Private Internet Access (PIA) — Excellent for Streaming on iOS & Android 2022

PIA For Streaming in 2022 Review: Quick Expert Summary

Private Internet Access is easy to use and quick. It uses the most secure security practices in the sector.

The apps are open-source, and the no-logs policy has been repeatedly tested in court. Advanced users have the ability to customize the app with high-security features.

PIA has additional features not offered by other VPNs. These features include:

• Torrenting on all server.
• Split-tunneling.
• Tor support.
• Ad blocking.
• and more…

PIA is a great VPN to torrent and game. It is also one of my top streaming options. PIA is compatible with Netflix, as well as Amazon Prime or Disney+. PIA can also be used in countries that have restricted internet access such as China.

Overall, PIA is a highly rated VPN. It’s secure and simple to use on all platforms and applications. It allows for 10 simultaneous connections per account, which is a significant advantage over VPNs that allow only 5 to 7 simultaneous connections.

Private Internet Access offers three payment options: 1-month, 1-year, and 3-year. A 3-year plan usually includes additional months at no extra charge. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Full Review of Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access was one of my favorite VPNs. I tried it for a couple weeks and found it to be very reliable.

PIA is extremely user-friendly, and offers great security features. It maintains high speeds across all servers.

Speed tests showed that PIA did well. I was able stream HD content with no buffering, download torrent files quickly and browse the internet without interruptions. I even connected to distant servers.

Private Internet Access Features

The PIA includes all of the standard security features, such as:

• Multiple encryption options. The PIA offers both 256-bit AES encryption and 128-bit AES encrypted. Although 256 bit AES encryption is safer than 128bit AES, it is slightly faster (it was 4-5% faster in my tests).
• No logs policy. PIA does NOT track, store, or log browsing data. This is in contrast with other VPNs that have not been legal tested.
• Kill switch. This feature protects your data and shuts down internet access if you disconnect from the VPN.

I love the fact that PIA’s iOS application has a kill switch. Many VPNs do not have one. You have more options with the PIA kill switch on Windows and Mac. It can be activated if the VPN is disconnected accidentally or if you are not connected to a VPN server. You can only access the internet if you are connected to a PIA VPN server.

It is also amazing that PIA’s servers run on RAM memory. This means that PIA doesn’t store data on a hard drive and that any data on the server is erased when it is restarted.

PIA offers complete protection against DNS leaks as well as WebRTC attacks. PIA’s DNS servers prevent DNS leaks and its browser extensions prevent WebRTC leakage (although top VPNs like PrivateVPN or VyprVPN don’t have browser extensions so they can’t prevent WebRTC leakage). Although PIA doesn’t support IPv6, it does disable IPv6 traffic by default. You don’t need to do it manually.

PIA offers three protocols: OpenVPN UDP, WireGuard and UDP (only available on the iOS app). My tests showed that WireGuard performed better than OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. WireGuard is not supported by competitors TunnelBear, HMA and HMA.

Tor Support

PIA supports Tor over VPN on all its servers. This allows you to browse.onion websites with an additional layer of security.

Tor over VPN is more secure than Tor. It protects your IP address from being exposed by Tor users. Tor users can see the VPN IP address of other Tor users if your IP address is compromised.

It is simple to use PIA’s Tor Over VPN feature (it is completely free). To use Tor, simply connect to any PIA Server.

Tor over VPN connections can sometimes be slow, in general– because the Tor network encrypts traffic multiple time. It will be even slower if you add a VPN connection. My internet speed decreased by 75% when compared to websites I tested. My tests showed that websites took up to 20 seconds to load.

PIA provides good Tor support. ProtonVPN and AstrillVPN offer better Tor support than the VPN feature. Both VPNs let you access Tor networks using Opera, Chrome Firefox, Firefox, and Firefox.

Overall, Tor Over VPN by PIA is very easy to use. It can be used on any server. Users who visit.onion sites will also benefit from extra protection.

Split-Tunneling

PIA’s Split-Tunneling This feature outperforms most VPNs’ split tunnelling capabilities.

Split tunnelling is supported on Android, macOS, and Windows by PIA. (iOS doesn’t support split-tunneling).

Unlike ExpressVPN, which allows you bypass app traffic, PIA desktop applications allow you to choose both website IP addresses and app IP addresses.

Split-tunneling, one of my favorite features in PIA is split-tunneling. It is also available for macOS. Most VPNs for Mac do not support split-tunneling. This is a huge plus.

During my tests, PIA Split-Tunneling performed flawlessly. Split-tunneling worked while I was downloading files. All my P2P activity was routed through the VPN. My bank’s IP address was exempted (most banks don’t allow VPN traffic). This allowed me to download files faster and gave me access to my bank account

Split-tunneling is a great feature of PIA. You can redirect both website and app IP addresses. It’s also available on Mac.

