ExpressVPN’s mobile app just got a makeover, and after trying it for a week, I have some thoughts.
Jumping on a fast server or changing protocols now takes me one second instead of two. I can test my VPN connection speeds in-app and see what servers others in my location like the best. There’s also a miniature map animation now that pans across the globe to show me where in the world my traffic is tunneling through — among a couple other somewhat toothless additions. However, I don’t appreciate all the hoops I have to jump through now to get live customer support.
Overall, I like the updated app, even though I don’t love it. It’s not perfect by any means, but it makes an already user-friendly app even easier to use (mostly).
Using a VPN on a mobile device is crucial when you’re on the go because it can help you keep your online activity private on your phone (which is especially crucial when traveling and on public Wi-Fi) and can help you access geo-restricted streaming content on your device from anywhere. ExpressVPN delivers one of the best mobile VPN apps around, and it’s continuing to improve.
I tested ExpressVPN’s upgraded mobile app on Android and iOS to experience ExpressVPN’s biggest mobile app interface update since 2021. While cutting direct access to live chat has left me scratching my head, my initial hands-on impressions of ExpressVPN’s new mobile app have otherwise been largely positive.
Though I have some suggestions on how to make it even better.
New elements spruce up a familiar interface
What I find impressive about ExpressVPN’s new mobile app is that it adds useful elements and aesthetics while remaining nicely uncluttered and instantly recognizable as the ExpressVPN app. The prominent Connect button is still present, as is the green and red concentric circle design indicating your connection status. Underneath the Connect button, you still have easy access to the server selection button as well as the same Smart Location and Recent Location buttons that were present in the previous app.
Beneath those familiar elements on the home screen are a few additions to the home screen, including a new map illustration, a bubble indicating your time connected during the week, how many ads and trackers the app has blocked, auto-connect and current protocol. The Android app includes all of these elements, but the iOS app only includes the map, time connected and protocol bubbles. I like how the Android app includes quick access to those elements in addition to the option to disable the Time Protected information, whereas the option to disable that is not available in the iOS app.
I would prefer a bit more customization options in the iOS app, as well as the ability to quickly toggle the Advanced Protection tools right from the home screen — or at least to have the option to swap out the Time Protected bubble with the Advanced Protection settings bubble that’s available on Android. The Time Protected element I suppose could be a nice addition for people who like seeing their usage statistics, but having quick access to toggle the adblocker or another feature like the kill switch seems objectively more useful on the home screen.
The new map animation looks nice, but it’s not fully interactive like NordVPN’s is. To me, both VPNs’ map visuals seem more gimmicky than useful, and I always opt to select servers from NordVPN’s server list rather than its interactive map anyway. But if you like that type of functionality and are expecting an interactive map, you might be disappointed that ExpressVPN’s map isn’t. ExpressVPN’s map animation could be helpful to get an idea of where in the world you’re connected through, but other than that, it’s mostly just an added visual element to the app. That said, I do like how the map displays the current VPN IP address and includes the IP refresh functionality, which gives you the ability to refresh your VPN IP address at any time right from the home screen. This is helpful because it can help you more easily make it harder for others to track you online.
Perhaps the most useful addition is the option to quickly set your preferred VPN protocol right from the home screen. I like how the protocol you’re using is clearly displayed in the bottom right corner so you can check it at a glance without having to navigate to the settings. To quickly change the protocol, all you need to do is tap on the bubble and select a different protocol. You may want to change your protocol to OpenVPN if you’re having trouble bypassing a firewall at school or in a region that restricts VPN use, or you may want to use Lightway to keep your connection speedy or ensure you’re protected with post-quantum encryption. Keep in mind that if you’re already connected and want to change the protocol, the VPN will disconnect for a moment before reconnecting to the other protocol — so make sure you’re not engaged in any sensitive online activities while making the switch.
I like that ExpressVPN re-added the OpenVPN protocol option to its new iOS app, giving iOS users the ability to connect via one of the most stable and battle-tested VPN protocols available. OpenVPN is also a great option for getting around firewalls, so it’s useful for people in regions where VPN use may be restricted or students on restrictive school Wi-Fi networks. While it may not be as fast as Lightway, OpenVPN delivers a nice balance of speed and security. ExpressVPN’s iOS app offers Lightway, OpenVPN and IKEv2, while the Android app offers Lightway and OpenVPN protocols.
