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.
Needs a plan on iPhone, iPad and Android. In the browser extension it covers that browser only.
30-day money-back guarantee (except crypto and manual payments)
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
- Planon iPhone, iPad and AndroidThe desktop apps need a plan to connect
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, scope and plan.
Kill switch“Block traffic if the VPN drops”
It works as a system firewall rule. The desktop app needs a plan to connect.
Kill switch“Block traffic if the VPN drops”
The Mac app needs a plan to connect.
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”. Needs a plan.
Kill Switch“Blocks the internet if the VPN drops”
Needs a plan. 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”
No plan needed. 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. The desktop app needs a plan to connect. | With a plan |
| Mac | Kill switchBlock traffic if the VPN drops | The Mac app needs a plan to connect. | With a plan |
| 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”. Needs a plan. | With a plan |
| Android | Kill SwitchBlocks the internet if the VPN drops | Needs a plan. The screen also points to Android’s own “Block connections without VPN”, which works with Always-on VPN in Android settings. | With a plan |
| Browser extension | Kill switchBlock this browser’s traffic if the VPN drops | No plan needed. 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, and on iPhone, iPad and Android it needs a plan.
What 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, and the Windows app needs a plan to connect.
How do I use the VPN kill switch on Android?
Open Settings in the CopVPN app and turn on “Kill Switch”, which needs a plan. 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 free, and is it on by default?
It’s off by default in every app that has one; Android TV has none. On iPhone, iPad and Android it needs a plan, and the Windows, Mac and Linux apps need a plan to connect at all. In the browser extension it’s free.
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 testCheck which DNS servers your device is really using.
- VPN for WindowsDownload the Windows app.
Plans
Get a VPN with a kill switch
The kill switch comes with a plan on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android, and it’s free in the browser extension. Plans run from 1 month to 5 years.
30-day money-back guarantee (except crypto and manual payments)We follow a no-logs policy