Traffic Obfuscation

PIA provides obfuscation using the Shadowsocks protocol, an open-source encrypted proxy that hides your VPN traffic.

PIA hides your VPN connection and makes it appear you’re using the internet without a VPN. This allows you to bypass VPN or geo-blocks.

Shadowsocks can be used in countries where there is severe internet censorship to bypass firewalls. Shadowsocks by PIA are also reliable for hiding your VPN connection from your ISP. It is great for accessing geo-restricted sites.

Because shadowsocks adds an extra layer of encryption, it can slightly slow down your internet speed. I experienced a 7% decrease in internet speed when I used obfuscation. This is compared with the speed I received when connected to a PIA Server. This is not a problem, but it can cause some buffering or lag.

Overall, PIA Shadowsocks proxy obfuscation is great for bypassing firewalls. It can also hide your VPN connection from your ISP.

PIA MACE, Ad Blocker

PIA This ad blocker blocks ads and ad trackers from malicious websites.

I tested PIA MACE by visiting ad-heavy media outlets and social media pages. PIA MACE prevented most ads from loading on these websites. These sites were almost devoid of ads so web pages loaded faster than usual.

I also tested PIA MACE for malware detection. The tool blocked all known dangerous HTTP sites that I visited. Although PIA MACE did identify some sites as dangerous, this was not a frequent occurrence.

PIA ACE can be found in PIA’s desktop apps. It is also available for Android if you have the APK version of the PIA Android Application installed. However, PIA MACE will not be available if your app is downloaded from Google Play Store. PIA MACE does not work with iOS. However, PIA will redirect to your iOS Safari settings to enable Safari’s ad blocking.

In general, I think PIA MACE can be a great tool to protect users against malicious websites and trackers.

Identity Guard

Identity guard is a great tool for monitoring data breaches. It’s simple to use and works well.

This feature allows users to see if their email or any other personal information have been compromised due to a data breach. You will be notified if it happens.

Identity Guard was tested using an old email address. I discovered 9 data breaches in the account. The results revealed the name of the company and the date of birth.

Identity Guard can be used for determining if your email has been compromised. You can also set up email alerts to be notified when your email is compromised.

Privacy & Security for Private Internet Access

The PIA follows a no-logs policy

It does not track IP addresses or monitor your online activities (files downloaded, websites visited). According to its Privacy Policy PIA does NOT store any other data than that which all VPN services store. This includes your email address, payment data to process refunds and state and ZIP code data. These data are used to communicate with you and detect fraud and ensure compliance with tax obligations.

PIA’s no-logs policies were proven in court (multiple times). For example, PIA couldn’t comply with a subpoena in 2015 regarding a cyber attack on a media house. Or a 2016 case about a bomb threat. PIA regularly releases transparency reports that detail exactly what requests it has received, and how often it has complied. This is rare among VPN companies.

Open-source is one advantage of PIA. To find security holes and privacy gaps in PIA’s code, anyone can look at it.

The headquarters of PIA is located in the United States. This country is a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. It is a group that shares intelligence data. PIA doesn’t keep logs, so it wouldn’t be able provide any user information if the US government requested (see transparency report).

Overall, PIA is one of the most transparent VPNs. The strong policy of no logs has been proven to be effective and has been repeatedly tested in court. All software used by PIA is open-source.

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Private Internet Access Speed and Performance

Speed tests were conducted connecting to servers from each of the 78 countries where PIA has servers. Average speed decreased by 67% This speed drop was not as severe because I’m from Romania, which has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world. I was still able to stream content, download files, and browse the internet at very high speeds. Speed tests were conducted by a colleague from the US. His speed loss was an average of 25%, he said. This is a lot better than other VPNs.

I used WireGuard to speed test, since OpenVPN is frequently slower.

I first ran a speed test without connecting to a PIA Server in order to establish a baseline.

Next, I used PIA’s auto-connect option and was connected immediately to a server in Romania. Even though my download speed was 53% slower (which is quite a lot), I was still capable of surfing the internet and viewing HD content on Netflix in no time.

Next, I tried a VPN server located in the US. It took around 10-15 seconds to load Netflix TV and movies. My normal download speed was 75% slower than the Netflix TV and movies. Once the shows started, they streamed seamlessly without any interruptions. The torrent download speeds were faster than streaming — I downloaded 20GB of torrents in 24 minutes. This is amazing.

It was quite surprising that I got a similar speed of download from a New Zealand server. Websites loaded in about 4-5 seconds while Netflix streaming took 20 seconds. It was about the same time that the US. Online games also had minimal lag.

It is unfair to compare my results to those of other people because Romania has high internet speeds. My American colleague also did speed tests.

