When we use a VPN, we might want to exclude some apps like streaming apps to avoid buying subscriptions again in the server location, browser to access banking or other sites. In this guide, we show you how to exclude an app or browser from ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, etc. VPNs on your Windows PC.
How to exclude an App or Browser from VPN on PC
All VPN providers with premium subscriptions give users the flexibility and convenience to exclude an app or a browser from the VPN. It is done via the Split Tunneling feature that comes built-in on the VPN programs.
Split tunneling works in two ways. Using Split tunneling, you can force the VPN to work on a particular app or browser or make the VPN work on all programs and browsers, excluding an app or browser you don’t want to use with a VPN.
So, to exclude an app or browser from VPN on a PC, you need to enable split tunneling, add the app you want to exclude to the list, and save changes. Let’s see how we can do it on various VPNs.
Do not allow an app or browser to use ExpressVPN
To exclude an app or browser from ExpressVPN on your Windows PC, open the ExpressVPN app on your PC. Click on the hamburger button and Select Options. It will open the Settings of ExpressVPN. In the General tab, click on Settings under Split tunneling. You will see split-tunneling options. Check the button beside Do not allow selected apps to use the VPN. Then, click on the + button at the bottom of the window to add apps.
Add the apps or browsers you want to exclude from ExpressVPN one by one by clicking on the Add Another App button.
Once you are done adding, Click OK to save the changes. To apply the changes, close the ExpressVPN app and open it to connect to the server.
Disable VPN for an app or browser in NordVPN
To exclude an app from NordVPN on a Windows PC, open NordVPN on your PC and click on the Gear ⚙️ icon at the left-bottom of the app. It will open the Settings of NordVPN. Click on the Split tunneling tab.
Toggle the button beside Split tunneling to turn it on. Select Disable VPN for selected apps as Type using the drop-down button. Then, click on the Add apps button to add the apps that you want to exclude from NordVPN.
Once you are done with adding apps to the list, restart the NordVPN app and reconnect to the servers to affect the changes.
Exclude an app or browser from using Private Internet Access
Excluding an app from the Private Internet Access VPN using split tunneling is a no-brainer. Open the Private Internet Access app on your PC, click on the three-dot button, and select Settings.
In the Settings of the Private Internet Access app, select the Split Tunnel tab.
Check the button beside Split Tunnel to enable it. After that add applications by clicking on the Add Application button and selecting Bypass VPN before each app to exclude the app from Private Internet Access VPN.
Restart the apps along with Private Internet access to make the changes apply.
Exclude an app or browser from using ProtonVPN
To exclude an app or browser from ProtonVPN on your PC, open the ProtonVPN app. Click on the hamburger menu and select Settings. Click on the Advanced tab. Toggle the button beside Split Tunneling to turn it on.
It will open Split Tunneling settings. Check the button beside Exclude apps/IPs from using VPN tunnel. Then add the apps one by one by clicking on Add App. If the apps are already on the list, you can just exclude it from ProtonVPN by enabling it by clicking on the checkbox beside it.
Once you are done with adding apps, restart the ProtonVPN app as well as other apps that you have excluded to make the changes affect them.
Make an app or browser Bypass VPN in Surfshark
Split tunneling on Surfshark has another name. It is called Bypasser on Surfshark. The feature works just like split tunneling but has a different name. To exclude an app from Surfshark on Windows, open the Surfshark app and click on the Gear ⚙️icon. Then, click on the VPN settings tab.
In the VPN settings, select the Bypasser tab.
In the Bypasser settings, toggle the button beside Bypass VPN to enable the feature. Then, it will show the Select apps tab under it. Click on Select apps. You will see the available list of apps there. Check the boxes beside them to select the apps to bypass VPN or exclude them from VPN. If you do not find the app you want to add, just click on the Add apps button, browse the computer, and select it.
Once you are done with it, restart the ProtonVPN app and the selected apps to see the change.
Also read: Common VPN error codes and solutions for Windows
How do I bypass VPN for certain websites?
You can bypass the VPN for certain websites with the IP address of the websites using the Split Tunnel or Bypasser settings on your VPN. Just go to the Settings of your VPN and select Split Tunnelling. In the Split tunneling settings, you will see options to bypass IP addresses. If you do not see the option to add IP addresses, just connect to obfuscated servers on your VPN which will bypass website blocks on the VPN usage. Obfuscated servers mask your VPN traffic as regular traffic and let you browse the websites that do not allow VPN traffic.
Does VPN cover all browsers?
Yes. VPN by default covers all the browsers on your PC, unless you exclude apps using the split tunneling feature. Even if you use the Tor browser, your VPN covers it. Not only the browser, but VPN also covers all the apps and programs that use the internet on your device and routes the traffic or data packets through its servers.
Related read: Internet gets disconnected when VPN connects.
