Latest news with #Lightway
Tom's Guide
27-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
ExpressVPN has significantly redesigned its mobile apps – here's what's new
ExpressVPN's mobile apps have undergone a significant redesign, making them faster, smarter, and more user-friendly. Known as one of the best VPNs for beginners, ExpressVPN has created a simpler, cleaner app, as well as adding new features. The update is being rolled out now across ExpressVPN's mobile apps, and will become fully available to all users on 30 May 2025. ExpressVPN: the best VPN for beginnersExpressVPN's new UI update makes it even easier to use than before. It's great for VPN beginners and it boasts a very simple mobile app. It's Lightway protocol makes it super fast, it can protect up to 8 devices on one plan, and it secures your devices with the highest standards of post-quantum encryption. The 2-year deal works out at $4.99 per month ($139.72 up front for 28 months of cover). There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test it out before you commit. ExpressVPN already had a very simple and easy-to-use UI, but this redesign has made it cleaner and provides quicker access to settings. The giant on/off button ExpressVPN is known for remains, but you'll now see selected server information and your IP address on a small map – meaning you can physically see where you're connected to. Maps on mobile devices can be tricky to navigate, but you can't interact with this one. It's simply there to make things more visual. You can also now, and easily change, the VPN protocol you're using, as well as seeing your "time protected" across the week. The "Options" tab has become "Profile" and means you can quickly and easily access your VPN settings. Advanced protection features, the Keys password manager, and eSIM and Aircove router paid add-ons can now be found under the "Add-ons" tab. Smart Location is now even smarter, using speed, latency, and distance to suggest the best servers for you. You can see the top three or five fastest servers, your recent locations, and the most popular servers in your country. You can still browse all ExpressVPN locations and search for specific servers. It was already very easy to connect to an ExpressVPN server and go – now it's even easier. A speed test feature has also been added to the app's home page. You can test your internet connection speeds, both with and without a VPN, as well as determine which ExpressVPN server is fastest at the time of the speed test. Thanks to the Lightway Turbo protocol, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs out there. If speed is your number one priority, you can easily select the fastest and most appropriate server for your needs. Although many VPNs and their users focus on the WireGuard protocol, OpenVPN is still around and has its uses. OpenVPN is now available on iOS, in addition to the already present Lightway and IKEv2. We already rate ExpressVPN as the best iPhone VPN and this addition will do no harm to that claim. However, if advanced protection features – such as tracker and ad blocker – are enabled, OpenVPN cannot be selected. Android users already benefitted from OpenVPN support prior to this update and ExpressVPN sits at number two on our best Android VPN list. These are great and welcomed updates to ExpressVPN, and it has said more mobile updates are coming in the future. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
ExpressVPN Rolls Out Major Upgrade to Its Already Impressive Lightway Protocol
ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol is getting a major upgrade -- one the company hopes makes it the VPN protocol of the future. On Monday, the VPN company announced the release of Lightway in Rust (essentially Lightway 2.0), which is designed for faster speeds, enhanced security and better overall performance. When ExpressVPN first developed Lightway in 2020, the protocol was written in C, a programming language originally developed in the early '70s but still widely popular because of its simplicity and flexibility. Along with the original version of Lightway, other VPN protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard are also implemented in C. But ExpressVPN says that reimplementing Lightway in Rust offers several distinct advantages over the protocol's previous iteration in C. First is that Rust can make Lightway even more secure than it already is because using Rust eliminates certain vulnerabilities commonly found in C due to mishandling memory (Rust's memory safety features nullify such a risk). Also, Rust can give the protocol a boost when it comes to overall performance and battery life. Finally, Rust's codebase will allow ExpressVPN engineers to be more nimble and faster with updates and improvements to Lightway going forward. 'Upgrading Lightway from its previous C code to Rust was a strategic and straightforward decision to enhance performance, and security while ensuring longevity,' said Pete Membrey, ExpressVPN's chief research officer. 