To install and start using IPVanish, go to its website and click Get Started. Choose your pricing plan, create your account, and download the app. We found this entire process to be quick and straightforward — it only took around five minutes.
IPVanish has recently redesigned all of its apps for the most popular platforms. Its macOS app is the last to be updated, but IPVanish confirmed that it is in alpha testing.
This redesign is a massive improvement. Previously, IPVanish’s app design was outdated and overly-technical, resembling a router app interface. We’re pleased to see IPVanish has adopted a more modern user interface for its new VPN apps.
We explain our experience using IPVanish on every operating system in the section below:
Desktop & Laptop (Windows & Mac)
IPVanish’s desktop apps currently differ in their design and features, but there are some consistencies.

IPVanish’s macOS app (bottom) uses the old design.
You can pick a country, city, or server to connect to from the locations list. Or, just press “connect” to use the best server available.
In the side-menu, you can sort the server list by country, server load, or response time. We found this particularly useful for avoiding server congestion during peak times.
There’s also a helpful search function where you can filter servers by keyword. One click adds a server location to your ‘favorites list,’ for quicker future access.
On the PC client, you also have the option to pick a location from a map. Zooming in will display the full server network for a particular region.
Once you’ve connected to a server on desktop, a status panel will display the protocol you’re using, time connected, server name, and bandwidth used. This is far more compact and less intrusive on the Windows app than it is on macOS.
Both desktop apps come with a kill switch, IPv6 leak protection, port selection, and the Scramble feature for censorship. On macOS, you’ll need to switch to OpenVPN to access these features, though. On Windows, only port selection and the Scramble feature are limited to OpenVPN.
Mobile (iPhone & Android)
Unlike its desktop counterparts, IPVanish’s mobile apps use a similar interface. Both feature a map on the top half of their homescreens, with the connection status and server location below.

IPVanish’s Android app (right) offers more features than its iOS counterpart (left).
You can access advanced settings, customer support, and the full server list from the tabs at the bottom of both apps.
Live chat is integrated within IPVanish’s mobile apps for quick and accessible customer support.
Similar to the desktop apps, you can select servers by country or city in the locations menu. Filtering by cities allows you to view the ping and server load data of each location.
There’s also the same built-in search function and option to ‘favorite’ locations for quick server access.
We also appreciate how well-integrated IPVanish’s mobile apps are within their respective operating systems.
The Android app has a toggle for connecting on startup, and its kill switch is integrated within the system settings on the mobile. There’s also an option to switch to ‘dark mode’ to improve accessibility.
On the iOS app, IPVanish has implemented several optional Siri shortcuts to simplify the user experience. For example, saying, “secure connection” will connect you to the last server used. There’s also the same option to switch to a darker background on iOS, too.
Unfortunately, the lack of features on the iOS app is evident. There’s no kill switch, no split tunneling, and no Scramble protocol.
Amazon Fire TV
The IPVanish Firestick VPN app is the best we’ve tested. It isn’t quite the best-designed one, but it’s highly secure and easy to use.

IPVanish has the best Fire TV Stick app.
The app has many customizable settings, including auto-startup, auto-reconnect, LAN exemption, and even split tunneling.
The real-time upload/download speed graph is prominent, like IPVanish’s other apps, but it doesn’t affect functionality. If anything, it looks better on a TV than on a phone or computer screen.
You can use either OpenVPN (UDP or TCP) or WireGuard connection protocols. You can also use the Scramble feature, which worked to unblock certain apps that were blocking standard VPN traffic.
The main drawback of IPVanish’s Fire TV Stick app is that it lacks a kill switch. It’s a disappointing oversight, considering how security-focused the VPN company is.
How to install IPVanish on your Fire TV Stick:
- Select ‘apps’ and then ‘categories’ from the Fire TV Stick home screen.
- Choose ‘utility’ and then select the IPVanish application.
- Download IPVanish and select ‘open’ to enter your login details.
- Click ‘connect’ to use the nearest server, or pick a server from the ‘options’ menu.
Linux Client
Like many other VPN services, IPVanish hasn’t built a native Linux VPN application.
To use IPVanish on Linux, you’ll have to therefore use standard command lines, in the absence of a graphical user interface.
IPVanish is compatible with Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali, Mint, Lubuntu, and Pop! OS. The CLI (Command Line Interface) supports OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, and IKEv2 connections.