ChromeOS

A VPN for Chromebook

There is no dedicated ChromeOS client — not from us and not from anyone worth trusting. What works is the Android app, which ChromeOS runs natively and which covers the whole device rather than one browser tab.

Get the Android app

Android app on ChromeOS System-wide, not per-tab Managed devices explained

How it works

The honest answer first

ChromeOS does not have a native VPN application format of its own. What it has is the ability to run Android apps, and that is the route every serious VPN provider takes — including us. Install the Android app from the Play Store and ChromeOS treats it as a system VPN.

That distinction matters more than it sounds. An Android VPN app on ChromeOS uses the system VPN service, which means it covers the browser, other Android apps, Linux (Crostini) containers and background traffic. A Chrome extension covers the Chrome tab it is running in and nothing else.

Most things marketed as a “Chromebook VPN extension” are proxies. They change what one browser shows a website; they do not encrypt the rest of the device, and on a school-managed Chromebook they do not do much of anything at all.

Comparison

App or extension?

	Android app	Chrome extension
Covers the browser	Yes	Yes
Covers other Android apps	Yes	No
Covers Linux containers	Yes	No
Encrypts traffic	Yes	Usually not
Real kill switch	Yes	No
Works when Chrome is closed	Yes	No

Setup

Getting it running

Confirm Play Store is available

Most Chromebooks from 2017 onwards support Android apps. If there is no Play Store icon and no option to enable it in Settings, the device is either very old or centrally managed with that feature switched off.

Install the Android app

Install from the Play Store as you would on a phone. See the download page for the signed APK if you prefer to sideload.

Allow the VPN configuration

ChromeOS will ask permission to add a VPN configuration on first connect. Granting it is what makes the tunnel system-wide instead of browser-only.

Save your account number

The app generates a random 16-digit account number locally. No email address is involved, so write it down somewhere you will not lose it.

Verify coverage

Run the DNS leak test in the browser while connected. If your school or workplace resolver still appears, the tunnel is not covering DNS and the rest is academic.

If your Chromebook was issued by a school or employer, read this. Managed ChromeOS devices are administered through the Google Admin console, and the administrator can block VPN apps, prevent Play Store installs, force traffic through a filtering proxy, and see policy-level reporting about the device. On a device you do not own, a VPN may be blocked outright — and getting around a filter can breach an acceptable-use policy even where nothing illegal has occurred. The tunnel also cannot hide anything from software installed on the device above it.

FAQ

Common questions

Is there a real ChromeOS VPN app?

Not as a dedicated ChromeOS application. The supported route is the Android app, which ChromeOS runs natively and registers as a system VPN. Anyone advertising a native ChromeOS client is generally describing either an Android app or a Chrome extension.

Why not just use a Chrome extension?

Because it only covers Chrome. Other Android apps, Linux containers and background system traffic all carry on outside it, usually without encryption, and most such extensions are proxies rather than VPNs. The Android app covers the whole device.

Will a VPN work on my school Chromebook?

Often not. Managed devices can have VPN apps blocked and the Play Store restricted through the admin console, and traffic may be forced through a filtering proxy regardless. Bypassing a school filter may also breach the acceptable-use policy you agreed to, even where it is entirely legal.

Does it slow the Chromebook down?

Barely. WireGuard is light enough that low-powered Chromebooks handle it comfortably, and the app idles at negligible memory. The bigger factor in perceived speed is how far away the server you picked is.

Does it cover Linux apps on ChromeOS?

Yes. Because the Android app registers as a system-level VPN, traffic from Crostini Linux containers goes through the tunnel as well — which an extension cannot do.

VPN for Android How to unblock websites VPN for your router DNS leak test

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