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What Is Tor VPN? The Tor Project's Android App, Explained

Tor VPN is a free app from the Tor Project that sends the other apps on your Android phone through the Tor network. It's a good way to get blocked apps working and to hide your real IP address from them. But it isn't a regular VPN, it isn't Tor Browser, and it's still in beta. Here's what it does, how to set it up, and where its limits are.

By the Tor Browser Guide editors · Updated

Quick answer

The short version

Tor VPN is a free, open-source Android app made by the Tor Project. It routes the apps you choose through the Tor network and gives each app its own Tor connection. It needs Android 7.0 or newer and comes from Google Play or F-Droid. It's best for getting around censorship in apps. For private web browsing, use Tor Browser instead. And it's beta software, so don't rely on it for anything sensitive yet.

What Tor VPN actually does

A regular VPN sends all your traffic to one company's server. Tor VPN sends it through the Tor network instead: three relays run by volunteers, so no single relay knows both who you are and what you're connecting to. It's built on Arti, the Tor Project's new Tor engine written in Rust.

  • Each app gets its own Tor connection

    Every app you protect gets its own Tor circuit and its own exit IP address. As the Tor Project puts it, “activity from one app can't easily be linked to another.”

  • All apps by default, except Tor apps

    Out of the box, Tor VPN protects every app on your phone except apps that already use Tor, like Tor Browser for Android and Orbot. Those keep their own Tor connection. You can also pick just the apps you want.

  • Free, with no account

    There's no sign-up, subscription, or payment. The Tor Project says Tor VPN “will always be free.”

  • Popular where the internet is censored

    About 71,000 people use it every day (August 2026). The most installs come from Russia, India, Iran, the United States, and Turkmenistan.

  • Still in beta

    The latest version is 1.9.1 Beta (September 2026). The Tor Project's own warning: it “may leak information and should not be relied on for anything sensitive.” A security audit by Cure53, published in April 2026, found “no fundamental issues in tunnel establishment or routing.”

Not the same as “Onion over VPN”

Some paid VPN companies sell features with Tor or onion in the name, such as NordVPN's Onion Over VPN. Those send your traffic to the VPN company's server first and then into Tor, so you still have to trust that company. Tor VPN is the Tor Project's own free app, with no VPN company in the middle. (Thinking of pairing Tor with a paid VPN? See do you need a VPN with Tor?)

Tor VPN vs Tor Browser: which one do you need?

The Tor Project's own comparison sums it up: Tor Browser is best for “anonymous browsing,” and Tor VPN is best for “unblocking the internet.”

Comparison of Tor VPN and Tor Browser, based on the Tor Project's app comparison.
What matters Tor VPN Tor Browser
Best for Getting blocked apps working Private, anonymous web browsing
What it covers The apps you choose Only the browser itself
Blocks trackers, resists fingerprinting No Yes
Security levels No Yes (Standard, Safer, Safest)
Opens .onion sites Yes Yes
Platforms Android 7.0+ (no tablets or Chromebooks) Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Status Beta Stable

Our advice

Use Tor Browser for websites. The Tor Project “strongly” recommends against using Tor in any other browser, because other browsers lack Tor Browser's privacy protections. Use Tor VPN when an app you need, like a messenger or a news app, is blocked, or when you don't want apps to see your real IP address. And what about Orbot? It's an older app from the Guardian Project that also routes apps through Tor, and the Tor Project suggests it on iPhone, where Tor VPN isn't available.

How to set up Tor VPN (step by step)

  1. Install it from an official store

    On Google Play, search for Tor VPN and check that the developer is The Tor Project. Or install it from F-Droid. These are the two places the Tor Project's official download page links to.

  2. Tap Connect

    Open the app and tap Connect. By default, “All apps protected” is on.

  3. Allow the VPN connection

    Android shows a “Connection request” prompt. Tap OK.

  4. Choose your apps (optional)

    To protect only some apps, tap Apps, turn off “Protect all apps”, and switch on the apps you want.

  5. Stuck connecting? Use a bridge

    Tap Connection, turn on “Use a bridge”, and choose a built-in obfs4 or Snowflake bridge. More on bridges below.

Want a kill switch?

Tap Configure → Kill switch. It opens Android's VPN settings, where you turn on “Always-on VPN” and “Block connections without VPN”. One catch: if Tor VPN protects only some apps, the other apps won't be able to connect at all while the kill switch is on.

Using Tor VPN where Tor is blocked

In countries that block Tor, such as Russia, Iran, or Turkmenistan, Tor VPN needs a bridge. It supports three types: obfs4 and Snowflake (both built in) and WebTunnel (you request it). It doesn't support meek.

  • Try a built-in bridge first

    Tap Connection, turn on “Use a bridge”, and pick obfs4 or Snowflake.

