Does a VPN Drain Battery? What You Need to Know in 2025
Any app you use on your phone, tablet, or laptop increases battery usage. Basically, the more apps you have and the more you use them, the faster your battery will drain. A VPN is no different: if you have your VPN on, you’ll lose battery percentages faster than if it’s off.
However, the real question is how fast does a VPN use your battery, and will you be burdened with repeatedly plugging in your device?
That really depends on the device and the VPN you use. Below, we show you some tips on how to minimize the battery drain, including how PIA VPN lets you customize its settings for optimal battery usage.
Why Does Using a VPN Drain Your Battery?
The main reasons a VPN can drain battery faster include:
- Encryption overhead: To secure your data, a VPN continuously encrypts and decrypts all your internet traffic. This process requires extra CPU work, which requires more battery power.
- Data routing: A VPN routes your data over your ISP’s network to a VPN server. This detour means your device’s network radio stays active slightly longer for each data packet, using extra energy.
- Constant connection maintenance: VPN apps typically run in the background to maintain a secure connection. They send keep-alive signals and stay ready to encrypt data at any moment. This always-on background activity constantly uses a small amount of power.
How Much Battery Does a VPN Use on Average?
A VPN should only have a moderate impact on battery life. This typically accounts for roughly an extra 5% to 15% of your device’s battery usage during active use.
How much battery power a VPN drains depends more on what you’re doing online than on the VPN itself, which only adds a small, albeit constant overhead. If you’re using it for light internet use like messaging or regular browsing, the battery impact is barely noticeable. However, if you’re using it while streaming sports, watching Netflix, or downloading large files, there’s a noticeable drain. That said, streaming itself is very battery-intensive, even without a VPN.
That said, the VPN itself also matters. VPNs like PIA that use modern protocols such as WireGuard use less processing power compared to older VPN protocols, and therefore less battery to encrypt and send your data. That means you’re not just staying secure, you’re staying efficient, too.
Factors Affecting VPN Battery Drain
Several things can influence how fast your battery drains with your VPN on, but not all the drain comes from the same place. Below are the main factors that play into how much battery your VPN will use, in no particular order:
Encryption Type
When a VPN is active, it constantly encrypts and decrypts your data. Stronger encryption algorithms, like AES-256, demand more processing power than lighter ones such as AES-128 or ChaCha20. The heavier the math, the harder your CPU has to work, and the faster your battery drains.
VPN Protocol Choice
The choice of VPN protocol plays a major role in how much energy gets consumed. OpenVPN is highly secure but tends to be heavier on processing, while WireGuard and IKEv2 are generally more efficient. Using a VPN that supports lighter protocols can noticeably reduce battery drain.
Server Distance and Latency
Connecting to a VPN server that’s far from your physical location means your data has to travel a longer path, which increases latency. Higher latency keeps your device’s network radio (Wi-Fi or mobile data) active for longer while it waits for responses, and that extra time consumes more battery.
Background Network Activity
Even when you’re not actively browsing, a VPN has to keep its secure tunnel open. To do this, it regularly sends small “keep-alive” packets to let the VPN server know you’re still connected.
These signals are lightweight, but because they’re constant, they prevent your phone or laptop from powering down properly, and over hours of use, that steady activity adds up and translates into battery drain.
Operating System
The OS can affect battery life through power management, networking settings, and how it handles background processes. Whether you’re using a VPN on iOS or Android, you’re likely to see a small bump in battery usage, but nothing drastic.
Device Age and Hardware
Newer phones have energy-efficient processors that are better at handling encryption tasks than processors that are two or three years old. Older devices, especially those with aging batteries or outdated chips, tend to struggle more with continuous encryption and network rerouting.
A newer mid-range phone may even outperform a three-year-old flagship model when it comes to managing VPN battery drain. So if you’re noticing excessive battery use, your device’s age and performance profile might be the real culprit.
Network Type
The type of connection you use has a big impact on VPN battery drain. Mobile data is inherently more power-hungry than Wi-Fi because the radio has to constantly reach out to distant cell towers, adjust power levels, and maintain a stable link when signal strength changes.
When you add a VPN on top, the mobile radio has to push extra encrypted traffic through this already energy-intensive process, which magnifies the drain. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, connects over short distances to a local router, so the radio doesn’t need to work as hard.
Network Conditions
Your phone’s power consumption increases when it’s dealing with poor network conditions, whether you’re using Wi-Fi or mobile data. When the connection is weak or unstable, the device has to work harder to send and receive data. Add a VPN to the mix, and that battery strain multiplies.
For example, jumping between 4G and 5G or constantly searching for a signal keeps your phone’s antennas active longer and forces your VPN to re-establish a secure connection multiple times. That combination can quickly drain your battery. Stable networks, especially Wi-Fi, reduce these issues and make VPN use far more battery-efficient.
VPN App Design
Not all VPN apps are created equal. Those that include ads or background tracking create extra processing and data activity, which puts more strain on your device.
High-quality VPNs use streamlined code and encryption libraries to run lighter. Features like per-app split-tunneling, ad and tracker blocking, and smart auto-connect rules also help prevent unnecessary drain and make everyday VPN use more battery-friendly.
