• Bitdefender launches privacy tool built specifically for autonomous AI agents
• Each agent task gets a disposable, temporary connection that deactivates when the task is done
• VPN for AI Agents runs on a Model Context Protocol server architecture entirely

Bitdefender has introduced VPN for AI Agents, a standalone privacy tool built specifically for the autonomous software agents now browsing, researching, and transacting on behalf of everyday users.

The company says this public beta is a direct answer to the growing anxiety over machine-driven data exposure.

Unlike a conventional privacy tool that stays connected at all times, this tool activates only when an AI agent needs it, then deactivates once the task is done.

Why agents need their own privacy layer

Cybersecurity researchers have increasingly warned that autonomous agents occupy an ambiguous identity space, often borrowing a person's own credentials or shared workload logins to complete tasks online.

Without a clear separation, every website an agent visits and every transaction it completes remains traceable back to a single household IP address.

Recent Pew Research Center data found 71% of adults in the United States believe wider AI adoption will make their personal data less secure, a fear that extends well beyond American borders.

Bitdefender's new offering, built on a Model Context Protocol server architecture, spins up a disposable digital workspace for each prompt and discards it when the task is done.

Each prompt opens its own encrypted tunnel and exits through the VPN server's IP address, so no cookies, cache, or session state carries over to the next task.

The tool covers network transport and IP masking only, leaving the actual content of a prompt exchanged directly between the user and whichever AI provider is running it.

"AI agents are quickly becoming an extension of the people who use them, showing up in both our workdays and our personal lives," said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender.

"That means security can no longer stop at protecting the person behind the screen; it has to extend to the agent itself acting on their behalf."

This approach treats each agent like an independent team member requiring its own security boundary rather than inheriting the user's existing protections wholesale.

Bitdefender also describes this as clean-IP browsing, useful for QA checks on pages that display different content depending on the visitor's country.

The tool supports up to four simultaneous exit locations, or eight under the recommended testing configuration.

Access remains limited during the beta period

For now, the tool works only on macOS devices, though Bitdefender has confirmed plans to expand to additional operating systems after beta testing.

The beta specifically requires macOS 13 or later and an Apple silicon processor, meaning Intel Macs are not supported.

Bitdefender recommends macOS 15, 16 GB of memory, and roughly 10 GB of free disk space for smoother testing.

Once installed, it operates automatically across several popular AI platforms, including Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, and OpenCode, without requiring manual configuration from the user.

Bitdefender lists several practical use cases, including letting an agent compare prices across regions or complete multi-country research in one session.

The company frames these tasks as a productivity gain too, since they would otherwise need manual, country-by-country effort from a person.

Bitdefender is explicit about the tool's limits as well. It does not protect a device's other apps or browser.

It also does not hide prompts from the AI provider running them, and does not override a site's terms of service, rate limits, or an existing IP ban.

"With Bitdefender VPN for AI Agents, we're giving students, workers, and everyday consumers the confidence to let their AI agents work freely, knowing their identity and activity stay protected," Istrate added.

VPN for AI Agents public beta is currently available for free, but whether the free offering continues after the beta testing remains to be seen.

• Fight for the Future is running its 2nd annual Defend VPNs Day of Action
• VPN restrictions are increasingly being tucked inside new internet laws
• Utah, Michigan, the UK, Russia are among those targeting VPNs this year

Digital rights advocates are once again asking people around the world to stand up for VPNs, as lawmakers increasingly treat privacy tools as a loophole to be closed.

September 25 marks the second annual Defend VPNs Day of Action, organized by digital rights group Fight for the Future. The campaign asks users to sign an open letter and call their representatives, urging them not to ban or restrict VPNs.

Whether you rely on the best VPN on the market or a free app to stay safe on public Wi-Fi, the rules around how you can use it are changing fast.

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What is the Defend VPNs Day of Action?

The campaign launched in 2025, when Fight for the Future says it engaged around 20,000 people. This year, the group wants to build on that number.

Supporters can sign a letter to government leaders at DefendVPNs.com, which calls VPNs an essential tool for privacy and access to information. The site can also connect users directly to their lawmakers' offices by phone, and it provides a suggested script.

