Verdict
While Private Internet Access (PIA) was once a pretty decent and reliable VPN, it has started to decline since it was bought out by Kape Technologies. Not only is Kape a whole can of worms when it comes to privacy concerns, but in place of useful VPN extras, it comes along with things like the Washing Machine PC clean-up app, which isn't very useful. Meanwhile, I could never get it to work with Disney Plus. Don't get me wrong, as a well-known and respected brand, it is still head and shoulders above a lot of the obscure VPNs that are selling off customer data or worse, and for Netflix, gaming, or general use, PIA works just fine. With a cheaper price tag, it's hard to be too critical, but there are definitely better VPNs out there.
- Very affordable
- User-friendly app
- Ideal for public Wi-Fi
- Unexplained connection failures
- Lack of Disney Plus compatibility
- Owned by Kape Technologies
Whether you're gaming on the go or want to catch up with the latest episodes of the newest streaming thing everyone is talking about, the impact on mobile data can be devastating. Using public Wi-Fi is a sensible option, especially if you're playing Fortnite in a Starbucks, but is it the safest option? We're not here to judge your local coffee shop's IT privacy practices, but we can point you in the direction of an easy solution: a VPN, like Private Internet Access (PIA).
Why you can trust our advice ✔ At Pocket Tactics, our experts spend days testing games, phones, tech, and services. We always share honest opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.
Also known as PIA, Private Internet Access is typically considered among the best mobile VPN apps and has been providing VPN services since 2010. While it has built a strong user base since then, various events over the years have reduced some trust in the service.
Initially developed as a tool to prevent Internet Relay Chat services from sharing IP addresses, Private Internet Access was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2019, joining CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, and ZenMate - all competing VPN services. Unfortunately, Kape Technologies has a poor reputation among security and privacy advocates, having previously based its business around browser toolbars and crapware. This aside, PIA as a service has plenty to offer, but do this VPN's features and performance make it worth considering?
Specs
Private Internet Access (PIA) specs:
How private is PIA?
Beyond the expected ability to hide your IP address and encrypt data, Private Internet Access has a no-logs policy ("PIA never tracks, stores, records, or sells browsing data") and offers split tunneling. This feature enables you to use apps that don't like VPNs, including some banking apps.
No-logs policies are important because when they're in place, any data on your internet activity cannot be subpoenaed as it doesn't exist. Significantly, PIA is registered in the USA, which means that it can be forced to provide information to authorities here and overseas as part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, so a no-logs policy is especially important for this one, especially in the current political climate.
Advanced options are also available, such as malware blocking and a kill switch. In testing, this worked to avoid the risk of DNS leak, ensuring your activity remains private should a network connection drop suddenly.
Port forwarding and multi-hop are also offered as included extras. The multi-hop is PIA's version of 'double VPN,' wherein an additional layer of encryption is introduced, with the intention of making your data even more private. For gaming or streaming, this is pretty much unnecessary, but you might find it handy for sensitive data (eg, searches related to medical issues).
An automation feature is also included, although it is marked as experimental. The idea of this is to ensure the VPN connects automatically on certain types of networks. Setting it up requires some additional permissions for the app, which you might not be comfortable agreeing to, as it can essentially see where you are and what you're doing.
As well as Android and iPhone, PIA can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Apple TV, Android TV, and also has a Chrome extension. It's a very versatile VPN.
Using PIA on your mobile
Using a VPN while gaming typically means activating and connecting to a VPN server before launching the game.
This is the same with any VPN, but the PIA user interface makes it particularly swift. Launch the app (assuming you've already signed up and signed in) and tap the button to make an instant connection. It's quick and painless, although specific server locations can be chosen. If you have a server you plan to use regularly, this can be set as a favorite.
Sadly, PIA doesn't group VPN servers by type or purpose, which is a shame, especially when so many other major providers do. Instead of being able to select 'streaming servers' or 'P2P servers' for instance, it's purely a case of just choosing your region. At the very least, the ability to favorite a server will make it easy for you to return to one that you know works well for your preferred usage.
Recently, I was at a shopping mall and naturally wanted to use my VPN with the free Wi-Fi. Curiously, establishing a connection wasn't possible, but rather than explain this, the PIA app simply flashed amber, with no verbal description. It wasn't until I tried a different VPN (NordVPN in this case) to try connecting that it became clear the area I was in was out of range for Wi-Fi. A simple message could have helped here.
Other Private Internet Access features
There are still a few other PIA features I should tell you about to give you a more comprehensive idea of the service. One of these features is a dedicated IP address, which means you avoid any negative association with other people who might be using the VPN. You may have seen situations where a VPN user can't access a site because of 'too many requests from this IP' or something similar, and this is exactly what a dedicated IP can help you avoid, though it needs to be purchased as an optional extra. Other optional extras include corporate VPN support and antivirus protection.
Unsurprisingly, PIA also supports video streaming services. Yet during my testing, I found that this wasn't as comprehensive as I expected. Many services advertise their online obfuscation as Netflix VPNs, so I tried that service first, exploring and playing a couple of shows in the US Netflix library. So far, so good. Unfortunately, Disney+ was a different story, and I wasn't able to connect no matter what I did (either via Wi-Fi or using data).
This is not an issue with other VPNs I've looked at, so it seems to be something that Private Internet Access struggles with. It's particularly disappointing as PIA promotes its service as being able to "access all of your favorite content free." Sadly, this is not the case - unless all your favorite content just happens to be on the platforms that PIA can access.
PIA also includes a free license to the secure pCloud storage service (though it's worth mentioning that you can already get 10GB on this platform for free). Another 'bonus' is a license to Washing Machine, but as this is a poorly regarded PC clean-up app, it's hardly an exciting feature.
Verdict
I find myself inclined to be more charitable with the established VPN providers, but using PIA has proven to be largely disappointing. While signing up is quick and easy, the overall experience in this app is far from intuitive. The VPN service itself is reliable to an extent, supporting privacy but failing to offer the advanced features of its competitors (and, indeed, its stablemates like ExpressVPN).
Speed-wise, PIA is reliable enough, and it can handle streaming from overseas Netflix libraries. All good, but for some reason, it cannot do Disney Plus, which seems like a massive omission. It is possible that this was a localized or temporary issue during the testing week. That's quite a long time, though, so I am inclined to think PIA is just more focused on Netflix compatibility.
The software's current ownership and the push for PC cleanup apps that nobody asked for leave a somewhat unpleasant feeling about Private Internet Access. What I once regarded as a reliable, if somewhat feature-lite VPN now feels tainted and untrustworthy. When it comes to VPNs, you really need a service you can trust. Unfortunately, a PC clean-up app with a low reputation is, I'm sorry to say, too close to Kape Technologies' previous business model for comfort.
Private Internet Access can be used for mobile gaming, where VPNs are permitted, but I would be reluctant to employ it for anything beyond securing a public Wi-Fi connection.
If you want to scope out some alternatives, read our NordVPN review and our ExpressVPN review. We also have a Roblox VPN guide for anyone who wants to use a VPN with Roblox specifically.