- PrivadoVPN’s PhantomMode launched on iOS devices and was previously exclusive to Android
- The tool prevents apps from sending data to third-party trackers and filters ads.
- In addition to PhantomMode, PrivadoVPN also improved their login experience for people facing ISP restrictions, although it’s unclear so far how they’ve done this.
PrivadoVPN has quietly released a major update to its iPhone and iPad app, bringing its “PhantomMode” privacy feature to iOS for the first time.
The tool, which was previously exclusive to Android users, is designed to block hidden trackers and ads at the system level.
While the best VPNs are essential for encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your IP address, they usually stop protecting you the moment you press “disconnect.”
PrivadoVPN claims that PhantomMode solves this gap by functioning as an “always on” background filter. According to the release notes accompanying the update, the feature “prevents personal information from being sent to third parties by filtering trackers, blocking ads, and stopping app-specific network activity.”
For the average iPhone user, this means your device could stop sending data to marketing companies even when it’s not routing your traffic through a secure server in another country.
By cutting off these requests at the source, the feature can also, in theory, save mobile data and improve battery life by reducing background activity.
In addition to PhantomMode, PrivadoVPN also “optimized the login process for users facing ISP network restrictions.” However, at the time of writing, it is unclear what steps the vendor has taken to enable this.
Privacy beyond the tunnel
Apple’s operating system has historically been more restrictive than Android when it comes to background processes and app interference. Most VPN ad blockers, like NordVPN’s Threat Protection or Surfshark’s CleanWeb, typically rely on the active VPN tunnel to filter DNS requests.
PrivadoVPN’s approach with PhantomMode seems different because it offers granular control over which apps can access the Internet. The feature allows users to “stop application-specific network activity”, effectively acting as a firewall.
This is particularly useful for preventing specific apps from “calling home” or consuming data in the background without your permission.
How well will PhantomMode work?
While this update brings parity between PrivadoVPN’s Android and iOS offerings, it will be interesting to see how the feature works within Apple’s “walled garden.”
Apple’s strict sandboxing rules often make it difficult for one app to monitor or block another’s network activity without using a local dummy VPN profile, a common workaround for on-device content blockers.
We have yet to be able to test PhantomMode on iOS, although this will be on our radar in the near future. For now, iPhone users can try the feature themselves by updating their PrivadoVPN app to the latest version through the App Store. Once updated, all you need to do is:
- Load PrivateVPN
- Tap the ‘Preferences’ sidebar menu
- Change your preferred settings within the PhantomMode section
From here, the selected settings will run in the background on your device. So you don’t need to do anything else to see the results.
What other features would you like to see PrivadoVPN (or other VPNs) bring to iOS? Leave a comment below