  • Request new bridges

    Tap “Request bridges”, then “Give me new bridges” and “Save bridges”. This uses the Tor Project's official Telegram bot. You can also email bridges@torproject.org from a Gmail or Riseup address, or use bridges.torproject.org, then paste the lines under “Add new bridges” and tap Save.

  • In Russia

    Telegram and the bridges website are blocked there, so ask the Tor Project's support team for a private bridge: email frontdesk@torproject.org or message them on Signal or WhatsApp, and include “private bridge ru”. On mobile data, WebTunnel works best. More: getting bridges in Russia.

  • Don't use “exit location” as a fix

    Choosing an exit country changes where you appear to be; it doesn't get you past a block. The Tor Project noticed that people trying to bypass censorship “were selecting exit locations when they should have been using bridges instead.”

What Tor VPN doesn't protect

The Tor Project is unusually honest about this in its threat model. In its words, Tor VPN “does not magically make all apps anonymous.”

  • ✘ Apps still know it's you if you log in

    If you use your real account in an app like Instagram, WhatsApp, or X, Tor VPN hides your IP address and gets you past blocks, but the app still knows who you are. For these apps, the threat model says Tor VPN provides “only censorship circumvention and protection from network surveillance.”

  • ✘ Your phone can still be identified

    Some Android data, such as device identifiers, can still single out your phone. The app's store listing warns that “no VPN can fully prevent this.”

  • ✘ It doesn't make websites private

    Tor VPN doesn't block trackers or resist browser fingerprinting. For websites, use Tor Browser for Android.

  • ✘ An outdated phone undoes it

    On a phone that no longer gets Android security updates, the threat model says Tor VPN provides “no additional security.”

  • ✔ What it does well

    It gets blocked apps working, hides your real IP address from the apps and sites you use, and hides from your internet provider which apps and sites you connect to. (More: is Tor anonymous?)

Common problems and fixes

  • Another VPN is running

    Android allows only one VPN at a time. Turn off any other VPN, and any firewall app that uses Android's VPN slot.

  • Private DNS is set to a custom address

    Tor VPN doesn't work with a custom Private DNS hostname, because that would reveal the sites you visit to the DNS provider. In Android's network settings, set Private DNS to Off or Automatic.

  • It won't connect

    Turn on a bridge (see above). To see what's going wrong, open Configure → Advanced → Tor logs.

  • It's slower than a regular VPN

    That's expected. Your traffic passes through three volunteer relays, and the Tor Project says Tor VPN “doesn't behave like a commercial VPN optimized for speed.” (More: why is Tor so slow?)

  • Still stuck?

    The Tor Project's support team answers in English, Russian, and Farsi on Telegram (@TorProjectSupportBot), Signal, WhatsApp, and email (frontdesk@torproject.org), Monday to Thursday.

The bottom line

Tor VPN is the Tor Project's free way to put your Android apps on the Tor network. It's genuinely useful for getting blocked apps working and for hiding your IP address from them, and it's free and open source. Just remember what it isn't: it's not a private browser, it can't hide who you are inside apps you log into, and it's still in beta. For websites, use Tor Browser.

Get Tor VPN (official page) For browsing: Tor Browser for Android

Frequently asked questions

Is Tor VPN free?

Yes. Tor VPN is free and open source, with no account or subscription, and the Tor Project says it “will always be free.” Only install it from Google Play (developer: The Tor Project) or F-Droid.

Is Tor VPN safe to use?

It's made by the Tor Project, and an independent security audit (published in 2026) found no fundamental problems with how it connects to Tor. But it's still beta software, and the Tor Project warns that it “may leak information and should not be relied on for anything sensitive.” It's fine for getting around blocks. If you face serious risks, use Tor Browser instead.

Do I still need Tor Browser if I use Tor VPN?

For websites, yes. Tor VPN doesn't block trackers or resist fingerprinting, and the Tor Project strongly recommends against using Tor in any browser other than Tor Browser. Tor Browser keeps its own Tor connection, so you don't need Tor VPN running to use it.

Is there a Tor VPN for iPhone or computers?

No. Tor VPN is Android only (Android 7.0 or newer; tablets and Chromebooks aren't supported). On iPhone, the Tor Project suggests Orbot by the Guardian Project. On a computer, use Tor Browser.

Does Tor VPN work in Russia and Iran?

Often, with a bridge. Russia and Iran are among the top countries for Tor VPN installs. Turn on a built-in obfs4 or Snowflake bridge, or add a WebTunnel bridge. In Russia, where Telegram is blocked, ask the Tor Project's support team for a private bridge.

Sources

We base this guide on official Tor Project documentation and independent sources. Links checked October 11, 2026.