VPN providers are getting involved, too. Amnezia VPN and IPVanish have already announced their support and are encouraging users to sign the petition, while Surfshark is also listed as a supporter.

Why VPNs need defending

According to Fight for the Future, VPN bans and restrictions rarely appear on their own. Instead, they are most often bundled into age verification bills, or "online ID checks," that require people to prove their age before accessing certain sites.

Advocates argue the stakes go far beyond adult content. Fight for the Future says the most vulnerable people rely on VPNs to reach loved ones, seek healthcare, and find information that is increasingly locked behind ID checks and biometric scans.

"Using VPNs is not criminal," said Sarah Philips, Campaign Director at Fight for the Future, adding that "Using VPNs is a right that must be defended at all costs from governments who are doing their best to break down what little privacy we have in the current tech landscape."

A year of attacks on VPNs

Here's a quick look at the biggest threats since last year's Day of Action.

Despite lawmakers in Wisconsin scrapping a provision forcing sites to block VPN users after widespread backlash, SB 73 made Utah the first US state to target VPNs in an age verification law.

A proposed "public morals" bill in Michigan would make ISPs block VPNs, with fines of up to $500,000 for promoting them. It remains in play.

In the UK, Ministers ruled out age-gating or banning VPNs, but platforms are now expected to stop users from circumventing age checks themselves.

Australia's officials explored ways to block age verification workarounds, while the EU has signaled VPNs could be next in line after announcing a social media ban for teens.

In Brazil, VPN use became an aggravating factor in crimes, Reclaim The Net reported.

In Russia, Human Rights Watch reported this week that at least 469 VPNs had been blocked by February, with authorities now turning to bulk IP blocks and app store takedowns. Amnezia VPN itself was targeted in June and needed around six weeks to fully recover.

With youth social media bans spreading to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the UAE, Fight for the Future warns that VPNs will only face more scrutiny.

Anyone who wants to add their voice can do so at DefendVPNs.com.

• Opera's free built-in VPN can now switch itself on public, unsecured Wi-Fi
• The opt-in feature is rolling out to users in the US and France first
• Opera VPN Free still only protects your browser

Opera browser is making it harder to forget about your VPN.

The company's free, built-in VPN for desktop can now turn itself on when you connect to a public or unsecured Wi-Fi network.

The feature is opt-in, so you'll need to enable it in settings first, and it's rolling out to desktop users in the US and France starting today.

Even the best VPN can't protect you if it isn't switched on, and Opera is betting that removing that manual step will get more people covered on risky networks.

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Opera VPN Free goes on autopilot

Opera has offered its built-in VPN since 2016. It's free, doesn't require an account, and has no fixed bandwidth cap. Its no-logs policy has also been independently audited by Deloitte. Until now, though, you had to remember to switch it on yourself.

With this new setting, however, the Opera browser turns the VPN on automatically when it spots a public network. So, working from a café, studying on campus, or browsing at an airport no longer means activating the VPN manually every time.

The option first surfaced in testing earlier this month, when release notes for Opera Developer 137 listed an option for the VPN to connect automatically on public networks.

Arjan van Leeuwen, Head of Opera One Engineering, said VPNs "are a vital part of users' digital hygiene".

The company also notes that competitors like Chrome and Safari still don't offer built-in browser VPN features by default. It also cites We Are Social data showing that only 23% of internet users worldwide used a VPN as of Q4 2025.

Why public Wi-Fi is a risk

Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but open networks can be joined by anyone nearby, who can then snoop on or inject malicious traffic.

A trustworthy VPN encrypts your traffic, which makes it much harder for attackers to intercept and steal your data.

Automating that step closes the gap between knowing you should use a VPN and actually doing it.

Opera VPN Free vs Pro: a quick overview

Opera VPN Free is built into the browser and costs nothing. However, it only protects traffic inside Opera, so apps like Spotify, Steam, or a standalone email client still use your regular connection.

Opera VPN Pro, which launched as a paid tier in 2022, is a system-wide VPN. It covers up to six Windows, macOS, or Android devices, and it has run on ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol since mid-2025, with 48 server locations.