'With Rust widely recognized as the high-performing, secure, and reliable language, it was a natural choice for evolving Lightway.' Essentially, what this all means for you is that the new implementation of Lightway should make your experience with ExpressVPN faster, more secure and more reliable. That's saying a lot because ExpressVPN is already one of the most secure and reliable VPNs you can buy -- and further solidifies the VPN as one of my top recommendations for users with critical privacy needs like journalists, attorneys, physicians, activists and whistleblowers. Even if you're just looking for general privacy online, there's nothing wrong with giving your privacy an even greater boost with Lightway in Rust. And although it hasn't been the fastest VPN over the past few years, rolling out Lightway in Rust could give ExpressVPN a much-needed speed boost. This means that you should experience smoother streaming performance, faster downloads, uninterrupted video calls and lower ping during your gaming sessions while connected to ExpressVPN and using the new implementation of Lightway. So, in theory, Lightway's re-coding should be a major improvement all around to an already stellar VPN. But while a VPN's speed and reliability can be generally pretty evident to the average user, quantifying a VPN protocol's security isn't. ExpressVPN addresses this in a couple of important ways. For one, Lightway is an open-source VPN protocol, meaning that its codebase is publicly available online for anyone to scrutinize or even implement into their own VPN solutions. This makes it possible for experts to validate the security of the protocol and spot any potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, ExpressVPN commissioned two separate independent audits in late 2024 to validate the security of Lightway in Rust -- one by Cure53 and the other by Praetorian. The two cybersecurity firms worked independently of one another, and both delivered an overall positive assessment of Lightway in Rust's implementation. Cure53 identified one high-severity vulnerability and four 'general weaknesses with lower exploitation potential' while Praetorian found two low-risk vulnerabilities -- all of which were subsequently resolved by ExpressVPN. 'Overall…Cure53's very limited number of findings, especially with only one exploitable vulnerability, can be interpreted as a positive sign for the security of the ExpressVPN Lightway protocol,' Cure53 wrote in its audit report. ExpressVPN is the undisputed leader in the VPN industry when it comes to transparency through independent audits, undergoing multiple audits every year. While an audit can only validate the state of the VPN at the time of the audit itself, it serves as an important signal of trust and can give the public confidence in the VPN that it's doing what it says it's doing. But being open-source can help fill those gaps because it gives the entire security community the opportunity to examine the code at any time. 'ExpressVPN has always led the industry in third-party evaluation and verification of our software,technology and policies,' Aaron Engel, ExpressVPN's chief information security officer, said in a blog post. 'Having Lightway evaluated by two independent third-party auditors is our way of showing our commitment to transparency while demonstrating our confidence in the technology we have developed.' Lightway in Rust is being rolled out first to ExpressVPN's Aircove routers on Monday, followed by Android at the end of March, Linux early in the second quarter, MacOS toward the end of the second quarter and finally to Windows by the end of the third quarter.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Best VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick in 2025
ExpressVPN is currently CNET's pick for the best VPN for Amazon's Fire TV Stick, in addition to being the best VPN overall. It's a veteran VPN provider that consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy and transparency. It's also excellent for streaming and the easiest VPN app to use on any platform, including Fire TV Stick. In our testing, ExpressVPN ran smoothly on Amazon Fire TV devices -- as well as other streaming sticks and boxes, like Android TV and Apple TV. But you'll have to pay a premium because ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPN providers currently on the market. The service costs $13 per month, $100 for the first year (then $117 annually) or $140 for the first two years combined (then $150 annually), which is vastly more expensive than Surfshark's $48 for the first year ($60 upon renewal), or NordVPN's $60 for the first year ($140 upon renewal). Although fast enough for streaming content on your smart TV, ExpressVPN's speeds are not quite as fast as some of its competitors, based on our latest speed tests. In 2024, we measured a 24.8% average speed loss with ExpressVPN. This is still fast, considering that many VPNs can slash your internet speeds by 50% or more. We did see substantially better speeds from NordVPN (11% speed loss) and Surfshark (17% speed loss). Still, ExpressVPN's speeds were largely consistent and aligned with our expectations across protocols and server locations. Overall, we registered the fastest speeds through ExpressVPN's proprietary Lightway protocol -- which is engineered for speed and security -- with an 