Should I remove VPN from my iPhone?

You’ve probably heard advice along the lines of “remove your VPN and your phone will perform better .” It sounds logical—fewer apps means less load. But is it really true? We recently investigated in detail whether VPNs really break iPhones , and came to a definitive conclusion. Now we’ll explain what’s actually happening to your device and what to do if Russian apps refuse to launch.

How does a VPN affect an iPhone?

Let’s start with the most important thing: installing a VPN app on your iPhone doesn’t affect anything. It’s a regular program that sits in memory and doesn’t interfere with the system’s operation until you launch it. It doesn’t slow down iOS , drain your battery, or overheat your device. While the VPN is disabled, it’s as if it doesn’t exist.

An active VPN connection is another matter . When you connect to a VPN server , all your iPhone’s traffic is sent through an encrypted tunnel. This can affect several things, but none of them are critical.

Firstly, your data usage increases . Encryption adds overhead information to each data packet, increasing the amount of data transferred by approximately 5-15%. If you have an unlimited data plan , you won’t even notice. If your mobile data is limited, it’s worth keeping this in mind.

Secondly, your internet speed may decrease slightly . Data passes through an additional node—the VPN server—and is encrypted in both directions. On good paid services, the difference is almost imperceptible. On free services, it can be noticeable, especially if the servers are overloaded.

Third, with a VPN constantly running, your battery drains slightly faster due to the constant encryption and decryption of your traffic. However, we’re talking about an additional 3-5% of your daily usage—not enough to make you give up on a VPN . Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest iPhone and iOS news? Subscribe to our Telegram and MAX channels .

Why is it recommended to remove a VPN and is it worth it?

There have been a lot of horror stories about VPNs online lately . They claim they cause phones to overheat, drain their batteries in two hours, and can even damage your smartphone. Let’s figure out where this all comes from.

People have indeed started complaining more often about overheating and rapid battery drain. But the VPN itself isn’t to blame, but rather low-quality free VPN apps . Some run in the background more aggressively than necessary, constantly reconnect to servers, display ads, and drain device resources. Comparing such apps to a decent VPN service is like comparing a quack doctor to a doctor.

There’s also a context that many people forget. Since the spring of 2026, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media has been actively combating VPN use in Russia. Major companies—Sber, Yandex, Ozon, Wildberries, Avito, and others—have received recommendations to restrict access to their services for users with active VPNs. And many have complied. We’ve covered how the ministry is combating VPNs in Russia in more detail separately. Against this backdrop, numerous pieces of advice have emerged, such as “just delete your VPN,” which doesn’t actually solve the problem but rather creates a false sense of security.

The short answer is no, you don’t need to uninstall your VPN . Installing a VPN doesn’t affect your iPhone’s performance in any way. It doesn’t harm the system, doesn’t break other apps, and doesn’t pose a threat to your device. All you need to do is learn to turn it off in good time . When you log into Sberbank, turn off the VPN. When you open Ozon or Wildberries, turn it off too. When you’re done, turn it back on. This is the only inconvenience, and it can be completely automated.

Apps that don’t work with VPN

If you have a VPN enabled with a foreign IP address, some Russian apps may not work correctly or at all. We’ve compiled a detailed list of apps that don’t work with VPNs on iPhone , but here are the main categories.

Marketplaces and delivery. Ozon displays a message about access restrictions when a VPN is active and asks to disable it. Wildberries warns that the app may be unstable. Some users are experiencing problems loading product cards and images.

Banking apps. Sberbank Online, T-Bank, VTB, and other banks may deny access or experience errors. This doesn’t always happen—it depends on the specific VPN service and server.

Yandex services. Yandex Pay, Kinopoisk, and other products in the ecosystem have also begun to react to VPN connections. According to researchers, Yandex Browser and Yandex Maps use the most VPN detection methods .

Telecom operators MTS, MegaFon, and Beeline recommend disabling the VPN in their apps for proper operation.

Government services. Government services and some government websites may also not open when using a VPN.

An important detail: the blocking applies specifically to apps . Web versions of marketplaces and banks, accessed through a browser, usually work without problems with a VPN. So, if you urgently need to access Ozon and don’t want to turn off the VPN, try using Safari. Also, remember that Apple has removed a number of VPNs from the App Store , so make sure your service is still available in advance.

Automatically disable VPN for individual apps

iOS has a built-in Shortcuts app that lets you automate VPN switching . The idea is simple: the VPN is disabled when you open a specific app. Here’s how to set it up:

1. 1. Open the Shortcuts app . If you deleted it, download it again from the App Store; it’s free.

In the Quick Commands tab, click the “+” in the upper right corner.

1. 1. Click “Add action”, search for “VPN” and select “Set up VPN” (or “Set up a VPN connection” – depending on your VPN client).
   2. Replace “Connect” with “Disconnect” and select your VPN from the list.
   3. Go to the “Automation” tab at the bottom of the screen and click “+” in the upper right corner.
   4. Select “Application” from the list of triggers.

1. Click “Select” and select the apps for which you want to disable the VPN—for example, Sberbank, Ozon, Wildberries, and Gosuslugi.
2. Check the box “Start immediately” to make everything work automatically.
3. Check the box next to “Open” and click “Next”.
4. Select the previously created command from the list and save the automation.

If you wish, you can create a second automation similar to this one, but this time for enabling. This way, the VPN will automatically re-enable itself when you exit the app.

Please note that not all VPN clients support Shortcuts. Check ahead of time – if your service doesn’t appear in the list of actions, try a different client that supports iOS automation . Having trouble setting up automation or have any questions? Contact us in our Telegram or MAX chat – we’re sure to help.

Quickly enable and disable VPN on iPhone

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, or newer, there’s another convenient option. You can set up a single-tap VPN toggle on the side action button . To do this, go to “Settings” – “Action Button.” Scroll down to “Quick Shortcut” and select the VPN toggle you created earlier. Now, a single press of the side button toggles the VPN on or off. We wrote more about this and other options in a separate guide— how to quickly disable a VPN on iPhone .

For older models, you can use the Back Tap feature —double- or triple-tap the back of your iPhone. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Tap and assign a double-tap to turn the VPN on and a triple-tap to turn it off.

There’s no need to uninstall a VPN from your iPhone. Installing the app doesn’t affect your iPhone —not speed, battery life, or system stability. The only thing that may change with an active connection is a slight increase in data usage. This is normal and not critical. However, it’s best to disable the VPN for Russian apps . Marketplaces, banks, Yandex services, and telecom operators have begun blocking access to users with foreign IP addresses. The situation is unstable—some services work with some VPNs but not with others. Therefore, the most reliable option is to set up automation via Shortcuts and forget about this problem.