & kill switch
6. Good online customer support

1. 500MB monthly data cap
2. Doesn’t unlock US Netflix or BBC iPlayer
3. Average customer support

Free VPN for Android Rating: 5.9/10

This overall rating is calculated based on the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing process.

TunnelBear’s free VPN service for Android is ideal for beginners only looking to do a bit of light mobile browsing.

It’s not as fast as the very top free VPNs for Android, but it’s very reliable across its server network – almost as quick as TunnelBear’s Premium version, in fact.

Cheapest Price	N/A See all plans
Data Cap	500MB
Top Download Speed i

Based on 100Mbps local test connection

94Mbps Servers — See all features US Netflix No Data Leaks No Countries 41 Compatible with

1. Android
2. +more

Connect to servers in 22 countries

TunnelBear has one of the biggest server networks we’ve seen from a free VPN service, with 22 countries on offer. It covers Europe, the US, and Asia.

We particularly like TunnelBear’s privacy-friendly logging policy, too, which is paired with top-class AES-256 encryption to keep you safe on your Android phone.

Kill switch is great, 500MB data cap is not

TunnelBear’s Android app comes with a VPN kill switch (labeled in the app as ‘VigilantBear’), which prevents your true IP address from being exposed if the VPN disconnects without you knowing.

TunnelBear’s 500MB data cap is painfully restrictive, though, so it’s only really good for Android users who need to use a VPN sparingly. 500MB won’t last long at all if used for streaming or downloads.

The free version of TunnelBear is best suited to you if all you care about is a wide selection of servers with seriously impressive speeds.

Why Do I Need a Free VPN on Android?

Using VPN software on your Android device is an excellent way to protect your security and anonymity online.

A high-quality free Android VPN may not have many advanced features, but it will hide your IP address and encrypt your web traffic.

If you don’t use a secure VPN, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can see what you do online.

Moreover, you’ll be vulnerable to hackers and snoopers, particularly when using free public WiFi networks.

A secure VPN masks your IP address so that any other third party can’t determine your true geo-location. This lets you browse the web privately on an encrypted connection.

VPNs are also useful to unblock geo-restricted web content. Most safe free VPNs can’t bypass strict internet filters, though. Only the very best free VPNs can unblock web content around the world.

Are Free VPNs for Android Safe?

Millions of people use potentially unsafe free VPNs, and Android might be the platform with the most dangerous free VPNs.

The truth is, you simply can’t trust most free VPN services with your confidential personal data.

Carrying out two in-depth investigations on popular free VPNs for Android, we discovered an alarming amount with dubious links to China. Even worse, some VPNs had extremely worryingly security flaws.

The charts below highlight the extent of dangerous free VPNs currently in circulation:

Our free VPN investigations uncovered a number of common security flaws.

The free Android VPNs we recommend are safe, and provide effective protection. They hide your IP address, encrypt your web traffic and have privacy-friendly logging policies.

How to Use a Free VPN on Android

Setting up and using a VPN on Android is very simple. Here’s what to do:

1. Visit your chosen VPN service’s website and download the Android app directly onto your device.
2. Enable any security features such as a kill switch or leak protection. If possible, choose the OpenVPN protocol.
3. Choose a VPN server location. The closer the server to your physical location, the faster your VPN speeds will be.
4. Tap connect and in a matter of seconds you’ll be connected to the VPN server.

If you opt for a free VPN that doesn’t come with a dedicated Android app, follow our Android VPN setup instructions.

Free Android VPNs to Avoid

As we mentioned above, many free Android VPNs come with worrying security and privacy issues.

Below is a list of the worst Android VPNs we strongly advise you don’t use:

Hola VPN

Hola Free VPN is just about one of the worst free VPN services you could use on your Android phone or tablet.

Not only does Hola Free VPN monitor absolutely everything you do online, it’s also not encrypted in any way and has been known to sell user data on to third parties.

Thunder VPN

Thunder VPN is one of the least secure free VPNs for Android we’ve ever seen.

Along with logging tons of your personal information, Thunder VPN also uses a very outdated connection protocol and just won’t keep you safe online.

Snap VPN

Using Snap VPN on your Android device could well be worse than not using a VPN service at all.