11% average speed loss. OpenVPN speeds were considerably slower at a 38.5% average speed loss. Speeds were generally faster to relatively closer server locations like New York City and the UK, and slower to distant locations like Australia and Singapore. For streaming content on Fire TV Stick, we recommend connecting through Lightway to a server location closest to your physical location for optimal speeds. ExpressVPN's minimalist interface on Fire TV Stick is simple to use, whether you're an advanced VPN user or you've never used one before. The app settings are easy to navigate and finding a server location is straightforward. ExpressVPN's Fire TV Stick app includes a kill switch, split tunneling, protocol selection (Lightway and OpenVPN) and auto-connect. It also includes the Advanced Protection suite, which can help you block ads, trackers, malicious sites and adult sites -- an especially helpful addition for parents who want parental controls in place to keep their children safe while using the Fire TV Stick. We like how the app always connects in a snap, which isn't always the case with other VPNs -- like Surfshark -- which often struggle to connect immediately on the first attempt. ExpressVPN effortlessly unblocks all sorts of streaming content, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. During our testing, we were consistently able to stream content in 4K quality without any buffering issues. Plus, we were able to access some difficult to unblock international Netflix libraries, like Netflix Egypt. If you're not satisfied with the service, you can request your money back within 30 days of your purchase. Also featured in: Best VPN for Streaming, Best VPN for Netflix See at ExpressVPN Surfshark's unblocking capabilities are some of the best in the business, making the VPN a popular choice for folks who want to stream a lot of content. It's secure and delivers fast enough speeds for streaming content on Amazon's Fire TV Stick. Surfshark also provides excellent value in its annual plan, making it an excellent choice for anyone on a budget. (Its monthly plan is less budget-friendly.) During my tests, I was able to use Surfshark's Fire TV Stick app to stream content on Max, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. I could also stream Disney Plus without any issues, which was encouraging because I had trouble accessing the streaming service during earlier tests with Surfshark. Notably, I was also able to stream content from various Netflix libraries, including the US, UK, Japan, Germany, Canada, France and Denmark -- which is more than what Express and NordVPN were able to unblock during my tests. So, if you want to maximize your Netflix streaming experience on Amazon Fire TV Stick, Surfshark would be a good choice. Surfshark's Fire TV Stick app is simple to use and includes features like split-tunneling, auto-connect, kill switch, protocol selection and CleanWeb ad and malware blocker. You can easily quick-connect to the fastest available server or nearest location and set up multi-hop double VPN connections as well as use static IPs. Surfshark's Android app includes a nifty GPS spoofing feature that lets you unblock apps and websites that rely on GPS data, like YouTube TV. The connections were stable, and streaming was smooth during testing, without any buffering or interruptions of any sort, as was expected from a VPN with only a 17% speed loss. (Some VPNs will cut your speed by 50% or more.) Surfshark offers a quality package that's cheaper than many of its competitors, which has helped it earn CNET's Editors' Choice for Best Value VPN. Surfshark's monthly subscription is one of the most expensive on the market at $15.45 per month, but you can access greater savings with the yearly plan that costs $48 for the first year, then $60 annually afterwards. The two-year plan costs $60 total for the first two years combined, then renews at $60 per year. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. Also featured in: Best VPN for Streaming, Best VPN for Your Smart TV See at Surfshark NordVPN is a popular choice because of its blisteringly fast connection speeds, privacy-focused features and great geo-unblocking for streaming services. Its Amazon Fire TV app is excellent for accessing Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus content. In addition to its Fire TV app, NordVPN works on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, browsers and Apple TV. You can easily stream Cross on Amazon Prime Video, Squid Game on Netflix or Marvel's What If on Disney Plus in lush 4K on an Amazon Fire TV streaming device. You'll want a lightning-quick connection for streaming 4K or even 1080p videos, and NordVPN delivers just that. NordVPN came out on top as the fastest VPN we tested in 2024, with an average internet download speed loss of just 11%. We calculated an average speed loss of just 3% with Windows and 12.6% on MacOS through the NordLynx VPN protocol. With OpenVPN, we averaged a 10% speed loss on MacOS and 18.6% using Windows. While NordVPN is great for entertainment, it doesn't compromise privacy. Features like Onion over VPN (Tor) and a Double VPN deliver an additional layer of privacy, and a 