Still no way to easily turn off VPN?

I have BD premium on various devices, including android phones and Windows computers running everything from Win 7 to 365. have had no problems using the VPN on any of them EXCEPT that there is still no simple way to turn off the VPN!! There are plenty of situations where I want the VPN on, and then want the ability to turn it off - for a few minutes, for an hour, for a year. The options to turn it off keep getting more and more complicated, requiring more and more time. There should be a simple one-click "Turn off VPN" while using it. Why has BD not done this?

I'm all for protection, but I also want some control. And not control that requires half a dozen steps!

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bret22

Im with you krashtestdummy

I have the premium version as well.

I use another VPN n dont want the Bitdefender version at all.

So I want to turn it off pernanently but havent found a way to do so and its an bloody annoyance that it should be this hard.

krashtestdummy

This is a well known constant issue going back years! Why is it so hard to just put in an "off" switch? I have to completely re-boot each time. It's seriously annoying.

Mike_BD

Hello members and welcome to our Community!

If you don't want to have Bitdefender VPN running at all, then you have to switch it off from MSCONFIG --> Startup/Services.

Stay safe,

Mike

krashtestdummy

The problem for me is not turning it off at startup - it's turning it off while I'm working. I occasionally need to bypass the VPN, but BD makes that absurdly difficult. I should be able to have the VPN on, then turn it off (even if there's a time limit), and then back on. Instead, with the full VPN I either have to open it and make a lot of changes, or reboot. This is a known issue/request that's been going on for years.

madmatt

Same here, I have another VPN provider (NordVPN) that I can easily turn on and off and I use several VPNs for my work so I don't want and don't need BD VPN.

I managed to turn it off on Windows but I still have this constant reminder about it which is just annoying. On my iPhone I thought I deactivated it but BD still turns it on if the web protection is activated. Some days, because of that, my internet was down and I had to turn off Web Protection to be able to use my phone normally.

I have to renew my BD subscription in one month. I won't do it because BD want so hard to sell their VPN :(

krashtestdummy

It's like the way auto-renewal is automatically activated, and they make it difficult to turn that off. Apparently the tech people don't keep up with what subscribers across the board want these days!

socialspark

I have a Mac and it's not listed in my startup programs. This is really annoying. This didn't happen before I renewed my license. Makes me want to drop the whole app. My internet is already painfully slow, a VPN is not a good idea for me. AND I don't need it.

Mike_BD

@socialspark welcome to our community!

@Alexandru_BD can we have a look on this on macOS?

Alexandru_BD

@socialspark Do you wish to uninstall VPN from all systems, or do you want to keep it for some devices?

In the event you do not wish to use it, simply uninstall it completely at the same time from all MACs, and it should not be reinstalled (assuming this is the problem).

If you wish to simply disable it, you have this option in the VPN settings, tell us if you turned it off. Try turning it on and off again. And when you restart / shutdown the device, do not tick the option to reopen applications that were previously open.

krashtestdummy

Why is this so hard...

I use the VPN. Then I want to turn it off. There is no option to just turn it off after using it. Other systems have a simple "On" "Off" right there, in the VPN popup or screen. This is a known issue. Scroll through the rest of the thread.

Sorry if I sound out of patience but I am.

And again, running one computer with Windows 7, and another with Windows 1

Alexandru_BD

@krashtestdummy I'm afraid I don't quite understand your intention. Please elaborate.

If the VPN is active, in order to disable it, you can simply turn it off by selecting this button here:

I have configured the VPN settings as shown in the following screenshots and it does not bother me in any way.

In the settings menu, I have disabled everything.

Cheers.

Forzalazio

i dont have this power button when i turn off all notifications

Alexandru_BD

@Forzalazio to which button are you referring to and what device are you using?

Cheers.

Scott

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/304898#Comment_304898

I apologize upfront, as I just installed BD AV+ along with VPN Premium yesterday. Is this a new option BD added since this thread started, right click the system tray icon to connect, disconnect? It's quicker and easier than opening up the full app.

