How Can You Use a VPN in 2025? 18 Best VPN Uses Explained

Most people use VPNs to protect their online activities from prying eyes. Although their primary purpose is to enhance your online security, VPNs offer more than just that, such as getting cheaper subscriptions, public Wifi security, and multi-device support.

This article discusses various practical applications of VPNs, where privacy and performance seamlessly meet a top-tier online experience.

Top Reasons to Use a VPN – Quick List

Here are the most compelling reasons why you should use a VPN service:

What is a VPN? A Brief Overview

A VPN is a tool that establishes a secure network connection, significantly enhancing your online security. It keeps your online activities secure and private by masking your IP address and encrypting your data.

In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in advertisers and other entities that have been relentlessly tracking your online activities. For this reason, a VPN becomes an essential tool, especially when you visit websites and access content. It adds an additional layer of security.

A VPN uses advanced encryption techniques to protect your online identity from your internet service providers and government entities. How, you may ask? Well, a VPN provider offers a number of servers in various countries.

For instance, ExtremeVPN offers 6500 servers in 78 countries. When you connect to any of them, all your traffic passes through the server. Your data moves within an encrypted tunnel, safeguarding it from hackers and potential man-in-the-middle attacks. Now, why does all this tech talk matter? Let’s break it down to the real deal: What can you do with a VPN?

18 Practical Applications of VPNs – Detailed List

1. Protect Your Privacy Rights

A VPN serves as a guardian of your right to privacy. It makes sure that you can explore the internet freely without compromising your security or privacy.

Additionally, a VPN allows you to regain control over your data; you can determine who can access it, log it, and derive value from it. Most importantly, a VPN prevents cybercriminals, government surveillance, and even your ISPs from spying on your online actions.

2. Enhance Public Wi-Fi Security

Public Wifi networks are full of risks — most of them lack encryption, which can open the gates for hackers to get your data. Hence, connecting them without proper security measures can get you in trouble. However, a VPN fortifies your security on Wi-Fi connections.

Remarkably, according to research, 47% of Americans use public Wifi regularly. Yet merely 1% utilize a VPN to protect their connection.

3. Save Money While Travelling

Do you know that a VPN can help you secure a budget-friendly vacation? You can get the most favorable deals at economical rates using a VPN. How, you may ask? By manipulating currencies and points of sale.

Although clearing your browser cookies or turning on your incognito mode might reduce the impact of fluctuating flight rates based on your searches, the game has now changed. Currently, pricing models show variations across different countries, so you will need a more advanced approach, like a VPN.

Here’s how you can get a cheaper flight with a VPN:

• Use an incognito tab or clear your cache and cookies.
• Change your location with a premium VPN like ExtremeVPN.
• Go to a travel website that matches your new location.
• Compare prices by connecting to different locations.

You must understand that the trick lies in the image you create by showing that you’re located in a different location (precisely, the one that will have lower prices) than your actual one.

For instance, if tickets to your dream destination are more affordable when booked through a UK website than a French one, simply select a VPN server in the UK.

4. Unblock Geo-restricted Content

Whether you are on holiday, on a business trip, or simply a homebound enthusiast who wants to explore diverse content, a VPN can enhance your streaming experience. Imagine a scenario with Netflix — each region has its rich library, and it limits access to specific series and movies based on your location.

With ExtremeVPN, you can connect to a server in a specific country, which allows Netflix to serve you the content library of that region. This isn’t only the case with Netflix; many other services like BBC iPlayer or Hulu are restricted to certain countries.

5. Elevate Your Gaming Experience

Playing video games is full of fun and excitement—it takes fans into a different world, builds relationships among players, and promotes the collective discovery of new horizons. Especially multiplayer games, they enhance community and provide a practical room for relaxation.

For optimal gaming experiences, you need to have a fast, stable, and secure online connection. Since most ISPs throttle internet connections, you may not get the speed you want. For this reason, players should use a VPN. This way, they can have a smooth gameplay with friends even when physically distant. 

6. Enjoy Unrestricted Communication

In some countries, the government has huge stakes in mobile networks. To make more revenue for these networks, they block calling apps (VoIP services) like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Skype, because they are free and can disturb their earnings.

If you live in any such country, you need to use a VPN. With a VPN, you can access such services from anywhere with complete security.

7. Stop Malicious and Intrusive Ads

If a site displays dozens of ads, it can become annoying for you to navigate it, especially when all you want is a simple recipe for apple pie. Fortunately, many top-notch VPN providers offer a built-in ad blocker that can elevate your browsing experience by letting you enjoy the internet without annoying ads.

Beyond mere annoyance, ads can also contain malware that can damage your device. Hence, it’s better to block them beforehand.

8. Multi-device Protection

You don’t secure a single device when you opt for a reputable VPN provider like ExtremeVPN. It protects your tablets, laptops, and smart TVs. Most premium services offer dedicated apps for Android and iOS, and some even still support BlackBerry, ensuring comprehensive coverage across various mobile platforms.

Also note that ExtremeVPN allows 10 simultaneous connections. This means you can protect ten devices at a single time using ExtremeVPN’s subscription. This flexibility ensures that, regardless of the number of devices you wish to protect, our VPN accommodates your needs.

9. Fast File Downloads with P2P Servers

Engaging in P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing includes sharing digital content across networks, including books, music, software, videos, and extensive data sets. However, many ISPs prefer to avoid it because it can result in illegal activities.

This often results in slow connection speeds, bandwidth restrictions, or barriers to accessing certain file-sharing platforms. It is worth mentioning that the ISP isn’t the sole adversary in this case. Within the network, all users can expose each other’s IP addresses, creating a vulnerability that cybercriminals could exploit.

