As our digital lives increasingly shift to mobile devices, with the average American spending over 4 hours per day on their smartphone in 2022[^1], the importance of using a virtual private network (VPN) to secure your iPhone‘s internet connection has never been greater.
While public Wi-Fi hotspots offer convenience, they are fraught with privacy risks. Over 40% of mobile traffic flows over public Wi-Fi networks[^2], where attacks like man-in-the-middle interception and packet sniffing are rampant. A VPN protects you by encrypting your phone‘s internet data end-to-end so no one can spy on your activities.
But even if you wisely use a VPN on your iPhone, there are times you may need to briefly switch it off, like troubleshooting a slow connection, setting up smart home devices on your local network, or accessing mobile banking apps that block VPNs. Thankfully, disabling a VPN on an iPhone is straightforward whether it was configured via an app or manually.
Disconnect From Your VPN App
The quickest way to turn off an active VPN connection on your iPhone is from within the VPN app you used to set it up. Every reputable VPN provider offers a native iOS app with an easily accessible disconnect button or toggle. The process is similar across apps, with minor UI differences:
| VPN Service | Disconnection Steps |
|---|---|
| NordVPN | Open app, tap "Disconnect" quick-action button |
| ExpressVPN | Launch app, tap large power on/off toggle at top |
| Surfshark | Start app, press "Disconnect" button in center |
| ProtonVPN | Open app, hit "Disconnect" on main screen |
| IPVanish | Boot app, toggle off the "VPN On/Off" switch |
When you disconnect from your VPN app, it instructs the VPN server to terminate the encrypted VPN tunnel and reestablish your iPhone‘s regular internet connection. This method completely shuts down the VPN at both the client (your iPhone) and server ends for maximum battery savings.
Use the iOS Settings App
With iOS 13 in 2019, Apple introduced a system-wide VPN menu in the Settings app to give users quick control over VPN connections without having to open the VPN app. You can access it via:
Settings > VPN
If you‘re currently connected to a VPN, you‘ll see the VPN configuration name and a "Status: Connected" indicator. Tapping the green switch disconnects you from the VPN right from this preferences pane. This method is slightly quicker than navigating to the app.
The VPN settings menu works to disconnect any active VPN connection configured on your iPhone, whether from an App Store app or manually set up. However, it only terminates the client-side VPN tunnel, so the battery savings may be less than a full server-side disconnection.
iOS 16 in 2022 further expanded the built-in VPN options with the "traffic filtering" feature that allows defining rules for which apps‘ traffic should flow through the VPN tunnel[^3]. This offers more flexibility than per-app VPN control in third-party apps.
Delete the VPN Configuration Profile
In supervised device deployments, like school- or work-issued iPhones, you may have a VPN pre-configured by your IT administrator without an accompanying App Store app. These "configuration profiles" contain VPN server and authentication settings that are silently pushed to your device over the air.
To completely remove this type of always-on VPN from your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to General > VPN & Device Management
- Tap the VPN configuration under "Configuration Profiles"
- Hit "Delete Profile" then confirm
Note this permanently erases the VPN from your iPhone until your administrator re-deploys it. It‘s the only disconnect method available for configuration profile VPNs.
When Should You Turn Off Your iPhone VPN?
Disabling your VPN is sometimes necessary to access location-restricted content, use AirPlay, configure smart home devices, or get online banking to work. But some of the most common reasons include:
To troubleshoot internet issues: If web pages won‘t load or apps seem stuck, temporarily switching off your VPN can help determine if it‘s the culprit.
To maximize speed on fast networks: VPNs inherently add latency and eat up 5-15% of your bandwidth due to the encryption overhead. Disabling your VPN on a gigabit fiber connection can unleash its full unconstrained speeds.
To conserve battery life: VPNs are compute-intensive and consume an extra 5-15% of your iPhone battery.[^4] Shutting off your VPN when not needed, like when your phone is idle, can meaningfully extend battery life.