AndreasV

The problem with me is that I don't want to see it on my tray, i.e. i don't want an active instance of this process. Even if I disable the service, I still see it in the tray, I can open it, but when I press (for example) 'Settings', I am getting a system (windows) error. First, this is not a correct behavior and second, I see no way to disable it...

Is there any way to disable it?

I have BD Antivirus Plus in Windows 11.

Gjoksi

@AndreasV

You can simply uninstall Bitdefender VPN from your device by following the steps provided here (just select "Bitdefender VPN"):

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2791/

Regards.

Iulianmt

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/304806#Comment_304806

It would be much more elegant to have an option in settings to stop Bitdefender VPN from loading at startup!

The average user shouldn't mess with msconfig...

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Iulianmt,

In the VPN settings, you can set your preference to disable it at Windows startup:

Uninstalling is also an option should you not require a VPN service.

Regards

Paul_DL

Yes, you can prevent Bitdefender VPN at startup in the menus, but once I manually start it there is no button to shut the beast down.

SO - Start Button -- Type Services -- Scroll down to Bitdefender VPN -- Right Click over it -- Choose Stop

Cheers

Bitdefender - PLEASE include an OFF button for VPN in your menus - to show the most basic level of respect to your customers. REALLY!!!

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Paul_DL,

All customers that use one of our security suites also benefit from 200 Mb/day of free VPN encrypted traffic, therefore we need to install the app so the customer can utilize the full functionality of the product they chose.

All Bitdefender apps are easily removable via standard platform specific mechanisms (eg for Windows, go to Programs & Features). Should you not require VPN coverage, you can simply uninstall the product. If you choose to keep it installed, you can also configure your preferences for the autoconnect feature as indicated above and you can right click on the system tray icon to connect and disconnect the VPN. So it's not necessary to open the full app for this.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards

krashtestdummy

But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about the lack of a single-click "button" to put BitDefender on pause. Not the apps being loaded or removed. Please read the original post.

Alexandru_BD

Hi @krashtestdummy,

The antivirus doesn't have this feature. Sure, you can pause protection or disable the security modules, but that's a different topic. @PaulDL was asking about the VPN specifically and my response was to either disconnect or simply uninstall the app if it's not being used. The same answer we have repeatedly given since this thread was opened.

Should you wish to temporarily pause the antivirus, go to Protection -> Antivirus -> Advanced and toggle the Bitdefender Shield to the OFF position. You will be prompted with a new window where you can choose how long you want to keep the protection disabled, as indicated below:

Furthermore, you can temporarily disable the security modules in Bitdefender by following the steps from this article:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/28557/

A feature to completely disable Bitdefender with the flick of a switch was previously requested by our members, however, it has not been approved for development, as it poses several security concerns and the reasoning behind this decision is explained in detail in the below discussion:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/91650/exit-bitdefender

I'm not entirely sure I understand what is the concern here. The VPN app has a Disconnect button and that's a synonym for TURN OFF. You click on it, it disables the VPN connection. You don't need a VPN, you uninstall the app from your device. Simple as that.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards

krashtestdummy

thank you, and apologies for the misunderstanding.

I really wish BD would listen to the huge amount of users who'd appreciate a kill switch for everything, or at least, one that would kill all programs for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, until reboot or something similar. Loads of my other programs feature this, as do many of the protection programs.

All best and thanks again.

Alexandru_BD

Hi @krashtestdummy,

No need to apologize, it's alright and I get it 😉

As this thread shows, our developers are listening, it's just that some features may pose a risk to less experienced users or may not be relevant for the mass of users. In the event the slightest vulnerability concern arises, they won't make it into production.

When adjusting the products or developing new features, the product management teams always take multiple criteria into account. Even though a feature may seem effortless to implement at first, the developers are also considering aspects such as the value the respective feature brings to the average user, as each modification must be designed for both advanced users and less tech savvy users as well, to meet overall requirements.

The developers always analyze feature requests based on many criteria and some will not be implemented even if they may have low complexity, as long as they do not provide value for a relevant mass of users. The priority is to develop new things that bring additional benefits and protection for all users, as the threat landscape evolves.

Thank you as well for your understanding and for choosing us.

Regards