PsiPhon 487 for Android

PsiPhon 487 is the Android version of Psiphon, a free and open-source tool for getting around internet censorship. You can download PsiPhon for Android from Google Play or directly from psiphon.ca, and after one tap it tunnels your phone's traffic past blocks on websites and apps.

Who it is for

Psiphon was built for people who live or travel where the internet is filtered: news sites, messengers or social networks may be blocked by a government, a mobile operator or the network of a school or workplace. The project dates back to 2004, when it began within the OpenNet Initiative, and today it is run by Psiphon Inc. On a phone it suits users who need their usual apps to keep working in such conditions, journalists and activists who must stay reachable, and travellers who arrive in a country with restrictions. It is less suitable if your goal is full anonymity or watching another country's streaming catalogue: that is not what the tool is designed for, and other services do those jobs better. Because the code is published under the GNU General Public License, the app is also a reasonable choice for people who prefer open-source tools.

How to install and use it

1. Install PsiPhon from Google Play or the official download page.
2. Open the app and tap Start.
3. Accept the Android request to set up a VPN connection; Psiphon uses it to route traffic.
4. Open your usual apps; when you no longer need the tunnel, tap Stop.

Privacy and safety

Psiphon changes the route of your traffic, but it does not make you invisible: the sites and apps you use still know your accounts, and the Psiphon network can see connection data. Keep using HTTPS and apps with encryption. Download PsiPhon only from Google Play or psiphon.ca, check the source code on GitHub if you want to verify it, and be careful with modified versions that promise extra speed: they are a common way to spread malware.

Price

The app is free to use. The size is about 26.94 MB according to catalogue data.

If it does not connect

Restart the app, switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi and check that no other VPN is active, because Android allows one VPN connection at a time. If Google Play and psiphon.ca are both blocked, ask a trusted contact to share the official file rather than searching for it on unknown sites.

Battery and data

Any tunnel adds some overhead. If you only need Psiphon for a few blocked apps, turn it off when you are done to save battery and mobile data.

Pros and cons

• Pro: free and open source.
• Pro: simple one-tap start.
• Con: not an anonymity tool.
• Con: speed varies by server.

Alternatives

Other VPN and tunnel apps for Android in our listings: ProtonVPN, Outline VPN, 1.1.1.1 and Psiphon Pro.