How to Set Up a VPN on Any Device: A Practical Guide

Setting up a VPN manually — without an app — gives you full control over the protocol, server, and kill-switch behavior. Here is how to do it on each major platform.

Windows

Open Settings → Network & Internet → VPN and click Add a VPN connection. Select your provider’s protocol (WireGuard is fastest; IKEv2 is most stable on mobile networks). Enter the server address and credentials, then toggle Connect automatically off until you have tested the connection.

macOS

Go to System Settings → VPN and click the + button. For WireGuard, install the official WireGuard app from the App Store and import your .conf file. For IKEv2, use the built-in client under Network preferences.

Android

Download the WireGuard or OpenVPN app from Google Play. Import your config file by tapping the + icon and selecting Import from file. Enable Always-on VPN under Settings → Network → VPN to prevent leaks on app restart.

iOS

On iOS, WireGuard and OpenVPN both have official App Store apps. After importing your config, go to Settings → VPN & Device Management → VPN and enable Connect On Demand so traffic is always tunnelled.

Verifying Your Setup

After connecting, visit an IP-check site to confirm your public IP matches the VPN server. Run a DNS leak test to verify your DNS resolver has also switched. If you see your ISP’s DNS, add DNS = 1.1.1.1 to your WireGuard config or set your system DNS manually.