How to set up a VPN on your iPhone

Start on a Wi-Fi network you know, with a few minutes to spare before you need the connection. You need the iPhone app from your chosen VPN service and, for a paid plan, the sign-in you used to buy it. The VPN switch in Settings controls a connection you have already configured. Apple does not supply a choice of VPN servers behind that switch.

Make the first connection

1. Follow the iOS download link from your provider’s website to the App Store. Check the developer’s name before installing. If you already paid on the provider’s website, look for Sign in in the app so you can use that subscription.
2. Open the app and choose its automatic or nearby connection. For example, in Proton VPN you can start with Fastest country and tap Connect. A free plan may choose the location for you. That is sufficient for checking the installation.
3. When iOS asks whether the named app may add VPN configurations, check it matches the app you just opened and tap Allow. Complete the device authentication prompt if one appears. You are giving the app permission to route internet traffic. A request from a webpage to install a device-management profile is a different operation.
4. Wait for a connected status in the app. Note its server location and, if shown, its exit IP address. Give Safari a fresh page to load and check you can also use an ordinary app such as a podcast player.

If you dismissed the first permission prompt, return to the app and press Connect again. On a school or company iPhone, device management can prevent a new configuration. Ask the administrator before changing an existing one.

See which configuration is active

Open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management and look under VPN. Some iOS versions also show a VPN shortcut on the main Settings screen. Match the configuration name to your provider. Keeping the name handy helps if you later install a work VPN and forget which one you selected.

Open What can they see? in Safari before and after connecting, while you are still on the same Wi-Fi. Compare the reported address and network. A city estimate can be wrong even when the connection is working. If you use iCloud Private Relay, Safari may already show a relay address before you connect. Private Relay protects Safari browsing and some other traffic. Its presence alone cannot tell you how a separate app connects.

Rehearse the Wi-Fi handover

Leave the VPN connected, switch Wi-Fi off in Settings and wait for 4G or 5G. Reopen the provider’s app, wait for its status to settle, then refresh the address check. Turn Wi-Fi back on and repeat. Do this before relying on auto-connect on a train or when leaving a hotel. A successful check after the change tells you where that request went. It cannot show whether something escaped during the transition.

Remove an old VPN

On your own iPhone, disconnect in the app, open the VPN list in Settings and inspect the information button beside the old configuration. If you mean to remove it, select Delete VPN for that entry. Removing a configuration or deleting an app does not cancel the renewal. Manage payment wherever you subscribed. For a closer look at conflicting readings, follow the VPN connection checks.

Platform instructions

• Apple’s guide to configuration profiles on iPhone
• Proton’s iOS setup and connection screens
• Apple’s explanation of iCloud Private Relay