The Tor Project has just taken a big step toward better online anonymity and freedom from censorship. They released a beta version of Tor VPN for Android in September 2025.
Beyond simple web browsing, this beta tool lets you redirect practically all of your app traffic via the Tor network. This is tremendous news for anyone concerned with internet secrecy, censorship, or privacy.
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What is the Tor Project’s New VPN App?
Put conventional VPNs out of your mind. The new application developed by the Tor Project, known simply as Tor VPN, is an unusual beast.
This application is an early-access, experimental beta made exclusively for Android users who want to send all of their device’s internet traffic, not just their browser, through the Tor network to hide their identity.
This app is based on Arti, the Tor Project’s next-generation version of the Tor protocol. Developers created Arti entirely in the current and safe Rust programming language. This replaces the existing code that was written in C to create a stronger and easier-to-maintain base for the future.
Tor VPN vs. Tor Browser: What’s the Big Difference?
The Tor Browser was the go-to tool for individuals looking to hide their online identities for a long time. When comparing Tor VPN to Tor Browser, the scope of functionality is the defining feature.
In contrast with the Tor Browser, which merely encrypts and anonymizes information within it, the Tor VPN app for Android allows you to redirect traffic from any app to the Tor network.
Tor Browser safeguards your online activity. No matter what program you’re using on your phone—messaging, social media, or news reading—Tor VPN will shield your complete internet connection.
⚙️ How Does It Work?
The app doesn’t merely collect data and send it through an anonymous pipeline. Among its notable features is the option to fine-tune your privacy control by choosing which applications on your phone should utilise the Tor network.
What’s even more amazing is that you can assign a unique Tor circuit to every app. This effectively conceals that the same individual is using multiple apps on the same device by making each program appear to websites and services as if it is coming from a unique IP address.
To get around internet restrictions, Tor VPN has its own set of “bridges.” Among these, you can find obfs4, which masks Tor traffic as random data, and Snowflake, which enables you to bypass automatic filtering systems by making it appear like a typical video conversation.
Key Features
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open source with Arti (implemented in Rust) | To improve its maintainability, security, and future-friendliness, Tor VPN is built on Arti, a modern re-implementation of Tor (originally written in C) licensed under the BSD 3-Clause license. |
| Per-App Routing Through Tor | You can choose which apps use Tor instead of just protecting your browser. Others can access the internet using your regular connection. |
| Separate Circuit per App | An exit node and circuit are assigned to each chosen app. As a result, your usage of different apps will be less interconnected. |
| Censorship Bypass Tools (Bridges) | To get over firewalls and restrictions, it comes with two built-in bridges: obfs4 and Snowflake. Obfs4 makes your traffic appear random, while Snowflake mimics normal usage, including video/streaming traffic. Custom bridges can also be added. |
⚠️ Important: It’s still a beta (know the risks!)
This is a beta application, and the Tor Project has said it plainly. For now, it is clearly not appropriate for sensitive use cases or users with a high-risk tolerance. The app’s documentation and the app store listing display this warning prominently.
Why be so careful? An early release is likely to contain bugs, crashes, and missing functionality.
To define the future of mobile privacy, the project is seeking early adopters, developers, and privacy advocates who are eager to test, experiment, and provide feedback. It is not a panacea and cannot ensure complete protection from sophisticated surveillance.
📱 Should You Download It?
If you’re an Android user interested in privacy tools at the forefront of technology and want to participate in an open-source project, downloading the Tor VPN Beta (early access) from the Google Play Store is a fantastic way to get involved.
If you need to remain completely anonymous for sensitive activities, though, it’s preferable to wait for a stable release that is ready for production. For now, use the Tor Browser for important work.
Launching Tor VPN is a giant step forward for the Tor Project. It paves the way for new possibilities in mobile privacy by making its robust anonymity network available across the whole Android operating system.
Download the app from Google Play.
Note: The early access program is absolutely full right now. Perhaps a spot will become available at a later time.
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