Lightway also brings post-quantum protection by default. Opera lists Pro from $4 per month, and new users can try it with a 7-day free trial.

If you mainly want to keep your browsing safe on the odd café hotspot, the free VPN with auto-connect is an easy win. If you want every app on your device protected, you'll need Pro or a dedicated VPN app.

• Obscura VPN has released a native Linux app, with both GUI and CLI
• Official packages cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and other derivatives
• The provider has also switched to an open-source GPLv3 license

Obscura VPN has finally arrived on Linux. The privacy-focused provider has launched a native desktop app for the platform, meaning Linux users no longer need to set up the service manually.

This rounds off a busy year for the newcomer, which only recently landed on Windows. With this release, Obscura now supports macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux.

For privacy-minded Linux fans hunting for the best VPN for their setup, Obscura's unusual two-party design makes it one of the more interesting options.

The company is also relicensing its code under GPLv3, which will appeal to open-source purists.

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What's new in Obscura's Linux app

Obscura's Linux app ships with a full graphical interface, alongside an experimental command-line interface for users who prefer the terminal. Until now, Linux users had to rely on a manual WireGuard setup guide to connect. The native app means no more juggling configuration files, making the service far more accessible.

Obscura offers official packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora (including Atomic Desktops like Silverblue), and Arch, as well as derivatives like Linux Mint, RHEL, Silverblue, CachyOS, and Omarchy. Minimum requirements include Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13, Fedora 44, and RHEL 10, and the app is installed through Obscura's own package repository.

The Linux client also supports Obscura's QUIC-based stealth protocol, which makes VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTP/3 web browsing. This can help you get past networks that block VPNs.

To mark the launch, Obscura is offering 25% off for a limited time with the promo code LINUX26. The service normally costs around $8 per month, with no free tier.

Obscura goes GPLv3

Alongside the launch, Obscura has moved from the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 to the GNU General Public License v3.0, which it says furthers its commitment to open-source software.

Obscura's code has been public since day one, but GPLv3 is a true open-source license, giving the community more freedom to inspect, modify, and share it. It's the same license Mullvad uses for its own apps.

What is Obscura VPN?

Obscura was founded by Carl Dong, a former Bitcoin Core contributor, and first launched on macOS in February 2025. It promised to set the standard for next-gen VPNs, and has since expanded to iOS, then Android, Windows, and now Linux.

Its big selling point is a two-party relay. Obscura acts as the entry node and sees your real IP address, while Mullvad VPN handles the exit node and sees the websites you visit. This means no single provider knows both who you are and what you browse.

That design has already been tested. Security firm Cure53 audited Obscura and found no major security vulnerabilities, as we reported last December.

• ExpressVPN has released version 14.3.1 for its Windows, Mac, and Linux apps
• Advanced Protection's ad and tracker blocking now works beyond the Lightway protocol
• The update also brings a rebuilt speed test, stronger screen reader support, and fixes for each platform

ExpressVPN has pushed out another update for its desktop VPN apps, and this one packs in more than the last few. Version 14.3.1 landed on Windows, Mac, and Linux on September 22.

The biggest change is that Advanced Protection, ExpressVPN's set of ad, tracker, and malicious site blockers, now works across all VPN protocols. There's also a rebuilt speed test, smarter split tunneling, and plenty of reliability fixes.

It's the latest in a busy year for one of TechRadar's best VPN recommendations, following a visual makeover and a stable MCP server for AI tools in June.

Advanced Protection finally works on every protocol

Until now, Advanced Protection on ExpressVPN's desktop apps only functioned with the VPN switched on and the Lightway or Automatic protocol selected.

Version 14.3.1 lifts that restriction, so you can now block ads, trackers, and harmful sites while using OpenVPN or WireGuard.

That's a welcome change for anyone who switches protocols to cope with tricky networks, since you no longer have to give up those protections to do it. ExpressVPN notes the feature is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will see it straight away.

Faster speed tests and smarter split tunneling

The built-in speed test has been rebuilt to run faster and deliver more precise results, which should make choosing the quickest server an easier job.

