WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging app with a global user base of 2 billion people as of 2022. The app, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, has dominated the chat app market with its singular purpose, lack of advertisements, and commitment to privacy. The problem is that because of the level of security WhatsApp offers, it has been banned in multiple countries.

If you’re a WhatsApp user who lives in one of these countries or plan on visiting, you can bypass these restrictions by connecting to a VPN. Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN encrypts all of your device’s internet traffic and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of your choosing. This prevents your ISP and government authorities from discerning the content or destination of your internet traffic, in this case, messages and calls sent and received on WhatsApp.

We’ll get into detail about each of the best VPNs you can use to unblock WhatsApp below, but if you haven’t the time to read the whole article, here’s a summary of our top selections.

Best VPNs for WhatsApp:

  • NordVPN Our #1 VPN for WhatsApp. Encrypts all traffic and keeps no logs. Mobile apps work great with messaging and VoIP services and are easy to use. 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Surfshark Best budget alternative. With no connection limit, decent speeds, and a major focus on security, Surfshark makes it easy to use WhatsApp safely from anywhere.
  • ExpressVPN Fast and secure. Effortlessly unblocks WhatsApp and most other VoIP and messaging apps.
  • PrivateVPN This is one of the fastest VPNs around, and better still, it comes with several advanced security features. It keeps no logs whatsoever and easily unblocks WhatsApp abroad.
  • VyprVPN Gained credibility for consistently circumventing Chinese censorship. Reliable and secure for WhatsApp other messaging services but somewhat pricey.

WhatsApp features end-to-end encryption, which means all messages are encrypted on the sender’s device and remain encrypted until they arrive on the receiver’s device. Anyone who happens to intercept messages in transit–be it an ISP, hacker, government entity, or even Facebook–will not be able to decrypt their contents. WhatsApp uses the encryption suite developed by Whisper Systems, which makes the much-lauded and privacy-focused Signal messaging app.

There are no hidden terms—just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.

This level of privacy is excellent for users, but some governments and law enforcement agencies argue that it protects activists, journalists, dissidents, criminals, and terrorists who can use the app to secretly communicate. As a result, WhatsApp has been banned, either temporarily or permanently, in over a dozen countries including:

  • Bangladesh
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Montenegro
  • Saudi Arabia
  • The Gambia
  • Turkey
  • Uganda
  • Zimbabwe

In some countries, WhatsApp’s voice calling (VoIP) feature is often blocked while the rest of the app is left open. VoIP allows users to make voice calls over the internet, similar to Skype, which is also blocked in some countries. WhatsApp voice calls are blocked in:

  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Morocco
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Uzbekistan

Telecom companies in several countries have lobbied their respective governments to restrict WhatsApp as well. Because WhatsApp serves as a substitute for traditional calls and SMS, it cuts into the profits of legacy telcos.

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Whatsapp

Best VPNs for WhatsApp

We’ve curated a list of the best VPNs for WhatsApp primarily based on the following criteria:

  • Strong encryption suite
  • No usage logs
  • DNS leak protection
  • Mobile apps available including Android and iPhone/iOS
  • Doesn’t reveal your online activity

1. NordVPN

                    Jan 2023

unblocks whatsappTested Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

NordVPN is our top choice for WhatsApp. It offers a global network of servers so you will be able to access a wide range of services while abroad. It maintains a true zero-logs policy and protects every connection with unbreakable encryption. For serious security buffs, there’s also the option to connect to a double VPN or Tor over VPN. By default, the app will route your DNS requests through NordVPN’s own DNS servers and prevent any DNS leaks that could otherwise give away your location.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. NordVPN gives you a whopping six simultaneous connections on a single subscription, so it’s great for a family, office, or group of roommates. Nord also works with streaming services like US Netflix and Hulu and pegs some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen.

BEST VPN FOR WHATSAPP:NordVPN is our #1 choice. It unblocks all major VoIP, social media, and chat apps with ease including WhatsApp, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, and more. Allows up to 6 simultaneous connected devices. Great privacy and security credentials. A 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free deal.

Pros:

  • Securely access a wide range of geo-locked sites
  • Customer service available via 24/7 live chat
  • Kill switch keeps data safe even if your connection drops
  • Faster than any other VPN we’ve tested
  • Impeccable security credentials

Cons:

  • Takes slightly longer to connect via desktop apps

Our score:

Read our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark

unblocks whatsappTested Jan 2023

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark is another young provider making a big splash in the VPN space by allowing users to connect an unlimited number of devices at the same time. That’s not the only card in its hand, though: Surfshark offers the security and online privacy you need to use WhatsApp from any country. It works in both the UAE and China. The company doesn’t store any logs and uses top-notch encryption.

If you want to securely access streaming sites, Surfshark has you covered. It reliably works with Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, among others. 24/7 live chat support is available when you need it.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is ideal for sharing with family as it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. Reliable servers and user-friendly apps. No-logs VPN with 24/7 live chat support. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Provides a secure, encrypted connection

  • Works in the UAE and China

  • Strong security and privacy policy

  • Connect all of your devices at once

  • Apps devote a lot of space to features that can’t be used without an additional monthly payment

Read our full Surfshark review.

