In case you are thinking of using VPN on your iPhone, you will find below the information and the steps required to setup VPN on your iPhone or iPad, both manually and using Apps.
Why Use VPN On iPhone
The most common reason for using VPN is privacy and security, especially while using public WiFi Networks at a coffee shop or library. VPN is also used by people to bypass censorship and to access online services with geo-restrictions.
For example, a service like Netflix is geo-restricted and its users are known to use VPN to gain access to Netflix while on holidays in any other country outside USA.
You can get more information about VPN and how it can protect your security and privacy by referring to this article: What is VPN and How Does it Work.
Setup VPN on iPhone
The procedure to Setup VPN on iPhone will depend on whether or not your preferred VPN service is available in the form of a dedicated VPN App for iOS devices.
In case your preferred VPN Service is available in the form of an App, the VPN setup process might be as simple as opening the VPN App on your iPhone and logging into the VPN connection using your User Name and Password.
Even if your favourite VPN service is not available as an iOS App, it is really easy to Setup VPN Manually on your iPhone. You will find below the steps to Setup VPN on your iPhone or iPad, manually and also by using VPN Apps.
Setup TunnelBear VPN On iPhone
As mentioned above, VPN services that are available in the form of an iOS App are designed to automatically setup and configure VPN Network on your iPhone.
We are providing below the steps to Setup VPN on your iPhone using the TunnelBear App. Most other VPN Apps will have similar steps.
1. Open the App Store on your iPhone and search for your preferred VPN App. In this case we are looking for TunnelBear Free VPN.
2. Download and Install the App on your iPhone.
3. Once the App is installed, open the VPN App on your iPhone by tapping on OPEN button
4. Next, you will be prompted to create your TunnelBear VPN Account. Enter your Email Address, Enter a Password for your VPN Account and tap on Create a Free Account.
5. On the next pop-up, tap on I Agree option to accept TunnelBear VPN Terms of Service.
6. On the next popup, tap on Allow to let the TunnelBear App Add VPN configurations to your iPhone.
7. Next, login to your Email Account and look for an email from TunnelBear. Open the Email and verify your Email Account by tapping or clicking on the Verify Account Link.
8. Once you have verified your Email Address. Tap on Continue option to complete the process of VPN Setup on your iPhone (See image below)
This completes the VPN Setup on your iPhone and you are all setup to browse the internet on your iPhone using a secure VPN Network.
By default, the TunnelBear VPN on your iPhone is setup to automatically connect whenever you open Safari or any other web browser on your iPhone. However, you can easily enable or disable VPN on your iPhone from the settings screen (See image below)
You can confirm whether or not you are browsing the internet using a VPN connection by looking for VPN sign at the top left corner of your screen (See image below)
Manually Setup VPN on iPhone
Follow the steps below, in case your preferred VPN service is not available as an APP or you want to Manually setup VPN connection on your iPhone.
1. Tap on Settings > General.
2. On the next screen, scroll down and tap on VPN.
3. On the VPN screen, tap on Add VPN Configuration… option.
4. On the Add Configuration screen, tap on Type (See image below)
5. On the next screen, tap on the Type of VPN connection that you would like to setup on your iPhone.
Note: See section below about Which Type of VPN Network to choose.
6. After selecting the VPN Type, tap on Add Configuration link to get back to VPN Configuration screen (See image below)
7. On the Add Configuration screen, type in all the required details for your VPN. Type a Description for your VPN (say MY VPN), type in your VPN Server, VPN Account and other details as required and tap on Done (See image below)
Note: You should be able to get most of these details by logging into your VPN Account or you can get them from your VPN service provider.
Activate VPN On iPhone
Once VPN is setup on your iPhone, you will have to activate the VPN Network on your iPhone.
1. From the Home Screen of your iPhone, tap on Settings.
2. On the Settings screen, turn on VPN on your iPhone by moving the toggle next to VPN to ON position (See image below).
After this you are all setup to browse the internet on your iPhone using a secure VPN Network.
Which Type of VPN to Choose
While Manually setting up VPN on your iPhone, you will be required to choose the type of VPN Network that you want to Setup on your iPhone. In general, you will get to choose from IKEv2, IPSec, or L2TP.
IKEv2: Internet Key Exchange version 2 has strong encryption capabilities and is also known for its ability to reconnect very quickly, in case the VPN connection on your iPhone gets disputed.
L2TP/IPsec: These VPN types are provided as alternatives to OpenVPN on iOS devices. iOS has API restrictions that prevents the use of OpenVPN on iOS devices.
OpenVPN secures data at Transport level by making use of SSL/TLS security protocols, while IKEv2/IPSec secures data at the IP level. Both of these VPN Types can be considered as being more or less equally secure.