VPNs are sold as if they make you invisible online. They don't. What they do is narrower and genuinely useful: they put a private tunnel between your device and the internet, so the network you're on can't see what you're doing. Here's what that means in practice, when it's worth having, and how to set one up in about ten minutes.
What a VPN actually does
Normally, your broadband provider, or whoever runs the Wi-Fi you're on, can see which websites you connect to. A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your connection and sends it through the VPN company's server first. The Wi-Fi owner and your broadband provider just see a scrambled connection to the VPN. Websites see the VPN server's internet address instead of yours.
The catch: you're moving your trust from your broadband provider to the VPN company. That's why who you choose matters more than any feature list.
When it helps
- Public Wi-Fi. Cafés, hotels, trains and airports. You don't know who runs the network or who else is on it.
- Keeping your browsing from your broadband provider. They can't see which sites you visit through the tunnel.
- Hiding your home internet address from the websites you visit.
- Travelling abroad and wanting a UK connection for UK services (check each service's own rules).
When it doesn't
- It doesn't make you anonymous. Sign in to Google, Facebook or Amazon and they know it's you, VPN or not.
- It doesn't stop tracking by apps and accounts. Your phone's apps still report what they report.
- It doesn't stop scams or viruses. A fake website is just as fake through a VPN.
- You don't need one for online banking. Your bank's app and website are already encrypted end to end.
- It won't get you out of identity or age checks. Those ask who you are, not where you are.
Is it legal in the UK?
Yes. Using a VPN is legal in the UK, and in July 2026 the government confirmed it won't ban or age-gate VPNs, because they have legitimate privacy and security uses. (More in our Online Safety Act explainer.) What's illegal offline is still illegal through a VPN.
How to set one up
1. Pick a trustworthy one
This is the only decision that really matters, and we've written a separate guide on it: how to choose a VPN. The short version: a well-known provider with an independently audited no-logs policy, and never a free VPN that pays its bills by selling your data. Our tools page lists the ones we rate. We may earn a commission from some of those links, and we say which. Mullvad we recommend for nothing, because they refuse affiliate schemes.
2. Install the app from the right place
- On a phone, get the provider's app from the App Store or Google Play, and check the developer name matches the company.
- On a computer, download it from the provider's own website, not a search advert or a download site.
- Create your account and pay inside the app or on their website.
3. Switch it on
- Open the app and sign in.
- Your phone will ask permission to add a VPN configuration. Say yes; that's how every VPN works.
- Tap Connect. For everyday use, pick a UK server near you; it's fastest.
4. Turn on the two settings worth having
- Kill switch (the name varies). It blocks your internet if the VPN drops, so nothing slips out unprotected.
- Auto-connect on untrusted Wi-Fi. So it switches itself on in the café without you having to remember.
5. Check it's working
- With the VPN off, search “what is my IP” and note the number.
- Switch the VPN on and search again. The number should change, and the location should show the VPN server's.
If it doesn't change, the VPN isn't connected. Check the app says “Connected”, and restart it if not.
Apple users: a note on Private Relay
If you pay for iCloud+, iPhones and Macs include iCloud Private Relay. It hides your internet address from websites in Safari and encrypts some of your traffic, but Apple is clear it isn't a VPN: your network provider still sees your address, and it isn't available in every country. It's a decent extra, not a replacement.
The honest summary
A VPN is a sensible, cheap habit for public Wi-Fi and for keeping your browsing from your broadband provider. It won't make you anonymous, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Pair it with good habits, like private browsing on shared computers, and you've covered the everyday risks.