What is never stored?
Look for a plain list: browsing history, DNS queries, connection times.Walk away if it only says "we may collect information".
Is a free VPN safe? What to check first
A free VPN can be safe, but only if its privacy practices hold up. The price isn't the risk; how the provider pays its bills is. Before you connect, check what it logs, how it makes money, how it handles DNS, which permissions it wants, and who runs it.
Privacy Policy
§2 We do not store browsing history, DNS queries or connection times.
Specific. A good sign.
§4 We may share usage information with trusted partners to improve our services.
Which partners? What usage?
§5 Free users help support the service.
Support it how? Ask before you trust it.
Follow the money
How do free VPNs make money?
Servers and bandwidth cost real money every month. A free VPN pays for them somehow, and the how tells you most of what you need to know.
| Model | What it means for you | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| A paid upgrade | Free users get a smaller set of features, and paying users cover the servers. The business depends on keeping your trust. | Low |
| Ads in the app | Ad networks often bring their own tracking code. The app's Data safety section on Google Play shows what gets shared. | Medium |
| Selling or sharing data | Your browsing becomes the product. It usually hides behind words like "partners" and "insights". | High |
| Sharing your connection | Your phone carries other people's traffic, so their activity leaves through your internet connection. | High |
| Investor or parent money | Fine for a while. Worth asking what happens to the free version when that money runs out. | Varies |
Free vs paid VPN: is paying safer?Not by itself. Paying changes how a provider earns money from you, which removes some temptations. It doesn't change what the provider logs. Judge both with the same checks, and don't assume a price tag means privacy.
Red flags
Free VPN risks to watch for
One flag isn't always a deal breaker, and each is a question the provider should be able to answer. A few together usually mean walk away. Count them for any VPN you're considering, including ours.
Count your flags
- 0Worth a look
- 1–2Read closely
- 3+Walk away
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No privacy policy, or one that never mentions logs
If it won't say what it keeps, assume it keeps plenty.
-
"No logs" as a slogan, with no detail
A real policy lists what is never stored. A slogan doesn't.
-
Permissions a VPN doesn't need
Contacts, messages, location or camera have nothing to do with a tunnel.
-
Nobody to contact
No company name, no support address, no way to ask a question.
-
Only offered as an APK download
Outside Google Play, you can't be sure the copy hasn't been changed.
-
Data shared for advertising
Check the Data safety section on its Google Play page.
-
Your phone carries other people's traffic
Sometimes buried in the terms as "bandwidth sharing" or "network participation".
-
DNS lookups leak outside the tunnel
A free online DNS leak test will show it in a minute.
Read the fine print
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What to check in a privacy policy
Six questions, and what a good answer sounds like. You can hold ours to the same standard: read the Tunnexa privacy policy.
What does an account keep?
Look for exactly what sign-in adds, such as your email and devices.Walk away if the app has accounts and the policy never mentions them.
Which other companies see data?
Look for named services and the reason for each, like crash reports.Walk away if it's just "trusted partners".
How is the free version paid for?
Look for a straight answer, like a paid upgrade.Walk away if the question is never answered anywhere.
Who runs it?
Look for a company name and a support email that gets answered.Walk away if all you find is a contact form.
Is it up to date?
Look for a recent date and features that match the app you see.Walk away if it describes an app that no longer exists.
Our answers
How Tunnexa answers each question
The same checks, applied to us, including the parts that aren't zero. Better you read them here than find them in small print.
| The question | Tunnexa's answer |
|---|---|
| Logs | A strict no-logs policy. We don't keep browsing history, connection history, traffic destinations or content, DNS queries, or bandwidth tied to a user. Read our no-logs policy → |
| Accounts | Optional. Guests connect without one. For signed-in devices, our server keeps only the last connect time, the last stop time and the protocol, so the connection limit works. Each new connection overwrites that record, so it never builds into a history. |
| Other services | The app uses Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, Performance Monitoring and Cloud Messaging, for usage stats, crash reports, app performance and notifications. We'd rather name them than hide them behind "partners". |
| DNS | DNS leak protection is on by default for everyone, guests included, so lookups stay inside the tunnel. |
| Permissions | The only prompts you'll see are Android's VPN connection request and, on Android 13 and later, the notification prompt. Tunnexa connects even if you say no to notifications. |
| Who runs it | See who builds Tunnexa and how the free version is paid for, or email support@tunnexa.com with any question. |
Want the short version? See everything that's free in Tunnexa, with or without an account.
How we pay the bills · Premium is coming soon
Tunnexa is free right now. Premium, coming soon, is how we plan to pay for it: every VPN location and Specialty servers, for people who want them. You won't need it to stay private.
FAQ
Free VPN safety questions
Still unsure? Write to us at support@tunnexa.com.
Are free VPNs safe?
Some are and some aren't. A free VPN is only as safe as its privacy practices, so check what it logs, how it makes money and who runs it before you trust it with your traffic.
How do free VPNs make money?
Usually through a paid upgrade, ads, selling data, or using your connection to carry other people's traffic. The first is the safest. If you can't find the answer, treat that as the answer.
Is a free VPN safe for online banking?
Your bank's app already encrypts its own traffic. A trustworthy VPN adds a layer on public Wi-Fi. Some bank apps refuse to open on a VPN; if yours does, let it bypass the tunnel rather than switching the VPN off.
Can a free VPN see my passwords?
Not on sites and apps that use HTTPS, which is most of them, because the content is encrypted before it reaches the VPN. It can see which sites you connect to, which is why its logging policy matters.
Do free VPNs sell your data?
Some do, and they rarely say so plainly. Watch for vague wording about partners or insights, and check the Data safety section on Google Play. A provider with nothing to hide lists what it never stores.
What permissions should a VPN app ask for?
On Android, the VPN connection request, and on Android 13 and later usually a notification prompt. Be wary of a VPN that wants your contacts, messages, location or camera.
Is a paid VPN safer than a free one?
Not automatically. A paid VPN has less reason to sell your data, but it can still log too much. Use the same checks for both.
Is Tunnexa's free VPN safe to use?
We think so, and we'd rather you check than take our word for it. Tunnexa has a strict no-logs policy, DNS leak protection on by default, no account needed to start, and it names the services the app uses.