PryVPN installs only from Google Play, under the package name com.pryvpn.vpn. We don't publish an APK on our website or in other stores, and any PryVPN APK you find elsewhere isn't ours. Play delivers signed updates automatically, checks apps with Play Protect and holds VPN apps to a specific policy. The cost is that PryVPN needs a phone with Google Play.
Search for almost any Android app and "APK" shows up next to its name. People look for APKs to skip a store, to get an app that isn't available in their country, or because a site promises a "pro" version for free. For a VPN, that's a risky habit. This post explains why PryVPN is only on Google Play, and what that means for you.
The short version
- PryVPN installs only from Google Play. The package name is com.pryvpn.vpn.
- There is no official APK. Not on our website, not in other app stores, not in a download mirror.
- Any PryVPN APK you find elsewhere isn't ours. Don't install it.
- During the beta, you join from our beta page and the app comes from Google Play too.
Why a VPN from an unknown source is a bad idea
A VPN app asks Android for permission to handle all your traffic. Android shows a warning when you grant it, because an app with that permission can see every connection your phone makes. That's fine when you trust the app. It's a serious problem when the app came from a file someone uploaded to a website.
Anyone can take an app, add tracking or malware, and repackage it under the same name and icon. A modified VPN is especially attractive for this, because it already sits in the middle of everything. Research on Android VPN apps has found apps that intercept encrypted traffic or inject tracking; our article on whether a free VPN is safe lists the checks worth making.
What Google Play adds
We're not claiming Google Play makes any app safe. It adds a few specific protections that are hard to replace:
| From Google Play | From an APK on a website | |
|---|---|---|
| Who signed it | The developer, checked by Play on every update | Whoever built the file |
| Updates | Automatic, from the same developer | Manual, if you remember, from wherever you find them |
| Malware checks | Play Protect checks apps before you download them | Play Protect checks the device for harmful apps, but you've already installed it |
| VPN-specific rules | Play's VpnService policy: VPN must be the core function, traffic to the tunnel must be encrypted, no manipulating ads, prominent disclosure of any data accessed | None |
| Data declaration | A Data safety section you can read before installing | Whatever the website says |
Automatic updates matter more than they sound. A VPN is security software: when a fix ships, you want it on your phone the same day, without having to check a website.
What it costs, honestly
Choosing one store has real downsides, and we'd rather say them:
- You need Google Play. Phones without Google Play services, and people who don't use Google accounts, can't install PryVPN.
- Google knows you installed it. Google handles the download and updates as an independent controller under its own privacy policy, as our privacy policy states. We get nothing about you from that.
- No F-Droid or other stores. That isn't a "not yet": they're not planned.
- Availability depends on Play. If an app isn't offered in a country's Play Store, it can't be installed there, and we won't offer a workaround.
How to make sure you have the real app
- Start from pryvpn.com. Our buttons and beta emails link to Google Play; nothing on our site downloads a file.
- Check the package name. On the Play listing, the address ends in
id=com.pryvpn.vpn. - Ignore "PryVPN APK", "mod" or "premium unlocked" downloads. PryVPN is free; there's nothing to unlock.
- If you already installed an APK that claims to be PryVPN, uninstall it and install from Google Play. If you find a fake, tell us through the contact on our security page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get PryVPN on a phone without Google Play?
No. We don't distribute it any other way, and we don't plan to.
Why not publish the APK with a checksum, like some open-source apps do?
Checksums help people who verify them, and most people don't. Every extra channel also needs its own updates and support. With one channel, every install gets the same signed build and the same updates.
Does installing from Google Play mean Google sees my VPN traffic?
No. Google handles the download and updates of the app. Your traffic goes through the encrypted tunnel to our servers; Google isn't part of that.
To try PryVPN, join the beta: you sign up on our website and install from Google Play.
Sources
Spotted a mistake? Write to support@pryvpn.com and we'll fix it and update the date.
