Split Tunneling Is Your VPN’s Best Feature. Here’s How to Make the Most of It

In simple terms, split tunneling lets you choose which apps or sites use the protection of a VPN and which don't. While VPNs are worth using for extra security and privacy online—foiling trackers, spoofing your location, and stopping your internet provider from seeing your browsing—they do by their nature come with some compromises in speed.

If, for example, you want to get the fastest possible speeds with your online games, you might want to leave your games outside of the VPN's remit. Likewise, since VPNs typically obfuscate your actual location, if you want to make sure you can always check movie showtimes in your local area, you can use split tunneling to keep those ticketing apps outside your VPN. Putting a VPN in place can also interfere with access to other devices on your local network, like smart home gadgets and printers.