Why You Might Need to Temporarily Disable Your VPN and How to Do It
a virtual private network is a privacy tool that can protect you and your information online by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address. You may be tempted to leave your VPN on all the time, but sometimes you may need to turn it off.
If you want to protect some of your internet traffic with your VPN, but not all of it, here are some things you can try: split tunnelingIf split tunneling isn’t feasible, or you find yourself frustrated with the split tunneling process, you may want to simply disable your VPN altogether.
Below you can read why you might need to disable your VPN and how to do it.
Some reasons why you might want to disable your VPN
There are many situations in which you might want to pause your VPN. Most are because sites actively block VPNs or have policies against them. Disabling your VPN can also help diagnose network issues. If you’re traveling to a country where VPN use is illegal or regulated, disabling your VPN can keep you out of trouble.
Banks
You may encounter such a block when connecting to your bank or other online financial institution. Some banks may block traffic from other countries, so disabling your VPN will allow you to access your institution. Remember to always be on a secure network when accessing your financial information, so no banking on public Wi-Fi hotspots like Starbucks or McDonald’s.
Work or school
Some schools have a policy against the use of VPNs.
Disabling your VPN may also be required by your workplace or school. Some of these institutions have rules or policies against the use of VPNs, and it’s best to follow those guidelines so you don’t get into trouble.
Streaming services
You may also turn off your VPN because a site or service is blocking your access because you’re using a VPN. Some streaming sites, such as Netflix And Huluhave a policy against VPN usage. To comply with this policy, you should disable your VPN just in case so that you don’t get penalized by the service. If you want to speed up your internet to stream high-quality videos, you should also disconnect your VPN.
Fix the problem
If you’re having network issues, disconnecting from your VPN can also help you identify what’s wrong with your internet access. You may experience occasional network issues when using a VPN – after all, you’re routing to a different region, sometimes on the other side of the world – so disabling your VPN may help solve your problem.
Traveling
You may also need to disable your VPN if you’re traveling to a region where VPN use is illegal or could have legal ramifications. According to Surf SharkFor example, VPNs are not illegal in China, but there are regulations about how VPNs are used. If you don’t want to get into trouble, you should disable your VPN when you travel, just in case.
How to Disable Your VPN
Turning off your VPN is easy. In some apps and programs, you’ll open your VPN app or program and you’ll see a button that lets you know you’re turned off. Connected to your VPN. Tap or click that button and it should now be Disconnected.
ExpressVPN is a service that makes it easy to connect to and disconnect from your VPN.
In other apps and programs you may see a button that says DetachClicking or tapping this button will disconnect you from the VPN.
In some VPN apps, such as NordVPN And Surf Sharkyou also have the option to pause your VPN connection for a certain amount of time, like five or 30 minutes. That way, if you encounter something like a network connection issue, you won’t forget to turn your VPN back on.
And as a reminder, we advise reading the user agreement of a site or service before using a VPN. It is also important to remember that illegal activities are still illegal even if you mask your location with a VPN.
For more information, see the best vpns of 2024 and what you need to know about geo-blocking And split tunneling.
