Built in iPhone VPN Won’t Turn Off

No, I'm not confusing it at all. The original question involved turning it off and being unable to do so which would indicate they are connected to a VPN using Apple's client. The OP apparently thought that they were using an actual Apple VPN which does not exist (I'm certainly not going to count Private Relay). The OP would be able to turn it off it they are not using a VPN, in fact there would be no way to turn it on and activate it.

Restart the iPhone, and try again?

Are there any profiles loaded?

lobsterghost1 wrote:

There is not now, nor has there ever been an Apple built in VPN. Further, they cause more issues than they're worth. You couldn't give me one for free.

Odd. I’ve been using the built-in Apple L2TP/IPsec VPN for some years, and the Apple PPTP VPN before that.

These are the VPNs that can use used to connect to the internal networks of organizations the iPhone or iPad user might be affiliated with, or to connect into Algo or Streisand if running your own VPN server.

Settings > General > VPN & Device Management is one way to configure, but loading a VPN profile from Apple Configurator 2 is probably easier.

Now the commercial VPN services that often seek to consolidate and harvest users’ data and users’ network activities, that’s a whole ‘nother discussion. (This is what lobsterghost1 is thinking of.)

My understanding from Etresoft and others (I've not used a VPN) is Apple provides the hook to connect to and seamlessly uses a VPN but does not provide a VPN service. Are you saying they are incorrect? You are merely turning it on and using Apple's VPN?

You have to configure it there, which I have always interpreted to mean you still have to provide the VPN from somewhere. But to my knowledge, it isn't provided by Apple. I could certainly be wrong. I personally see absolutely no need or reason (at least for me) to use a VPN on iPhone.

deggie wrote:

My understanding from Etresoft and others (I've not used a VPN) is Apple provides the hook to connect to and seamlessly uses a VPN but does not provide a VPN service. Are you saying they are incorrect? You are merely turning it on and using Apple's VPN?

Y’all are seemingly confusing the integrated VPN client with a commercial provider of network monitoring and data-collection services.

Some commercial VPN providers may well use the integrated Apple VPN client and probably with a profile for same, while other commercial VPN providers can install a VPN client app. Streisand and Algo work similarly, though these VPN servers are operated by and entirely under the control of the user.

In any of these cases, the VPN client necessarily connects to a usually-remote target VPN server.

The target VPN server can be at the perimeter of or can be within the target network of an affiliated organization, or can be a VPN server that the user is hosting and running within the such as Streisand or Algo, or can be a VPN server operated by a commercial provider that claims to protect traffic against an ISP or coffee shop eavesdropping. The former VPN configuration provides end-to-end encryption to or into the target network, while the latter two cases provide encryption from the VPN client part way to the user’s intended target network destination.

Again… Apple absolutely provides a VPN client with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, and it works. Apple previously provided a VPN server with macOS Server (up until 5.7.1, IIRC), but that all got retired a while back. Nowadays I’d recommend using a firewall-embedded VPN server for many SMBs seeking end-to-end or end-to-perimeter VPN encryption, though there are other options here.

For those folks reading this looking for first-few-network-hops security, use HTTPS and SSL/TLS for all your connections, or use Streisand or Algo and your own VPN server. I generally wouldn’t prefer to use a commercial VPN provider, though there can be some cases where that might be appropriate.

To the OP: restart your iPhone and try again. Then check for installed profiles. If this iPhone is managed by an associated IT group, check with them.

I'm bowing out of this discussion. I still don't think Apple provides a dedicated VPN for iPhone, but I'm simply not educated enough on this subject. And I again don't feel any need to use a VPN on my iPhone.

deggie wrote:

No, I'm not confusing it at all. The original question involved turning it off and being unable to do so which would indicate they are connected to a VPN using Apple's client.

But as you’ve stated, you’ve “not used a VPN”. I have. Lots. With the integrated VPN client, with add-on VPN clients, and with profiles that allowed connections into VPN servers both configured by and under my own control, and into VPN servers under the control of other entities that I’ve worked with.

I’m unfollowing the thread. Have fun folks, and I do hope y’all get this sorted.

There is not now, nor has there ever been an Apple built in VPN. Further, they cause more issues than they're worth. You couldn't give me one for free.

There is no built in Apple VPN.

No there isn't.

Is this a company issued iPhone or are you using it with the company you work for and have a company email account?