One of the main dilemmas when it comes to a VPN is whether or not you should run it all the time. Considering that we’re constantly checking our smartphones and they’re always running in the background, it makes sense, as far as iPhone VPNs go, we’re particularly curious to know the answer.
The bottom line is that there are pros and cons to keeping your iPhone VPN app on. and turn it off, and we’ll explain them all below.
Pros of Leaving Your VPN On
The best VPN will keep your device safe by hiding your online identity and encrypting incoming and outgoing data. The moment you turn it off, you will remove that layer of protection.
It follows, then, that the biggest advantage of keeping your VPN connected to your iPhone at all times is being assured that your device is as secure as possible, both while you are using it and while it is messing around in the background.
It also means you won’t have to constantly go back and forth in the app to turn it off and on again when you want to use it, or wait the few seconds it takes to connect to a server before continuing.
Cons of Leaving Your VPN On
There are many reasons why an iPhone VPN is useful, but it’s fair to say that there are potential downsides for your Apple smartphone to keep a VPN on at all times. The first that will likely come to mind is battery life.
iPhones are not known for having the best battery life when compared to Android phone competitors, but general usage is expected to see users get through the day without needing to charge their iPhone. However, having a mobile VPN app running in the background will certainly eat up your battery life, adding other software to your daily use in addition to aimless scrolling, watching content, and general browsing.
There is also the issue of speed. While the fastest VPN should mean your connection remains stable and you see little reduction in normal internet performance, it would be foolish to assume when connecting to long-distance servers that you wouldn’t see a slight lag on what you’re used to. .
Should I leave my iPhone VPN app on or not?
There are reasons for and against leaving your VPN app on on your iPhone all the time. While there is an issue of slowing down your connection, when you have your VPN running in the background while doing everyday tasks on your smartphone, we expect you to be connected to a local server. In this case, you shouldn’t detect much of a difference in performance.
In terms of battery life, although there isn’t a unanimous percentage on how much battery life your VPN uses on an iPhone per day (this will depend on many factors, including the model of iPhone you have and the health of the battery cell) , it’s fair to say it won’t ‘discover’ your battery and will instead use your juice like any other app.
That said, if you think this has a negative effect, there’s an argument to be made that you can simply connect to your VPN when using a public Wi-Fi network and/or when you’re doing particularly sensitive tasks where you want that added layer of safety.
Just like an antivirus, a VPN is designed to mess around in the background and help protect your device. But that’s not always practical, so we recommend at least turning on your iPhone VPN in those scenarios where your connection is most vulnerable – and, of course, when you want to get American Netflix from abroad.