Is your phone smarter than your computer? People are relying more and more on their phones for browsing, downloading, and streaming video. Tablets offer a nice compromise, with the big screen of a laptop, but the compactness of a phone.

Android is one of the most popular operating systems out there for smartphone users.

And they can do just as much as computers most of the time.

But not all the insides are the same, and installing an app on an Android phone is going to be a bit different from Windows (I compare the two because it would be like comparing a Mac and an iPhone).

So you can change IP address on both Android and Windows - so what's the difference between them?

For starters, lets look at Windows. If you're on any Windows operating system you can use PPTP, L2TP, or OpenVPN to change your IP address. Windows already has PPTP and L2TP VPN clients installed, so using these two protocols is super fast and easy. OpenVPN comes with better encryption and privacy features however, and you may want to install this third party software if you're in places like China, or are generally worried about getting hacked.

There is also something called SSTP which is a Microsoft product. This is like OpenVPN in that it offers an encryption upgrade. However, it's only available for Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and you won't find this VPN protocol available at all VPN services. I can only think of two off of the top of my head.

Android is going to be a bit different. For Android, you've also got the PPTP and L2TP VPN clients installed. Actually, you don't need an app to get started. Just visit the VPN site of your choice, download what they provide, and go into the VPN settings of your phone (in WIRELESS AND NETWORK).

Type in the credentials they give you (or follow any otherwise noted instructions), and you're good to go. There are third party apps for installing OpenVPN on Android, but I've been to a couple of their sites and it looks pretty unprofessional, so I wouldn't go down that path.

L2TP is encrypted with IPSec which is comparable to SSL (OpenVPN), so if you're concerned about privacy or getting hacked, then go with this protocol. PPTP is also a viable option, but offers lower-grade encryption.

If I could sum it up in one sentence, I would say that you can use L2TP VPN for Android, and OpenVPN for Windows and not go wrong.