3. ExpressVPN

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN offers cutting-edge security at every stage, including 256-bit encryption and perfect forward secrecy. The company keeps no logs of your activity or source IP address. DNS leak protection is built in so your true location is never revealed to your ISP, and the company operates its own private DNS servers. Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux (command-line). ExpressVPN is fast and servers are available in 94 countries. It’s also capable of providing secure access to a wide range of platforms including US Netflix and Hulu.

RELIABLE SERVICE:ExpressVPN is a fast and reliable choice. It works well with WhatsApp and other apps, boasts reliable connections, and has a huge range of countries available. Great privacy features and keeps no logs. Plans include a 30-day money back guarantee.

  • Strong security and privacy features

  • 24/7 live chat support

  • User-friendly apps for major mobile and desktop platforms

  • Operates over 3,000 servers in 94 countries

  • More expensive than some of its competitors

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

4. PrivateVPN

Website: www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is an up-and-coming provider that offers all the security and features you would expect from a veteran player. It works in both China and the United Arab Emirates. The company stores zero logs about its users and employs uncrackable encryption. Perfect forward secrecy ensures that even if your encryption key is compromised, it can’t be used to decrypt past sessions. Leak prevention comes baked into all of the apps, but a kill switch is only available on the Windows version.

PrivateVPN is also great for securely accessing streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more. The apps are novice-friendly simple to set up.

HIGH-SPEED SERVERS:PrivateVPN has particularly fast servers making it a great option for WhatsApp calls.Very easy to use and offers live chat support. Secure with encryption. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Provides a secure, encrypted connection

  • No logs policy

  • Fast servers

  • Support staff are good, but only operate during European business hours

  • Fewer servers to choose from than other providers higher on this list

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

5. VyprVPN

Website: www.VyprVPN.com

VyprVPN has built its reputation around its ability to bypass authoritarian censorship systems in countries like China, so it’s no stranger to unblocking apps like WhatsApp. In addition to an already impressive encryption suite–256-bit AES paired with SHA256 authentication–customers can also avail of its proprietary Chameleon protocol to hide the fact that they are using a VPN at all.

UNLIMITED DATA USAGE:VyprVPN has user friendly app. Reliable at unblocking WhatsApp. Good speeds and uptime as all servers are owned by VyprVPN. Not the cheapest option. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Fast, reliable connection

  • Provides a secure, encrypted connection

  • Can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously

  • Lacking options for advanced configuration

  • Not the cheapest option on this list

  • Fairly small network

Read our full VyprVPN review.

Avoid free VPNs

It is highly unlikely that any free VPN will reliably bypass a countrywide restriction on WhatsApp. A government that can block WhatsApp can just as easily block a VPN server. Free VPNs have too few resources and too little incentive to keep their servers off of these government blacklists. Paid VPNs are much better positioned to do so.

China and the UAE actively block the vast majority of VPNs, even paid ones. However, the paid VPNs we recommend above have the expertise and resources to stay a step ahead. They also offer live customer support to users who experience any issues accessing WhatsApp.

Even if a free VPN manages to grant access to WhatsApp, that access might not be secure. Free VPNs often use subpar encryption and leak protection to prevent snooping third parties from monitoring your connection.

We recommend avoiding free VPNs commonly found on Google Play and the App Store. These apps often track and log what you do online, inject advertisements, and can even infect your device with malware. And if the police come knocking on their door asking for information on a specific user, they aren’t going to risk their business to save someone who uses their app for free.

Additionally, most free VPNs have a limited range of servers to choose from, limit available bandwidth, and cap data.

How to run WhatsApp through a VPN

Once you’ve chosen and signed up for one of the VPNs above, follow these instructions below to use WhatsApp in a country where it is censored.

Here’s how to unblock WhatsApp and make calls with a VPN:

  • Download and install your chosen VPN provider’s app for your device. (We recommend NordVPN).
  • Run the app and select a server located in a country where WhatsApp is not blocked.
  • Hit the Connect button.
  • Once the connection has been established, open WhatsApp and use it normally.

Methodology: How we find the best VPNs for Whatsapp

Comparitech aims to publish the most accurate, comprehensive, and useful VPN reviews and recommendations to our readers. To do that, we evaluate each VPN based on expert analysis, real-world experience, and a number of security and performance tests. When it comes to WhatsApp VPNs in particular, we look at:

  • Security: We assess each VPN’s encryption scheme and test connections for a variety of data leaks.
  • Logging policy: We pour over each VPN’s terms of use and privacy policy for any language or lack thereof that could indicate the collection of personally identifiable data when using the VPN.
  • Speed: We measure and record download speeds while connected to VPN servers located around the world and only recommend the fastest VPN services.
  • Streaming: We check whether each VPN can access popular streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and Paramount+.
  • Customer service: Our reviewers contact each VPN’s customer service as secret shoppers to gauge response times and quality.
  • Ability to bypass censorship: We check whether VPNs can connect in countries with heavy censorship like China and the UAE.

