VPN for iPhone: Settings, Profiles and How to Turn It Off

An iPhone can use a VPN app from the App Store or a configuration profile. You can disconnect in the app, and some providers also document a Settings toggle for their own connection. Apple keeps installed profiles under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

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What a VPN does on your iPhone

For a provider example, Proton's iOS page says data between your device and its VPN server is encrypted. Proton also says websites see the VPN server's IP address. That's the claim we're citing: the path between your iPhone and the VPN server.

Apple's deployment overview frames VPN another way: secure access to private corporate networks on iOS. That is why an iPhone can already carry VPN settings from an organization, even when you never picked a consumer app.

Start with our plain guide to what a VPN does if the terms are new. For local rules, read our VPN legality guide for the Philippines.

Two ways to set up a VPN on iPhone

Most people install an App Store VPN app. Some get a configuration profile from work, school or a provider instead. Apple and the providers we checked describe both routes, so pick the one your provider or administrator actually sent you. Huwag manghula ng settings.

Use an App Store app

Apple's VPN overview says the Network Extension framework lets developers build custom VPN solutions, and that several providers publish companion apps to help configure Apple devices. Install the provider's app, then follow its setup. Some setups also need a configuration file from the provider.

As an example, Proton tells iPhone users to download its app from the App Store and sign in with a Proton Account. Its iOS help also offers Continue as guest for free features without an account. ExpressVPN's iOS page describes downloading its app and connecting with one tap.

Follow the instructions for the app you actually choose. These are examples of published setup routes, not provider recommendations.

Use a configuration profile or administrator settings

Apple says configuration profiles define settings for using iPhone with corporate or school networks or accounts. You can see installed profiles in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

A profile and an app are not always separate choices. Apple's device-management guide says some third-party VPN types need both the configuration profile and the appropriate authentication app. For custom VPN solutions, Apple says users need both the vendor's app and the configuration profile.

Apple also says users can't modify the VPN settings specified in a configuration profile. If the connection came from work or school IT, those fields may be locked.

How to turn it on

Connect through an app

Proton's iOS help gives this app route:

1. Open its App Store link, or search the App Store for Proton VPN.
2. Select Get, or the cloud download icon if you're reinstalling.
3. Sign in with your Proton account, or select Continue as guest for free features.
4. Start the connection and answer the iOS permission request.

On the first connection, Proton says iOS asks permission for the app to add VPN configurations. You must tap Allow before you can use Proton VPN.

Basahin muna bago pumayag. The prompt is about adding a VPN configuration to your phone. Other apps may use different wording. Use the provider's own help for that prompt.

Install a downloaded profile

Apple's configuration-profile article says that after you download a profile from a website or email, you finish the install in Settings. You'll see Profile Downloaded or Enroll in [organization name].

Open the Settings app. Tap that label. Tap Install in the upper-right corner, then follow the onscreen steps. Apple says a profile that is not installed within 8 minutes of downloading is automatically deleted.

Apple also states a Stolen Device Protection condition: unless you are in a familiar location, Stolen Device Protection must first be disabled on iOS before installing a configuration profile, then re-enabled once installation is complete. Follow Apple's wording for that case.

How to turn off VPN on iPhone or remove a profile

Disconnect the app connection

For Proton, open the app and tap Disconnect. Its help says the status then changes to Unprotected.

Proton also documents a Settings route for its own connection: open Settings, tap VPN, then toggle off the connection labelled Proton VPN. That path is Proton's published instruction for Proton VPN. Other apps may place the control elsewhere.

If you only want to stop that app's tunnel, start with the app's disconnect control. Removing a configuration profile does more than disconnect.

Remove a configuration profile

Apple's path is Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Select the configuration profile, then tap Remove Profile.

Basahin muna ang laman. Apple says that if you delete a profile, all of the settings, apps and data associated with the profile are also deleted. Its reset guide adds that removing a profile also removes other settings and accounts provided by it.

Kung VPN lang ang gusto mong patayin, tingnan muna kung ano pa ang kasama sa profile. An organization profile may carry mail, Wi-Fi or account settings you still need.

Keep Reset Network Settings for a separate decision

Don't start with Reset Network Settings just to disconnect a VPN. Apple says a network reset removes previously used networks and VPN settings that were not installed by a configuration profile or mobile device management (MDM). Wi-Fi turns off, then back on. The Wi-Fi and Ask to Join Networks settings stay on.

For profile-based VPN settings, Apple points you to Remove Profile instead. For network settings installed by MDM, Apple separately describes selecting the management entry under VPN & Device Management and tapping Remove Management.

Configuration profiles on iPhone

A configuration profile is a file that supplies settings. Apple's user guide says you might get one by email or from a webpage. You're asked for permission to install it, and when you open the file, information about what it contains is displayed.

Read that screen. Don't treat every profile as a single VPN switch. Apple's delete warning covers associated apps, data and settings for a reason.

Keep the two stages straight. A freshly downloaded profile waits for install in Settings and only lasts 8 minutes if you leave it. An installed profile shows under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

Apple allows only one profile ready to install at a time. If you download a second profile before installing the first, only the second remains available. Downloading a pile of profiles "for later" will not keep them all pending.