Not only does Snap VPN send your personal data to China, and logs a ton of user information, it doesn’t even disclose the level of encryption it uses. This leads us to believe there may not be any encryption at all.

Turbo VPN

We just can’t recommend Turbo VPN to Android users as a reliable privacy tool as it goes against everything the VPN industry stands for.

Not only has Turbo VPN admitted it sends users’ personal information to mainland China, it also has one of the most intrusive logging policies we’ve ever seen.

Yoga VPN

Yoga VPN can 100% not be trusted to keep you safe online, whether you connect on Android or any other device.

Yoga VPN collects huge amounts of user data, stores it on its servers for an undisclosed period of time, and stores it in its data servers based in China and Hong Kong. One to avoid.

How We Test the Top Free VPNs for Android

Assessing an Android VPN requires looking at a unique combination of criteria. We don’t take the same approach when rating them as we do with a desktop VPN, or even a paid Android VPN.

Below is more information on how we came to the testing conclusions that you see on this page:

For free Android VPNs, we specifically consider:

• The monthly data cap, and how long will it realistically last you.
• How fast it is, and whether or not it will slow down your browsing and streaming.
• How many streaming libraries and services it can unlock, particularly Netflix.
• How trustworthy the logging policy is, and what data it retains.
• What encryption is in use, and if there are any useful security features.
• How intuitive and easy to use the Android app is.

Read on for the specifics on how we assess these criteria, as well as our recommended standards for each one:

1. Data Cap: 30%

Minimum Requirement: 10GB of data per month.
We Recommend: Unlimited monthly data allowance.

Data cap is by far the most important factor for a free Android VPN. No matter what you do online, and no matter why you use a VPN, it will always consume bandwidth.

You don’t need to be a VPN testing expert to know that more data is better. Unfortunately, very few trustworthy VPNs actually offer an unlimited data cap. It’s the best case scenario, but you may need to compromise if you want other specific features from your free Android VPN.

Anywhere between 4-10GB is both a common allowance as well as a decent figure for a free VPN to offer. This will allow you to stream a few hours of HD video, plus keep your general web browsing protected.

Anything less than 2GB is extremely restrictive. You’d have to be very disciplined about using your VPN, making sure to only activate it when absolutely necessary (for example if you do some online banking on public WiFi).

2. Speed: 20%

Minimum Requirement: Less than 40% speed loss on local connections.
We Recommend: Less than 20% speed loss on local connections or 40% on distant ones.

Much like a data cap, download speeds have a similar impact when you’re using a VPN.

Whether you’re on WiFi or using cellular data, a VPN will negatively affect your internet speeds. But, most importantly, the best free VPNs will affect them as little as possible.

Our testing has found that many free VPNs offer speeds noticeably slower than their paid app counterparts. That’s why we make sure to manually test the speeds of every free we review on a regular basis.

While free VPNs can be slower than paid ones, our expectations for the bare minimum you should accept remain the same. There’s no reason for a good VPN, free or otherwise, to slow down your internet by more than 40% on a nearby connection. And an ideal one will still slow it by less than 20%.

Something you should bear in mind, however, is the reduced server list of most free VPNs. If your free VPN does not offer a server in the country you live in then you will have to accept slower speeds.

Our speed testing process for free Android VPNs is simple. We connect to as wide a spread of global servers as we can, and record their speeds via speedtest.net. We compare the figures recorded to the figures with no VPN connected, and see how large the drop-off is. We always use the same 100Mbps wireless office test connection. Download speed is prioritized, but upload and latency is also considered.

3. Streaming: 20%

Minimum Requirement: Can access at least one Netflix library – ideally US or UK.
We Recommend: The above, plus a streaming library from at least one other country.

You should not expect to get a top-quality streaming VPN for free.

Maintaining streaming servers and working sets of IP addresses is both costly and time consuming for VPN providers. Naturally the best performing ones go to paying customers.

That said, you shouldn’t settle for nothing at all, either. It’s entirely possible to access at least one streaming library with a free VPN, or maybe even more. You’ll have fewer options due to a limited server selection, though, and it won’t be as consistent.

In our testing experience, this area is the where the difference between a paid and free Android VPN is felt the most. Even the very best free streaming VPNs can’t match up to their paid counterparts.