2023 audit by Deloitte backed up its no-log claims for improved transparency. Although zero-logging policies are impossible to verify with absolute certainty, third-party audits provide peace of mind. NordVPN's global server network comprises more than 7,200 servers spanning 118 countries. That's currently one of the largest server networks of any VPN we tested, edging out Surfshark (100 countries), ExpressVPN (105 countries) and Proton (117 countries). NordVPN costs $14 per month, $60 for the first year (then $140 annually) or $81 total for the first two years combined (then $140 annually). Also featured in: Fastest VPN, Best VPN for Streaming See at NordVPN We determined that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Fire TV Stick, after running several VPN apps through extensive testing on the streaming device. ExpressVPN's Fire TV Stick app is easy to use, quick to connect and is the best choice for streaming content through your Fire TV Stick device. Surfshark is a close second and is a solid choice for anyone on a budget or who wants access to multiple Netflix regional libraries. NordVPN is another excellent option for Fire TV Stick users. It was the fastest VPN in CNET's hands-on testing, delivers a smooth streaming experience and offers a few extra privacy features not available on other VPNs' Fire TV Stick apps. Because VPNs can make it look like you're in a different city, state or even country, you can unblock region-restricted content like foreign Netflix and Disney Plus libraries. You can also use a VPN to stream sports, like out-of-market NFL games, or even save money on your streaming service subscriptions. Since most VPN providers offer apps for Amazon Fire TV devices, using a virtual private network on your smart TV is a breeze. Just plug a Fire TV Stick or Fire Cube into your television or projector, download a VPN app, hop on a desired server and fire up an app like Netflix or Disney Plus. You'll find a slew of streaming apps on Fire TV devices, including Hulu, Max, Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Amazon Prime Video. Whether you want to unblock geographically restricted streaming content, improve lag while cloud gaming or keep your browsing activity hidden from your ISP, a virtual private network can help you. And a VPN on your Amazon Fire TV device is a fantastic addition to your app arsenal. If you want to keep your viewing activities on your Fire TV Stick hidden from your ISP, then you'll want a VPN that delivers on privacy. Be sure to check the VPN provider's privacy policy to see what personal information may be collected, who it's shared with and how it's protected. Do some research into any privacy or security incidents that the VPN company may have dealt with in the past. Look into the provider's no-logs policy and check for any third-party no-logs audits or real-life cases where the provider's no-logs claims were put to the test. Also, you'll want to make sure the VPN has a kill switch and DNS leak protection to ensure your traffic doesn't leak unencrypted. Nothing's worse than constant buffering when you're trying to stream movies or shows with your Fire TV Stick. You'll need a fast VPN to ensure a smooth streaming experience, especially if you're streaming in 4K. Keep in mind that a VPN will slow your internet speeds, sometimes by 50% or more. With a VPN that cuts your internet speeds by 20% or less, you'll probably hardly notice the speed reduction and your speeds should be sufficient for streaming on your Fire TV Stick (provided your base internet speeds are fast enough, to begin with). Some VPNs are better than others when it comes to streaming. Because you'll most likely be spending the majority of your time streaming content on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, you'll need a VPN that can handle your streaming activities. If you're looking to unblock streaming content from other regions, you'll want a VPN that can capably unblock geographically restricted content. Just because a VPN has a dedicated app for Amazon's Fire TV Stick, doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good VPN for the device. You'll want your VPN to be easy to use on your Fire TV Stick. The app should be similar to its desktop and mobile counterparts and should be just as simple to navigate, apply settings and connect to a server. It should also connect quickly and remain connected throughout your streaming sessions. If you're on a budget, cost will be an important consideration in choosing a VPN for your Fire TV Stick. VPN prices can vary from provider to provider, but you'll typically save more money in the long-run when you commit to a longer timeframe. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $100 per year for an annual VPN subscription, and anywhere from $5 to $13 for a monthly VPN subscription, depending on which VPN you go with. Each of CNET's top VPNs offers a native VPN app for the Fire TV Stick, but a few of them stood out during our tests. In addition to evaluating the usability and features of the Fire TV Stick VPN apps, we prioritized other important factors like security, speed and unblocking capabilities of each VPN we tested. We opened each app on the Fire TV Stick and first tried to get a sense of the usability and the features available. Is the app easy to navigate and are the servers accessible? Are the features useful, organized and simple to access? We then evaluated the overall performance of the app to see if the servers connected quickly, whether or not the connections were stable and how well the features performed. Finally, we tested how each VPN was able to provide access to various popular streaming services. Did the streaming services load up and start playing content quickly? Was the streaming experience smooth and absent of buffering? Was the VPN able to provide access to each streaming service we tested, and from multiple server locations? The VPNs that consistently passed these tests earned a spot among our top picks. Any VPN will slow down your internet speeds somewhat (sometimes by as much as 50%), but a fast VPN should only drop your internet download speeds by an average of about 25% or less. We run over 250 individual speed tests per provider when we test VPNs. NordVPN was the fastest VPN we assessed in our latest round of testing, with an 11% average internet download speed loss. Surfshark, ProtonVPN, Mullvad and ExpressVPN all registered speed loss of less than 30%. Because streaming video on an Amazon Fire TV stick requires fast internet speeds -- especially for 4K or 1080p content -- you'll want a reliable VPN that minimally cuts your download speed. Here's how our top VPN recommendations stacked up: We also tested IPVanish on the Fire TV Stick. Its app includes various settings and features to tool around with, but its high 44% average internet download speed loss makes it unreliable for streaming video. The automatic app launch feature that allows users to select an app to launch automatically after a successful connection is a handy feature and worked well in our testing when we set it to auto-launch Netflix. But besides that, there wasn't much more to like about IPVanish's performance on the Fire TV Stick. We decided we couldn't enthusiastically recommend it as a viable VPN solution for the Fire TV Stick. We'll continue to test these and other VPNs on the Fire TV Stick, so be sure to check back often. Read our IPVanish review. Installing a VPN on the Fire TV Stick is easy. You can either navigate to the magnifying glass search icon on your Fire TV home screen and use your remote or Fire TV app on your smartphone to type in the name of the VPN you want to download, or you can use the Alexa function on your Fire TV remote and say the name of the VPN. Then, click on the logo of your selected VPN and click on Get to initiate the download. Click on Open to launch the app and log into your account. Once you've logged in, your VPN will ask for your permission to set up a VPN connection. Click on OK to allow the VPN to create the connection. Once you've given your VPN permission to connect, you can start using the VPN on your Fire TV Stick. We don't recommend using most free VPNs on the Fire TV Stick (or in most other situations) because free VPNs typically impose usage and bandwidth restrictions that make them virtually unusable for streaming purposes. They also often sell user information to advertisers and can sometimes even contain malware. Proton VPN is the exception to the rule, with an outstanding free plan and compelling paid tier. If you're on a budget, we'd recommend choosing Surfshark as your Fire TV Stick VPN as it's cheaper than a lot of the competition and works well on the streaming device. No, VPNs aren't compatible with the first generation of Fire TV Stick. VPNs work on second- and third-generation Fire TV Sticks as well as the Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max. Yes, Amazon's Fire TV Cube has the same interface as the Fire TV Stick. You can install and use a VPN on the Fire TV Cube the same way you would on a Fire TV Stick. The Fire TV Cube acts as an Alexa speaker that delivers audio and allows you to use voice commands to control your Fire TV interface without having to press and hold the Alexa button on your remote.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
ExpressVPN review 2025: Hands-down the most effortless VPN you'll use
Price ExpressVPN has always been on the pricey side – cue the sharp intake of breath – but in October last year, it introduced a two-year plan, making it slightly less costly. It's still one of the most expensive VPNs we've tested, but at least there are now more subscription options to soften the blow. The best part? No matter which plan you choose, you get the exact same set of features – there's no faffing about with add-ons or tiers. That said, it does mean you don't get to pick and choose the extras you want – you get the full package, take it or leave it. Prices do change depending on the latest deals, but right now, the cheapest option is the 28-month plan, which costs £112.88 up-front, which works out to £4.04 per month. Yes, we heard that gasp. If that feels like too much commitment, there's the 15-month plan for £80.75 (£5.39 per month), but if you're after the one-month plan, brace yourself—it's £10.46 a month, which is more than your Netflix bill. There's