About web protection on iOS

Moath

Hello everyone

As I know, I cannot enable web protection and VPN at the same time. However, when I enable web protection on iOS, the whole system detects that I am using a VPN! I can see the VPN logo on the notification bar, also when I navigate to settings, I see that VPN is enabled!

when I open Bitdefender app and go to VPN is not connected!

The issue is some apps such as banking app refuse to work while VPN is enabled, so I need to turn the web protection off to be able to use the banking app.

How can I fix this issue?

Thanks in advanced!

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/94544/about-web-protection-on-ios

Kindly check on troubleshooting page of bitdefender vpn (https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/troubleshooting/products-vpn/) where on the basis of your operating system you can find various troubleshooting steps related to different vpn issues.

If issue persists, 

Kindly contact the bitdefender support by visiting https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/ and scroll down to the bottom of the webpage where you can get in touch with support representative either by email, chat or over a call.

Alternatively, you can also share your query with bitdefender mobile support team by dropping them an email at bms@bitdefender.com

The support team will reply back to your query within next 24-48 hours excluding weekends.

Regards

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Moath,

The first time you turn on Web Protection on iOS, you will be prompted to allow Bitdefender to set up VPN configurations that will monitor network traffic. To be able to detect access to untrusted domains, Web Protection is working together with the VPN services. Since Web Protection requires this permission on your device, the VPN icon will be displayed.

We've learned that some banking websites or apps will not work when using VPN, due to various antifraud measures in place. It's best to contact the respective Bank in the event you wish to use their services with a VPN connection or Web Protection enabled, as this might not be possible. However, this is not a fault in the product, as the features were designed to function this way.

Regards

Moath

Thank you for your response!

I was confused because on Android it looks like it does not work the same way! Also, before I asked this question, I did search about the situation, and I found this question

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/91813/vpn-and-web-protection

The answer:

"By design, Web protection and VPN cannot be used at the same time and the product does not have a feature that allows them to function simultaneously. The two features are designed for separate purposes and can be enabled according to the usage: the first keeps you safe while browsing while the latter aims to provide internet anonymity."

Which made me think there is an issue!

Now, it is clear to me that it rely on VPN

Thanks again for your response and your time!

Regards

Trekfrk

This is very confusing. On one hand they say these are independent features, web protection and VPN, yet web protection requires access to the vpn. At least if it did it in the background and not turn on the VPN connected switch in my iphone it would make more sense FWIW.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Trekfrk,

Web Protection on iOS relies on a local VPN configuration. However, this is not a traditional VPN that routes traffic through external servers for masking IP addresses. Instead, it creates a local VPN tunnel that enables Bitdefender to intercept and monitor network traffic on the device. Once enabled, the VPN profile allows Bitdefender to analyze the traffic data going in and out of your device. It checks for any potentially malicious websites, phishing attempts, and other threats by scanning the URLs before the content is loaded in your browser.

Unlike a full VPN service, Bitdefender’s Web Protection does not redirect your traffic through external servers for anonymity or geo-spoofing. It operates entirely locally on your device, ensuring your data remains private and isn't sent to third-party servers for analysis. Since it uses a VPN profile, iOS may show a VPN icon in the status bar while Web Protection is enabled. And since iOS restricts the use of multiple VPN apps simultaneously due to limitations in its network configuration, allowing only one VPN tunnel at a time, we go back to the reason why the two cannot function simultaneously.

This would be the "extended" explanation. 🙂

I hope things are clearer now.

Regards

Trekfrk

Yes, that explains it perfectly but brings up another question. Do I then have to manually turn off Web Protect and turn on the VPN for example when banking?

Thank you!

Alexandru_BD

You should turn them on depending on your needs. For example, if you want to do some online transaction on your banking site while being connected to an airport or a mall WiFi (which are unsecure), you should turn on the VPN, to encrypt & anonymise all your traffic. If you are especially browsing on all kind of new sites that could look suspicious, then Web Protection would be of greater help, making sure that the domains you are accessing are not exposed to online threats (like malware, phishing, miner) by blocking access to dangerous pages.

If you are usually browsing trusted websites, then you can leave Web Protection disabled until it's really necessary to use it.

Trekfrk

So since the VPN already shows connected with Web Protect, would I have to disconnect it and then turn it on through the VPN app?

Thanks

Alexandru_BD

If you turn on Web Protection while actively using Bitdefender VPN, this will automatically disconnect the VPN and vice-versa. In the settings menu you can also configure Mobile Security to display a notification to let you know when Web Protection can be enabled after finishing a VPN session.

Regards

Trekfrk

i understand that but my question is when using Web Protect my iphone VPN shows it's on. So do I have to manually turn that off first before turning on the real VPN or can I just click connect in the VPN app? Sorry for the wordiness but this is a bit confusing and would be much easier if Web Protect just created it's VPN in the background and not flip the ios switch.

Thanks

MWi

I agree to Trekfrk comment Oct. 1. It is very confusing whether I have to manually turn on the “onboard” VPN, or it automaticly turns on when BD find it necesarry. Because the VPN icon is always present on my iOS devices, it is very difficult to define whether it is “active” or not. I miss a in depth explanation of how the VPN works in Mobile Security, and how Mobile Security cooperate with Premium VPN which I have installed. It ought to be easy to find that in support, but it is not.

Alexandru_BD

Ok, let's summarize how the two features work and what purpose they serve individually.

VPN and Web Protection have different purposes, and you should turn them on depending on your needs. This means that one will not activate by itself once the other one is disabled, so they will both require manual intervention from the user. For example, if you want to do online banking while being connected to a public WIFI, you should turn on the VPN, to encrypt & anonymize all your traffic. If you are especially browsing on all kind of new sites that could look suspicious, then Web Protection would be of greater help, making sure that the domains you are accessing are not exposed to online threats (like malware, phishing, miner) by blocking access to dangerous pages.

Web Protection automatically blocks malicious websites. When a URL points to a known phishing or fraudulent website, or to malicious content such as spyware or viruses, the webpage is blocked, and an alert is shown. The same thing happens when installed apps try to access malicious domains. With Web Protection, you are protected from accessing dangerous, phishing, and fraudulent pages. But if you are just accessing your online banking website, you are certain this one is legitimate and don't actually need Web Protection, so you can use the VPN instead.

The VPN encrypts the data that leaves your device, giving you the benefit of a private network even while you’re on a public Wi-Fi from the airport, mall, café, or hotel. When connected to VPN, you can access websites that are restricted to certain countries and you hide your own IP address, offering your online search more anonymity. VPN only does so much to anonymize your online activities. It won’t protect you online.

In a nutshell, Web Protection and VPN are two features designed for separate purposes: the first keeps you safe while browsing while the latter aims to provide internet anonymity.

I hope I was able to fully explain their functionality and eliminate any confusion.

Regards,

Alex