Tips to Reduce VPN Battery Drain
You don’t have to choose between privacy and battery life. A few smart adjustments can make your VPN use much more efficient without sacrificing security. Here are the most effective strategies to stretch your battery while staying protected:
Use Wi-Fi When Possible
Cellular networks require more power, and a VPN layered on top of that adds to the resource usage. Wi-Fi connections are typically more efficient and help your battery last longer. Whenever you have the option, using Wi-Fi with your VPN will almost always extend your battery life compared to relying on 4G, 5G, or LTE.
Choose a Lightweight VPN Protocol
The VPN protocol you select has a big impact on battery life. OpenVPN is very secure but can put extra strain on your CPU. WireGuard, on the other hand, was built for both speed and efficiency. It performs the same encryption tasks with fewer resources, which translates into better battery performance. PIA includes WireGuard in all its native apps, so you can switch to it easily for a lighter experience.
Connect to the Closest Server Available
The farther your data has to travel, the harder your phone works to maintain that connection. A server closer to your physical location reduces latency and conserves energy. PIA has servers in 90+ countries, making it easy to find one nearby.
Enable Split Tunneling if Your VPN Offers It
This feature lets you choose which apps use the VPN. If you only need encryption for your browser, there’s no reason to route every other app through the VPN. That selective approach saves power. With PIA, you can split-tunnel on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Close Background Apps That You Don’t Need
Every app running in the background is quietly using resources: checking for updates, syncing data, or sending notifications. When a VPN is active, all of that background traffic is encrypted too, so the more apps you leave open, the more streams your VPN has to handle, and the faster your battery drains. Closing apps you don’t actively need reduces this hidden workload.
Set Up a VPN Router at Home
This routes your internet through a VPN before it ever reaches your phone, which means your device doesn’t need to do any heavy lifting. You get protection without the power trade-off. If you have a PIA subscription, you can configure it manually on many popular routers.
Keep Your VPN App Updated
App developers regularly release updates that improve efficiency and fix bugs. Make sure you’re running the latest version for the best battery performance.
Turn Off the VPN When You Don’t Need It
Switching off your VPN can save battery, but it also strips away the very layer of security that keeps your traffic private. Without it, your browsing data and your IP is exposed, which can be especially risky on public Wi-Fi. If you absolutely must disconnect, for example, when your battery is critically low, only do so on trusted networks.
Consider Upgrading Your Phone or Battery
Modern phones and laptops often include built-in hardware acceleration for encryption, whereas older devices without this support rely heavily on the CPU, so even routine VPN use can cause noticeable lag and faster battery drain. An old or degraded battery compounds the issue, since it holds less charge to begin with. If you find that a VPN consistently feels like too much of a burden, upgrading your hardware or replacing a worn battery can make a big difference.
Are Some VPN Apps More Battery-Efficient Than Others?
Yes. The impact a VPN has on battery life depends on its design, the protocol it uses, and how much control it gives you.
VPNs that include ads or background tracking (free VPNs are typically the offenders here) can create extra processing and data activity, which puts more strain on your device.
App design matters, too: software that uses streamlined code and updated encryption libraries typically runs lighter.
PIA’s Battery-Friendly Features
🔋Includes WireGuard which uses less energy on encryption
🔋Blocks ads and trackers with PIA MACE, reducing data and battery waste
🔋Features per-app split-tunneling, so the VPN only works where needed
🔋Auto-connects by rules, avoiding constant use that drains power
Is a VPN Worth the Battery Drain?
Using a VPN can draw a little extra power, but the difference is small compared to the benefits you get in return. Every app or program causes the phone battery to drain; that’s just part of using an electronic device.
What matters is what you’re getting with the VPN: you’re protecting your digital privacy, keeping your data secure on public Wi-Fi, and enjoying more freedom online. Those gains far outweigh a few extra percentage points of battery life.
FAQ
There are several things you can do to reduce VPN battery drain. We recommend sticking to Wi-Fi when possible, using a lightweight protocol like WireGuard, and limiting which apps go through the VPN with split tunneling. Closing background apps and keeping your VPN app up to date also helps. Blocking ads and trackers can also extend your battery life.
A VPN can increase your device’s battery drain rate by up to around 15%. The impact depends on your device, what you’re doing online, and how your VPN is set up. Bandwidth-heavy activity such as streaming and downloading large files will use up more battery than when the device is sitting idle.
It depends on your phone model, manufacturer, and software version, especially when it comes to Android, which allows more variation between brands. iPhones tend to manage background processes tightly, which can help keep VPN battery use relatively steady. That said, both iPhones and Android devices see extra battery drain when running a VPN.
Usually, yes. Wi-Fi is generally more power-efficient. Mobile data requires more energy to maintain a signal, and when combined with a VPN, that drain can add up. Stick to Wi-Fi for a more battery-friendly experience.
The battery drain while a VPN is running in the background is pretty small. Most VPNs send occasional keep-alive signals and maintain an encrypted tunnel, but the power used while idle is minor compared to when you’re actively using the internet.
No two VPN apps are the same. There are those built with performance in mind that use fewer resources and are easier on your battery. Some VPNs can be more resource-heavy, especially if they include ads or background tracking. PIA VPN is a battery-friendly VPN: it doesn’t show you ads, uses efficient VPN protocols, and lets you split-tunnel apps so you don’t waste power on encryption for apps you don’t need the VPN for.