Split tunneling is more reliable for apps you exclude from the VPN, and the setup guidance has been refreshed. On Windows, the feature no longer keeps scanning for new apps when it's switched off, which cuts CPU usage. On Mac, split tunneling now leaves DNS traffic alone, so it can run alongside Advanced Protection.

On the accessibility side, screen readers can now navigate the location list, protocol settings, split tunneling, and auto-connect rules. The app also announces connection status and settings changes. That builds on the accessibility push in version 14.1.0, an area where our review rated the app just three out of five.

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Fixes for every platform

Mac users get a fix that stops Docker containers from disrupting networking while connected, and the app now launches even when there's no network after waking or booting.

On Windows, the VPN stays connected when your screen turns off on Modern Standby PCs, and installation is more reliable on ARM64 devices.

Linux users benefit from improved Lightway routing and DNS configuration on systems that use resolvectl, including Pop!_OS, along with native desktop notifications. It's another step forward for ExpressVPN as a Linux VPN option, following the arrival of its rebuilt Qt-based Linux app in late 2025.

If you already use ExpressVPN, the update should install automatically. Otherwise, you can download the latest build from ExpressVPN's website. To confirm you're on 14.3.1, check the app version, which now sits at the bottom of the sidebar.

• Apple's latest iOS update has been found to undermine NordVPN's anti-phishing tool
• The feature that causes the issue, Connectivity Assist, is turned on by default as part of the update
• According to NordVPN, the issues could have been prevented

Apple's new iOS 27 operating system update is undermining NordVPN’s anti-phishing tool, leaving users exposed to privacy vulnerabilities, the VPN has warned.

Connectivity Assist, a Wi-Fi Assist feature included in Apple’s twentieth operating system release, conflicts with NordVPN’s real-time protection, preventing it from working properly, the provider has found.

What’s worse? The tool is enabled by default, meaning users may not even know. What's more, other privacy tools on your phone may also have been compromised.

The problem with Connectivity Assist

Connectivity Assist optimises your Wi-Fi connection by supplementing slow or unreliable Wi-Fi connections with mobile data, detecting connection issues, and redirecting requests to your mobile operator’s DNS servers instead.

However, when NordVPN’s anti-fraud protection blocks a phishing site, Apple may also interpret the failed connection as a Wi-Fi issue and switch to mobile data—outside the VPN’s protection—thereby compromising the functionality of the NordVPN tool.

The only option currently available to ensure full protection is to disable Connectivity Assistant, so it can’t switch to mobile data when real-time protection blocks a website.

Alternatively, you can choose only to enable real-time protection when using a VPN by disabling NordVPN’s ‘always on’ option - but this still leaves them unprotected when using mobile data - just now by choice.

“People are being made to choose between two things they shouldn't have to choose between, and there's no good way for us to fix it,” Laura Tyrylyte, Head of Public Relations at NordVPN, tells TechRadar.

Can this be prevented?

Could Apple have helped resolve these issues before the release? Perhaps, according to the VPN representative. “Apple knew the feature interferes with DNS-based filtering before it shipped,” Tyrylyte notes. “Their own support page tells people running an ad blocker to switch Connectivity Assist for that network. Somebody spotted the conflict, it just didn’t get fixed.”

Users of Pi-hole, Firewalla, and other DNS-based filtering tools had previously reported the same behaviour, and Cloudflare's WARP also stopped blocking malicious sites following the update, NordVPN stressed.

Apple engineers have suggested alternative solutions in the forums, but these only work if users configure the DNS settings themselves, notes Tyrylyte.

“Deciding to treat deliberate filtering as a failed connection is a choice somebody made. They could have written it the other way: if a user-installed DNS service decides to resolve or block the query, leave that judgement alone,” Tyrylyte adds.

“Instead, the problem got handed to users, who now need to end up fielding the support tickets for something we can’t change,” she stresses.

NordVPN states that this is not the first time a change made by Apple to the network has compromised a security feature on iOS, with the VPN having to inform users.

In 2023, Apple’s VPN API contained vulnerabilities that disrupted NordVPN operations. “Both times users ended up having to pick between an Apple feature and their own protection, and both times Apple was the only one who could have prevented that,” Tyrylyte says.

“Apple makes the call, and we find out what the call was when the release lands, she stressed.

