The iOS client doesn’t have the fastest server connection feature or any auto connect options. Hotspot shield has plenty of apps (Image credit: AnchorFree) This cannot directly tie you to any specific online activities. The company also states it may use your IP address to obtain your approximate city-level location for analytics and service improvement, as well as for marketing attribution purposes. This includes device-specific data like unique mobile ID, operating system, hardware model, language, and network information. While Hotspot Shield promises not to collect any information that can be used to identify you, such as IP addresses or online activities, it states that the company and its service providers do collect some information before you connect to the VPN. Fortunately, testing Hotspot Shield's clients and browser attachments at IPLeak (opens in new tab) and DNSLeakTest (opens in new tab) didn't reveal any issues, with the service protecting us from snoopers at all times. Client implementation is also important, especially when it comes to blocking DNS and WebRTC leaks which might give away your real identity. It also uses Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (EDCHE) for exchanging keys, generating new ones for each session.īut privacy isn't just about the low-level technicalities. Hotspot Shield uses Catapult Hydra protocol, which is based on Transport Layer Security 1.2 (TLS), and employs AES-128 encryption, along with 2048-bit RSA certificates for server authentication.

36 month plan - $2.49 per month ($89.64 total cost) (opens in new tab).

These are the main reasons we recommend it in our best VPN services (opens in new tab) guide. With over 2,500 P2P-optimized servers spread across up to 75 countries, Hotspot Shield provides safe and anonymous access to a wide array of geo-restricted websites and platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify.

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