The Tor Project quietly launches a beta Android VPN and looks for testers

Date:
Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:51:59 +0000

Description:
The Tor Project has just launched its own "experimental" VPN app for Android in beta. Here's all we know.

FULL STORY ======================================================================The Tor Project has launched a VPN app, focused on privacy protection and censorship unblocking Tor VPN is an experimental Android-only VPN currently in beta Tor is actively seeking testers to try it and report bugs, but warns it's not ready for high-risk use yet

The Tor Project, known for its highly anonymous Tor browser, has just
expanded into VPNs.

The company's first "experimental" Android VPN app is currently in beta and available on the Google Play Store.

Dubbed the Tor VPN , the app appears to prioritize avoiding censorship and increasing online privacy.

Tor is now actively seeking testers to try it and report bugs.

Although you can already give it a go for yourself, the developers warn that the app is still in its early days and not ready for high-risk use yet, meaning it cannot rival the best VPN providers. How does the Tor VPN work?

The new Tor VPN appeared on the Google Play Store with little to no fanfare, and its main home on the internet outside of that store listing is the project's GitHub repository .

It's entirely open source, which means its code is public. The Tor Project
has released an official VPN app that allows Android users to route all their traffic through the Tor networkplay.google.com/store/apps/d... @campuscodi.risky.biz ( @campuscodi.risky.biz.bsky.social ) 2025-09-18T16:49:16.060Z

According to the Play Store page , the Tor VPN will offer network-level privacy. It hides your real IP address, which is a basic feature offered by every virtual private network (VPN) software, but it uses the Tor network to protect against censorship and privacy threats.

The app also gives you access to split tunneling , which means that you can choose which apps are routed through the Tor network.

Each app that goes through Tor gets its own IP, meaning that outsiders won't be able to connect your overall online activity across multiple apps. Whats the difference between the Tor VPN and the browser?

The main difference between Tor Browser and the new Tor Android app is the
way it integrates with your device and routes traffic.

Tor Browser is essentially a customized version of Firefox that only shields your activity from within the browser. It forces all your browser traffic through the Tor Network, hiding your IP and encrypting your connections via
at least three encryption layers, while splitting requests across multiple volunteer-run relays (or nodes).

On the other hand, Tor VPN works at the system level. It lets you choose
which apps send their traffic through the Tor network. Each app can get its own unique "circuit" and exit IP, which makes it harder to link your activity across different services. Effectively, the VPN extends Tors anonymity beyond just web browsing. (Image credit: The Tor Project)

Under the hood, Tor VPN Beta is also built on newer infrastructure. It uses Arti , the Tor Projects next-gen Rust implementation. This infrastructure is designed to be more secure than the older C-based code that powers the Tor Browser.

The app also includes built-in bridges like obfs4 (disguises your traffic as random data) and Snowflake (disguises your traffic as a video call). These turn Tor traffic into other types of data to bypass censorship. The app is in beta, and it might be risky

The Tor VPN app is still experimental, may leak information, and isnt quite ready for high-risk use.

The company warns: "If you face extreme surveillance risks, we recommend against using Tor VPN Beta."

At the moment, its more of a testing ground, and the app is still clearly in its infancy. We'll have to wait and see how Tor's signature VPN develops and how it compares to leading VPN solutions. You might also like Is the future
of censorship-resistant VPNs, no VPNs? Hackers abuse TOR network and misconfigured Docker APIs to steal crypto - so keep an eye on your wallet Russian censorship is getting tougher and Tor needs your help



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/the-tor-project-quietly-launches-a- beta-android-vpn-and-looks-for-testers


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