⚙️ Features

What Is VPN Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling lets you route some apps through the VPN and others through your normal connection. Here's when to use it — and when not to.

Updated July 2026 · 6 min read
Features

Split tunneling gives you fine-grained control over which traffic goes through the VPN tunnel and which stays on the local network. Useful for speed, local device access and services that block VPNs.

6 min read Updated July 2026 4 sections

How it works

Instead of routing everything through the encrypted tunnel, the VPN client uses per-app or per-URL rules to decide which packets to encrypt.

Common split tunneling scenarios

The classic setup: send sensitive apps through the VPN, keep bandwidth-heavy ones local.

  • 1
    Torrent client through VPN
    Everything else at full local speed.
  • 2
    Banking apps outside VPN
    Avoids fraud triggers from foreign IPs.
  • 3
    Smart-home devices local
    So they can talk to each other on the LAN.
  • 4
    Work VPN + personal VPN together
    Keep them from fighting for the same routing table.

Which VPNs support it

Split tunneling is standard on Windows and Android apps from NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and CyberGhost. Support on macOS and iOS is more limited due to platform restrictions.

Drawbacks to know

Any app you exclude is no longer protected. Misconfiguring rules can leak DNS queries or IP addresses. Start simple and review rules regularly.

Frequently asked questions

QIs split tunneling safe?

Yes, if you understand which apps you're excluding.

QDoes it work on iPhone?

Limited — Apple restricts network extensions.

QCan I split-tunnel by URL?

Some VPNs (like ExpressVPN) support URL-level rules.

Related guides

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