PrivadoVPN’s PhantomMode lands on iOS to stop apps spying on you — here's everything you need to know and how to set it up

• PrivadoVPN's PhantomMode has launched on iOS devices having previously been exclusive to Android
• The tool prevents apps from sending data to third-party trackers and filters advertisements.
• Alongside PhantomMode, PrivadoVPN also improved its login experience for people facing ISP restrictions, though how they've done this is unclear so far

PrivadoVPN has quietly released a major update for 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 advertisements 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 hit "disconnect."

PrivadoVPN claims 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 out trackers, blocking ads, and stopping app-specific network activity."

For the average iPhone user, this means your device could stop hemorrhaging data to marketing firms even when you aren't routing your traffic through a secure server in another country.

By cutting off these requests at the source, the feature can also theoretically save mobile data and improve battery life by reducing background activity.

Alongside PhantomMode, PrivadoVPN also "Optimized the login process for users facing ISP network restrictions". However, at the time of writing, it's unclear the steps the provider has taken to enable this.

Privacy beyond the tunnel

Apple’s operating system has historically been more restrictive than Android regarding background processes and app interference. Most VPN ad-blockers, such as NordVPN’s Threat Protection or Surfshark’s CleanWeb, typically rely on the active VPN tunnel to filter DNS requests.

PrivadoVPN’s approach with PhantomMode appears distinct because it offers granular control over which apps can access the internet. The feature allows users to "stop app-specific network activity," effectively acting as a firewall.

This is particularly useful for preventing specific apps from "phoning home" or consuming data in the background without your permission.

How well will PhantomMode perform?

While this update brings parity between PrivadoVPN's Android and iOS offerings, it will be interesting to see how the feature performs within Apple's "walled garden."

Apple’s strict sandboxing rules often make it difficult for one app to monitor or block the network activity of another without using a local dummy VPN profile, a common workaround for on-device content blockers.

We're yet to be able to put PhantomMode through its paces on iOS, though this will be on our radar for the near future. For now, iPhone users can test the feature for themselves by updating their PrivadoVPN app to the latest version via the App Store. Once updated, all you need to do is:

• Load up PrivadoVPN
• Tap the 'Preferences' sidebar menu
• Toggle your preferred settings within the PhantomMode section

From here, your 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 PrivadoVPN (or other VPNs) to bring to iOS? Leave a comment below