12/9/2022 0 Comments Hotspot shield free reviews![]() ![]()
So, in essence, you’re “blacklisting” apps. When you toggle on this rather unique mobile feature, instead of whitelisting apps that you want to bypass your VPN (see above), you select apps you want to pass through your VPN. Smart VPN is Hotspot Shield’s take on whitelisting. So, overall, the Hotspot Shield mobile app is a huge improvement over the (Mac) desktop client, with the exception of two minor issues. I even got my kill switch, which is arguably even more important when you’re on the go and the risk of connecting to unsecured networks is greater. That’s something you don’t see every day. It also let me auto-connect even when I was using a trusted network. The Hotspot Shield mobile app not only gave me the option of auto-connecting to my VPN whenever it detected an untrusted Wi-Fi network. Toggle on “connect at startup.” Want to only connect when you launch the Hotspot Shield app? I’m actually not sure why you’d want to do that, but if you do, just toggle on the “connect on app launch” switch. Want to connect to your VPN whenever you boot your phone? Cool. Security here is a lot more straightforward. HOTSPOT SHIELD FREE REVIEWS ANDROIDThe Android Hotspot Shield app gives you plenty of control over your securityĬompared to the Mac desktop client, the Hotspot Shield Android app rocks. The “Hotspot Shield VPN” tab under “Aura apps” will get you there. Installing Hotspot Shield was a little more cumbersome and time-consuming, but no big deal in the end.Īfter a brief detour to my minimal white dashboard (not to be confused with the charcoal grey desktop client dashboard, which we’ll get to in just a sec), I downloaded my Mac desktop client via the Apple Store without a hitch. One of the things I talked about when I reviewed VyprVPN, for example, was VyprVPN’s totally seamless Mac installation - from signup to connection in about a minute! It looks like I still can’t stop talking about it. I realize now that I’d gotten pretty spoiled with quick, hassle-free VPN installs. HOTSPOT SHIELD FREE REVIEWS SOFTWAREAntivirus programs were hot in the ‘90s because software developers knew they could scare us with the idea of “viruses,” “Trojan horses,” and “worms.” Nowadays, “malware” or even “bad software” is all you need to say to get your point across. HOTSPOT SHIELD FREE REVIEWS PROPro Tip: Want to impress your friends and talk like a pro? Ditch the word “antivirus” from your “malware” conversations. More importantly for a lot of you: they won’t drive up your VPN subscription almost twofold. I’m not saying that either of these features is Jason Momoa’s “trident water shield.” But they do go a long way to keeping you safer online. Surfshark also has a comparable Clean Web feature, which I cover in detail in my comprehensive Surfshark review. Even more to the point, why not bundle in a useful security feature like this for a little extra (not $5.99 per month), or even include it in the premium plan?Ī comparable NordVPN plan, for example, includes a native ad- and malware-blocker. Then again, just because you’ve got “antivirus” software doesn’t mean you’re 100 percent protected either. Just because you’ve got a VPN doesn’t mean you’re malware-proof. I really like the fact that Hotspot Shield is bringing the malware conversation front and center. Security ExtrasĪs soon as I chose my plan, I got a few more offers from Hotspot Shield, including one for antivirus protection and VIP access to gaming servers. Is it any consolation to Bitcoiners that you can pay for Hotspot Shield with a Diners Club card? Jury’s still out. ![]() If you’re on the fence, you can get a generous 45-day, money-back trial, which makes a lot more sense than trialing Hotspot Shield’s free basic plan with its puny 500 MB of data per day or a 2-Mbps connection. How Much Does Hotspot Shield Cost?Īt $7.99 per month on the yearly plan, Hotspot Shield’s pricing is at the low end of the high end. Hotspot Shield also passed any DNS leak tests I threw at it, and it hasn’t conked out yet. ![]() In my own speed tests, Hotspot Shield was indeed wicked fast, but only when I let it choose my protocol for me. But it’s got its own Catapult Hydra protocol, which is rumored to be so fast and reliable, companies like MacAfee and Beijing-based Cheetah Mobile use it to fuel their own VPNs. ![]() For instance, it doesn’t use OpenVPN at all. Hotspot Shield doesn’t have as many protocol options as some of the big VPN guns. The Hotspot Shield dashboard, on the other hand, is packed with a typical amount of information, including server loads, which I thought was great. But after I made a few key security tweaks under the hood (which I’ll tell you all about), I was pretty much covered. The Mac client is unusually stripped down. Hotspot Shield: One-Minute Breakdown How Easy Is It to Use Hotspot Shield?Īfter a few minor road bumps, the Hotspot Shield dashboard was a piece of cake. ![]()
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