How to Turn Off Your VPN: Why You Might Need to Temporarily Disable Your VPN

At a Glance

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an excellent way to both keep you protected online and provide access to content that you might usually be unable to enjoy. Despite a VPN’s obvious benefits, you may need to temporarily disable your VPN connection from time to time.

In this article, we’ll discuss why you may need to temporarily disable your VPN, how to do it on your devices or router, and I’ll also explain why it’s a good idea to leave your VPN enabled as much as possible.

Why Should I Keep My VPN Turned On?

The most important reason to keep your favorite VPN turned on whenever possible is that it protects your online security and privacy. A VPN encrypts your internet connection, encasing it in a virtual tunnel of sorts, hiding your online travels from your ISP, the government, hackers, and other nosy types. A quality VPN also protects your privacy by never keeping any logs connected to your online activities, so there is no evidence to be had of your online antics.

A quality VPN also has the ability to provide access to content in other countries. Since streaming services, gaming companies, and other online entertainment sources often restrict access to their content to users in specific countries, you may not normally have access to that content. A VPN temporarily assigns a fresh IP address to your connected device. If you connect to a VPN in another country, the VPN makes it appear to the rest of the internet that you and your device are in that country. This opens up access to content in that country.

When Should I Turn Off My VPN?

There are several situations where you may want to temporarily disable your VPN. These can include:

• Connection troubleshooting: You may be like Andy, who works for Parks and Recreation, and are experiencing network connectivity problems. If so, you’ll need to troubleshoot your connection in order to determine whether there are problems with your network or if it is being caused by something else, like issues with the VPN server you’re connected to. If you disable your VPN and your connection is restored, that indicates that the VPN server you were connected to wasn’t working properly. In that case, the solution would be to connect to a different VPN server to see if the issue is resolved.
• Extend your device’s battery life: Many of us live on our smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This makes it important to extend your device’s battery life as much as possible so that you can make it through the day before your device’s battery is drained. The more apps you’re running, the quicker your battery will be drained of its charge. This goes for VPN apps as well. A VPN app needs to encrypt the data it sends to the VPN server, which adds to the overhead of the app, leading to shorter battery life. Either turn off your VPN when you’re not actively browsing the web or when you’re not engaging in other internet-related activities. You can also try using a more modern connection protocol in your VPN app, like WireGuard, that provides more efficient operation.
• Accessing some websites and services: While most premium websites provide reliable access to geographically restricted websites and services like streaming providers, these sites are getting better at blocking IP addresses used by VPN providers. This means that even if you’re connected to a VPN server inside of your own country, the site or service may have blocked the IP address the VPN assigned to your device. In this instance, you should first try connecting to a different VPN server or temporarily disable your VPN connection to access these sites and services.
• You’re in a country where VPNs are illegal: Using a VPN is totally legal in most countries. However, there are a few overly restrictive countries (such as China and Belarus) that have banned VPN use while you’re inside their borders. In this case, don’t run the risk of being arrested for using a VPN and don’t use a VPN while you’re visiting those countries.

How to Disable a VPN

The procedure for disabling your VPN can vary, depending on whether you’re using a VPN provider’s app, your device’s built-in VPN capabilities, or a router. In this section, I’ll walk you through all of these.

If You’re Using the VPN Provider’s App

If you’re using your VPN provider’s app to protect and enhance your online travels, the method of disabling your VPN can vary from provider to provider. Most VPN provider’s apps include a large connect/disconnect button that can be used to toggle the VPN connection on or off. Some providers even offer a way to temporarily disable your VPN connection, which automatically reconnects to the VPN server after a set period of time. Let’s take a look at how my top two VPN picks handle this.

NordVPN

My top VPN, NordVPN, offers comprehensive VPN app support for most popular devices. NordVPN’s apps make it easy to quickly enable and disable VPN protection on your connected device.

macOS

In macOS, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the NordVPN icon in your Menu Bar at the top of your macOS desktop.
2. Click on the icon.
3. In the pull-down that appears, click the “Disconnect” button to completely disconnect from the VPN server until you decide to manually reconnect.
4. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, click the “Pause” button instead, then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 1 hour.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed. This comes in handy when you just need to disable your VPN for a while and later reconnect without the need for you to remember and reconnect manually.

Windows

In Windows 10/11, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Pause” button in the NordVPN app. It’s located in the upper right-hand corner of the app window.
2. Click on the “Pause” button.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, click the “Pause” button instead, then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 1 hour.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed. This comes in handy when you just need to disable your VPN for a while and later reconnect without the need for you to remember and reconnect manually.
4. If you wish to just disconnect, click the “Disconnect” button next to the “Pause” button.

Android

In Android, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Pause” button in the NordVPN app. You’ll see it in the middle of the app window.
2. Tap on the “Pause” button.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, tap the “Pause” button instead, then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 1 hour.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed. This comes in handy when you just need to disable your VPN for a while and later reconnect without the need for you to remember and reconnect manually.
4. If you wish to just disconnect, tap the “Disconnect” button next to the “Pause” button.

iOS

In iOS, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Pause” button in the NordVPN app. You’ll see it in the middle of the app window.
2. Tap on the “Pause” button.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, tap the “Pause” button instead, then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 1 hour.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed. This comes in handy when you just need to disable your VPN for a while and later reconnect without the need for you to remember and reconnect manually.
4. If you wish to just disconnect, tap the “Disconnect” button next to the “Pause” button.

