How to Use NordVPN on Android? – Step-By-Step Guide

Justin Oyaro

By Justin Oyaro . 25 January 2024

Cybersecurity Expert

Miklos Zoltan

Fact-Checked this

NordVPN is a must-have VPN app on your Android device. This VPN is user-friendly, reliable, and provides impeccable security and privacy.

Its fully-fledged VPN features offer a seamless Android VPN experience and excellent value for your money. NordVPN subscriptions carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can connect up to 6 devices on a single subscription.

This guide will show you how to set up and use NordVPN on Android. You will also learn about notable NordVPN Android features and why you need NordVPN on Android.

Continue reading below!

How to Setup and Use NordVPN on Android

  1. Subscribe to a suitable pricing plan on the NordVPN website.
  2. Open the Play Store on your Android, search NordVPN, and tap Install.
  3. Wait for the installation to complete, and then open the NordVPN app.
  4. On the screen that opens, tap LOG IN to sign in to your NordVPN account. Tap SIGN UP to create a new account if you skipped step one.
  5. Select a server or use the QUICK CONNECT button to connect to the closest server.
  6. Enjoy a secure and private internet connection.

You can also download and sideload the NordVPN APK file from the NordVPN website. Ensure you enable installation from unknown sources in your Android settings.

Check out also my guide on other good Android VPNs for further recommendations.

NordVPN Features on Android

NordVPN offers a streamlined VPN experience across its apps. The NordVPN Android app sports most features offered in desktop VPN apps.

Besides the general features, notable features include:

1. Standard and Specialty Servers

NordVPN service offers more than 5400 servers spread across 60 countries worldwide. The NordVPN app for Android gives you access to both standard and specialty servers.

Standard servers offer a VPN connection for lightweight everyday tasks such as browsing. Specialty servers allow you to use the VPN for specific purposes.

These servers include:

P2P: These servers are suitable for peer-to-peer (P2P) tasks, such as torrenting and downloading files in a fast, secure, and private manner.

Onion over VPN: These servers allow you to use the Tor network while using a VPN. No need to download the Tor browser. Use these servers if you want to avoid surveillance.

Obfuscated: These servers make your VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic. They are suitable for bypassing censorship, heavy restrictions, firewalls, and many VPN blocks.

Double VPN: These servers offer extra security and privacy. It is like using two VPNs simultaneously. Double VPN servers are suitable for privacy and security-minded individuals.

Dedicated IP: These servers provide you with an IP address that is not shared with other VPN users. A dedicated IP address is suitable for services that might ban a VPN connection.

2. Server Connection Options

NordVPN Android app allows you to connect to the VPN servers manually or use the Quick Connect and Auto-connect options.

Quick Connect connects you to the fastest, least congested, and closest server. This option is suitable for selecting servers for everyday tasks.

The Auto-connect option allows the VPN app to connect to a server automatically whenever there’s an internet connection.

You can set this feature to use Wi-Fi, mobile network, Ethernet, or any available internet access method. You can auto-connect to the fastest server, recent connections, or specialty servers.

3. Meshnet and Traffic routing

This feature allows you to connect and forward traffic to any device while still connected to the VPN service. This feature is essential for securely sharing files, accessing remote devices, working remotely, and multiplayer gaming.

Meshnet allows you to link 10 devices that share your NordVPN account and up to 50 external devices.

4. VPN Connection Options

The NordVPN app offers the Open VPN (TCP and UDP) and NordLynx VPN protocols. NordVPN recommends using NordLynx for speed and reliability.

OpenVPN TCP offers reliability, while OpenVPN UDP provides speed. You also get access to obfuscated servers when using the OpenVPN protocol.

The VPN app offers other options to control your connections, such as split tunneling, DNS servers, local network discovery, and metered connection.

5. Additional Features

The NordVPN app for Android also offers other essential features that boost your general online security and privacy. They are:

Dark Web Monitor: This cybersecurity feature continuously scans the dark web for credential leaks and other data associated with your NordVPN e-mail address. This feature alerts you so that you can take extra steps to protect your information.

Tapjacking protection: This feature makes sure that you don’t disconnect the VPN unintentionally. When enabled, it requires two steps to disable VPN.

Threat protection: This is a NordVPN ad blocker that protects you from phishing links, malware sites, intrusive ads, and other threats.

The Play Store NordVPN app provides lite threat protection due to Google policies. To get complete threat protection, sideload the VPN app.

Why Use NordVPN on Android?

NordVPN’s top-tier service delivers various benefits you can reap on your Android device. Popular uses for NordVPN on Android include:

Security and Privacy

NordVPN uses its next-gen AES 256-bit encryption to protect your online traffic from prying eyes such as hackers, ISP, the government, and other parties.

Its specialty servers, such as double VPN and onion over VPN, offer extra protection and privacy for sensitive tasks.
As a no-log VPN, NordVPN doesn’t monitor, store, or track what you do online. Its jurisdiction is also away from the influence of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.

Unblocking Capabilities

NordVPN’s extensive network of 5400 servers ensures you can access content worldwide. These servers offer fast speeds coupled with unlimited bandwidth.

The servers incorporate Smart Play (Smart DNS) which boosts NordVPN’s unblocking abilities. NordVPN bypasses various geo-restrictions and can unblock content from Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, Disney Plus, and sporting activities.

Its obfuscated servers allow you to bypass VPN blocks, including heavy censorship in some countries. This VPN helps you reclaim your digital freedom.

Besides the above uses, you can also use NordVPN on Android for other tasks, such as avoiding price discrimination, bypassing ISP throttling, and overall cyber protection.

Wrap Up

NordVPN is a high-quality, feature-rich VPN known for its advanced security and privacy measures. With its strong unblocking abilities, robust security protocols, and an extensive network of servers, NordVPN provides an exceptional VPN experience on Android devices.

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