Beyond the home screen: Enhanced server selection options and a brand new speed test tool
In addition to the enhancements on the home screen, ExpressVPN’s new mobile app adds some nice functionality upgrades. Tapping on the Selected Location option takes you to an upgraded server selection menu that gives you the option to choose from an expanded selection of recommended locations, including either the three or five fastest servers based on your location, three or five most recent locations or a list of the most popular server locations in your country. If you go to the All Locations tab, you can filter by region or sort countries alphabetically or by number of available endpoints.
Noticeably absent, though, is the option to designate specific servers as favorites. It’s a basic option that most VPN apps offer (including ExpressVPN’s desktop apps) and provides another simple way to connect quickly to servers you regularly connect to. However, with all of the expanded options for getting connected quickly to a server available now in the new app, I don’t think I’ll actually miss the ability to add favorite servers too much.
Another nice addition is ExpressVPN’s brand-new onboard speed testing tool. Tap on Speed Test at the bottom of the screen and you can quickly test the speeds through the VPN on any server using any available VPN protocol. It’s a great way to test which servers are performing the fastest for you from any particular location. The speed tests took about 25 seconds whenever I ran one in my testing, and you can run a speed test whether you’re actively connected to a server or not. I like the feature also because it’s a great way to compare speeds through different protocols in real time.
The updates are now live for all ExpressVPN users on iOS and Android. All you need to do to get the new app is go to Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store and download the latest version if you haven’t already. If you’re hoping for a similar update to the desktop app, you’ll be happy to know that the team is working on upgrading its desktop apps as well.
“We’re investing heavily in our desktop product this year,” ExpressVPN CIO Shay Peretz told CNET in an emailed statement. “We’re designing all of our technology to be as cross-platform as possible, and we’re planning a similar desktop rollout for later this year.”
Live chat option removed from app
One feature I was disappointed to see dropped from the mobile app was the direct access to live chat. Many VPN mobile apps give you access to live chat but first redirect you to the VPN’s website. I found ExpressVPN’s direct, one-click access to live chat right in the mobile app particularly user-friendly in previous versions, which is why I was confused as to why it was removed from the updated app.
To get to live chat through ExpressVPN’s updated mobile app, instead of navigating to “Contact us” from the Help menu as would be logical, you have to go through one of the Help options below. And only once you’ve clicked through two separate submenus and scrolled to the bottom of the page is the live chat option made available to you. While I was able to access live chat in this roundabout manner on iOS, the kicker is that the live chat button was completely non-functional on Android, so I had to exit the app entirely and fire up the ExpressVPN website to access live chat on my Android device.
When I asked about it, Peretz pointed to specific user trends being a driving factor behind the decision to remove direct access to live chat from the app.
“We changed this because we were seeing very specific user journey trends that showed live support on mobile wasn’t what our customers needed or found useful,” Peretz said via email. “We’ve changed the live chat option on mobile to a ‘smart contact form’ where our mobile users can leave feedback and pick the conversation back up at a more convenient time for them.”
With respect, the most convenient time for me (and I’d presume, other users) to engage in a conversation with customer support is at the very moment I contact them, not several hours later when an agent responds via email — by which time I’m completely disengaged from the issue I needed help with.
It’s admittedly a relatively minor inconvenience, but removing a useful feature like direct access to live chat runs counter to all of the helpful user-centric enhancements made in this update.
Final thoughts
ExpressVPN is, in my experience, the VPN that is the least content to rest on its past successes. It’s constantly working to innovate and improve on its already stellar VPN offering, which is a big reason why ExpressVPN is a standard-bearer in the industry and the leader on CNET’s list of the best VPNs. The new app isn’t perfect, but it’s a (mostly) user-friendly upgrade that’s representative of ExpressVPN’s commitment to continuous improvement. Even though I think a few tweaks would make the app even better, ultimately I think the new mobile app is a solid improvement that adds some really nice elements that make the app more dynamic, intuitive and fun to use. I’m looking forward to seeing similar improvements to ExpressVPN’s desktop apps later on this year.
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