The speed test was performed without the need to connect to a PIA Server.

The auto-connect function enabled him to connect to a PIA server. He was in New York but was connected to a PIA Server automatically using the auto-connect function.

Next, he connected to a server in Spain. His download speed was 33% slower than his upload speed, but he claimed that websites loaded in less time than 2 seconds and streaming content started almost immediately. Also, he was able to play online without buffering.

My colleague connected to an Australian server. It is located far from his home. His ping was very high but his download speed was much faster than Spain’s (a drop of just 15%, which is quite amazing). Websites loaded in seconds, while videos and TV shows started almost instantly.

The PiA is blazing fast on local servers but slow on distant servers.

Private Internet Access Servers and IP Addresses

There are 78 countries that have Internet access servers.

While other VPNs may have more servers, such as CyberGhost VPN- 190+ countries and ExpressVPN– 90+ countries, HMA — 190+ Country, HMA — 190+ Country, and CyberGhost VPN – 90+ Nations, PIA still has a server in nearly every country. This allows you to connect to a server near you, regardless of where you live.

Although I love the fact that PIA displays the latency of each server, and whether it’s high or low. However, I would like to see PIA show the server load percentage (like ProtonVPN and CyberGhost VPN). This would allow you to choose a server that isn’t overcrowded.

PIA uses static shared IPs, which are great because they share the same IP address as thousands of other users. It is difficult to trace your IP address.

PIA provides dedicated IP addresses for a small charge. These IP addresses are for your personal use only. These IP addresses can be very useful because they reduce the risk of being blacklisted by banks and streaming sites. PIA has dedicated IPs at five locations: Canada, Australia and Canada.

PIA has servers all over the world. It offers both dedicated and shared IP addresses. All servers support P2P.

Private Internet Access Streaming and Torrenting

PIA works with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

During my testing, PIA blocked Netflix and Amazon Prime. It also blocked less-known sites like VRV, Tubi TV, and USA Network. Crunchyroll, Pluto TV.

PIA provides excellent P2P support. It allows torrenting on all servers and works with all major torrenting clients like Vuze, uTorrent, and qBittorrent. PIA also offers port forwarding, which allows you connect to more peers and speeds up your downloads.

Before I tested PIA for torrenting, I ran leak tests connecting 10 servers. My tests resulted in zero leaks.

PIA has excellent torrenting support and access to the most popular streaming sites. I was able to watch TV shows and movies on Netflix, Disney+, and Crunchyroll. Also, I was able download files from all the top torrent clients.

Private Internet Access bypassing Censorship

The Shadowsocks protocol is used by PIA to bypass onlinecensorship

Internet access is available to those who are not from the restricted countries.

Pricing and Private Internet Access Plans

The Payment Plans are very affordable.

You have three options: a 1-month plan, a 1-year plan or a 3-year plan. The most affordable plan, the 3-year plan, comes with extra months free. PIA provides one of the most affordable VPNs starting at D46.370 per month.

PIA allows you to use four credit cards: PayPal and Amazon Pay. You can also use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitpay.

All PIA Plans include the same features, and come with a 30 day money back guarantee.

Overall, PIA has attractive pricing and accepts multiple payments options. They offer a 30-day guarantee of your money back

Private Internet Access: Mobile and Desktop Apps

PIA has apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. In less than one minute, the Android and iOS apps were downloaded. Installing Windows and macOS apps took about 2 minutes.

Android

I love the PIA Android app

It does exactly what it said. It is feature-rich, yet simple to use.

It is so easy to connect to servers using the power button at top of main window. You can manually connect to a server by tapping on Current region. The complete list of server locations will be displayed. You can filter servers by name, favorite, latency, name or both to save time.

The flexibility and customization of the PIA Android app is what I love. You can modify protocols (OpenVPN or WireGuard), encryption level and proxy settings, as well as connection options such as whether to connect to trusted Wi Fi networks. The app’s appearance and layout can be changed, as well as port forwarding enabled/disabled.

Even though all the options can be overwhelming for a new user PIA automatically sets recommended default settings for all features so you don’t have to change them. I love that many settings can be described in a brief description. One problem is that all settings are listed under the same tab. ExpressVPN organizes its settings in smaller categories which makes it easier for users to find what they need.

InBrowser is a private/incognito Android and iOS browser that PIA provides. You can download it from the Google Play Store. When you close the app, it wipes out all cookies, session history and browser history.

The Android app from PIA lacks obfuscation. This is the problem. You must download the APK version to use PIA MACE. You will not be able to use PIA’s ad blocking function if you download the Android app from Google Play Store.

Overall, the Android app by PIA is great. It is easy to use, fast, and offers advanced users many customization options.

iOS

PIA’s iOS application is very similar to the Android app.

