Public Wi-Fi
On café, airport and hotel networks, a dropped connection is exactly when unprotected traffic matters most.
VPN kill switch
A VPN kill switch for your computer, phone and browser
A VPN kill switch blocks your internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, so nothing carries on over your normal connection. CopVPN has one in the Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android apps, and a browser-only version in the extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. It’s off until you turn it on.
In every app except Android TV. In the browser extension it covers that browser only.
Real Settings screens · Mac and Android
Kill switch“Block traffic if the VPN drops”
Kill switch at a glance
- Offuntil you turn it onIn every app that has one
- 6apps with a kill switchWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android
- Browseronly, in the extensionChrome, Edge and Firefox
- Offuntil you turn it onIn every app except Android TV
How it works
What happens when the VPN drops
Turn it on once
Open Settings and switch on the kill switch. It stays on until you turn it off.
The VPN drops
If the connection to CopVPN breaks, the app blocks traffic instead of letting it carry on over your normal connection.
Traffic waits for the VPN
Traffic flows again once the VPN is connected. A pause with no internet is the kill switch doing its job.
Your device
The internet
Connected. Your traffic goes through the VPN.
By platform
VPN kill switch on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
The same idea in each app, with small differences in name and scope.
Kill switch“Block traffic if the VPN drops”
It works as a system firewall rule.
Kill switch“Block traffic if the VPN drops”
Kill Switch“Blocks the internet if the VPN drops”
That’s the iPhone wording; on iPad it’s “Kill switch”: “Block traffic if the VPN drops”.
Kill Switch“Blocks the internet if the VPN drops”
The screen also points to Android’s own “Block connections without VPN”, which works with Always-on VPN in Android settings.
Kill switch“Block this browser’s traffic if the VPN drops”
It covers this browser only, not other apps.
| App | In the app | How it works there | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows and Linux | Kill switchBlock traffic if the VPN drops | It works as a system firewall rule. | Available |
| Mac | Kill switchBlock traffic if the VPN drops | Available | |
| iPhone and iPad | Kill SwitchBlocks the internet if the VPN drops | That’s the iPhone wording; on iPad it’s “Kill switch”: “Block traffic if the VPN drops”. | Available |
| Android | Kill SwitchBlocks the internet if the VPN drops | The screen also points to Android’s own “Block connections without VPN”, which works with Always-on VPN in Android settings. | Available |
| Browser extension | Kill switchBlock this browser’s traffic if the VPN drops | It covers this browser only, not other apps. | Available |
| Android TV | Not in this app | The TV app has no kill switch. | Not available |
When to use it
Everyday moments it’s made for
Moving between networks
Switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or between access points, is when a VPN has to reconnect. The kill switch covers the gap.
Long sessions
If a download or a long call is running, you may not notice a drop. The kill switch notices for you.
Kill switch limits and when to turn it off
- While the VPN is down you may have no internet at all. If you need to get online without the VPN for a moment, turn the kill switch off first.
- In the browser extension it protects that browser only. Other apps on your computer aren’t covered.
- The Android TV app has no kill switch.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Still stuck?
Our support team answers by email.
contact@copvpn.comWhat is a VPN kill switch?
It’s a setting that blocks your internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. That way nothing carries on over your normal connection without protection.
Does CopVPN have a kill switch for Windows?
Yes. In the Windows app, turn on “Kill switch”: “Block traffic if the VPN drops”. It works as a system firewall rule.
How do I use the VPN kill switch on Android?
Open Settings in the CopVPN app and turn on “Kill Switch”. For a system-level option as well, turn on Always-on VPN and “Block connections without VPN” in Android’s own settings.
Why did my internet stop when the VPN dropped?
That’s the kill switch doing its job: it blocks traffic until the VPN is connected again. If you need to get online without the VPN, turn the kill switch off first.
Is the kill switch on by default?
No. It’s off until you turn it on, in every CopVPN app except Android TV, which has none.
Keep reading
Related features and guides
- DNS leak protectionKeeps your website lookups inside the VPN, away from your internet provider.
- Auto-connectConnects by itself on Wi-Fi you don’t trust, when the app opens or when your browser starts.
- DNS leak testHow DNS leaks happen, and how to check your setup.
- VPN for WindowsDownload the Windows app.
Your connection right now
This is what websites see
Any site you open can read your IP address and roughly where you are. Connect CopVPN and they see one of our servers instead.
- Your IP
- Location
- Provider