Whoever’s responsibility this is, one thing is for certain: it is users who stand to pay the highest price when tools quietly stop working. And reporting the issue in the press as a solution seems a poor substitute for preventing the problem in the first place.

Apple is yet to respond to a request for comment.

NymVPN's latest update has shaken up its entire pricing structure. Two-year plans are completely gone, and, oddly, some prices have gone up, but, with the product better than ever before, it may be time to take notice.

NymVPN has rapidly been maturing. Most recently, its v2026.12 update added improved connection stability on WireGuard and a simpler onboarding experience to its deliberately complex VPN architecture.

All the best VPNs use complex security methods to ensure your data is never at risk, but NymVPN's mixnet takes this one step further.

Data you send from your device bounces between five different servers, and is encrypted at each, before exiting at the designated end server. In short, it adds five times the number of steps of additional security to your connection before sending you where you desire online. The idea is that it makes you next to impossible to identify and track.

Before subscriptions to NymVPN were for 1 month, 1 year or 2 years but they company has now switched that around by axing the 2-year plan and adding in a 6 month version.

Monthly plans are comparatively cheap for the VPN industry at $8 per month. That's about half what you'd pay for NordVPN, for example. Equally, at $4 per month, the 1-year plans are also good value.

And the 6-month plan is smack in the middle at $6/month.

Is NymVPN only good for security?

NymVPN's security technology is among the most sophisticated available. There are no other VPNs that run a decentralized noise-generating mixnet, but that doesn't mean that it lacks any of the more consumer-friendly features.

It offers over 70 server locations, split tunnelling capabilities, kill switch protection, obfuscation technology, and streaming unblocking.

When we completed our NymVPN review, back in 2024, at the time of its launch, far fewer of these capabilities were deemed possible. Now, its combination of security and functionality makes NymVPN a must-watch VPN over the coming months.

If you want a more mature product right away, then one of the very best VPNs might suit you better.

NordVPN, for example, performs best for overall performance. Surfshark is the best cheap VPN available, and Proton VPN is the next best thing if you're looking for privacy.

Either way, Nym is a sure-fire up-and-comer, and not a VPN to ignore.

• NymVPN has launched a new version of its app - v2026.12
• It introduces a host of speed-focused improvements, alongside improved usability, better onboarding, and new anti-censorship capabilities
• Alongside the technical changes, a new pricing structure has removed the 2-year plan entirely

NymVPN's latest update marks its latest move to put the best VPNs in its crosshairs. The provider has launched version 2026.12, bringing a massive wave of usability improvements, anti-censorship tools, and a brand-new pricing structure across its desktop and mobile apps.

According to the Nym Core Team, this release is laser-focused on "getting the safest connection to more people, in more places, with less in the way."

To that end, NymVPN has completely reworked its WireGuard handshake to deliver faster, more stable cellular connections. This means your VPN is far less likely to drop when switching from Wi-Fi to a spotty mobile data network. It also introduced a new onboarding experience to help you get started smoothly with the VPN's unique, decentralized mixnet.

One-click routing and smarter split tunneling

The most immediate change users will notice is the introduction of one-click connections. NymVPN has introduced a "Safest" default setting that automatically picks a strong-performing server in a country next to yours, ensuring your entry point sits safely outside your home jurisdiction. Users can also select "Random" to constantly break traffic analysis patterns, or rely on "Favorites" and "Recents" for instant access to trusted nodes.

NymVPN is also expanding on its earlier beta tests by officially launching geo-exclusion alongside traditional split tunneling for desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux).

While basic split tunneling lets you send a whole app outside the VPN, geo-exclusion is far more precise. It splits a single app's traffic by destination, allowing you to route local services (like a banking app) outside the tunnel while keeping international traffic protected. The team notes this feature is currently available for Chinese IPs, with more countries coming soon.

Beating censorship on the go

For users in restrictive regimes, simply having a VPN app visible on your phone can be dangerous. Following earlier iOS icon disguises, NymVPN has now brought a camouflage icon feature to Android, allowing users to hide the software behind a discreet alternative logo in their device settings.

