Technologies

How to Disable Your VPN Temporarily and Why You Might Need To

Don’t be surprised if you have to turn your VPN off at some point.

A virtual private network is a privacy tool that can help protect you and your information online by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address. You might be tempted to leave your VPN on all the time, but sometimes you might have to turn it off.

If you want to protect some of your internet traffic with your VPN but not all of it, you could try split tunneling. If split tunneling isn’t viable, or you’re getting frustrated with the split tunneling process, you might need to simply turn your VPN off altogether for some time.

Here’s why you might need to disable your VPN and how to do it.

Some reasons you might turn your VPN off

There are a lot of situations where you might want to pause your VPN. Most are because sites actively block, or have policies against, VPNs. Turning off your VPN could also help diagnose some network issues. If you’re traveling to a country where VPN use is illegal or regulated, turning your VPN off could help keep you out of trouble.

Banks

You might encounter such a block when you connect to your bank or other online financial institution. Some banks might block traffic from other countries, so turning off your VPN would let you access your institution. Always remember to be on a secure network when accessing your financial information, so no banking at public Wi-Fi hotspots like Starbucks or McDonald’s.

Work or school

Turning your VPN off could also be required by your workplace or school. Some of these institutions have rules or policies against using VPNs, and it’s best to follow these guidelines so you don’t get in trouble.

Streaming services

You might also turn your VPN off because a site or service might block your access because you’re using a VPN. Some streaming sites, like Netflix and Hulu, have policies against VPN usage. To comply with these policies, you should turn off your VPN just in case, so you aren’t punished by the service. If you want to speed up your internet to stream high-quality videos, you should disconnect your VPN, as well.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having network issues, disconnecting from your VPN could also help you identify what’s wrong with your internet access. You might experience occasional network issues when using a VPN — you are routing to another region, sometimes on the other side of the world, after all — so turning off your VPN could help resolve your issue.

Traveling

You might also need to turn your VPN off if you’re traveling to a region where VPN usage is illegal or could result in legal repercussions. According to Surfshark, VPNs aren’t illegal in China, for example, but there are rules in place concerning how VPNs are used. If you don’t want to get in trouble, you should turn your VPN off when traveling, just in case.

How to turn off a VPN on any device

Turning off your VPN is straightforward on most devices that support native VPN apps. For instance, you can install a VPN app easily on Windows, MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android and Amazon Fire TV OS. Simply open the VPN app on your device, and you should see a button that lets you know you’re Connected to your VPN. Tap or click that button, and it should now read Disconnected. The specific text may differ, but common words to look for include Connect or On.

In other VPN programs, you might see a button that says Disconnect. If you click or tap this button, you will be disconnected from the VPN.

In some VPN apps, like NordVPN and Surfshark, you also have the option to pause your VPN connection for a set amount of time, like 5 or 30 minutes. That way, you don’t forget to turn your VPN back on if you’re dealing with a network connectivity issue.

And as a reminder we advise reading through a site or service’s user agreement before using a VPN. It’s also important to remember that illegal activity is still illegal, even if you’re masking your location with a VPN.

Turning off a VPN on some devices like game consoles or smart TVs may be more challenging

While turning off a VPN using an app on your device is pretty straightforward, it’s not always as simple with devicesthat aren’t compatible with VPN apps, like game consoles, some smart TVs or streaming devices and routers.

Gaming consoles, including the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, don’t have native VPN apps. Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV streaming devices let you download VPN apps directly, while Roku doesn’t. Smart TVs that run Android TV or Amazon Fire TV accordingly are compatible with VPN apps, whereas you can’t install a VPN app on smart televisions running Roku, LG’s webOS or Samsung’s TizenOS.

If your device isn’t compatible with native VPN apps, you’ll need to run a VPN on your router or use a PC as a hotspot. Because installing a VPN on your router can be tricky and may void your warranty, we recommend using ExpressVPN’s Aircove VPN router or a device from FlashRouters. Alternatively, you can use a Windows or Mac computer as a hotspot to share your VPN connection. For sharing a VPN connection through a MacOS or Windows PC, simply disconnect from that Wi-Fi hotspot and connect to your router’s Wi-Fi directly.

