When you use your Android phone or tablet, much of the time spend browsing the internet is one shared networks. Internet cafes, airports, hotels, dorms and school wifi, at work when your boss isn't looking. The thing is that it's super easy to monitor these networks, even if you're not the admin. Software designed to passively watch all users on the network and intercept their data was designed to keep networks safe from malware and errors. Unfortunately, it can be used against us. In addition to this, if you're concerned about how much Google, your ISP, or your government knows about your activity online, then privacy browsing for Android is a good choice. But how?

Virtual private networks

Otherwise known as VPNs, this type of software has many uses. Other than private browsing, a VPN can be used to unblock sites, change your IP address, and bypass internet censorship. This is all related to the virtual IP address assigned to you by the VPN server. This virtual, or 'fake IP' is also how you gain privacy on the internet.

Our IP address is like our home address; it tells the 'internets' where to send information. This is also how were tracked and profiled online unfortunately. VPNs are how we are able to send and receive information, without revealing our real locations. VPNs are like a detour, or middle man between us and the larger internet. By first joining the private network of servers, our data is locked, coded, and then send to its original destinations. Only we and the VPN servers know how to decoded it, and only we and the VPN service know our true identity. In fact, most VPN services don't even keep logs of your online activity, which increases your privacy (should servers be confiscated the government or courts).

Private surfing for Android is not for criminal activity! They have ways of identifying your time stamp if you do stuff like hacking or spamming. But for things like whistle blowing, anti-government blogging, activism in oppressed countries, or even keeping an online alternate identity, virtual private network software is great.

And you don't have to be an extremist to need privacy right? Does Google really need to know that you have Athletes foot? Does your government really need to that you're a member of an online dating site? We forget that all of this information is tied to our REAL name and REAL address because they're registered to our ISP! It's a short step to analyzing your online history through your ISP's servers to find out EVERYTHING you've done online within the last couple months.

Even if you don't particularly care about your personal privacy online, you probably care about safety, right? Browsing on shared networks is like opening your door to everyone one the network. Your passwords, browsing history, and maybe even personal email can be accessed with very little skill while signed into shared networks. Private browsing through a VPN for Android phone and tablets is how you protect yourself from this type of cyber crime.