This new Google badge helps navigate untrustworthy VPNs

By Patrick Hearn Published January 29, 2025

There are a lot of VPNs to pick from in the Google Play Store, but not all are trustworthy. Rather than risking your data, now you can tell at a glance which VPNs Google recommends with its new verification badge. The badge can be found right underneath the name of the app and looks like a shield with a checkmark, along with the word Verified below it.

To qualify for this badge, apps must comply with Google Play’s Safety and Security Guidelines and earn a Mobile Application Security Assessment Level 2, otherwise known as a MASA. You might have noticed these badges before, and that’s because this isn’t the first time the Google Play Store has added them. There’s a unique badge for identifying government apps, too.

Other, more in-depth requirements make it difficult for bad actors to create a VPN and earn the badge; the app has to have more than 10,000 total installs and more than 250 reviews, and it has to have been on the Google Play Store for at least 90 days.

There are commercial benefits for VPNs that qualify, as Google says it will promote any verified apps. A few VPNs that already meet this criteria include NordVPN, hide.me, and Aloha Browser.

Using a VPN does more than just protect your data. It helps maintain anonymity on an internet increasingly interested in tracking data, makes it more difficult for your network to be cracked, and lets you access content locked behind geographical barriers. A VPN can also hide your web activity from your ISP and help you bypass bandwidth caps.

Look for this badge next time you download a VPN to make sure you’re only using the most effective — and safest — applications.