How (and why) to pause your VPN

Auto-connect and pausing

The auto-connect feature is a great way to make sure you get the most security out of your NordVPN account. However, when you use NordVPN, you can’t disconnect from it without disabling auto-connect first. It’s easy to forget to turn on auto-connect again, which can leave you unsecured. This is where the pause feature comes into play — you can disconnect when needed without disabling auto-connect.

You can pause your connection to a VPN server for 5 min, 30 min, or 1 hour on Android devices and for 5 min, 15 min, or 1 hour on Windows. The pause feature is also available on macOS and iOS while using NordLynx or OpenVPN.

Why would you need to pause your VPN at all?

While we recommend keeping your virtual private network turned on at all times to keep your internet traffice private, there are several cases when pausing it might be also beneficial. Here are some of the reasons why you might want to pause your VPN.:

To solve network issues

If you notice your online connection is having issues, disable your VPN and reset your network. Once the network has been restored, test to see if your connection to a VPN server is causing an issue. If so, it could be a simple case of switching to different VPNservers. If the problem persists, you may need to contact your internet service provider.

Verify your authenticity

A VPN provides online privacy. If you need to verify your authenticity by providing a true IP address, you’ll need to pause your your connection to a VPN server.

Whitelist your router’s IP address

Altering your router settings and whitelisting an IP address is a good way to allow a device to access specific networks. To do this, your true IP address will need to be provided. Therefore, your VPN would need to be paused.

How to pause your VPN

1. It's easier than you think, you won't need to delve into the VPN settings. Make sure you are connected to a server.
2. • On Windows, click Disconnect.
   • On Mac, click the Pause shield button next to the Disconnect button.
   • On the mobile app, tap Pause.
3. Choose how long you would like to pause your VPN.

When the time elapses, your VPN connection will be restored automatically — no further actions needed.