How to Set Up a VPN on an Android Smartphone or Tablet
What You’ll Need to Set Up a VPN on Android
- An Android smartphone or tablet
- A VPN subscription
There are several different ways to set up a VPN on Android, most of which are very simple.
NOTE: Android offers a built-in VPN client, but we don’t recommend using it. Android’s proprietary VPN uses insecure VPN protocols such as PPTP, which can be hacked in minutes.
1. Install a Native VPN App for Android (Easiest Method)
You can install a VPN app directly onto your Android. This is the easiest method and it will take you less than two minutes.
We’ve used ExpressVPN throughout this section, as it’s one of the best VPNs for Android, but the setup processes are similar for all Android VPNs.
Here’s how to install a VPN on Android:
- Check the VPN service has a native Android app.
- Subscribe to the VPN and create an account. You can do this on your VPN service’s website.
- Find your VPN’s app on the Google Play Store and install it. If you live in a country where you can’t access the Play Store, see how to install an .apk file below.
- Sign into the VPN. You’ll need to enter the account credentials you created in Step 2.
- Follow the prompts to complete installation. For example, ExpressVPN asks new users to share anonymous diagnostic information.
- Connect to the VPN. You can do this by tapping the central power button.
2. Use Third-Party Software (Manual Configuration)
If you don’t want to use the native app from your VPN service, or if it doesn’t have one, you can set up a VPN on Android using a third-party application.
This is more complicated than downloading a VPN app from the Google Play Store, but it doesn’t take longer than five minutes.
Third-party apps are usually more configurable than the VPN service’s own application and can even support multiple VPNs within a single app.
In the example below, we’ve manually set up ExpressVPN using the OpenVPN for Android app:
- Log into your account on your VPN service’s website. This method assumes you’ve already created a VPN account and purchased a subscription.
- Navigate to your VPN’s manual configuration setup. For ExpressVPN, this can be found under Set Up Devices > Manual Configuration.
- Make a note of your OpenVPN credentials. This should be a unique username and password. You will need these later.
- Download a configuration file for your preferred server. Tap the server location you want to connect to and it will automatically download to your phone’s storage.
- Download OpenVPN for Android on the Google Play Store. Install it and open the app.
- Launch the app and select the folder download symbol. This is in the top-right corner of the app between the plus symbol and three vertical dots.
- Locate the VPN configuration file from Step 4. If you can’t find the configuration file in your Downloads folder, then you may need to select Internal storage first.
- Finish the download. You can do this by tapping the tick symbol to the right of the configuration file.
- Add your OpenVPN credentials. Under the Basic tab enter your username and password from Step 3, not your account credentials, and then press the back icon.
- Connect to the VPN. Tap on the profile you’ve just created, it has the same name as the configuration file you used, and then accept the connection request.
Your VPN is now installed and active. If you want to disconnect, you’ll need to tap on its profile in the OpenVPN for Android app and select Disconnect.
3. Set Up a VPN Using an .apk File
If you can’t access the Google Play Store, you can install the VPN’s app onto your Android device as long as the service provides an apk file. It’s not as straightforward as using the Play Store, but it won’t take you long.
To avoid installing malware or tampered software, we recommend only installing .apk files from the VPN service’s official website.
Here’s how to install a ExpressVPN on Android using an .apk file:
- Adjust your Android’s permissions on downloading files. Go to Settings > Security > Install unknown apps and tap on the web browser you want to use for the download.
Toggle on Allow from this source.
- Log into your account on your VPN service’s website. This method assumes you’ve already created a VPN account and purchased a subscription.
- Download your VPN’s .apk file. For ExpressVPN, this can be found under Set Up Devices > Android > Download APK.
- Select “Download anyway” when prompted. As long as you’re downloading from the official website of a VPN service you trust, you can ignore the warning message.
- Tap install.
- Launch the VPN and connect. The app will now function as a normal Android VPN app.