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VPNs on iOS are a scam

michaelhorowitz.com

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Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#11

Post by KindOne »

xoa wrote: post #9
kogir wrote: post #5

I think Apple is transparent about Always on VPN (blocking traffic except over the tunnel) requiring provisioning using MDM tools. Apple Configurator is free and allows anyone to set this up. Any other VPN is just best effort. https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/vpn-overview-depa...

I hope Wireguard makes it into iOS/macOS at some point. Still early days relative to other protocols of course but it's so much simpler and more reliable (even beyond the security benefits). I use it extensively on both platforms for access to my own networks and services nowadays.

It already exists in the App Store. I've been using it since April 28th of this year.

ios/ipad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wireguard/id1441195209

macos: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wireguard/id1451685025

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#13

Post by Youden »

kogir wrote: post #5

I think Apple is transparent about Always on VPN (blocking traffic except over the tunnel) requiring provisioning using MDM tools. Apple Configurator is free and allows anyone to set this up. Any other VPN is just best effort. https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/vpn-overview-depa...

The issue in the article isn't that the VPN is sometimes inactive, it's that when the VPN is active, some traffic escapes the VPN.

As far as I can see the linked page doesn't say that your VPN will leak unless you're using Always On.

Plus, that page documents the VPN features built in to iOS itself, not VPNs provided by apps.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#14

Post by isatty »

xoa wrote: post #9
kogir wrote: post #5

I think Apple is transparent about Always on VPN (blocking traffic except over the tunnel) requiring provisioning using MDM tools. Apple Configurator is free and allows anyone to set this up. Any other VPN is just best effort. https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/vpn-overview-depa...

I hope Wireguard makes it into iOS/macOS at some point. Still early days relative to other protocols of course but it's so much simpler and more reliable (even beyond the security benefits). I use it extensively on both platforms for access to my own networks and services nowadays.

WireGuard is already available on both platforms - or do you mean kernel space WireGuard without an additional app?

Fwiw the existing app integrates seamlessly into the apple ecosystem.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#16

Post by MikePlacid »

mmastrac wrote: post #3

Title should be: "VPNs on iOS are a scam", but a less sensationalist title might be: "VPNs on iOS leak traffic".

True. I’ve used VPN on iOS to play a second account on some online game. Worked like a charm, so it was definitely NOT a scam. If I wanted to hide my activity / identity from more serious people - I would never use iOS in the first place.

But it’s good to know that there are leaks, anyway.

PS. And I guess all VPNs use the same base VPN functionality provided by iOS, so “is” looks a bit more appropriate than “scam”.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#17

Post by asldjajlfkj »

vbezhenar wrote: post #8
fzfaa wrote: post #6

I remember recently using Cloudflare Warp and using one of those webpages that tell you your IP address and it showed my real IP address. It was a bit weird.

Warp is not designed to hide your address. If website is behind cloudflare, it'll know your IP address. If website is not behind cloudflare, your address will not be available.

There was some communication (forum,discord) that this would change in the future. Apparently the plan was or is to hide the IP from pages on Cloudflare as well. But no idea if that’s implemented yet.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#19

Post by ceejayoz »

vbezhenar wrote: post #8
fzfaa wrote: post #6

I remember recently using Cloudflare Warp and using one of those webpages that tell you your IP address and it showed my real IP address. It was a bit weird.

Warp is not designed to hide your address. If website is behind cloudflare, it'll know your IP address. If website is not behind cloudflare, your address will not be available.

That doesn’t sound right.

https://blog.cloudflare.com/warp-for-desktop/

> WARP was built on the philosophy that even people who don’t know what “VPN” stands for should be able to still easily get the protection a VPN offers.

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