Top 3 VPN Android Apps

Nowadays, you are being tracked by everyone. The NSA in USA.The GCHQ in the UK. Social media sites like Facebook. Search engines like Google. Online advertisers. Using a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, to access the internet is an important step in taking your security and your privacy back.

Released in 2008, Android had a market share of 75% worldwide in 2013. With so many people using Android tablets and phones, it has become their secondary and, gradually, their primary method of accessing the internet. As recent revelations come to light about the NSA and GCHQ surveying its own citizens, it has become extremely vital to use a VPN service to secure your privacy online.

Along with protecting yourself from government spying, the prevalence of P2P file sharing programssuch as uTorrentmakesit crucial to protect yourself from various anti-piracy enforcement agencies.

While opting to use a VPN is the obvious choice nowadays, choosing the best one can be quite tricky.There are a number of things you need to keep in mind such as the service provider’s policies, price and server locations. With these factors in mind, here is a list of the top three VPN Android apps.

1. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is the simplest VPN on the list, so it is best for beginners who aren’t too familiar with VPNs. All you need to do is tap the connect button and you will be connected. While it is simple to use, this method of connecting means that you won’t be able to choose the server, country or protocol. You won’t even be able to see your cloaked IP or which server you are connected to.

The app makes up for it by offering data encryption, IP cloaking and data compression. The free version of the app offers unlimited bandwidth, though there are a lot of ads. If you upgrade to the pro version, you will get improved security, remove ads and increase surfing speed.

2. Hideman

Hideman is also easy enough to use, so beginners won’t get too frustrated by it.When you first open the app, you can see your location and choose the location you want to connect to. You can only connect to a limited number of countries for free, but you can connect to lots more if you decide to subscribe.

Unlike other VPNs, Hideman sells time to connect. You get 5 hours a week for free, but you will have to subscribe after that. It doesn’t cost much and provides AES-256 bit encryption. Now, the downside here is that the timer starts ticking as soon as you open the app, even if you are not connected to the VPN.

3. TunnelBear

Like the first two apps, TunnelBear is simple enough for beginners. You can easily turn the VPN on or off and switch between the countries you are connected to by using the knobs in the top-left corner. TunnelBear is slightly more interactive than the other apps. When you connect to the VPN, a bear starts tunneling on the screen.The free package includes 500MB of data per month and you can get an extra 1GB by tweeting about TunnelBear.

The article is written by Intkhab Ahsan and he recommends best VPN for Australia.