It’s important to select the right VPN service if you want a safe and secure web browsing experience. Whether you’re surfing the web at home or on the go, you can benefit from installing a reliable, high-speed network onto your Android device.
The best VPNs have an assortment of user-friendly Android apps to help you send and receive personal information without making yourself vulnerable to data leaks.
A VPN (aka Virtual Private Network) enables you to keep your web activity private so you can browse the internet freely without having to worry about third parties tracking your private data. Besides, it pays to be cautious with your mobile devices whenever you connect your smartphone to WiFi hotspots.
How to choose the best Android VPN
Although many VPNs offer well-rounded Android support, how do you find one that stands out above the rest? After all, most users prefer apps that are easy to configure and use for completing everyday tasks.
Here are five essential things to think about when selecting a VPN for Android phones:
1. Monitor the loading speed
If you try to access the internet through a VPN, there’s a chance that your web browsing speed might be slower than usual. It could take a little longer to load websites or videos while it runs through the private network and encryption process.
Of course, the network speed greatly varies from one service to another. Before you pick out an Android VPN, think about how you’ve been using your phone online: Do you mostly visit web pages filled with plain text? In that case, a slower VPN won’t have much of a negative impact on your browsing experience.
Do you watch plenty of videos or play a lot of online games? Then, it might be in your best interests to seek out a VPN with the following features:
- A smaller user base
- A more powerful server
- Hosting from a nearby location
Moreover, you should make sure that your home internet service provider (ISP) is VPN-friendly so it doesn’t pick up on your search history.
2. Compare pricing plans
Generally speaking, the safest and most trustworthy VPNs are going to cost you so it’s a good idea to shop around for different services and find one that won’t put a dent in your wallet.
For any high-quality VPN service, you can expect to pay around $10 – $15 a month. Sometimes, the cost will vary based on how many devices it’s being connected to. Many VPNs will also provide significant discounts if you buy them in bulk.–It may be cheaper to pick a yearly plan over a monthly one.
Still not ready for that kind of commitment? Many VPNs also offer free trials so you can try before you buy. Some will even accept Bitcoin or gift cards as payment.
3. Test them for usability
While you’re setting up a VPN service, you’ll encounter all kinds of headaches such as a poor connection and firewall issues. That’s why you want to aim for a VPN with a clean design and features that are simple to use. It’s also possible that there are others who share the same VPN server as you, which means you should pick one that offers multi-device support.
VPNs preserve your anonymity with features such as split tunneling, double-layer encryptions, a kill switch, and no-logging policies. Whenever your server goes down, you’ll be notified of pending errors and critical issues that demand your attention. Using a well-designed VPN app, you’ll be able to connect to the internet in no time.
4. Identify server locations
The server location is linked to network speed in some way. The more servers a VPN has, the smoother your browsing experience will be when connecting to your Android phone.
Many top VPN servers are spread across the world. Even though picking a server in a different country has its advantages, especially for hiding your IP address from prying eyes, we’d still suggest that you stick to local servers for your own safety.
Closer servers tend to result in faster loading times. By doing some research, you can quickly discover the location of servers for any individual VPN.
5. Resolve trust issues
If you’re looking for a VPN app, then it makes total sense that you wouldn’t want others misusing your private data.
Keep in mind that just because a VPN prevents those outside the network from accessing your data, doesn’t mean your data is completely private.
VPNs themselves can track what you do on the internet. The thing is, many VPNs don’t keep past logs nor do they add other features to preserve user anonymity.
In fact, some services have been caught selling that data to advertisers for profit. Therefore, it’s worth doing a background check on VPNs, to make sure they don’t set off red flags in those aspects.
Don’t forget to ask about their public policy to discover how they actually collect user data.
Our Top 2 picks for best Android VPNs in 2020
Now that you know what to look for, you should have a better idea of what VPN works best with your apps. However, it can still be difficult to sift through dozens of options on the market before you find one that suits your browsing needs.
Here are two of the most sought after Android VPNs, and how they check out when it comes to speed, cost, usability, location, and reliability.
1. ExpressVPN
Speed: ExpressVPN, as its name implies, is one of the fastest VPN services around. It was built from the ground up to prioritize and optimize browsers for speed.
Cost: ExpressVPN is on the more expensive side of VPNs at $12.95 a month. If you’re willing to make a long-term commitment, you’ll receive a discount price of only $6.67 a month for the next 15 months.
ExpressVPN issues a full 30-day, money-back guarantee so that if you decide to change your mind, you won’t have anything to lose.
Usability: Arguably one of the most user-friendly VPNs available, ExpressVPN for Android can connect to your VPN at the press of a button. Just tap the big “on” button, wait for it to connect, and you should be good to go.
Server Locations: ExpressVPN for Android can connect to over 148 servers, located in nearly 100 different countries. From Argentina to Portugal, you won’t have any trouble locating a nearby server and connecting to your favorite channels no matter where you are.
Reliability: ExpressVPN uses the OpenVPN protocol, widely praised for its strong security encryptions. It also boasts a zero log policy to ensure privacy for your online activities.
Visit our site to try ExpressVPN now at no extra cost!
2. NordVPN
Speed: While not as fast as ExpressVPN, NordVPN focuses on being compatible with streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube. Thus, you shouldn’t encounter any major problems.
Cost: NordVPN starts out at $11.95 per month, but if you shell out for the three-year plan, you’ll only be spending $2.75 per month. Once again, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Usability: While NordVPN’s Android app isn’t as intuitive and visually appealing as other offerings, it isn’t too difficult to pick up for the not so tech savvy users.
NordVPN is pretty easy to set up on multiple servers, and there’s even a quick connect option for getting online within seconds.
Server Locations: NordVPN uses roughly over 3,555 servers spread across the world, possibly the most out of any VPN service.
Sure, it may not cover as many countries as Express– only 61 to be exact – it has more servers inside those countries, which means more options closer to you if you stay within those borders. Currently, the United States alone houses over 1,000 NordVPN servers.
Reliability: Beyond a strict no-logs policy, NordVPN has developed and implemented many high-security features, such as the “double VPN” that offers multiple layers of encryption by connecting to two different VPNs.
Another recent addition, CyberSec, will go further to block ads and malicious sites for you.
There’s no need to wait. Why not get your free trial today?
Your Next Step to Installing an Android VPN
Finding the right VPN for Android can seem downright overwhelming at times. But don’t fret over the minor details.–What’s important is choosing one that takes your web traffic into account and employs the best data security practices to help protect your personal information.
That being said, you should try to keep those issues in mind so you can find the right balance between the things listed above. This way, you’ll be able to recognize which VPN services are a good fit for your web browsing needs.
To get started on setting up your Android VPN, click here.