The provider is also expanding its global accessibility, launching five new languages: Traditional Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong), Japanese, Italian, and Indonesian. As the developer noted in its release, "for people living under censorship, a VPN they can actually read is a necessity, not a nicety."

Pricing shake-up and what's next

NymVPN is tweaking its subscription model to reflect the app's growing feature set. The provider has introduced a new six-month plan at $6 per month, while maintaining a standard monthly tier at $8.

However, the company is retiring its two-year subscription tier. The best value is now the one-year plan at $4 per month. NymVPN confirmed that existing two-year subscribers will keep their current plan, but it will automatically renew as a one-year plan when it expires.

The provider claims it remains one of the most affordable options on the market, adding that its "privacy is guaranteed by design, not by a promise a centralized VPN structurally can't keep."

Looking ahead, the NymVPN roadmap promises QR-code support for faster activations, expanded geo-exclusion for Russia, and customizable entry-and-exit server profiles.

• Mullvad has released version 2026.10 of its Android app
• A rotatable globe and advanced multi-hop feature are the main highlights
• The VPN has also reported a glitch affecting connection

Mullvad has released version 2026.10 of its Android VPN app, introducing new features designed to boost speed and security while making the overall user experience more fun.

An interactive map showing VPN server locations and an advanced multi-hop feature, alongside a few bug fixes, are the key additions in this release, currently available on GitHub.

Interestingly, Google Play has yet to list the upgrade, with Mullvad still showing the previous version 2026.08 as its latest release on the official website, too.

The new redesign was quietly announced on the cloud platform over the past two days, following months of meticulous preparation that had already included the release of new features in beta in August, with the VPN testing them for almost a month before the launch.

Meanwhile, the Sweden-based VPN continues to ensure transparency, alerting users to an issue with the new version and reflecting the accountability expected by the best VPNs.

More interaction, please

The new version features a rotating globe that highlights server locations available to users, making the discovery process more immersive and playful. Users can now zoom in, pan, scroll, and explore the globe region by region to discover the exact locations of all VPN servers, as well as view their own connection routes.

Additionally, its multi-hop function, which routes traffic through two servers for additional privacy and to make it easier to route your traffic, can now be enabled automatically when relevant settings require it and off when it is unnecessary.

The multi-hop feature is a staple of Mullvad’s functionality — indeed, it first reached Android in 2025, following earlier arrivals on desktop and iOS, when Mullvad had labelled it “a tunnel within a tunnel.”

However, by selecting the new button, you won’t need to manually enable the function, as the Android VPN app will now activate it automatically when it’s called for.

This becomes particularly relevant when DAITA, a security technique that obscures network traffic patterns to prevent interception, is enabled and the selected servers do not support it directly, but you still desire a high level of security.

Specifically, the system will now recognise this preference and will automatically activate multihop mode, as DAITA requires it or benefits from it in order to function effectively. If you disable DAITA, the system will automatically revert to a faster, single-server connection to save you bandwidth, allowing the VPN to maintain its fast speeds reputation.

The VPN has also optimised the server location search function. Specifically, the results displayed in the ‘Select location’ field are now sorted by relevance, based on how closely they match users’ queries. Approximate search results have also been included to recognise imperfect matches and improve the overall user experience.

Finally, a few bugs have also been fixed, such as the sorting of the list of positions in English and previous revocation flags appearing during an API rejection.

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Fixing the bugs

Only two days ago, Mullvad released version 2026.09. However, the release contained an error that could cause the tunnel to get stuck in connecting and disconnecting when the QUIC obfuscator is used, causing the entire tunnel state machine to freeze and requiring the app to be restarted.

While the new version has indeed fixed the glitch in the previous version— and for this reason, the VPN explicitly advised to abandon version number 09 — it also warned that 2026.10 may cause the first connection attempt to fail when using features such as quantum-resistant tunnels or Daita.

A future release is expected soon to fix the connection issue, Mullvad said.

• CyberGhost has rebuilt the server list in its iOS app from the ground up
• Browse, Streaming, and Favourites now live in their own tabs
• The overhaul is CyberGhost's most meaningful iPhone update in a while

CyberGhost has pushed out a new update for its iOS app, and this time it's one iPhone users will actually notice. The update includes a completely rebuilt server list, the part of the app you touch every time you pick a location.

