How to set up a VPN on Mac and check the connection

Start with your provider's app

1. Open your VPN provider's official instructions and find the Mac section.
2. Download the app using the link there, whether it leads to the App Store or the developer's website.
3. Install and open it, then sign in using the method your provider describes.
4. Press the connection button and wait for the app to say it is connected.

If macOS warns that an app is unsafe, stop and ask support where to get the installer. Keep your Mac's security protection enabled rather than changing it for an app from an unfamiliar chat.

When to use the built-in macOS settings

Use this method when your provider or network administrator supplies settings specifically for it. The server address tells your Mac where to connect. The VPN type is the connection method: use the one in your provider's instructions.

In macOS Tahoe 26:

1. Open Apple menu → System Settings → Network.
2. Open the Action menu, choose Add VPN Configuration, then select the VPN type your provider specifies.
3. Give the connection a clear name and enter the supplied details, such as the server address, account name and sign-in information. The required fields depend on the VPN type.
4. Click Create. Connect using VPN settings or the VPN status menu in the menu bar.

Ask your provider for any missing required setting. See VPN protocols explained for a plain explanation of connection types.

Check the connection

Open a familiar website and check that pages load. Then compare your public IP address—the address your connection shows on the internet—before and after connecting, using the same browser. Follow our simple VPN check for the next steps.

If the connection fails, first check whether the internet works with the VPN off. Save the error message for your provider's support team. Before removing any network settings, work through what to check when a VPN does not connect.