Always On VPN and related settings

Apple's VPN overview (published date on the page: 4 November 2025) describes Always On VPN for IKEv2 as an organization feature. It can tunnel all IP traffic back to the organization.

After that configuration is installed, Apple says Always On VPN activates with no user interaction and stays activated across restarts until the configuration is uninstalled. While the tunnels are up, all IP traffic is tunneled. If the tunnels are not up, all IP traffic is dropped.

Treat that as administrator-managed. This guide is not telling every iPhone owner to switch it on.

Apple also documents VPN On Demand, which can start a connection as needed and needs authentication that does not involve user interaction (for example, certificate-based). Per-app VPN can limit tunnel access to specific apps in the managed-app context Apple describes.

Separately, Proton's iOS help lists Always-on VPN and Kill switch inside its app Settings. Those are Proton's published options. Proton says its kill switch prevents the device from connecting to the internet after a VPN connection fails until it reconnects to a VPN server. Provider claims, not results from testing by VPNs.ph.

Choosing an app: what to check

Read the provider's iOS page before installing. Look for who runs the service, which features sit on the free or paid tier, and what the setup asks you to approve on first connect.

Who's behind it? Proton says its VPN comes from the team behind Proton Mail, and its pages describe the apps as open source and independently audited. Read those as provider claims when you decide.

Plan labels matter. Proton says NetShield is available to VPN Plus and Unlimited users and can block malware domains, trackers and ads. It describes Secure Core as routing traffic through multiple servers. A free account exists. That still does not put every listed feature on the free tier.

ExpressVPN's iOS page publishes an App Store setup outline, a no-logs claim it says is independently audited, and its Lightway connection technology. Those details show what one provider publishes. They do not set a ranking here.

For a longer checklist, open our Philippines VPN selection guide. Side-by-side published facts for two big names sit in our NordVPN and Proton VPN comparison. Heading out soon? See our VPN for travel guide.

Setting up another device needs its own page. Use our VPN for Android guide for an Android phone and our VPN for PC guide for a computer.

Free VPN apps

If you want a free VPN for iPhone, check what the provider explicitly includes. Proton's iOS marketing describes a free option with no data limits, no logs and no privacy-invading ads. Those are Proton's claims.

Its iOS help also offers guest access to free features without an account. Paid labels still apply to features like NetShield. Libre ang account does not mean every listed feature is included. Our free VPN guide covers questions to ask about free plans and how they are funded.

Troubleshooting basics

The downloaded profile isn't available

Check how long ago you downloaded it. Apple automatically deletes a profile that has not been installed within 8 minutes. Also check whether you downloaded a second profile first. Apple keeps only one profile ready to install at a time, and the later download wins.

Follow the provider's or administrator's instructions for the profile you actually need. Huwag basta mag-install ng ibang profile dahil lang iyon ang lumabas sa Settings.

The profile VPN won't turn off the usual way

Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Apple documents Remove Profile for VPN settings that came through a profile.

Read the consequences first. Associated settings, apps and data go with it. For an organization configuration, ask the administrator before you remove the profile or management.

You denied permission to add VPN configurations

Proton says you must allow its request to add VPN configurations before you can use the app. If that permission never landed, the first connection step is incomplete.

Use the provider's published instructions for the prompt. Don't invent manual VPN fields to dodge a permission you haven't accepted.

Your iPhone is older than the app supports

Proton's iOS help lists the app for iOS 17.0+ (and iPadOS 17.0+). For older iPhones and iPads, Proton says you can manually configure the service using WireGuard (recommended by Proton) or OpenVPN.

That is Proton's published note for older devices. Follow Proton's own steps for whichever method you choose. The App Store steps above are not a WireGuard or OpenVPN walkthrough.

Frequently asked questions

Does iPhone have built-in VPN settings and profiles?

Yes. Apple documents configuration profiles and VPN settings on iPhone. Installed profiles sit under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Many consumer apps also add a VPN configuration after you approve the system permission prompt.

How do I turn off VPN on iPhone?

For Proton, tap Disconnect in the app. Proton also documents Settings > VPN, then toggling off the connection labelled Proton VPN. For settings that came from a profile, Apple documents removing that profile, which also deletes its associated settings, apps and data.

What is a VPN configuration profile?

It's a file that supplies configuration settings. Apple says profiles define settings for corporate or school networks or accounts. They can contain more than VPN settings, so read the displayed contents before installing and check the consequences before deleting.

Paano alisin ang VPN profile sa iPhone?

Pumunta sa Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Piliin ang configuration profile, tapos tap Remove Profile, ayon sa Apple. Basahin muna kung ano ang kasama. Kapag binura mo ang profile, kasama ring mabubura ang associated settings, apps at data.

Can I use a free VPN on iPhone?

Proton publishes a free option, and its iOS help offers guest access to free features without an account. Check the plan labels before choosing a feature. A free account does not include every paid feature the provider lists.