Tor Project has released a beta version of its own VPN for Android, designed to extend Tor protections beyond the browser to all internet traffic on the device. The app, called Tor VPN Beta, first appeared in a limited release last fall and is now available for download as an APK, through Google Play, or via F-Droid.
The VPN gives each mobile app its own separate Tor circuit, an approach inspired by the anti-tracking isolation used in Tor Browser. That means activity in one app is not easily linked to another through a shared connection. The app's screen for managing apps is now searchable, and choosing an exit node requires first connecting to Tor.
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An earlier release, version 1.4.0 beta, added support for WebTunnel bridges, which are designed to help in places where standard Tor connections are blocked. The project reports that early adoption was strong in Iran and Turkmenistan, along with deeper engagement from users in the Global South.
The VPN is built on Arti, Tor's implementation of the Tor protocol in Rust, and uses a modular stack centered on Arti and Onionmasq, with components meant to be reusable across other applications. The project has also implemented reproducible builds, so the same source code produces identical binaries. Development credits The Guardian Project and LEAP for their contributions.
Some limitations remain: congestion control is not yet available in Arti, and the project has not disclosed a price or release date for the final version. No iOS version has been mentioned, and no performance benchmarks were provided. The beta follows Tor Project's August launch of Snowflake Volunteer, an Android app that lets people help others bypass censorship.
