What is a VPN, and how does it work?
A VPN, or virtual private network, is an app that puts your internet connection inside an encrypted tunnel to a server somewhere else.
Here is what happens to your data, what a VPN hides and what it does not, the settings that matter, and whether you need one.
On this page
How a VPN works, step by step
- 1Without a VPN, your request is in the open
When you open a website, the request passes through your internet provider as it is: it sees every site you visit, and the site sees your real address.
- 2Encryption starts on your device
The VPN app encrypts the request before it leaves your phone or laptop, so it becomes data nobody on the way can read.
- 3The encrypted tunnel
The request travels inside the tunnel to the VPN server. Your provider sees only that you are connected to a VPN server.
- 4The server finishes the journey
The VPN server decrypts the request and sends it on in its own name, so the website sees the server's address, not yours.
What a VPN hides, and what it does not
- The sites you visit, from your internet provider and the Wi-Fi you are on.
- Your real IP address, from the websites you visit.
- Your traffic on public Wi-Fi, from anyone snooping on it.
- Who you are from accounts you sign in to, such as Google or Instagram.
- Your activity from the VPN company itself: that is why audits matter.
- Malware or phishing: a VPN is not antivirus.
What people use a VPN for
Hotels, airports and cafés, where others share the network.
Reaching the office network securely, the original use of VPNs.
Your home catalogue when you travel.
Websites and apps blocked where you are.
The settings that matter
Cuts your internet if the VPN drops, so nothing leaks onto the open network. Keep it on.
Chooses which apps use the VPN, so a banking app or a local service can use your normal connection.
Disguises VPN traffic as ordinary web traffic, for networks that block VPNs.
The method of building the tunnel. Modern ones such as WireGuard, NordLynx and Lightway are faster. OpenVPN and IKEv2 are older and widely supported.
VPN protocols, and where you meet them
| Protocol | What it is | Offered by (of the seven we review) |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | A modern, light open protocol | ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, PIA |
| NordLynx | NordVPN's protocol | NordVPN |
| Lightway | ExpressVPN's own protocol | ExpressVPN |
| OpenVPN | Older, widely supported | ExpressVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, PIA, Hotspot Shield |
| IKEv2 | Common on phones | ExpressVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, PIA |
| Hydra | Hotspot Shield's own protocol | Hotspot Shield |
From each provider's own pages, checked 2 November 2026.
VPN or proxy?
Both send your traffic through another server, which is why they are confused.
| Proxy | VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | One browser, app or page | The whole device, every app |
| Encryption | Usually none | Everything |
| Best for | A quick look at one page | Anything you sign in to |
| Hides your IP address | Yes | Yes |
More, including the methods without either: how to unblock websites.
Free or paid?
Running a VPN costs money, so a free one is paid for somehow. In a 2016 CSIRO study of 283 free Android VPN apps, more than 38% contained malware.
- Audited no-logs, no ads, no data cap
- One device, 10 countries, medium speed
- Funded by Proton's paid plans
- Every server and full speed
- Several devices on one plan
- 30 or 45 days to get your money back
The cybercrime law punishes disguising your IP address to commit or hide a crime, not using a VPN for privacy or work, and the TDRA restricts calls through unlicensed apps. Details: Is a VPN illegal in the UAE? Our picks: the best VPN in the UAE.
How to start using a VPN
- 1Choose a provider
One with an audited no-logs policy and apps for your devices. Our ranking compares seven.
- 2Install the official app
From the App Store, Google Play or the provider's website.
- 3Connect
Pick a nearby server for speed, or a country for its content.
- 4Turn on the kill switch and auto-connect
So you stay protected without thinking about it.
What is a VPN: frequently asked questions
Short answers to what readers ask most. Question not here? Write to us.
A virtual private network: an app that encrypts everything your device sends and routes it through a server elsewhere, so your network cannot read it and websites see the server's address instead of yours.
Privacy on public Wi-Fi, reaching your company's network, watching your home streaming catalogue abroad, and reaching sites blocked where you are.
A setting that cuts your internet if the VPN connection drops, so nothing travels unprotected. All seven VPNs we review have one.
A setting that sends some apps through the VPN and lets others use your normal connection, for example a banking app that blocks VPNs.
A proxy reroutes one browser or page and usually does not encrypt. A VPN covers the whole device and every app, and encrypts everything.
Using one for legitimate purposes such as privacy or work is not what UAE law punishes. The cybercrime law targets disguising your IP address to commit or hide a crime, and the TDRA restricts unlicensed calling apps.
The best VPNs this month
Our full ranking with scores and prices, kept up to date.
See the full ranking