With a VPN, your IP address remains hidden, and your online traffic is encrypted, making it inaccessible to potential interception and monitoring eyes.

10. Bypass Bandwidth Throttling

Engaging in online activities, like gaming or streaming services, that consume enough of your bandwidth may attract your ISP, which can lead to targeted bandwidth throttling. Bandwidth throttling refers to a process where your ISP attempts to reduce congestion and regulate network traffic by affecting your internet speed.

When this happens, you face a slower internet connection. But don’t worry. If you have a VPN, it will hide your IP address so that you remain hidden from your ISP. This way, you will get uniform speeds at all times.

11. Protection Against Phishing Attacks

Email phishing is a common cyber threat that uses deceptive emails as its primary tactic. In such cases, individuals are tricked into clicking on malicious links. As soon as they do this, they download harmful software on their device or end up providing personal information to hackers.

A VPN is your crucial line of defense against phishing attacks. Many robust VPNs offer an additional layer of protection. They scan files during the download process and block malware from entering your device.

12. Restrict Tracking Cookies

Do you know that private browsing mode (or incognito mode) offers a limited shield that stops to protect against trackers once you close your browser? Contrary to this, a VPN is an active and continuous tracker blocker. It stops third-party trackers from gathering your data as you explore the internet.

You would be surprised by how much information these malicious actors can gather about you — IP addresses, device details, browser usage, time spent on websites, political views, familial connections, food preferences, etc. In the case of such a potential intrusion, a dedicated tracker blocker is your go-to option.

13. Improve Remote Access

We are living in an era where we want to collect memories — storing photos, school or university documents, and large files on our home desktop computers. Due to this reason, the need to access this content remotely increases.

Whether you’re on a holiday or in another location, a VPN allows you to tap into your home computer’s resources.

ExtremeVPN allows you to connect to your devices and local networks from anywhere. The advantages are numerous: you can securely access your files while on the move, test web applications on various platforms without leaving your comfort zone, and configure this file-sharing mechanism in a few minutes.

14. Enjoy Live Sports Streaming

For sports fans, the cost of watching live events can add up quickly. However, with a VPN and some research, you can make substantial savings and even access to pay-per-view events at no cost.

Let’s break it down. Actually, certain sporting events are free to air in specific countries, while they require payment in others. Thus, a VPN offers a more economical or free way to catch significant events like the NBA, Super Bowl, Euros, and Olympics.

So, when a significant event is on the horizon, it is worth checking global broadcasting options for better deals. Simply connect to a server in one of those countries, and you are set to enjoy the action.

15. Maximize Value with Free Trials

A smart approach to save more involves taking advantage of free trials and money-back guarantees. The market is filled with VPN providers offering trial periods, and using them is in your best interest.

Many reputable providers often extend money-back guarantees, ranging from 30 to 45 days. One best example is ExtremeVPN, which offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to its customers.

The strategy is simple: purchase a plan, start usage, and if the service doesn’t meet your expectations, rest assured that the VPN provider will provide you a hassle-free refund.

16. Enhance GPS Spoofing

Although not widely recognized, one interesting application of a VPN is enhancing the reliability of GPS spoofing. This approach might not be universally applicable, but it holds significant use for specific cases.

For instance, you can combine a VPN with a GPS spoofing app to obtain fake GPS locations for games like Pokémon Go. The benefits extend beyond gaming, as this capability becomes invaluable for protecting your current location from tracking by various applications.

17. Overcome ISP Restrictions

In cases where individuals lack control over their ISP — such as students, those living with parents, or renters whose utilities are managed on their behalf — a VPN becomes a crucial tool for accessing restricted content. Parental control tools, though serving a purpose, can sometimes be imposed without merit.

This isn’t solely about accessing adult content; these controls often display overzealous censorship, blocking clean websites and imposing restrictions on in-app purchases, online time limits, and browsing schedules. Moreover, torrenting sites are commonly blocked by ISPs, regardless of whether parental controls are intact or not.

Irrespective of your reasons for wanting to overcome ISP restrictions or gain access to legitimate content, a VPN offers a straightforward solution.

18. Fortify Chat Privacy

Although secure messaging apps like Signal and Telegram offer robust encryption, many popular apps may lack encryption by default or require an opt-in rather than an opt-out approach. Without encryption, there’s a risk that unauthorized parties could intercept your messages.

A VPN only guarantees your communication’s visibility to the intended recipient, allowing you to express yourself freely. Moreover, a VPN doesn’t directly impact your regular cell signal; instead, it enhances the security of your VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls.

Common Uses of a VPN: A Brief Overview

Here are some of the major reasons why people use VPNs:

• Private and secure browsing.
• Online presence control.
• Protection of IP information.

If you want a VPN, try a premium provider like ExtremeVPN. While free VPNs may be appealing, they have certain limitations, potential privacy concerns, and fewer security features. On the other hand, ExtremeVPN offers reliable performance, excellent security measures, and a commitment to user privacy.

FAQs

Do VPNs face blocking?

Yes, they do. Firewalls possess the ability to block specific ports commonly used by VPNs. If your data travels on one of these blocked ports, the firewall can affect its flow, disrupting your VPN communication.

What is the best VPN service for 2025?

For privacy-focused individuals, ExtremeVPN stands out as the best option. We take your privacy seriously, and you can benefit from our VPN’s exclusive range of security features.

Can a VPN trace my phone?

The more locations housing your information, the higher the risks of potential leaks. A VPN conceals your demographic data linked to your internet activity, making it untraceable. This additional layer of protection ensures your online actions stay private and beyond tracking.