As VPN usage surges and authoritarian restrictions against VPNs rise, ProtonVPN has taken another step to facilitate its users. With the latest update, ProtonVPN allows Android users to hide their VPN use by replacing the app icon with discreet icons. Moreover, the VPN has also launched a new Stealth protocol to evade censorship.
ProtonVPN Launched Discreet Icons On Android
As announced via a recent post, ProtonVPN now lets Android users hide VPN’s presence on their devices by using discreet icons.
As elaborated, the new update regarding ‘Discreet Icons’ offers just what it says – discreet app icons for users. These icons bear different graphics and app names to bluff someone inspecting the device. That includes showing generic icons for a Weather app, a Note-taking application, or even a Calculator.
With this move, ProtonVPN aims to save users under authoritarian regimes from possible consequences if an inspection authority physically checks their device for VPN use.
Thus, Android users running the VPN on their devices do not have to worry about getting caught up in possible physical inspections of their devices. Whenever they encounter situations where the presence of a VPN app on their devices would cause trouble upon detection, they can replace the app’s icon with a random one offered by the service.
Though changing the app icon won’t essentially hide the VPN’s presence from the settings, it can at least prevent immediate detection. Besides, users may manually turn off the VPN app notifications out of caution.
For now, this facility is typically available only on Android devices. It remains unclear when it will be available for Apple users.
ProtonVPN Also Introduced ‘Stealth’ Protocol
Alongside the launch of discreet icons, ProtonVPN announced another major feature upgrade—the launch of its proprietary ‘Stealth’ protocol. This new protocol, which Proton built ‘from the ground up,’ aims to facilitate VPN users in repressive regions.
As most governments apply stricter measures to detect and block VPN use, it becomes easier for them to detect most existing VPN protocols. However, ProtonVPN’s Stealth protocol enforces stronger measures to evade Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology and keep VPN usage under the radar without compromising connection speeds.
Interestingly, this evasive protocol is available across all ProtonVPN plans, including the free plan. It is also available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps, except Linux (for now).
Proton isn’t the first in the VPN industry to offer its users an exclusive VPN protocol. Many other service providers also offer the same, the most recent being NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol, which promises fast speeds.
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