Top Picks at a Glance
| Product | Android App Quality | Split Tunneling | Android TV | Battery Impact | Price/Mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. NordVPN | Excellent | Yes (include/exclude) | Yes (dedicated app) | Low (NordLynx) | $3.99 |
| 2. ExpressVPN | Excellent | Yes (include/exclude) | Yes (dedicated app) | Low (Lightway) | $8.32 |
| 3. Surfshark | Very Good | Yes (Bypasser) | Yes (dedicated app) | Low–Medium | $2.49 |
| 4. ProtonVPN | Very Good | Yes (include only) | Partial | Medium | $4.99 |
| 5. Private Internet Access | Good | Yes (include/exclude) | Yes | Medium | $2.19 |
Android app features vary between Android phone and Android TV builds of the same app. Verify feature availability on your specific device before subscribing.
Our Picks in Detail
Android vs iOS: Why Android VPN Apps Have More Features
The fundamental difference between Android and iOS VPN capabilities comes down to the system APIs each platform exposes to third-party apps. Apple's iOS sandbox restricts VPN apps to Apple's Network Extension framework, which deliberately limits what apps can intercept and redirect. Android's VpnService API is significantly more permissive, allowing VPN apps to implement features at a much lower level of the network stack.
Concretely, this means Android VPN apps can implement full per-app split tunneling — routing specific apps through the VPN while others bypass it entirely — without any of the limitations that prevent iOS apps from doing the same. Android also allows the operating system itself to enforce Always-On VPN and VPN lockdown, which prevents traffic from ever leaving the device outside the tunnel at a deeper level than any iOS app kill switch can achieve. For users who care about thorough leak protection and granular traffic control, Android is the more capable platform.
Split Tunneling on Android: Setting Per-App VPN Rules
Split tunneling lets you choose which apps use the VPN and which connect directly to the internet. On Android, this works at the per-app level with two distinct modes available in most top VPN apps:
Include mode (sometimes called "route only these apps through VPN"): Only the apps you select are tunneled through the VPN. Everything else uses your normal internet connection. This is useful if you want VPN protection only for a browser or a specific app like a banking application you access while traveling.
Exclude mode (sometimes called "bypass VPN for these apps"): All apps use the VPN by default, except the apps you explicitly exclude. Exclude your banking app (which may block VPN IP addresses), your local streaming service, or any app that does not work well through the VPN. This is the more common and practical mode for most users.
NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access all support both modes. Surfshark's "Bypasser" feature supports exclude mode. ProtonVPN currently offers include-only split tunneling on Android. To configure split tunneling in NordVPN: open the app, go to Settings > Split tunneling, choose your mode, and select apps from the list. Changes take effect immediately without reconnecting.
Always-On VPN and VPN Lockdown on Android
Android's built-in Always-On VPN and VPN lockdown features operate at the operating system level rather than within the VPN app itself. This makes them more robust than an app-based kill switch, which can potentially be bypassed if the app is killed by Android's battery optimization system.
To enable Always-On VPN: go to Settings > Network & internet > VPN, tap the gear icon next to your VPN connection, and toggle "Always-on VPN." Once enabled, Android will automatically reconnect the VPN whenever it drops and will restart the VPN app if it is killed. Enabling "Block connections without VPN" (VPN lockdown) in the same menu instructs the OS to drop all traffic that would exit outside the VPN tunnel — equivalent to a system-level kill switch that no amount of app crashing or battery optimization can circumvent.
One practical consideration: when VPN lockdown is enabled and the VPN cannot connect — because the server is down or your internet is temporarily unavailable — all network access on your device is blocked until the VPN reconnects. This is the correct behavior for maximum leak protection but can be disruptive if you need internet access during a brief VPN outage. Most users are better served by enabling Always-On without lockdown, which reconnects automatically but does not block traffic during brief gaps.
Installing VPN APKs Outside the Play Store
Android allows installing apps as APK files from outside the Google Play Store, a process called sideloading. This is useful in specific VPN scenarios: if a VPN app is temporarily removed from the Play Store due to a policy dispute, if you are in a country where the VPN app is not listed in the regional Play Store, or if you want an older version of a VPN app that has since been updated.