Here’s how to disable a VPN on your router:

Log in to your router’s dashboard by heading to the right IP address.
Enter your login credentials (username and password).
Find the tab with your VPN info. This might be VPN settings, Control panel, Settings or Network/WAN setup.
Toggle your VPN off. You may need to reboot your router for changes to take place.

Turning off a VPN on Linux may not be as easy as other devices

A handful of VPN providers, including ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and PIA, have graphical user interface apps for Linux that let you turn a VPN on or off as easily as on other operating systems. But for command-line interface Linux VPN apps, you may need to use the command line to disable your VPN connection. For instance, with NordVPN, you’ll enter nordvpn disconnect or nordvpn d in the command line to stop using a VPN connection. The correct command prompts should be listed in the documentation on your VPN provider’s website.

For more, check out the best VPNs, learn what to know about geo-blocking and find out how to turn off a VPN on your iPhone.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 26, #1407

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,407 for April 26. Hint: Fans of a certain musical group will rock out with this puzzle.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough. The letters are fairly common, and fans of a certain rock band might get a kick out of the answer. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is one vowel in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: Start letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter C.

Wordle hint No. 4: Rock out

Today’s Wordle answer is the name of a legendary English rock band.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a violent confrontation.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is CLASH.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 25, No. 1406 was KNOWN.

Recent Wordle answers

April 21, No. 1402: SPATE

April 22, No. 1403: ARTSY

April 23, No. 1404: OZONE.

April 24, No. 1405: GENIE

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

T-Mobile Adds New Top 5G Plans, T-Satellite and New 5-Year Price Locks

The new top unlimited plans, Experience More and Experience Beyond, shave some costs and add data and satellite options.

Just two years after expanding its lineup of cellular plans, T-Mobile this week announced two new plans that replace its Go5G Plus and Go5G Next offerings, refreshed its prepaid Metro line and wrapped them all in a promised five-year pricing guarantee.

To convert more subscribers, the carrier is also offering up to $800 to help customers pay off phone balances when switching from another carrier.

In a briefing with CNET, Jon Friar, president of T-Mobile’s consumer group, explained why the company is revamping and simplifying its array of mobile plans. «The pain point that’s out there over the last couple of years is rising costs all around consumers,» Friar said. «For us to be able to bring more value and even lower prices on [plans like] Experience More versus our former Go5G Plus is a huge win for consumers.»

The new plans went into effect April 23.

With these changes, CNET is already hard at work updating our picks for Best T-Mobile Plans, so check back soon for our recommendations.

More Experiences to define the T-Mobile experience

The top of the new T-Mobile postpaid lineup is two new plans: Experience More and Experience Beyond.

Experience More is the next generation of the Go5G Plus plan, which has unlimited 5G and 4G LTE access and unlimited Premium Data (download speeds up to 418Mbps and upload speeds up to 31Mbps). High-speed hotspot data is bumped up to 60GB from 50GB per month. The monthly price is now $5 lower per line than Go5G Plus.

The Experience More plan also gets free T-Satellite with Starlink service (the new name for T-Mobile’s satellite feature that uses Starlink’s constellation of satellites) through the end of 2025. Although T-Satellite is still officially in beta until July, customers can continue to get free access to the beta starting now. At the start of the new year, the service will cost $10 per month, a $5 drop from T-Mobile’s originally announced pricing. T-Satellite will be open to customers of other carriers for the same pricing beginning in July.

The new top-tier plan, Experience Beyond, also comes in $5 per line cheaper than its predecessor, Go5G Next. It has 250GB of high-speed hotspot data per month, up from 50GB, and more data when you’re traveling outside the US: 30GB in Canada and Mexico (versus 15GB) and 15GB in 215 countries (up from 5GB). T-Satellite service is included in the Experience Beyond plan.