Just remember to re-engage your VPN as soon as possible, especially if you‘re on public Wi-Fi or an untrusted network. The inconvenience of a slower connection is well worth the privacy protection.
Intelligently Manage Your VPN for Maximum Security
Rather than manually fiddling with the VPN settings each time you need to change them, you can take advantage of advanced features in VPN apps and iOS itself to automatically toggle the VPN on and off based on your preferences:
Per-app VPN settings: Exclude select apps you trust from the VPN tunnel. For example, you could bypass the VPN for Apple Maps but keep it on for everything else.
Scheduled connects: Configure your VPN to activate on a recurring schedule, like during work hours or when you typically use public Wi-Fi.
Trusted networks: Define a list of safe Wi-Fi networks, such as your home, and set the VPN to disengage when you join them.
You can also use the iOS Shortcuts app to create your own automations for one-tap or contextual control over your VPN connection. Here‘s how to make a shortcut that disables your VPN:
- Open Shortcuts and tap + to create a new shortcut
- Search for and add the "Set VPN" action
- Choose your VPN configuration from the list
- Toggle "Turn Off" as the connection setting
- Give the shortcut a name and icon (e.g. "VPN Off")
- Add the shortcut to your home screen widget for quick access
Shortcuts makes it effortless to activate or deactivate your VPN from anywhere with just a tap. You can also set up automations to run your VPN shortcut when certain triggers occur, such as connecting to an unknown Wi-Fi hotspot or when your iPhone battery drops below 20%.
Disconnecting Your iPhone VPN: FAQs
To conclude, here are concise answers to common questions about turning off a VPN on an iPhone:
Q: Does turning off my VPN stop it from counting against my data?
A: Yes, disabling your VPN halts all traffic through the encrypted VPN servers, so it won‘t eat into your data plan.
Q: Will I be automatically reconnected if I switch my VPN back on?
A: Most VPN apps will reconnect you to the last used server location when you re-enable them.
Q: Can I set a VPN to automatically disconnect on a schedule?
A: iOS doesn‘t have a built-in VPN scheduler, but some apps like NordVPN offer scheduled connectivity. You can also create a personal automation shortcut that triggers the VPN by time of day.
Q: Is there a way to quickly toggle the VPN without diving into Settings?
A: Yes, adding your VPN connection to Control Center lets you turn it on/off with a simple swipe and tap. Just go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and add the VPN toggle.
Q: Will I need to re-authenticate when I reconnect my VPN?
A: Apps that store your login credentials in the iOS keychain like ExpressVPN can reconnect without a login prompt. But if you‘re using one-time passwords or manually entered VPN configurations, you may have to re-authenticate.
Q: What‘s the most complete way to disable a VPN on iPhone?
A: For the strictest disconnect, disable your VPN from the provider‘s app. This cuts off the encrypted tunnel on both your iPhone and the VPN server for maximum speed and battery gains.
The bottom line is, while you should strive to keep your VPN on whenever possible, it only takes a few taps to switch it off when needed. Just stay cognizant of your iPhone‘s connection status and err on the side of caution. With the growing prevalence of mobile threats, you can never be too careful online. Stay safe!
[^1]: Wurmser, Y. (2022, July 22). US time spent with mobile 2022. Insider Intelligence. https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/us-time-spent-with-mobile-2022
[^2]: M2M research series: Mobile data security. (2018, March). WBA Annual Industry Report 2018. Wireless Broadband Alliance. https://wballiance.com/resource/wba-annual-industry-report-2018/
[^3]: Calore, M. (2022, June 28). How to use the new VPN features in iOS 16. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/ios-16-new-vpn-features/
[^4]: AT&T. (2019, June 4). Can VPN impact my smartphone battery or data plan? AT&T Cybersecurity. https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/security-essentials/can-vpn-impact-my-smartphone-battery-or-data-plan
