Opera launches A Totally Free VPN App For iOS
European technology titan Opera Software is introducing a virtual private network (VPN) client for iPads and iPhones to bypass content locks by producing an IP from outside of their browsing location. This launch comes three weeks after the for its desktop Opera browser.
- One of the fastest, most reliable VPN services
- Unblocked access via your choice of five virtual locations (with more coming soon)
- A built-in ad blocker for ads in Safari, Chrome and other apps
- A built-in tracker blocker to enhance online privacy
The app, launched Monday, blocks ads in Chrome, Safari, and different apps; prevents trackers from the following user around the Web, and allow user access blocked websites. The user can change their virtual location by connecting to one of five areas and using an IP address from that area. Right now, we can choose among the Canada, US, Germany, Singapore, or The Netherlands, but Opera said more locations are "coming soon."
The application comes weeks after Opera included a free and unlimited virtual private network to its browser. Both products were built by SurfEasy, the VPN company Opera acquired last year.
However not the first company to offer a VPN service for iOS device, Opera's proposing is unusual in that it's totally free. There are no in-app, subscriptions, purchases or even ads — at least, not yet.
Although the app doesn't presently have to advertise, the company did explain that it likely will use presenting in the future because, as the company explains rather bluntly, "the reality is that a VPN service costs money to operate."
"While we don’t offer this today, we will likely introduce advertising into the application in the future. This is just the same as playing a free game that has ads – we get paid by advertisers based on our users’ engagement with their ads," Chris Houston, president of Opera's VPN division, writes in a blog post.
"The other way we make money is by collecting anonymous data about how people use their mobile device. We make this information available to third parties who are interested in better understanding the mobile ecosystem and how it’s evolving."
Users should also be aware that the app gathers anonymous data about how user use their mobile device, and Opera will make this information available to third parties.
"It's important to understand that this is not data about what you do with your phone, but rather this is data about how a large group of people uses their phones," Houston wrote. "It's very much like taking part in a survey — there is very little value in your personal answers since your answers may not be representative of the larger population."
For the moment, if you're an Android user in need of a free VPN, don't feel too left out. Houston said support for Google's mobile OS is coming soon.