To sideload a VPN APK on Android: download the APK directly from the VPN provider's website (never from a third-party APK repository — use only the official source), go to Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps, allow the browser or file manager you are using to install unknown apps, then open the APK file. ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access both publish official APKs on their websites as alternatives to the Play Store version.
Security note: sideloading from unofficial sources carries real risk. A malicious APK disguised as a VPN app can harvest your data or install malware. Only download APKs from VPN providers' official domains, and verify the APK's SHA-256 checksum against what the provider publishes if they make checksums available.
VPN for Android TV vs Phone: Different Considerations
Using a VPN on Android TV serves a different primary purpose than using one on your phone. On your phone, the dominant use cases are privacy on public WiFi and bypassing geographic restrictions on mobile content. On Android TV, the primary use case is almost always unblocking geo-restricted streaming services — ESPN+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and similar platforms that are restricted by country.
Android TV VPN apps need to be navigable with a remote control rather than a touchscreen, which requires a specifically designed TV interface. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all ship dedicated Android TV apps with large UI elements and remote-compatible navigation. Apps that simply scale up their phone interface — rather than building a TV-specific layout — are frustrating to use on a television.
Performance requirements also differ. A phone VPN primarily needs low latency for general browsing and app use. An Android TV VPN needs sustained throughput — typically 25+ Mbps after overhead — to stream 4K content without buffering. Choose a VPN with servers in the target country that have documented success with specific streaming services, and verify the connection speed through the VPN before settling in for a long viewing session.
Best Android VPN Settings for Battery Life
A VPN running continuously on Android will increase battery drain, but several settings can minimize the impact without sacrificing meaningful security:
- Use WireGuard or NordLynx. These modern protocols use ChaCha20 encryption, which is designed to be fast on devices without hardware AES acceleration — exactly the situation on most Android phones. Compared to OpenVPN with AES-256, WireGuard consumes significantly less CPU and therefore less battery.
- Enable split tunneling to exclude background apps. Apps that sync in the background — email clients, social media apps, cloud backup — generate constant VPN traffic that the CPU must encrypt. Excluding these apps from the VPN tunnel reduces cryptographic workload without meaningfully reducing security for your primary browsing.
- Disable the VPN on trusted networks. Configure your VPN app to automatically disconnect on your home WiFi network. Most top VPN apps support trusted network detection — NordVPN calls this feature "Trusted Networks," Surfshark calls it "Trusted Networks" as well. Your home network is behind your router's NAT and is not a high-risk environment for the same threats that public WiFi presents.
- Use a server geographically close to your location. A nearby server processes your traffic faster and returns results sooner, meaning the VPN radio stays active for less time per network request. Connecting to a distant server adds round-trip time that keeps the radio active longer, draining more battery per transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up Always-On VPN on Android?
Go to Settings > Network & internet > VPN, tap the gear icon next to your VPN, and enable "Always-on VPN." You can also enable "Block connections without VPN" (VPN lockdown) in the same menu, which prevents any traffic from leaving your device outside the VPN tunnel — the Android equivalent of a kill switch. This setting applies to whichever VPN app is selected, and the app must support Android's built-in Always-On VPN API. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, ProtonVPN, and Private Internet Access all support this API.
Does a VPN work on Android TV?
Yes. Android TV supports native VPN apps from the Google Play Store, and most top VPN providers have dedicated Android TV apps. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all offer polished Android TV interfaces designed for remote-control navigation. The same account used on your phone works on Android TV. For Fire TV sticks, which run a forked version of Android, VPN apps are available in the Amazon App Store — NordVPN and ExpressVPN both have Fire TV-specific apps.
Can I use split tunneling to exclude specific apps from the VPN on Android?
Yes, and Android handles split tunneling more comprehensively than iOS. In NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN's Android apps, you can choose between two modes: include only specific apps in the VPN tunnel (all other apps use your normal connection), or exclude specific apps from the tunnel (all other apps use the VPN). The exclude mode is especially useful — you can route your banking app and local streaming apps outside the VPN while keeping everything else protected. This per-app granularity is not available in iOS VPN apps due to Apple's sandboxing restrictions.