Subscribed to ExpressVPN yesterday, and have it set-up on my Mac Mini home server.
Obviously allows for the VPN to be run on up to 5 devices, which then includes iPads/iPhones etc.
I occasionally would turn on my previous VPN client, those few times I come across a video in my Feedly “feed” – usually a news item, or sports’ event highlight, that is area-restricted. But apart from this, and the “public wifi in a coffee shop/airport/hotel scenario” – is there any other reason to have it on permanently?
Surely nobody runs a VPN on their mobile as the “default” connectivity approach? Or are there use cases for that?
Curious to hear if I understand the normal approach correctly, and if running the VPN is more of the exception to the rule?
I don’t run 24/7, especially when using financial websites/apps. VPN or DoH is a necessary if I want to access reddit, vimeo, streamable, subscene, 4chan on iOS because my country blocks those sites. In mac, I can just edit /etc/hosts
I used to be a serious VPN users on public wifi, especially if it was open. But in the last couple years I worry about it a lot less. I’m guessing that nearly everything on the phone that’s connecting to some back-end services is using SSL? At least I’d assume all the major apps? But also, I haven’t been too many places in the last 18 months.
In the US, ISPs and mobile carriers are allowed to track where you go online and sell the data to third parties, and using a VPN full time is the only way to avoid it
I don’t use it all the time on desktop because I am always signed into with apps and that sends M365 sentinel/defender into a frenzy and I get a call from IT Sec.
I run ProtonVPN full time on the phone, home or away. It works pretty well. I don’t search with Google (use duckduckgo) and I know that will force all sorts of captchas on you but I don’t run into issues with any other site.
I’ve not noticed much battery drain, but I don’t actually use my phone that much (screen time is usually less than 2hrs a day). My iPhone 14 Pro usually only needs charging once every 2 days with VPN switched on continuously.
My iPad Pro 12 inch is usually used for over 8 hours a day and needs charging once a day ish with VPN permanently on.
I use cloud flare 1.1.1.1.
Seems like every 4-5 months I have to reset it but otherwise I never think about it. So I’m not sure I’m really getting any benefits, but it’s a nice placebo at least.
AFAIK the 1.1.1.1 app isn’t a full VPN, it just uses a VPN-like tunnel for DNS queries. That can prevent DNS poisoning on public WiFi but doesn’t keep your browsing private or keep your ISP or MC from recording and selling your browsing history.
I also have ExpressVPN, and switch it on the moment I am on a public wifi.
The only thing that prevents me from using it nonstop, is that (on my side, at least), it doesn’t appear to play nicely with the App Store and related apps (Apple Music). Nothing loads, until I switch it off.
Same thing happens with local (paid-for) streaming services.
There’s probably a way to set things so that this isn’t a problem — but last time I checked (it was quite a while ago) it appeared to be a bit of hassle to set up, so haven’t bothered.
I’ve done nothing special, and when I have Express VPN it works fine with App Store. I don’t have Apple Music. Could be just the countries I “pretend” to be in that Apple does like or something. Dunno.
