Android mobile phones and tables are incredibly popular with travellers. Smart phones and tablets are highly mobile and take up very little space, weighing just a fraction of a laptop or notebook computer. These small, mobile devices allow the user to stay connected to the Internet from anywhere in the world.
Travellers frequently connect to the Internet via unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. This is very unsafe due to the low security of open networks. The other problems with surfing the Internet abroad are the geographic restrictions put on various websites, and unwanted changes to browser settings when logging on from a foreign IP address. An Android VPN allows the user to avoid these restrictions and keep their browsing experience the same as if they were in their home country.
Android VPNs Help to Avoid Geographic Restrictions
Until recently, a user could login to the Internet from a mobile device or pc anywhere in the world and surf without restriction. Many businesses instead prefer restrictive models. Sites that may be free to use in the U.S.A or U.K., for example, may not allow access to users who are not located in those countries. This is unhelpful to the traveller who wants to access these sites.
This can be particularly annoying when trying to catch up with the news from home only to be told that this content is not available in your country. This is also frustrating when visiting a country with excessive censorship rules, such as China. China blocks many sites where a user may express a view not held by the ruling party.
An Android VPN is a secure, encrypted tunnel that connects the android device directly to a VPN server. The user’s IP address is hidden. Instead, the connection appears to be coming from the server’s location. For example, an American in Europe wishing to view restricted content in the U.S.A can choose to create a connection with a U.S. server. When the request is then made for connection to the webpage, the page only sees the IP address of the U.S. server. It has no way of knowing the original connection was, in fact, made from Europe.
Further Benefits from Using an Android VPN Abroad
Along with unblocking restricted websites, using an Android VPN offers extra benefits to the traveller. Many websites adapt their settings, language and content depending on the user’s location. This can affect results in search engines, causing search requests in English to be far less effective in a non-English speaking country.
International websites will also automatically redirect the user to the page specifically designed for that location. This often happens even when entering the URL directly. Logging in through a secure Android VPN will avoid these problems and the settings will remain as they were in the user’s home country.
Android VPN’s also provide increased security by fully encrypting all data transferred through the connection. This is especially useful for accessing bank accounts abroad. Using Wi-Fi hotspots always brings dangers on Android devices. When abroad, the only other option available to the user is to enter their bank details into public machines in Internet cafes or hotels, a practice that is clearly best avoided.
How to Get Started with an android VPN
Android portable devices now include software to create an Android VPN using the platform’s standard tools. A user wishing to activate a new Android VPN first must purchases an account with a VPN provider. This allows the user to access their VPN server. Once the VPN account is activated, a connection is made and easily switched on and off as the users wishes.