Engadget Report: When to Keep a VPN On and When to Turn It Off

A VPN can shield users from hackers, advertisers and internet service providers that try to monitor online activity, according to Engadget. It will not stop an attacker from cracking a weak password to reach an email account, nor will it catch every malicious website before a user falls for it. Users who want to avoid toggling a VPN on and off can enable it at the router level, Engadget says, but that approach reduces flexibility when the VPN creates more frustration than protection.

Engadget groups the situations where a VPN is important into two categories: accessing sensitive information and using insecure networks. Public Wi-Fi is the most common example. Because anyone can join a public network and users do not know how it has been configured, someone could snoop on activity over open Wi-Fi. An attacker could also set up a fake network with the same name as a trusted one in a coffee shop or airport. Running a VPN on public networks creates an encrypted tunnel between the user and the destination, helping shield data from criminals who may be lurking in those spaces. The same reasoning applies to websites that still lack a secure HTTPS connection. With HTTPS, a network spy can see that someone is visiting a site but cannot view what is entered there; most major sites default to HTTPS, and a VPN can provide a fallback for the fraction that do not.

VPNs also help hide internet activity from an internet service provider. According to an FTC study cited by Engadget, ISPs frequently collect information about devices, internet history, network performance and usage habits, and often sell that information to third parties. A VPN prevents an ISP from seeing which websites a user visits and what the user is doing, although the ISP still knows that a VPN is in use and how much data is moving. Engadget adds that VPNs do not hide an entire search history: a browser still keeps a log of visited sites, and a logged-in Google account keeps a record of activity across its platforms.

Those privacy concerns become more important during travel, especially in places where internet access is monitored or restricted, Engadget says. In such cases, a VPN can help keep responsible internet usage private. It may also help users access American streaming services abroad; streaming-compatible VPNs are described as a key travel hack for someone midway through The Sopranos when departing on an international trip. Changing location with a VPN can also unlock country-specific catalogs on services such as Netflix.

Engadget also recommends a VPN as a backup layer when accessing sensitive information such as email, bank accounts or healthcare plans. A VPN does not guarantee that information stays protected, but it can help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks in which criminals steal information in transit. It will not stop tricksters from duping someone into divulging bank details, but it could prevent them from spying on Amazon transactions. The report's author says they always check that their VPN is functioning before accessing sensitive information on a phone or laptop.

There are times when a VPN does more harm than good, according to the report. Certain websites, including many streaming sites and bank portals, will not function properly if they detect a VPN. Websites that rely on location to provide relevant information, such as local news or weather, may require a user to enter a location manually or turn off the VPN. Most VPNs allow users to exempt specific domains through split tunnelling, Engadget notes, and some sites will temporarily block users for irregular traffic when a VPN is active.

Decreased speeds and increased latency are common VPN concerns, and they are particularly noticeable for real-time applications such as video calling and online gaming. The delays occur because of additional overhead involved in sending traffic through the VPN before it reaches its destination. Selecting servers closer to a user's physical location can reduce tunnelling times and lag. Many of the best VPNs are optimized for quick download speeds and should be more than fast enough for typical use, according to Engadget.

Editor's Summary

Engadget's Sept. 12, 2026, report says a VPN can protect privacy and data on public Wi-Fi, hide browsing from ISPs and add a layer of security for sensitive accounts. It also warns that VPNs are not a complete cybersecurity fix and can interfere with streaming, banking and location-based sites while reducing speed and increasing latency. The guidance is to use a VPN when networks are insecure or information is sensitive, and to turn it off or use split tunnelling when it causes more problems than protection.