How VPN applications on mobile devices can affect its battery life!

Using a VPN on your smartphone has become common for security and accessing geo-restricted content. However, the impact of a VPN on battery life is a nuanced issue.

Using a VPN on your smartphone has become common for security and accessing geo-restricted content. However, the impact of a VPN on battery life is a nuanced issue. To understand this better, we tested NordVPN on four smartphones: the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, Realme GT 6, Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The first test evaluated battery consumption with the VPN running in the background while the phone was idle. The results indicated that having a VPN connection on standby had a negligible impact on battery life. The phones continued functioning for nearly the same duration, whether the VPN was on or off. The second test measured battery life during active web browsing, including page loading, scrolling, and frequent screen touching.

The tests used the full battery charge for web browsing to assess the impact thoroughly. In real-world usage, where users typically do not browse continuously for 8-14 hours, the overall effect of having a VPN connection always on would likely be minor. While running a VPN connection on standby has minimal impact on battery life, active use, such as web browsing, can significantly drain the battery, depending on the device. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro and Realme GT 6 showed minor impacts. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G exhibited more substantial reductions in battery life. Therefore, the extent of the VPN’s impact on battery life varies significantly with the device in use.