Surfshark

My budget-priced VPN pick also offers excellent app support for most connected devices. The provider’s apps also make it easy to quickly enable and disable your device’s VPN protection.

macOS

In macOS, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Disconnect” button near the bottom of the Surfshark app window.
2. Click on the “Disconnect” button to turn off the VPN.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, click the “Pause” button (next to the “Disconnect” button) instead. Now, click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 2 hours.” The VPN app will disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed. This comes in handy when you just need to disable your VPN for a while and later reconnect without the need for you to remember and reconnect manually.

Windows

In Windows 10/11, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Disconnect” button near the bottom of the Surfshark app window.
2. Click on the “Disconnect” button to turn off the VPN.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, click the “Pause” button (next to the “Disconnect” button) instead. Now, click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 2 hours.” The VPN app will disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed.

Android

In Android, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Disconnect” button in the Surfshark app. You’ll find it in the middle of the app window.
2. Tap on the “Disconnect” button to turn off the VPN.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, tap the “Pause” button instead and then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 2 hours.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed.

iOS

In iOS, to disconnect or pause your VPN connection, do the following:

1. While you’re connected, look for the “Disconnect” button in the Surfshark app. You’ll find it in the middle of the app window.
2. Tap on the “Disconnect” button to turn off the VPN.
3. To pause your VPN connection for a short period of time, tap the “Pause” button instead, then click “Pause for 5 mins,” “Pause for 30 mins,” or “Pause for 2 hours.” The VPN will then disconnect from the current VPN server and then reconnect once the designated amount of time has passed.

Manually Turning Off Your Operating System’s VPN

If you don’t use a provider’s VPN app and have manually configured your VPN on your operating system, then this section is for you. Here’s how you can disable a VPN on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux devices.

Windows 10/11

1. Go to “Settings” -> “Network & Internet.”
2. Select “VPN” from the “Network & Internet” menu.
3. Click the VPN you want to disable.
4. Click on “Disconnect.”

macOS Sonoma

1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left-hand corner of your Mac’s desktop.
2. Click on “System Settings…”
3. Click on “VPN” in the left pane.
4. Find your VPN connection in the window on the right.
5. Click the toggle button to the right of the VPN’s name to toggle it to the “OFF” position (if the switch is green it’s turned on, if it’s gray it’s turned off.

Android

Depending on which version of Android you have installed on your device, these steps can vary a bit from version to version.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on “Network & Internet.”
3. Tap on “VPN.”
4. Toggle off your VPN.

iOS 17

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap “General.”
3. Scroll down to “VPN & Device Management.” Tap that.
4. Tap “VPN” on the “VPN & Device Management” screen.
5. Toggle the “VPN Status” on the “VPN” screen to “Not Connected.” (Green is on, gray is off.)

Linux

Here are the instructions for disabling a VPN on the popular Ubuntu version of Linux.

1. Click the network icon, found in the top right corner.
2. Click “VPN connections” from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on the active VPN connection to disable it.

Router

The process of turning off a VPN on a router depends on your router model. Check with your VPN provider or the manufacturer of your router to find the exact method for disabling your VPN.

1. Start by determining your router’s IP address. You can usually find the IP address printed on a sticker on the back or bottom of the router. If you’ve changed the router’s IP address (you can do this on most popular routers), hopefully you’ve written the new IP address down somewhere.
2. Type the router’s IP address into your browser’s address bar. The router’s admin page should quickly load into the browser window.
3. Enter your administrator login credentials. This information should also be on the back or bottom of the router (again, you hopefully changed the password of your router when you set it up and have it in your password manager or a similarly secure storage location).
4. Find the VPN settings in the Admin panel.
5. Disable the VPN and restart your router.

In Closing

While it’s important to keep your VPN turned on during your day-to-day activities, there are occasions when you’ll either want or need to disable your VPN protection. As we’ve found, it is relatively easy to manage your VPN connection, ensuring that you have online security and privacy protection when you need it.

Turn Off Your VPN FAQs

Does a Kill Switch Turn Off a VPN?

While the term “kill switch” might lead you to believe that a kill switch is designed to turn off your VPN, it is actually a security and privacy feature that cuts off your internet access if your VPN connection drops for any reason. This protects against leaving your online activities unprotected and open to being monitored or traced.

What is Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling is a VPN feature that allows you to pick and choose which apps use your VPN’s protected tunnel and which use your unprotected internet connection. This allows you to keep your VPN turned on for activities that benefit from it, while other connections are handled as your ISP intended. This comes in handy if you’re having issues accessing a website or streaming service or similarly finicky connections.

What Happens If I Turn My VPN Off?

Turning off your VPN means your internet traffic is no longer encrypted, making your online activities (and your real IP address) visible to the rest of the internet. This means that in many countries, your usage information may be shared with your government o