Wondering why would you ever need to use VPN for WhatsApp? Well, you may not realize the importance of these tools unless you’re in one of the regions that block this app and where you need to learn to unblock WhatsApp.
Love it or hate it, WhatsApp is the world’s premier messaging app. It boasted 1.5 billion users in 2018. Facebook bought the app in 2014 for 19 billion USD. Since then, WhatsApp has been the leading player in the chat market thanks to its lack of ads, security features, and overall usefulness.
While Facebook’s commitment to user privacy remains dubious, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption renders it a secure option for chatting and exchanging small files. Subsequently, many countries have banned it as it thwarts governmental efforts to surveil the population.
However, the widespread use of WhatsApp globally makes it imperative for many users to retain the ability to use it even in jurisdictions forbidding the app. But that’s not always possible. (And, of course, don’t ever go for the WhatsApp replicas, as they aren’t secure).
Fortunately, whether you are living, visiting, or planning to visit such a country that restricts access to WhatsApp, a VPN will allow you to bypass those restrictions, thus remaining online on WhatsApp.
This article will give you five VPN options that will empower you to use WhatsApp wherever you are on the planet.
Best VPNs to unblock WhatsApp – Quick list
If you are already conversant with VPN lore and are looking only for the essential information to get your WhatsApp going, find the top five choices for the job right here.
- ExpressVPN – The biggest name in the VPN business delivers the goods when unlocking WhatsApp and other apps. While it’s the priciest option in our list, it is also the most reputed service.
- Private Internet Access (PIA) – A budget VPN known for its top security features for ultimate protection and privacy.
- NordVPN – The best VPN service in the industry that is WhatsApp-friendly and loved by all other messaging and VoIP apps. It’s fast, reliable, easy to use, packed with extra features, and secure.
- Surfshark – It is not only a budget-friendly VPN vendor but a disruptor that delivers a service comparable to NordVPN or ExpressVPN at a fraction of the cost.
- ProtonVPN – With a modest network, this VPN has top-notch services and performance. The provider also offers superior data privacy and a strict no logs policy.
- PrivateVPN – Private VPN is among the fastest VPN networks. It keeps no logs, and bears several security features besides encryption. It also unblocks WhatsApp regardless of your physical location.
Why do I need a VPN for WhatsApp?
Besides data protection and online privacy, a WhatsApp VPN is beneficial in many ways, including;
- Unlock WhatsApp geo-blocks: Some countries, such as China, Syria, and North Korea, have strict censorship policies, especially on social media. As such, you might not find WhatsApp on Google Play Store or App Store. Fortunately, with a VPN, you can unblock geo-restrictions to install WhatsApp.
- Allow voice calls and messages: Qatar and UAE are examples of countries that have disabled VoIP features. As such, you can only use WhatsApp to send and receive text messages. However, with a VPN, you can unlock voice messages and calls.
- An additional encryption layer: While WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, a VPN can help add to the app’s security using the VPN’s AES-bit encryption standard.
- Stay anonymous: A VPN offers top-notch security that lets you stay 100% anonymous by hiding your IP address and internet activity.
WhatsApp limitations throughout the world
Despite Facebook’s terrible reputation for privacy matters, WhatsApp is a secure communication tool. Specifically, all the information exchanged through WhatsApp remains safe with end-to-end encryption.
End-to-end means that the sender’s app encrypts the message. Decryption only happens when it reaches its destination at the receiver’s app. So while the message is susceptible to interception while in transit, it’s unintelligible. Hence, any third-party snooper will see nothing but a stream of gibberish. That frustrated snooper could be your ISP, a hacker, or the government.
Besides, even Facebook can’t crack your WhatsApp messages because the encryption keys remain with the users only.
WhatsApp’s encryption system is powered by Whisper Systems. It is the same encryption software you can find in Signal, the open-source messaging app preferred by the most advanced and privacy-aware users on the internet.
Thus the privacy that WhatsApp affords to its users is excellent. And there are governments in the world who don’t like that at all. Some authorities believe that WhatsApp allows activists, journalists, dissidents, criminals, or terrorists to secretly communicate and organize against the status quo and escape official surveillance.
Consequently, 13 countries have labeled WhatsApp illegal or have banned it. China and Saudi Arabia are the most notorious countries on the list. Moreover, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Gambia, Turkey, Uganda, and Zimbabwe have also prohibited using WhatsApp within their borders.
Some other countries allow their citizens to use WhatsApp to exchange messages or files, but not voice calls. However, those governments are also against Skype and other virtual call software. That’s because either they have an economic stake in the local telephone services or the industry has lobbied them successfully against internet voice calls. Such offenders include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.