no free trial if you purchase on desktop, but ExpressVPN does have a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it's not for you, you'll need to contact its support team via live chat or email to request a refund – no quick cancel and refund button sadly. If you're on iOS or Android, you can get a free seven-day trial. Last year, it also added dedicated IP addresses – you can add one of these starting from £2.77 per month, based on the two-year subscription plan. As with all VPN providers offering subscription plans, be cautious with ExpressVPN's auto-renewal system. Some users have been caught out and ended up locked into longer contracts because they forgot to cancel before their plan renewed. If you're unsure how long you'll need the service, it's safer to go for the one-month plan – yes, it's more expensive per month, but it's cheaper than committing to a year-long plan and paying the full amount up-front, only to realise you don't actually need it. Is it worth that much? In our opinion, the features, security, speed and ease of use, and the fact you can now connect up to eight devices makes the price less of an issue, and ExpressVPN has been consistently adding more features in recent years. Privacy and features Now that we've got the issue of ExpressVPN's high price tag out of the way, let's tackle the fun stuff – ExpressVPN's privacy and feature set. While it doesn't have every bell and whistle out there, what it does offer is useful and actually works. You get all the essentials: AES-256-bit encryption (the same level of security used by banks); support for OpenVPN; its speedy Lightway protocol and a kill switch (on by default), which cuts your internet connection if the VPN connection drops. Split tunnelling worked well in our tests. We configured ExpressVPN to route the Netflix app through the VPN (connected to a US server) while setting our web browser to bypass the VPN and use the local network. This allowed us to stream US Netflix with a US IP address while still accessing UK news sites and local services directly through our normal internet connection. Everything ran smoothly – Netflix streamed without interruptions, and our local browsing stayed quick and unaffected. A unique feature to ExpressVPN is parallel connections, which helps the VPN connect faster by trying multiple methods at the same time. Whether we were on dodgy hotel Wi-Fi or a packed coffee shop network, ExpressVPN connected in under a second every time. It's only subtle, you don't even notice it working, but we always connected fast – other VPNs we've tested sometimes took 20 seconds to connect. Of course, privacy is where ExpressVPN really shines. Its RAM-only servers meant none of our data was ever stored permanently – it's wiped every time the servers reboot. Plus, it runs its own private DNS (domain name system) on every server, which ensured our browsing was kept completely in-house. We ran tests on and DNSLeakTest, and ExpressVPN passed with flying colours. That said, there are a few things missing. Unlike NordVPN or Surfshark, there's no Onion-over-VPN, torrenting-based servers or a double VPN feature for extra layers of anonymity. If those advanced options are a dealbreaker for you, it's worth looking at those providers instead. It nails the basics, but there's not a lot in the way of advanced features. ExpressVPN has also expanded its services beyond its core VPN offering in recent years. ExpressVPN's threat manager, which was added in 2021, lets you blocks trackers and stops malicious sites. During testing, it worked seamlessly without breaking any websites or slowing down browsing. While it doesn't block every ad (video ads still slip through), it makes browsing feel a lot cleaner. There's also a handy password manager, though we still preferred using a dedicated manager such as 1Password. Annoyingly, it's new identity defender suite is also locked to the US, so if you want cyber insurance, you can't get it in the UK. But it ultimately delivers on the features that matter most. It's fast, secure and user-friendly, with its threat manager and password manager nice additions, though not entirely necessary . Logging When you use a VPN, you're essentially trusting one company with your traffic and data, so knowing what they do (or don't) collect is crucial. ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy, which means it doesn't keep any records of your browsing history, traffic destinations, data content, DNS queries, IP addresses (yours or the VPN's), connection timestamps or session durations. It says that it doesn't store anything that could be traced back to you. But no one should just take a company's word for it. ExpressVPN has undergone multiple independent audits to prove its claims. In 2019, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) confirmed its no-logs policy and privacy protections after a thorough review. More recently, in December 2023, KPMG conducted another independent audit, validating that ExpressVPN's no-logs policy held true and confirming that its TrustedServer technology operates exactly as the company promised. There's also real-world proof. In 2017, Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server