According to the release notes, Browse (All), Streaming, and Favourites now sit in their own tabs. You can search for any country or city instantly, and scrolling and animations have been smoothed out throughout.

CyberGhost is not on our list of the best VPN services currently, but it remains one of the fastest, most reliable picks for streaming, so any polish to the everyday experience is welcome.

The move also mirrors what we have seen elsewhere. Private Internet Access, another Kape-owned service, recently broke a long silence with a wave of app and network upgrades of its own.

What's new in CyberGhost's iOS update

The core change is structural. Instead of one long scrolling list, the server picker is now split into three tabs: Browse for all countries, Streaming for servers optimised for platforms like Netflix, and Favourites for the locations you have saved.

A new search bar sits alongside those tabs, so you can type a country or city and jump straight to it rather than thumbing through the whole roster. CyberGhost offers servers in 100 countries, so it's a much-needed shortcut.

This is a quality-of-life update, not a new feature drop, and it targets friction most users feel daily: finding the right server quickly.

Splitting streaming servers into their own tab is especially useful given CyberGhost's strong unblocking record, and instant search removes the guesswork when you need a specific city for local content.

It's worth noting the update does not touch privacy tooling, and CyberGhost's no-logs policy was last put under an independent Deloitte audit back in 2024.

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How to use the new features

After updating the iPhone app, tap the location area on the home screen to open the rebuilt server list.

Use the tabs along the top to switch between Browse, Streaming, and Favourites, or tap the search bar to find a country or city by name.

To save a location, tap the star next to it and it will appear under Favourites next time.

• Proton VPN adds a native app for Amazon Fire TV Sticks running on Vega OS
• Users can download the app directly from their smart TVs
• Proton joins a few major VPNs in supporting Amazon's latest OS

Amazon's transition to its brand-new operating system has caused quite a stir in the streaming world, but the industry's top security providers are catching up. Proton VPN is now the latest provider to release a dedicated app for Amazon Fire TV Sticks running Vega OS.

If you've recently upgraded to one of Amazon's next-generation streaming devices, you might have noticed that older Android-based apps no longer work. By rolling out a native application tailored specifically for this new Linux-based ecosystem, Proton VPN ensures you won't have to sacrifice your privacy just to watch your favorite shows.

When looking for the best VPN for streaming, device compatibility is just as crucial as connection speed. Securing a smart TV or streaming stick shouldn't require complex manual router configurations, which is why native apps are so vital for the average consumer.

Unblocking your favorite streams on Vega OS

Amazon's shift from its traditional Android-based Fire OS to the streamlined Vega OS meant that app developers had to build entirely new software from the ground up. For VPN users, this initially caused a major headache, as older Fire Stick applications simply wouldn't install on the new hardware architecture.

With Proton VPN's new release, users can easily secure their internet connection, hide their IP address, and unblock geo-restricted streaming libraries directly from their television.

Whether you want to avoid bandwidth throttling from your internet service provider or keep your late-night binge-watching habits out of the hands of third-party trackers, a dedicated TV app makes the entire process seamless.

To get the new app running on your smart TV setup, Vega OS users can find detailed download instructions on Proton's dedicated support page.

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The growing Vega OS VPN ecosystem

Proton isn't the only provider that has scrambled to accommodate Amazon's sweeping software changes over the past year. In fact, the race to build the ultimate Vega OS application has been fiercely competitive among the industry's biggest players.

When VPN support first landed on the next-gen Amazon Fire TV Stick, consumer options were severely limited. However, the streaming privacy landscape has rapidly expanded. NordVPN was among the first to break ground with its Linux-based VPN app, setting a high standard for speed and usability on the platform.

Shortly after that initial wave, IPVanish joined NordVPN in the race to support the new hardware, bringing its simultaneous connections to the Vega OS ecosystem. Following suit, Surfshark launched its own native app, with ExpressVPN also joining this list more recently.

With Proton VPN now entering the fray, consumers have a highly robust lineup of premium privacy tools to choose from. If you value open-source transparency, Proton's arrival on Vega OS is a massive win for your smart home security.