Do I need a VPN on my phone?
A VPN on your phone is most valuable if you regularly use public Wi-Fi: cafes, hotels, trains, airports. On your own mobile data and home Wi-Fi the need is smaller, but a VPN still shields your browsing from your carrier and advertisers.
Public Wi-Fi is the biggest risk your phone faces. Anyone on the same network can potentially intercept traffic, and fake hotspots with names like "Free Airport WiFi" are set up for exactly that. A VPN encrypts everything, making eavesdropping pointless. If you work on the go or travel a lot, that protection alone justifies the subscription.
On your own 4G or 5G connection, interception is far less likely. There, a VPN mostly adds privacy: your carrier no longer sees which sites you visit, and websites do not see your real location. If that matters to you, just leave the VPN on permanently; modern apps barely touch your battery.
Practically: every provider in our shortlist has solid iOS and Android apps, and one subscription covers your phone, laptop, and tablet together. With Surfshark, Private Internet Access, and IPVanish, you even get unlimited devices.