It seems like everybody and his mother are offering users VPN (Virtual Private Network) function and features. This means more people want to secure their online privacy or access content that isn’t allowed in their territory. The latest one to offer this is the Speedtest app for Android devices. If you already have their mobile app, then you don’t need to download anything else as the VPM functionality is built within the app already and is free to use, at least for now.
If you’re not familiar with Speedtest yet, it functions as its name sounds. It is able to measure your Internet’s performance with a one-tap test and is considered the number one tool for testing Internet speeds. For now, you can use this feature for free with 2GB of data available. The function is able to encrypt your device’s Internet connection and anonymize your IP address and geographic location to protect your online privacy.
Aside from that basic functionality, there doesn’t seem to be any other special feature that would make this stand out over the many other VPN services out there. Well, if you’re using Speedtest anyway, maybe that’s the advantage, not having to install a different app. There doesn’t seem to be a desktop client so you can only use the VPN service on its mobile device. But if you’re looking for just a basic one, then this is a good option.
In a blog post, they explain how the VPN works, which is also how most similar apps do. It creates an encrypted connection between your device and the VPN server so that outside “observers” like your ISP only see a “continuous stream of obfuscated data”. This means that any website or service will only see your data from the VPN server and not your device, as long as you don’t share any “personally identifiable information”.
Android Police says that Speedtest are planning to launch a paid tier eventually. So while it’s still free, you should download the Android app from the Google Play Store and give it a whirl.