Thousands of iOS and Android VPNs are hiding behind fake websites and useless privacy policies — here's how to spot them
In fact, a mere 61.4% (851) of iOS apps passed all main validity checks, while Android trailed far behind with just 40.8% (1,210) passing the same tests.Just because a VPN is available on an official App Store doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Here is what the data tells us about the safety of mobile VPNs. You may like The best VPNs for Android – our top picks based on expert testing 'They will renew your subscription even if you turn off the auto-renewal' — Which VPN has the most price complaints on the Play Store?
- ▪In fact, a mere 61.4% (851) of iOS apps passed all main validity checks, while Android trailed far behind with just 40.8% (1,210) passing the same tests.Just because a VPN is available on an official App Store doesn’t mean it’s legitimate.
- ▪Here is what the data tells us about the safety of mobile VPNs.
- ▪You may like The best VPNs for Android – our top picks based on expert testing 'They will renew your subscription even if you turn off the auto-renewal' — Which VPN has the most price complaints on the Play Store?
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| Original publisher | TechRadar |
| Canonical URL | https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/thousands-of-ios-and-android-vpns-are-hiding-behind-fake-websites-and-useless-privacy-policies-heres-how-to-spot-them |
| Publication time | Wed, 29 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-29T18:06:31.633Z |
| Last seen | 2026-07-29T18:06:31.633Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | iBaulcBwFmuM · 1 stories |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
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VPN VPN Privacy & Security Thousands of iOS and Android VPNs are hiding behind fake websites and useless privacy policies — here's how to spot them Features By Rene Millman Contributions by Rob Dunne, Mike Williams Published 29 July 2026 Our investigation into nearly 4,800 mobile VPNs reveals thousands using free @gmail addresses, copied template policies, and unhelpful websites When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TechRadar.
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