What is a VPN kill switch?
3 min read
Beginner friendly
Security focused
Quick take
A kill switch blocks internet traffic when the VPN drops so your apps do not quietly fall back to your normal connection.
When it matters most
- On laptops that move between home, office, hotel, and café Wi-Fi.
- During downloads, uploads, or long sessions where you may not notice a disconnect.
- On restrictive networks where the VPN reconnects often.
- Any time you care more about privacy than a momentary interruption.
How to test it
- Turn the kill switch on in the VPN app.
- Start a download or open a page that updates live.
- Disconnect Wi-Fi or force the VPN to reconnect.
- Traffic should pause until the VPN reconnects or you turn the switch off.
Good defaults
- Leave it on for desktop and laptop use.
- On mobile, use the strictest “block outside VPN” style option if your provider offers it.
- If your app has separate system-wide and app-level settings, choose system-wide unless you have a clear reason not to.
Bottom line
For most people, a kill switch should stay on. The small inconvenience of a blocked connection is usually much better than leaking traffic without noticing.