7 Things You Can Use a VPN For

If you're one for surfing the web (who isn't?), there's no doubt you've heard all about VPNs. These clever tools let you browse the internet freely without leaving a trace. They keep your identity hidden and your data secure by encrypting your online activity. Think of all the awesome things you can do online if nobody's watching you, from unblocking restricted websites in your country to accessing Netflix libraries worldwide. It gives you the ultimate freedom to do whatever you want without having to look over your shoulder. For those who don't know much about the VPN craze and are wondering what they can do with it themselves, this useful guide will answer all your questions.

What Is a VPN?

VPNs, also known as virtual private networks, allow web users to browse the internet anonymously by encrypting their data and preventing tracking. This also masks your online location, giving you full privacy and freedom to browse the web without anyone seeing what you're doing, be it your internet service provider or the government.

The Best VPN Providers to Register With

Choosing a VPN provider can be stressful if you don't know what you're looking for. When you log on to any of their websites, they'll offer you all these big packages with lots of perks, but for the average person looking to keep themselves a little safer, you don't really need any of the extras unless you're up to no good. Remember, try to avoid using any free VPN networks as they may claim to keep you secure, but they tend to store all your data, unlike many of the paid service providers.

Here are our recommendations for the best VPN providers to register with:

• Surfshark

• Nord VPN

• ExpressVPN

• Proton VPN

What Can You Do with a VPN?

Use Social Media Apps That Are Banned in Certain Countries

Just because your favorite app on your mobile is free to use in your home country doesn't mean you can use it everywhere in the world. Certain places have banned some of the biggest social media platforms. For example, if you go on vacation somewhere that has a strict policy with social media platforms like X or Facebook, you won't be able to access them. However, once you turn on your VPN, you can change your location to your home country, and it will allow you to get back to posting your travels in real-time.

Access Different Country’s Netflix Catalogs

Exhausted from all the shows in your Netflix library? Since a VPN lets you change your IP address to pretty much anywhere in the world (depending on the provider), you can change to another country to check out what's on their Netflix platform. Take, for instance, people in Europe; you'll often hear of them switching their location to the US as our library just has so much on it compared to theirs.

Tailor Your Search Results to a Certain Location

Trying to find the answer about something in a place you're traveling to soon? A VPN lets you tailor your search results to any location you want, regardless of whether you want to be in Kuala Lumpur or Toronto. It can be a bit tricky to find out local information if your location is stuck to the location where you're physically located. But, if you change it to the place you want to know about, you're getting first-hand reports from people on the ground.

Stop Public Networks From Tracking Your Behavior

Oh, public Wi-Fi, how great, but not so fast. While in the moment, it might seem like a good idea to log on for a quick scroll as you wait for your coffee, these networks tend to be insecure. Let's take a look at a recent study by Forbes; they found that 40% of people they tested had their data breached on one occasion while being connected to a public router. That's pretty telling, but it doesn't mean you have to totally remain offline while you're out and about. A simple way to stop this from happening is by using a VPN the moment you connect to a public network. As your traffic will be encrypted, you can say goodbye to all those lurking scammers eager to get their hands on your valuable data.

Watch Your Favorite Sports Events Without Restriction

Picture this: you're living in Germany; it's Superbowl night, but it's not on offer on any of the channels in the country. A VPN can help you bypass these restrictions; you just have to switch your location to the US, log back on to the sports channel, and kick back and watch the game.

Speed up Your Gameplay

Anyone who's fond of a game of Call of Duty or two will be happy to know a VPN can speed up your gameplay. Rather than settling for the lags and latency problems that are all too common with internet service providers, a VPN will protect your data with encryption so you can focus on racking up your wins.

Get Your Hands on Cheaper Flight Tickets

Airlines have a number of strategies for determining airfares: availability, distance, and demand are all taken into account. There may be no concrete way to find out when flight prices will drop other than sticking the tracker on, which every second person does. That said, thanks to the helpful country-change feature that many VPN providers offer, switching your location to a country where the currency exchange rate works in your favor is possible. This way, you'll be able to snag some flight tickets for a lower price than what the average person is spending on them.

Download a VPN to Mask Your Identity

There’s no doubt you’ve spotted something on this list that makes you want to download a VPN. Whether you're prepping for an upcoming trip and want authentic local insights instead of the same old travel blogs or simply want to stay secure while using public Wi-Fi, a VPN will always keep you protected no matter what.