4. Logging Policy: 15%

Minimum Requirement: Minimal aggregated or anonymous usage data collected.
We Recommend: No logs retained whatsoever.

Logging policy is one area where you absolutely do not have to compromise when choosing a free Android VPN.

Most trustworthy VPN services use the same core logging policy for both their free and paid product, across all platforms.

One difference you should be aware of, though, is potential additional third party data sharing. Some free apps are subsidized via advertising and data sharing partnerships. We make sure to read through every privacy policy in full detail to make sure that your data isn’t sneakily sold on.

Almost every free mobile VPN which has no paid-for version will fail to meet the standards we set, here. Most free Android VPNs can’t be trusted, and the reason why usually lies within their privacy policy.

You should never download a VPN which stores identifiable, personal usage data. Your full IP address, browser timestamps, and DNS requests are always off limits – no good VPN will collect or store them.

We think it’s fine if a VPN stores some much more generic or shared information. The total amount of data you use in a month, how many times you’ve connected, or the total number of users connected to a server at one time are all acceptable. Information like this should be deleted every few months at most.

The perfect VPN records no account-tied logs of any kind. However, these are more rare when only considering free VPNs.

5. Security & Encryption: 10%

Minimum Requirement: AES-128 encryption and the IKEv2 VPN protocol.
We Recommend: AES-258 encryption, plus OpenVPN, WireGuard, or a bespoke protocol.

The Google Play Store is filled with hundreds of free apps which claim to be ‘VPNs’, but in reality only act as proxies.

While proxies may change your IP address, they do not encrypt your traffic and DNS requests. It’s important to make sure that your free VPN of choice specifies what encryption it uses.

AES-128 is perfectly safe, although we prefer the AES-258 cipher. It has been the standard for years now and is virtually uncrackable.

Many Android VPNs use IKEv2 as the primary (or only) protocol. It’s a fine choice, and strikes a good balance between speed and security.

That said, we feel that OpenVPN just edges it out as the more secure protocol. We can also fully recommend WireGuard, a newer protocol, which is faster than both IKEv2 and OpenVPN.

Finally, some services use a protocol all of their own making. It’s rare to find these in free Android VPNs, but so long as the VPN service provider is trustworthy then the protocol is likely perfectly safe.

6. Android App: 10%

Minimum Requirement: A bespoke, easy to use Android app.
We Recommend: The above, plus extra features like a kill switch.

Even with a free VPN, it should at the very least have a functional, bespoke Android app.

Options and buttons should be clearly labeled, with a simple layout and intuitive menus. Ordinarily we consider a VPN kill switch essential. Without it, your IP address could be left exposed should the VPN connection drop. However, they’re rarer on Android than other platforms.

With a free Android VPN, anything more than that is a bonus. Some may include extra features like app split tunneling or an ad blocker, but those are more bonuses than essential.

You should always make sure that you have downloaded the correct, official version of any Android VPN, too. Both free and paid VPN apps have many clones on the Google Play Store. Downloading these copies can result in viruses, tapjacking, URL spoofing, or any other manner of sinister side effect. Make sure that you find the official Play Store link or download the .APK directly from the VPN service’s website.

Additional research by Liam Mullally

Free Android VPN FAQs

Can I Use a Paid Android VPN for Free?

If you want to use a premium paid VPN on your Android device for free, there are a few ways you can do this without spending a cent.

For example, ExpressVPN offers a seven-day free trial to new Android subscribers.

You can also take advantage of the risk-free money-back guarantees premium VPNs offer. You can use them without restrictions for up to 45 days, and then get your money back.

You will have to subscribe and provide payment details, but you will receive your refund within a few days. Remember to cancel before the refund period is up, though.

How Do Free VPNs Work on Android?

A free VPN works exactly the same on Android as it does on any other operating system.

Instead of your internet traffic being routed to a website via your ISP, it will instead be routed through a secure VPN server first, and then onto your destination website.

Using a free Android VPN will mask your true IP address (the unique identifier of your internet connection), replacing it with the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to.

This means that as long as your Android VPN is running, and it doesn’t leak your real IP address, your web activity is hidden from your ISP and many other snoopers.

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