You can read more about our VPN testing methodology on our page about how we rate and review VPNs.

WhatsApp has been temporarily blocked in Cuba, Iran, and Brazil. If you plan on using WhatsApp in these countries, keep a VPN handy just in case.

WhatsApp is partially blocked—usually its voice and video calling features are banned—in the UAE, Qatar, and Oman. You can use WhatsApp’s VoIP features with a VPN.

Disclaimer: Although we’ve spent hours researching this topic, we are not legal experts. As such, nothing we’ve said above should be taken as legal advice. We encourage you to consult local laws or perhaps even seek a professional’s opinion before attempting to use WhatsApp in a place with VoIP restrictions.

That being said, WhatsApp does make some minor compromises in security for the sake of convenience. When you change phones, for example, your encryption keys are renegotiated so that you can still access messages that were stored on your old phone. That renegotiation opens up a vulnerability that could allow someone at Facebook to read a user’s messages.

The first is that your internet service provider or mobile carrier, on behalf of the government, has blocked the IP addresses of known VPN servers. If this is the case, you won’t be able to access anything online while using the VPN, not just WhatsApp.

If this happens to you, contact the customer support of your VPN provider and ask them which servers to use to unblock WhatsApp in your country. Most will have a range of servers you can specifically use that haven’t been blacklisted by authorities.

The second possible cause could be that you’re leaking DNS requests. DNS, or domain name system, is used to correlate a domain name with a web server IP address. For example, when you type comparitech.com into your URL bar, a DNS request is sent to look up which IP address this website has been assigned. That request gets sent to the nearest DNS server, which is normally operated by your ISP. Most government-led internet censorship is conducted at the ISP level.

A DNS leak occurs when the DNS request is sent outside of the VPN tunnel to your ISP instead of your VPN provider’s DNS servers. This reveals the real destination of your web traffic and the ISP blocks the connection accordingly.

To get around this, ensure your VPN offers DNS leak protection (all of the providers we recommended above do). You may need to enable it in the app settings if it’s not on by default. Additionally, you can try disabling IPv6 on your device.

Finally, your ISP could be blocking traffic traveling to or from specific ports used by WhatsApp. Your VPN app might support port forwarding, which will route traffic from WhatsApp through a different port. Consult the provider’s website or customer service.

Long answer: First off, WhatsApp doesn’t have a backdoor so much as it has a minor vulnerability in its end-to-end encryption scheme.

Here’s how it works: when you send a message on WhatsApp, it is encrypted before it leaves your phone, sent through the internet, and never decrypted until it lands on the recipient’s phone. Only the recipient’s phone contains the key that can decrypt the message. Private keys are generated and exchanged between users before any messages are ever sent.

But if the recipient changes their phone, they no longer have the encryption key necessary to decrypt messages. This can result in messages that are never delivered. In a compromise of security in favor of convenience, WhatsApp implemented what many critics allege is a backdoor. The key exchange is renegotiated without the recipient’s knowledge, and the backlog of messages are re-sent. WhatsApp users can toggle a preference in their settings to let them know if the recipient has changed phones and the keys have been renegotiated, but this is not enabled by default.

The result is that if someone simply turns off their phone or is disconnected from the internet for any period of time, WhatsApp–and ergo Facebook–could fake the existence of a new phone and private key in order to read someone’s message history.

To do this, one would need WhatsApps explicit compliance and a specific target. This is not something that can be exploited through any sort of mass dragnet surveillance or by hackers without WhatsApp’s help. So for most people, it is not a concern. If you feel you are being targeted to such a degree, you can find more details on this issue and read up on available WhatsApp alternatives.

Back to our original question, a VPN will not protect you in any way from this vulnerability. The exploit would have to occur on WhatsApp’s servers, not on your internet connection or device.

Long answer: There have been several news reports from multiple countries about people being arrested for posting or sending illicit content on WhatsApp. This content is often labeled defamatory, libelous, explicit, or even contains information about planned coup d’etats.

Please realize, however, that the government did not hack WhatsApp to get this information, nor steal it in transit as it made its way across the internet, nor cooperate with WhatsApp to obtain the contents of someone’s WhatsApp messages. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption system protects against these sorts of snooping.

Instead, authorities obtained the information in one of the following two ways:

  • Someone in a WhatsApp group or private chat tipped off the police
  • The police seized the phone and, if necessary, coerced the owner to unlock it

That’s it. There’s no hacking going on here.

A VPN lets you access WhatsApp and all of its features normally. It also hides the fact that you’re using WhatsApp from your ISP and authorities.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that many countries with VoIP restrictions tend to have strict online censorship. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures that the government can’t read the contents of your messages. Providing citizens a way to communicate without fear of surveillance simply isn’t something an authoritarian government can tolerate, hence the ban.