Short answer: Open your VPN app and switch it off. If you cannot find the app, or the VPN was installed as a profile, go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, where iPhone lists installed profiles and lets you remove them. Turning a VPN off is temporary; deleting its profile removes it until you set it up again.
Checked against the sources listed at the end of this page on October 5, 2026. We did not run our own tests; where a figure comes from a vendor, the text says so.
Three ways a VPN can be running on an iPhone
How you turn it off depends on how it got there.
- A VPN app from the App Store. The app has its own connect and disconnect control. This is the most common case.
- A VPN configuration you added by hand. You typed in a server address and account details yourself.
- A profile installed by an employer, school or app. Apple lists profiles under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, and managed ones may be controlled by whoever installed them.
Turn it off from the VPN app
- Open the VPN app.
- Tap the main connect button or switch so it shows the VPN as disconnected.
- Check the iPhone status bar. The small VPN indicator should be gone.
Many apps also have an automatic-connect or always-on option. If your VPN turns itself back on after a few minutes or when you join a new Wi-Fi network, look for that option inside the app’s settings and switch it off there. Apple does not control it, because it belongs to the app.
Turn it off from iPhone Settings
Apple’s support pages describe profiles, including VPN profiles, as living under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. If you are not sure where to look, Apple suggests opening Settings and searching for the word VPN. Use whichever route shows your VPN, then turn off its connection.
Apple’s own advice for network problems follows the same logic: turn off the app’s features first, then see whether the problem continues. That is also the quickest test when an app refuses to work with a VPN on. Some banking, streaming and government services reject traffic from VPN addresses; our guide to VPN blocks and detection explains why.
Remove a VPN profile for good
- Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
- Select the profile you want to remove.
- Tap the remove or delete option and follow the on-screen instructions.
One warning from Apple’s documentation: deleting a profile also deletes the settings, apps and data tied to that profile. If the profile came from work or school, check with the administrator first, because removing it can cut off the apps and accounts it was providing.
If the VPN keeps coming back
Check the app’s automatic-connect setting first. If a leftover configuration is the problem, Apple says that resetting network settings removes VPN settings that were not installed by a configuration profile or by device management. The same reset also clears other saved network settings, so you will need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi networks afterwards. Treat it as a last resort.
After you turn it back on
When you reconnect, it is worth confirming that the VPN is really handling your traffic. Free DNS leak test tools compared shows how to check, and VPN kill switches explained covers what protects you if the connection drops. If you use more than one device, our guide to disabling a VPN on any device covers Android, Windows and Mac.
Why the steps differ from one iPhone to another
Apple’s device-management documentation lists the VPN connection types an iPhone can be configured with: IKEv2, IPsec and L2TP. It also lists third-party VPN apps from vendors such as Cisco, Check Point and Juniper, plus custom apps distributed through the App Store. A commercial VPN from the App Store usually uses its own app and controls. A connection set up by hand or by an employer uses one of the built-in types and shows up as a configuration or profile. That is why the instructions above cover both the app and Settings.
iCloud Private Relay is a different feature
If your iPhone shows iCloud Private Relay, do not confuse it with a VPN. Apple describes Private Relay as sending your Safari requests through two separate relays, so that no single party, including Apple, can see both who you are and which sites you visit. Your IP address is visible to your network provider and to the first relay, which Apple operates, and the second relay, run by a third-party content provider, generates a temporary address and connects you to the site. It applies to Safari browsing, so turning a VPN off does not change how Private Relay behaves. Our Safari VPN guide covers how the two interact.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know the VPN is really off?
The VPN indicator disappears from the iPhone status bar, and the VPN app shows a disconnected state. An IP lookup page should then show your normal address.
Does turning off a VPN delete it?
No. Switching it off only disconnects. The app or profile stays installed until you remove it.
Can I turn off a VPN my employer installed?
Sometimes not. Managed profiles can be controlled by the organization that installed them, so ask your administrator.
Sources
- Apple Support: If your device has network connectivity issues, check for VPN and other third-party security software
- Apple Support: Review and delete configuration profiles
- Apple Support: Reset iPhone settings to their defaults
- Apple Platform Deployment: VPN device management settings overview
- Apple Support: About iCloud Private Relay