How to change your location on Android with ExpressVPN

Written byAlex Popa

Reviewed byAna Jovanovic

Edited bySam Boyd

October 26, 20264 min read

ExpressVPN lets you change the IP-based location that websites and services see on Android. When you connect to a VPN server, they’ll see your chosen VPN location instead of the location associated with your regular IP address.

How to choose a VPN location on Android with ExpressVPN

With ExpressVPN installed on your Android phone:

1. Open the ExpressVPN app and tap Change next to Fastest Location / Selected Location.
2. Select a VPN server to connect to.
3. Wait for the VPN to connect. Once it has, open your browser or another app. You can now browse the internet as usual using the IP address associated with your chosen VPN location.

Why use ExpressVPN to change your IP location on Android?

ExpressVPN offers server locations in 113 countries, so you can choose the IP location you want. If you don’t need a specific location, Fastest Location recommends a server based on factors including speed, latency, and distance. This gives you the flexibility to choose a particular location if you know where you want to connect or prioritize connection performance if location doesn’t matter.

ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol also helps the VPN reconnect quickly when your Android device switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data. This makes it easier to keep using your chosen VPN location as you move between networks.

Finally, split tunneling lets you control which apps use your VPN location. You can choose which apps connect through ExpressVPN and which use your regular internet connection. This is useful if only certain apps need a different IP location. For example, you could route your browser through the VPN while keeping a banking app on your normal connection.

Change your Android IP location with ExpressVPN

Why does Android sometimes show your real location with ExpressVPN connected?

An app or website can still show your real location when you’re connected to ExpressVPN because the VPN changes your public IP address and its associated IP-based location, but not other location signals Android or individual services may use.

These signals can include:

• GPS and device sensors: ExpressVPN doesn’t change the location Android estimates from your phone’s GPS receiver and other sensors. Apps with location permission may receive this physical-location data through Android’s location services, even while their internet traffic uses an ExpressVPN server.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning: ExpressVPN doesn’t change the nearby Wi-Fi access points or Bluetooth devices Android can use to help estimate your physical location. An app using Android’s location services may therefore receive a location that differs from your VPN server location.
• Cellular network information: ExpressVPN changes the IP address used by traffic routed through the VPN, but it doesn’t change the cellular-network signals Android may use when estimating your device’s physical location.
• Stored app or account information: Changing your ExpressVPN server location doesn’t change location information already stored by a browser, in cookies or cached data, or in account settings. A service may continue showing that stored location instead of the location associated with your VPN IP address.

Is it legal to change your IP location on Android with ExpressVPN?

Changing your IP location with ExpressVPN is legal in most parts of the world where using a VPN is also legal. However, applicable laws and regulations are different across jurisdictions, so each user is responsible for how they use VPNs. The terms of service of individual apps and websites may also restrict or regulate VPN use.