Kill switch
A control that blocks all internet traffic if the VPN tunnel drops, rather than letting it fall back to your normal connection.
Glossary
Always-on VPN
What is Always-on VPN?
Always-on VPN is an operating-system-level setting that prevents any traffic leaving the device unless the tunnel is up. It is stronger than an in-app kill switch because it is enforced by the operating system rather than by the VPN application.
Why it matters
It is stronger than an in-app kill switch because it is enforced by the operating system rather than by the VPN application.
What most explanations leave out
Android exposes this natively; on iOS the equivalent requires a configuration profile or supervised device. If you need traffic to never leave unprotected, the OS setting is the one to use, with the app’s own kill switch as a second layer.
Related terms
Split tunnelling
Routing some applications or destinations through the VPN while leaving others on your ordinary connection.
Questions
- What is Always-on VPN?
- An operating-system-level setting that prevents any traffic leaving the device unless the tunnel is up.
- Why does Always-on VPN matter when choosing a VPN?
- It is stronger than an in-app kill switch because it is enforced by the operating system rather than by the VPN application.
- What do most explanations of Always-on VPN leave out?
- Android exposes this natively; on iOS the equivalent requires a configuration profile or supervised device. If you need traffic to never leave unprotected, the OS setting is the one to use, with the app’s own kill switch as a second layer.
Terms are defined here because they appear in our scoring rubric or in provider reviews, not to fill a glossary.