VPN 5 astuces: 5 Tips to Actually Get Protection From Your VPN

The five VPN tips (“5 astuces”) that actually matter: pick an app you can trust, turn on the kill switch, check for DNS leaks, use the VPN properly on public Wi-Fi, and know what a VPN can’t protect you from. Do those five things and you get the privacy you’re paying for. Skip them and a VPN can give you a false sense of security.

Below is each tip in more detail, with steps you can follow on any major VPN app. Menu names differ from one provider to the next, so look for the matching setting in yours. Details are current as of October 2026.

Quick summary

Tip 1: Vet the VPN app before you trust it

A VPN sees all of your traffic, so the company behind it matters more than any feature list. The US Federal Trade Commission put this bluntly in its guidance on VPN apps. Researchers had found apps that didn’t encrypt traffic at all or encrypted only part of it, apps that asked for permissions they had no need for, and apps that sold user information to advertisers and analytics firms. The FTC also warned that a VPN doesn’t make you fully anonymous.

That guidance dates from 2018, but the checks still apply:

1. Read the privacy policy and terms. Look for what the company logs (connection times, IP addresses, sites visited) and whether it shares data with third parties.
2. Check the permissions. A VPN needs network access. It shouldn’t need your contacts, photos or location.
3. Confirm it encrypts all traffic. The app’s documentation should name its protocol and say that every connection goes through the tunnel.
4. Be careful with free VPNs. France’s Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, as reported by Selectra, warns that some free services pay for themselves by collecting or even reselling browsing data.
5. Download only from the official app store or the provider’s own website. Avoid repackaged installers from third-party sites.

You’ll see a lot of marketing about “no-logs” policies and audits. An independent audit is a better sign than a promise, but no source we used can confirm any one provider’s claims. Read the audit report yourself rather than trusting the headline.

Tip 2: Turn on the kill switch

If your connection drops for a moment, say when you switch networks or your laptop wakes from sleep, your device may quietly fall back to the normal internet. Your real IP address is then exposed until the VPN reconnects. A kill switch stops that by blocking all traffic until the tunnel is back up.

Mozilla’s documentation explains it well. If the connection becomes unstable or drops while Mozilla VPN is in use, the device’s whole network connection is blocked so your IP stays hidden. Mozilla turns it on by default and doesn’t let you turn it off. Many other providers ship it switched off, or offer it only on some platforms.

How to check yours:

1. Open the VPN app’s Settings (sometimes under “Connection”, “Advanced” or “Privacy”).
2. Look for Kill switch, Network lock or Block connections without VPN.
3. Turn it on and repeat this on each of your devices, since the setting doesn’t sync.
4. On Android and iOS, also check the system VPN settings. Some phones have an “always-on VPN” or “block connections without VPN” option of their own.

Tip 3: Test for DNS leaks

Every time you visit a site, your device asks a DNS server to translate the name into an address. If those lookups go outside the VPN tunnel, whoever runs that DNS server (often your internet provider) can still see the list of sites you visit, even though the traffic itself is encrypted.

Mozilla’s DNS leak explainer says leaks usually come from a VPN that is misconfigured or unreliable, and that some VPNs route DNS outside the tunnel. Mozilla says its own VPN sends DNS queries through its Mullvad-run servers.

To check:

1. Connect to your VPN.
2. Use the DNS leak test your VPN provider offers, or a well-known independent leak-test site.
3. The servers listed should belong to your VPN provider, not your internet provider.
4. If you see your provider’s servers, look in the VPN app for a DNS leak protection or Use VPN DNS setting. Also check that a custom DNS setting in your browser or operating system isn’t overriding the VPN’s.

Re-run the test after big app or operating system updates. Settings sometimes reset.

Tip 4: Use the VPN the right way on public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is the classic reason to use a VPN, and official guidance backs it up. The US National Security Agency’s advice on wireless devices, summarised by Malwarebytes, recommends a personal or corporate VPN on public networks. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr advises using one whenever you have no choice but public Wi-Fi, and says to prefer your mobile data connection when you can.

A VPN only helps if you’re also connected to the right network:

1. Check the exact network name with staff or the venue’s official signage. Attackers set up lookalike “evil twin” hotspots, as Hong Kong’s government InfoSec public Wi-Fi tips warn.
2. Turn off auto-connect for open networks so your device doesn’t join one on its own.
3. Turn off file sharing and AirDrop-style features before you go out.
4. Connect the VPN straight after joining the network, before you open email or other apps. Some networks show a sign-in page first, so you may need to finish that before the VPN can connect.
5. Save sensitive tasks for later if you can, or switch to mobile data for banking and payments.

Tip 5: Know what a VPN does not do

This is the tip most people skip. A VPN encrypts the link between your device and the VPN server, and it hides your IP address from the sites you visit. It does not:

• Stop phishing. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr points out that if you enter your bank details on a fake copy of your bank’s site, the encrypted tunnel delivers them faithfully to the scammer.
• Make you anonymous to sites you log into. Once you sign in to Google, Facebook or your bank, they know it’s you, whatever your IP address. The FTC makes the same point: VPN apps won’t make you completely anonymous.
• Remove the need for trust. Your internet provider can no longer see your browsing, but your VPN provider can. That’s why Tip 1 matters.
• Patch your device. Cybermalveillance advises installing updates promptly, because they fix flaws attackers exploit.

Pair your VPN with the basics that cover these gaps: HTTPS sites, a password manager, multi-factor authentication on important accounts, and up-to-date software.

Bottom line

A VPN is a useful tool, but only one layer of protection. Choose a provider whose privacy policy you’ve actually read, turn on the kill switch, confirm DNS isn’t leaking, be careful about which Wi-Fi network you join, and keep phishing and account security in mind. Those five habits matter more than server counts or speed claims. Provider features and settings change often, so recheck your app after major updates.