The iOS app now supports three protocols, instead of two: IKEv2/IPSec & OpenVPN. WireGuard is also an option.

The built-in kill switch in the iOS app of PIA is a great feature. Many VPNs of high standing, such as ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN don’t offer an iOS app that has a kill switch.

PIA’s iOS App is missing obfuscation, PIA MACE.

Overall, PIA’s iOS app is user-friendly and safe. It has many of the same functions and features as the Android app.

Windows/Mac (Desktop)

I used PIA’s desktop app on my MacBook Pro as well as Windows 10 PC. I love PIA’s desktop app. They are intuitive and comparable to the Android or iOS apps.

To connect to a server, you only need one button. By pressing a slider, you can quickly access connection details such as data usage and VPN protocol.

With just a few clicks, you can enable/disable features like PIA MACE and port forwarding. I love PIA because it has the split-tunneling option for macOS.

The automation settings within PIA’s desktop application allow you to instruct the VPN what to do when you use a secure or wired WiFi connection. PIA can be set up to automatically connect to a server when you use unsecured Wi Fi networks.

Overall, PIA desktop applications are outstanding. They are feature-rich, but very user-friendly.

Apps for Private Internet Access: Is Private Internet Access Simple to Use?

The PIA provides user-friendly apps for Android, iOS, and Windows.

They all have a similar design and are easy to use.

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Support for private internet access customers

The PIA provides great support and help, including a FAQ section and a troubleshooting guide.

Unfortunately, PIA does not offer phone support.

PIA offers extensive step-by–step instructions to help you install, uninstall, and troubleshoot your PIA app. These guides are simple to follow and include well-edited screenshots. A FAQ section answers more than 100 questions. I was able to find answers to most of my questions using the FAQs and guides.

I found PIA’s live chat to be very easy to use. In less than 10 seconds, I was connected with a support representative. They were helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, live chat is only available in English.

I also sent 5 emails to PIA, and received a response within 2 to 3 business hours. Many VPN companies respond to emails within 6-8 hours. Some respond within hours.

It was simple to request a refund through live chat. I was not pressured by the rep to accept a refund. The only thing I had to do was give my order number.

Overall, PIA provides excellent customer service. You can get help with setup and troubleshooting, detailed FAQs, and live chat support 24/7. Within a matter of hours, I received a reply.

Is private internet access sufficient?

PIA provides great security and simple-to-use apps. You can also connect up to 10 times simultaneously.

It allows you to customize and open-source apps, and offers several pricing options. PIA supports torrenting on all of its servers. It is compatible with all popular torrenting clients.

During speed testing, PIA provided faster connections than average . I was able to stream content, download torrents, and play games with no lags.

256-bit AES encryption is used by PIA to protect data. Also included is a kill switch. Courts have also confirmed that there is a strict no-logs policy. PIA’s headquarters are located in a country that is part of 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. PIA doesn’t record user information, so it wouldn’t have any data that could be handed over to the government.

The PIA has many more security features than the standard, including split tunnelling, Tor support, obfuscation, Tor support, email monitoring and an ad blocking function.

The iOS and Android apps lack native ad block and native obfuscation. This is the only thing I don’t like about PIA. These are not major drawbacks for most users.

PIA VPN is the most affordable VPN on the market. All plans include a 30-day guarantee

Is it possible to trust private internet access?

Yes, PIA can be trusted.

It is a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. This group includes countries that share intelligence data. PIA maintains a no logs policy that has been court-tested. Although PIA was subpoenaed for several user data requests, it has never been required to hand over any user data. Audits have not been done on PIA’s “no logs” policy. All its apps are open source, which makes them more transparent and safer than any single audit. Private Internet Access’ open source software allows anyone to inspect and verify the code.

PIA includes security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and 256-bit AES encryption. RAM memory powers all servers, meaning that data is automatically wiped clean each time they reboot.

Private Internet Access in China:

Yes. Yes.

Shadowsocks are used to bypass government firewalls. PIA is able to bypass China’s online censorship as well as other restrictive countries.

Is private internet access possible with Netflix?

Yes PIA can access Netflix. I was able to stream Netflix in HD with no interruptions thanks to PIA’s fast internet connection.

I was able to access Disney+ and Amazon Prime during my testing.

Private Internet Access has a kill switch

Yes. Yes. PIA has a kill button that works with its iOS, macOS, and Windows apps.

PIA doesn’t have a kill button for Android. Android offers a better feature, the ability to block internet connections using a VPN. This provides system-level protection. PIA doesn’t allow you to connect at the app-level.

Private Internet Access has a kill switch that works on all operating systems.

Source : #safetydetectives
Editor by : BEST Antivirus Review Team