Split tunneling is a feature of many VPNs that allows you to choose which apps are affected by your encrypted VPN connection and which ones use your standard internet connection.
A VPN does this by ‘splitting’ your connection into two ‘tunnels’ – one protected and encrypted by your VPN, and one that uses your normal internet connection. Typically, a menu in the VPN app allows you to choose which apps are routed through each tunnel.
We recommend using a VPN online to secure and privatise your internet activity, but sometimes you need to be able to use a standard connection – for example, many mobile banking apps won’t work while using a VPN connection, so a split tunnel can allow you to manage your finances without disabling your VPN entirely.
Keep reading for a guide to split tunneling – what it is, when you should use it, and which of the best VPNs on the market offer it as a feature.
What is split tunneling?
Split tunneling allows you to choose which apps are routed through your VPN’s secure connection and which are routed through your standard internet connection.
Most VPN apps will assume you want all of your apps to use its encrypted connection, allowing you to pick individual apps to route through your normal connection. Some take the opposite approach, allowing you to pick which apps use your VPN connection while the rest use your standard connection.
In any case, split tunneling allows you a more granular level of control over your VPN connection. You might only want to use a VPN for specific applications, like unblocking streaming sites or peer-to-peer downloads.
Split tunneling is increasingly common across VPNs on different operating systems, such as Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and even certain TV operating systems. However, your VPN of choice might not offer split tunneling on all operating systems, so be sure to check before you sign up.
How does split tunneling work?
Split tunneling allows you to choose which apps send their traffic through your VPN connection and which apps use your normal internet connection.
VPNs keep your traffic secure by creating a new encrypted network interface, through which all of your traffic is routed. This encryption hides traffic from prying eyes of all kinds, from your internet service provider to would-be bad actors. It also makes you harder to track by hiding your IP connection, which makes it seem as if your connection stems from the VPN server.
Interested in how VPNs do their thing? Check out our jargon-free guide to how VPNs work.
By enabling split tunneling in your VPN client, you’re able to select which apps don’t use the VPN connection, and instead use your unencrypted internet connection. We recommend using split tunneling only when necessary – a VPN connection is almost always more secure than a standard internet connection.
To be specific, any apps not covered by your VPN will send traffic which contains your actual IP address and location.
When you should use split tunneling
Here are some common situations in which you might want to use split tunneling:
- Accessing local services: As mentioned, certain sites and services only work in a specific region or country. For example, BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, and, as mentioned, most banking apps will only work if they can be sure of your location. Using a split tunnel allows you to access these services while keeping the rest of your activity secure.
- Beating VPN blockers: VPN providers are constantly trying to get around blockers set by certain sites and apps, but there will always be some content that’s impossible to access via a VPN connection. I’ve personally noticed more authentication checks (like Captcha) on websites while using VPNs, due to your traffic coming from the same IP as many other users.
- Gaming: Though the best gaming VPNs are tailored to provide a fast and stable connection, adding any extra steps in your network will add latency. If you’d rather have the fastest connection possible, routing your gaming apps through a split tunnel can get rid of the extra signal processing time added by encryption and IP masking.
- Prioritizing sensitive data: If you’re dealing with limited VPN bandwidth or slow connection speeds, you might choose to use a VPN only on the most sensitive apps, communications, or downloads, switching on split tunneling for all but the essentials.
- Traveling: You might need to access local sites and services while abroad; using a split tunnel allows you to access local information and services while maintaining a secure VPN connection for work and personal computing.
- Accessing LAN devices: VPNs have been known to interfere with personal devices’ ability to connect to printers, servers, or other local network devices. A split tunnel allows you to access these local connections while keeping online activities secure.
Are there risks to split tunneling?
Split tunneling is undeniably useful, but isn’t without its risks.
The main thing to understand is that using split tunneling with a select group of apps effectively switches off your VPN for these apps – if you enable split tunneling for, say, Google Chrome, your activity on the Chrome app will not be protected by any of your VPN’s features, from IP masking to anti-malware blocklists.
This might not worry those who use apps with their own encryption abilities, but exposes your traffic to prying eyes when using public WiFi or other unsecured networks. There’s also a chance that split tunneling can fail mid-connection; ExpressVPN previously identified this as an issue, but it’s since been fixed.
You should also keep your split tunnel status in mind while using your VPN – generally, VPN users switch on their VPN, adjust settings to their liking, and let it run, but you should make sure to adjust split tunneling settings to reflect your current usage.
For example, enabling split tunneling on your main browser for a specific reason, then forgetting to turn it off, could expose your traffic and location to more sites than you intended.
Using split tunneling with a select group of apps effectively switches off your VPN for these apps
Split tunneling is undeniably useful, but isn’t without its risks.
The main thing to understand is that using split tunneling with a select group of apps effectively switches off your VPN for these apps – if you enable split tunneling for, say, Google Chrome, your activity on the Chrome app will not be protected by any of your VPN’s features, from IP masking to anti-malware blocklists.
This might not worry those who use apps with their own encryption abilities, but exposes your traffic to prying eyes when using public WiFi or other unsecured networks. There’s also a chance that split tunneling can fail mid-connection; ExpressVPN previously identified this as an issue, but it’s since been fixed.
You should also keep your split tunnel status in mind while using your VPN – generally, VPN users switch on their VPN, adjust settings to their liking, and let it run, but you should make sure to adjust split tunneling settings to reflect your current usage.
For example, enabling split tunneling on your main browser for a specific reason, then forgetting to turn it off, could expose your traffic and location to more sites than you intended.
Which VPNs offer split tunneling?
All of the options on our list of the best VPNs offer split tunneling, labelled as such or under a brand-specific name – whether you pick NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, or PrivadoVPN, you’ll be able to use split tunneling reliably.
These VPNs are always looking to improve and update their feature sets. ExpressVPN updated its split tunneling capabilities in September 2026 to allow for advanced protection while using the feature.
We've also seen recent developments from less popular VPNs when it comes to split tunneling. In September 2026, NymVPN added geo-exclusion alongside split tunneling for desktops. And Norton VPN added split tunneling for all users in an update earlier that same year.
