VPN basics · Plain-English answer
Yes, you can leave a VPN on all the time, and for privacy it is the best default, since it protects every connection without you having to remember. The trade-offs are a small speed cost, slightly higher battery use on mobile, and occasional friction with sites that block VPN addresses.
Privacy tools work best when they are not optional in the moment. If you only connect when you remember, the gaps are exactly when you are unprotected. Left on permanently, a VPN hides your browsing from your ISP continuously, covers every public Wi-Fi network automatically, and keeps your real IP out of the logs of every site you visit.
Modern protocols make this practical. WireGuard, which ROOT VPN runs on, has low enough overhead that most people cannot feel the difference in daily browsing.
Some services dislike VPN addresses. Banks may add security checks, some streaming platforms block known VPN ranges, and a few sites show more captchas. Speeds are also slightly lower than a bare connection, which you can measure at /tools/speed-test/.
A sensible pattern is to stay connected by default and disconnect briefly for the rare service that misbehaves, or use split tunneling to exempt just that app. On phones, expect a small but real battery cost.
ROOT VPN is free to start with unlimited data, no card needed, and no activity logs.
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