during an investigation but were unable to recover any logs or user data, demonstrating the company's infrastructure is genuinely built to safeguard privacy. TrustedServer technology, introduced in 2019, also ensures all servers run on RAM only, meaning data is wiped entirely every time the server reboots. Performance and speed While ExpressVPN might not have the most extensive list of privacy features, it delivers on speed. In our series of speed tests, we connected to the nearest server (East London) as well as random US servers to put it through its paces. Speeds dropped by just eight per cent when connecting to our nearest server, which is impressively fast (though not as fast as NordVPN), and we didn't notice much of a slowdown while browsing, streaming or downloading files. What about servers further afield? Speeds on the recommended US server (New York) were just as impressive, dropping between seven and eight per cent, and even a less-common option like Salt Lake City only dropped by 11 per cent. While these figures are rough, they highlighted just how snappy ExpressVPN's servers were, regardless of location. We also tested speeds using ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol, its proprietary alternative to WireGuard that uses the open-source wolfSSL cryptography library. When connected via Lightway to the nearest server, speeds dropped by just seven per cent, putting it on par with other WireGuard-based protocols. It's lightning-fast and perfect for streaming or gaming. ExpressVPN's user interface deserves the biggest shoutout, however. It's genuinely one of the cleanest and most intuitive VPN apps we've tried (and we've tried a lot). The main screen has a single quick-connect button, with a collapsible server list that lets you either connect to the fastest server or choose a specific location within a country. Everything is designed to be beginner-friendly – advanced features like protocol settings and the kill switch are neatly tucked away in the settings menu, so you don't have to deal with them unless you really want to. The best part is that every ExrpessVPN feature is available on every platform, and the UI looks the same on each, so you never get confused. iOs and Android apps As with most VPNs, the Android experience edges out the iOS app, mainly because of Apple's stricter restrictions on VPN providers. Both apps are simple, fast and easy to navigate, but Android has a slight edge when it comes to advanced features. On Android, you can enable automatic connection on untrusted networks, so the VPN kicks in the moment you connect to a sketchy Wi-Fi hotspot, like at a coffee shop or airport. It also has split tunnelling, which lets you choose which apps use the VPN and which bypass it entirely – a great feature if you only want to route specific traffic through the VPN. There's also an automatic kill switch, ensuring your data stays protected if the VPN connection drops. The iOS app has seen some improvements recently, bringing it closer to feature parity. You now get automatic connection on untrusted networks, which was previously Android-only. It also includes a kill switch (called Network Lock), which blocks internet access if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly. However, split tunnelling is still missing on iOS, which is frustrating but ultimately down to Apple's tighter platform restrictions. Both also include the threat manager and password manager in the iOS and Android apps. While Android offers a few more advanced tools, both apps provided us with a smooth and reliable VPN experience. ExpressVPN for streaming ExpressVPN's speeds really matter when you're streaming – especially if you're abroad and trying to watch shows back home. No one wants to sit through buffering or error messages when all you want is to catch up on The Traitors. So how well does it actually perform when it comes to unblocking UK content while on holiday? We tested it by accessing UK Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX while connected to a recommended UK server (East London). As soon as we connected, BBC iPlayer loaded without a hitch, and we could stream The Traitors in HD with no buffering. Netflix also showed us the full UK library straight away, and streaming was flawless – no interruptions or error messages. We tried switching to other UK servers, such as Wembley, Docklands and Midlands, and the performance stayed consistent. ITVX and Channel 4 also worked perfectly, allowing us to catch up on Love Island, both live streaming and on-demand content. Support ExpressVPN offers 24/7 live chat support, accessible through its Support Centre. While the mobile app doesn't feature live chat directly, it provides a Help section where you can access support articles and contact options. When we tested the live chat function on the website, it took just 15 seconds to connect with a human agent – fast and efficient. The chatbot that greets you is surprisingly helpful too, and we found it could answer many of our questions without needing to escalate to a human. But when we preferred to speak to an agent, we could just ask the bot to connect us, and the handover was smooth.