However, one small change to the Experience plans affects that pricing: Taxes and fees, previously included in the Go5G Plus and Go5G Next prices, are now broken out separately. T-Mobile recently announced that one such fee, the Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fee, would increase up to 50 cents per month.

According to T-Mobile, the Experience Beyond rates and features will be «rolling out soon» for customers currently on the Go5G Next plan.

The Essentials plan is staying in the lineup at the same cost of $60 per month for a single line, the same 50GB of Premium Data and unlimited 5G and 4G LTE data. High-speed hotspot data is an optional $10 add-on, as is T-Satellite access, for $15 (both per month).

Also still in the mix is the Essentials Saver plan, an affordable option that has ranked high in CNET’s Best Cellphone Plans recommendations.

Corresponding T-Mobile plans, such as those for military, first responders and people age 55 and older are also getting refreshed with the new lineup.

T-Mobile’s plan shakeup is being driven in part by the current economic climate. Explaining the rationale behind the price reductions and the streamlined number of plans, Mike Katz, president of marketing, innovation and experience at T-Mobile told CNET, «We’re in a weird time right now where prices everywhere are going up and they’ve happened over the last several years. We felt like there was an opportunity to compete with some simplicity, but more importantly, some peace of mind for customers.»

Existing customers who want to switch to one of the new plans can do so at the same rates offered to new customers. Or, if a current plan still works for them, they can continue without changes (although keep in mind that T-Mobile earlier this year increased prices for some legacy plans).

Five years of price stability

It’s nearly impossible to think about prices these days without warily eyeing how tariffs and US economic policy will affect what we pay for things. So it’s not surprising to see carriers implement some cost stability into their plans. For instance, Verizon recently locked prices for three years on their plans.

Now, T-Mobile is building a five-year price guarantee for its T-Mobile and Metro plans. That pricing applies to talk, text and data amounts — not necessarily taxes and other fees that can fluctuate.

Given the uncertain outlook, it seems counterintuitive to lock in a longer rate. When asked about this, Katz said, «We feel like our job is to solve pain points for customers and we feel like this helps with this exact sentiment. It shifts the risk from customers to us. We’ll take the risk so they don’t have to.»

The price hold applies to new customers signing up for the plans as well as current customers switching to one. T-Mobile is offering the same deals and pricing to new and existing subscribers. Also, the five-year deal applies to pricing; it’s not a five-year plan commitment.

More money and options to encourage switchers

The promise of a five-year price guarantee is also intended to lure people from other carriers, particularly AT&T and Verizon. As further incentive, T-Mobile is offering up to $800 per line (distributed via a virtual prepaid Mastercard) to help pay off other carriers’ device contracts. This is a limited-time offer. There are also options to trade in old devices, including locked phones, to get up to four new flagship phones.

Or, if getting out of a contract isn’t an issue, T-Mobile can offer $200 in credit (up to $800 for four lines) to bring an existing number to the network.

Four new Metro prepaid plans

On the prepaid side, T-Mobile is rolling out four new Metro plans, which are also covered by the new five-year price guarantee:

• Metro Starter costs $25 per line per month for a family of four and there is no need to bring an existing number. (The cost is $105 the first month.)

• Metro Starter Plus runs $40 per month for a new phone, unlimited talk, text and 5G data when bringing an existing number. For $65 per month, new customers can get two lines and two new Samsung A15 phones. No autopay is required.

• Metro Flex Unlimited is $30 per line per month with autopay for four lines ($125 the first month) with unlimited talk, text and 5G data.

• Metro Flex Unlimited Plus costs $60 per line per month, then $35 for lines two and three and then lowers the price of the fourth line to $10 per month as more family members are added. Adding a tablet or smartwatch to an existing line costs $5. And streaming video, such as from the included Amazon Prime membership, comes through at HD quality.

See more: If you’re looking for phone plans, you may also be looking for a new cell phone. Here are CNET’s picks.