A VPN (virtual private network) is a tool that creates an encrypted connection between your device and a server run by the VPN provider. Your internet traffic travels through that connection instead of going straight from your device to the websites you visit.
What actually happens when you use a VPN
Without a VPN, your device connects to a website through your internet provider (or the Wi-Fi network you're on). That network can see which sites you connect to, and the website sees your public IP address.
With a VPN on, your traffic is encrypted and sent to the VPN server first. From there it carries on to the website. The result:
- Your internet provider or Wi-Fi network sees that you're connected to a VPN, but not which sites you visit.
- Websites see the VPN server's IP address instead of your own.
- Anyone sharing your network, like at a cafe or airport, can't read your traffic.
When a VPN is useful
- On public Wi-Fi. Hotels, airports and cafes are shared networks. A VPN adds a layer of encryption on top. Here's how risky public Wi-Fi really is.
- If you'd rather your internet provider didn't see your browsing. Your provider can still see that you're using a VPN, but not the sites inside it.
- If you want to reduce how easily your location and connection are identified. See what your IP address reveals.
- When travelling or working remotely and you want a consistent, encrypted connection back home.
What a VPN does not do
A VPN is one useful layer of privacy. It isn't a magic invisibility cloak, and any provider that tells you otherwise is overselling.
- It doesn't make you anonymous. If you sign in to Google, Facebook or your bank, they still know who you are.
- It doesn't stop phishing or malware. A fake email link is still a fake email link. Good habits and updated devices still matter.
- It doesn't remove cookies and trackers by itself. Your browser and apps can still identify you in other ways. A private DNS and browser settings help here.
- It moves trust, it doesn't remove it. Your internet provider can no longer see your browsing, but your VPN provider could. That's why who runs the VPN, and how they handle data, matters.
How to choose a VPN you can trust
- Is it clear who runs the service, and where they're based?
- Does the provider explain in plain language what they do and don't log?
- Is the business model obvious? (If it's free, ask how it makes money.)
- Can you reach a real person if something goes wrong?
- Do they say what the VPN can't do, or only what it can?
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