Urban VPN Review

Does Urban VPN Have a Privacy Policy?

Urban VPN’s privacy policy details the service’s logging processes. Urban VPN states that it collects Agent ID, UDID, Android ID, and IP addresses to determine each user’s approximate geographical location and deliver its service. This suggests that there are privacy and security risks with Urban VPN.

The privacy policy includes some ambiguous statements. For example, it states that the IP addresses that are collected to identify a customer’s location are deleted after the completion of use. Although this may seem to suggest that the IP addresses are deleted when you disconnect from Urban VPN, the policy states that they are not deleted until you completely remove the Urban VPN app.

Urban VPN also states that it collects URLs of accessed websites, which can occasionally be Personal Data. It does seem that the provider attaches the URLs to specific accounts, but we would like to see this clarified, as some URLs can contain personal information.

How Does Urban VPN’s Free VPN Service Work?

Urban VPN is based on Peer-to-Peer technology which presents some security risks. The VPN software may utilize your connections as well as other resources. By using the Urban VPN service, you consent to the use of your device’s resources and web connection. This means that other users have free access to use your internet connection and resources, such as unlimited bandwidth.

When you connect to Urban VPN, some of your web traffic will be rerouted through other users’ connections, while some of their traffic will be passed through yours. This method presents a range of other security risks as it means third parties can carry out unsafe browsing activity under your IP address. Furthermore, this VPN method can put users at risk of personal information theft, if their IP address is misused.

It is difficult to tell how much traffic is re-routed, how this data is protected, and whether Urban VPN has any measures in place to prevent the security risks that come with this Peer-to-Peer VPN. We would like to see Urban VPN further clarify its processes and document exactly how its system operates, as all free Virtual Private Networks should do.

We hope that Urban VPN will complete an independent security audit of both its services and policies to offer reassurance for its users. However, none of this seems particularly likely, so customers are left to accept the company’s claims based on trust, which is concerning.

Does Urban VPN Have a Good Server Network?

Compared to many other free VPN providers, Urban VPN offers a decent network of servers with international locations across 85 different countries worldwide. Urban VPN provides this continually growing pool of servers in North America, Central America, South America, Oceania, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe, meaning you can surf safely with an IP address from one of these countries and bypass firewalls worldwide.

Does Urban VPN Have a Kill Switch?

Unfortunately, Urban VPN’s Peer-to-Peer VPN apps do not come with an integrated kill switch, which is extremely disappointing for users that want to protect their online security and privacy. A reliable integrated kill switch is one of the first features that we look for in any VPN.

Without a kill switch, if the Urban VPN connection drops for any reason, your real IP address and unencrypted data are at risk of exposure to hackers, cybercriminals, the government, and your ISP (Internet Service Provider). A kill switch serves to cut your internet connection if the VPN fails or drops for any reason so that no unencrypted data is ever leaked.

Is Urban VPN Good for Streaming?

Urban VPN offers a decent network of server locations across 85 countries worldwide. This means that users should have a decent choice when choosing to stream content on streaming sites like Netflix.

To get an overseas IP with Urban VPN, click on your desired continent, choose your country and Connect. The Peer to Peer VPN will re-route your connection and replace your IP location with that of the VPN server in your chosen country. This means that you can trick streaming services into believing that you are located in the same country as the content you want to access.

There is unlimited bandwidth and connection speeds are also decent with Urban VPN, with servers reaching speeds of up to 200Mbps on United States connections. This is comparable to many premium VPN providers, which is impressive. However, it is important to remember that Urban VPN does not offer the same standard of privacy or encryption.

It is also necessary to note here that Urban VPN operates on a Peer-to-Peer system, meaning that users share all resources. If you gain access to another user’s connection, they gain access to yours too.

Although raw speeds appear to be decent with Urban VPN, online browsing speeds are somewhat disappointing, with most sites taking much longer to load than normal. Also, the browser extensions seemed to show their own ads over certain sites, which is irritating.

When it comes to streaming, the app uses a P2P system which makes it somewhat effective for overcoming geo-restrictions as there is no need to rely on centralized VPN servers. Instead, you can replace your actual IP with a host of other residential IP addresses that belong to other user’s devices.

However, despite this, Urban VPN did not offer reliable access to every streaming site we tried to access. The app failed to access Disney+ and BBC iPlayer, but it did overcome restrictions on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which is something.

Is Urban VPN Easy to Set Up?

Although there is no need to create an account with Urban VPN, setup is not particularly easy. During the download, the installer failed multiple times. There is also no customer support with Urban VPN, which is particularly disappointing for first-time users.

Once the Urban VPN app has been downloaded, it offers a straightforward interface that features little more than a right-click display. Clicking on this will reveal the 5 continents, with each showing available countries. Choose a country to Connect or Disconnect, and that is it. There are no additional features, no Favorites section, and no auto-connect feature.

Is There an Urban VPN Browser Extension?

Yes, this free VPN offers a free browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. Urban VPN states that its browser extension offers a fast connection and integrated safe browsing features such as encryption and anti-malware protection to keep your browser activities safe. You can also activate an ad-blocking feature to avoid harmful advertising and prevent unsafe websites surfing.

However, even though this VPN offers integrated safe browsing features on its Firefox and Chrome extension and helps you to bypass firewalls, your personal data may still be at risk since Urban collects information like IP addresses.

Are Free Virtual Private Networks Safe?

It is necessary to note that many free Virtual Private Networks, like Urban VPN, are free for a reason. A free VPN will typically offer lower security and encryption standards compared to paid premium Virtual Private Networks, meaning that you may be putting your identity and personal information at risk by using one. Many free VPN services have even been known to store and share private user information for profit. It is necessary to consider that every VPN service needs to make money somehow, and most free Virtual Private Networks do so by malicious means.

Also, free Virtual Private Networks typically offer lower server connection speeds that cannot support streaming and gaming in high-definition, resulting in lagging and buffering. Urban VPN is another VPN service that comes with limitations. Although it may be successful at accessing some streaming services, it is necessary to note its poor logging policy, lack of customer service, and the low-security standards that come with its Peer-to-Peer software.

Do We Recommend Urban VPN?

At first glance, Urban VPN seems to offer it all – a free VPN with unlimited bandwidth and reliable unblocking performance. However, on a closer look, Urban VPN is supported by ads and perhaps by sharing user information with third parties for profit too. So, should you choose Urban VPN?

The unlimited bandwidth comes from using other user’s resources, meaning that you have to share yours too. The apps are extremely disappointing, and there is no data encryption leaving your private information exposed to hackers and cybercriminals.

Urban VPN’s logging policy is unaudited, and some of its claims are worrying and could put your personal data at risk. There is also a complete lack of customer support, meaning that you are left to resolve any issues alone. Therefore, we don’t recommend Urban VPN.

Urban VPN Alternatives

Even though we would not typically recommend installing a free VPN, it is understandable that not every user can afford to pay premium prices. We would advise against installing Urban VPN for the purposes listed above.

Instead, we recommend you choose quality over saving money. Choose premium VPNs like NordVPN or even secure free Virtual Private Networks from providers like ProtonVPN and Hotspot Shield. Very few VPNs offer free versions of their services, so we recommend Proton and Hotspot if you must have a free VPN.

Author Cliff Durward

Hi, I'm Cliff. I'm based in Cleveland, Ohio, with my wife and two kids. I have a keen interest in cybersecurity and have been writing about it for around a decade now. Due to my background in computer science, I am familiar ...
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