In our efforts to provide our customers probably the most safe web expertise, we’ve just lately made a number of enhancements to our app for Android.
Disabling in-app screenshots on ExpressVPN
A VPN app is designed to guard your privateness. However there is likely to be instances when your delicate data is displayed in your display when you use our app.
On the Android app, now we have a function that shows your IP deal with and allows you to know at a look whether or not your actual IP is masked and what location you seem like in. Your login particulars of varied on-line accounts may also be seen when you use Keys, our built-in password supervisor (at present being rolled out to customers), should you select to unhide a password. A screenshot might seize the data rapidly.
Delicate data may be seen in your display whenever you’re utilizing Android’s “multitasking” pane, which shows all of your open apps. For instance, you is likely to be displaying somebody your telephone and change to the multitasking pane, inadvertently exposing a password or your IP deal with.
How we assist
To forestall anybody from stealing data displayed in your ExpressVPN app, now we have added a function on Android that permits you to disable in-app screenshots. It does the next:
- Prevents taking screenshots of the ExpressVPN app
- Prevents the ExpressVPN app content material from being seen within the multitasking pane
- Prevents apps with particular permissions from seeing sure content material of your app display when viewing the ExpressVPN app
To make use of this function, open the ExpressVPN Android app and choose Choices → Settings → Different Settings → App Screenshots. Toggle off Enable taking app screenshots. You is likely to be prompted to relaunch the app.
The same function is coming to the ExpressVPN app for iOS.
Warning on utilizing jailbroken or rooted gadgets
Jailbroken or rooted gadgets—on which a person has unlocked the working system as a way to make in any other case unavailable modifications—can pose safety dangers. Rooting a tool might deliberately or unintentionally end in disabling important security measures, making the machine extra weak to assaults.
ExpressVPN’s potential to guard your privateness and safety may be hampered should you use our apps on rooted or jailbroken gadgets. These utilizing such gadgets may not concentrate on the safety dangers.
How we assist
If ExpressVPN detects that you’re launching our app on a rooted or jailbroken machine, we’ll now present you a warning that informs you ExpressVPN’s potential to guard your privateness is likely to be affected. You could dismiss the warning and proceed to make use of ExpressVPN.
We’re rolling out this warning message to Android customers over a number of weeks. It can even be launched on the app for iOS within the close to future.
To maintain your machine safe, we suggest you do the next:
- Android: Disable root within the root supervisor app you used. If this isn’t potential, restore the unique firmware of your machine.
- iOS: Restore the unique firmware of your machine.
Word: Restoring your machine’s unique firmware may erase information.
Warning on utilizing an previous working system
It’s advisable to make use of the newest model of any working system, to learn from the newest safety and have updates. Nonetheless, it could not at all times be instantly obvious whether or not you might be utilizing an older model, and in reality many older gadgets can’t be up to date to the newest working methods.
Utilizing an previous working system carries dangers. Android 6 and under now not obtain updates, which implies customers are extra weak to assaults. A number of safety points haven’t been addressed on these older Android variations, which can impression ExpressVPN’s potential to guard your privateness and safety. For instance:
- Android could also be unable to warn you if the app you are attempting to make use of has been tampered with, which may trigger hurt to your machine and your private data.
- Your machine could also be compromised by merely visiting some web sites or operating some apps.
How we assist
ExpressVPN on Android has began to show a warning whenever you launch ExpressVPN whereas utilizing Android 6 or under. It informs the person that they’re at present operating an older model of Android that now not receives updates, that their machine is extra weak to safety threats, and that ExpressVPN’s potential to guard their privateness could possibly be affected. You could dismiss the warning and proceed to make use of ExpressVPN.
To obtain common safety updates and preserve your machine safe, we suggest that you simply replace to a more recent model of Android (7 or above). In case you are unable to take action in your machine, it’s possible you’ll have to improve your machine.
Word that the danger of utilizing ExpressVPN on an previous working system doesn’t apply to iOS, as our app solely works on newer iOS variations (12 and above) that also get updates from Apple.
Masking all bases to safeguard your privateness
Safety is a strategy of mitigating as many dangers as potential, from all angles. A part of that mitigation is informing our customers of the way to guard themselves even higher, in addition to providing extra privacy-focused options in our apps.
Study extra about our method to cybersecurity at ExpressVPN.
