How to set up a VPN on an iPhone

Summary

VPNs protect sensitive data and let you access to content abroad.
NordVPN is popular and offers safe encryption on multiple devices.
Choosing the right VPN involves considering usage and needed features.

There are many reasons to use a virtual private network (VPN). Maybe you’re handling sensitive information and don’t want hackers accessing your IP address. Or perhaps you’re traveling abroad and need to stream content from another region. VPNs come in handy every day and protect important information from being hacked or spied upon.

You can use one for your computer, which is one of the most popular ways to go about it. You can also set one up on your smart TV to keep it from being hacked, too. But, using one on your phone is also a smart idea, especially if you’re traveling. A VPN can help you access your work intranet from abroad, encrypt your personal information while browsing, and more. It works the same way as it does on a laptop.

If you have an iPhone, there are a few steps that you need to take to set up your VPN. iOS supports VPN connections and configuration, but it doesn’t come preconfigured. You’ll need to enable encryption and protect your data, but setting up a VPN on your iPhone doesn’t take much time.

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the more popular VPNs. It can be used on computers, phones, tablets, and more. It offers safe encryption and can be used globally.

Apple TV and remote on wood table with popcorn

You can now use NordVPN on Apple TV to watch content from abroad

With NordVPN now available on Apple TV, you can easily stream content from abroad, and you get to keep your viewing habits private.

How to pick the right VPN

There are a few factors that come into play

iPhone 16 on blue and red background with flowers

VPNs have many uses, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Popular choices include ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, IPVanish, Proton VPN, and plenty more where those came from. They all offer similar features but with slightly different configurations. Some have varying pricing plans and provide coverage for multiple devices.

When choosing the right VPN, consider how you’ll use it. If it’ll be shared among family members or across multiple devices, look for one with high bandwidth. If you want to stream content from other countries, choose a VPN with servers in those locations. Running a VPN directly from your router can improve power and speed, but not all VPNs support such a feature. It’s important to consider what features you actually want from your VPN and compare different ones before settling on a choice.

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How to set up a VPN on your iPhone

After you choose one, get the privacy ball rolling

You don’t need to pick a VPN that has an app compatible with iOS. If you do, you should download the app from the Apple App Store.

Before you can set up the VPN on your iPhone, you have to choose which VPN you want to use. Once you’ve done that, you should download the app on your phone (if applicable) and create an account to sign up. Once that’s taken care of, you need to change some of the configurations in your iPhone. Connecting the VPN to your iPhone is what links the service and encrypts your phone:

Open up Settings on your iPhone.
Tap General.
Scroll down to VPN & Device Management and tap it.
It will say VPN Not Connected. Tap that.
The next screen is Add VPN Configuration… Tap that.
A screen will pop up with a list of information for you to fill in.

The top option is Type. Once you tap on that, you can choose the type of VPN you have — it’s either IKEv2, IPsec, or L2TP. Next, you’ll need to fill in the Description, Server, and Remote ID, which are all provided in the VPN app.

Authenticate your VPN by typing in your username and password for the app. If you’re using a proxy server, select Manual or Auto. If you’re not, keep it on Off. Tap Done, and your VPN will be configured.

It’s important to consider what features you actually want from your VPN and compare different ones before settling on a choice.

From then on, whenever you want to use your VPN, you can go back into Settings, General, and toggle on the VPN in the VPN & Device Management section. You can use the VPN app to fine-tune some of the settings for the VPN itself. But for configuration purposes with your iPhone, that’s set up after you follow the steps above.