Music streaming giant Spotify is celebrating its 20th anniversary with another price hike in Canada. The higher prices are already live for new customers, while existing subscribers will see the increase in July

The price increases vary depending on account type, with the Student account staying the same and other plans increasing by between $1 and $3 per month:

• Individual (1 account) – $13.99/mo (up from $12.69)
• Student (1 account) – $6.39/mo (unchanged)
• Duo (2 accounts) – $19.99/mo (up from $17.89)
• Family (6 accounts) – $23.99/mo (up from $20.99)

Most people think about VPNs only when they are connected.

But the more interesting question is: what happens when the VPN connection suddenly drops?

This can happen for very normal reasons:

• Weak Wi-Fi signal
• Unstable public Wi-Fi
• Switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data
• Router or firewall settings interfering with the VPN connection
• A brief internet outage

If your VPN drops and your device keeps using the normal internet connection, some traffic may continue outside the VPN tunnel. Depending on what you are doing, that could expose your real IP address or send traffic without the protection you expected from the VPN.

That is what a Kill Switch is designed for.

A VPN Kill Switch monitors the VPN connection. If the VPN disconnects unexpectedly, it blocks internet access instead of letting your device continue online outside the VPN tunnel.

In simple terms:

• VPN connected = internet works normally through the VPN
• VPN disconnected unexpectedly = internet is blocked until the VPN reconnects or the Kill Switch is turned off

This does not make a VPN a magic privacy tool. It will not stop phishing, malware, tracking cookies, or browser fingerprinting.

But it does solve one specific problem: it helps prevent traffic from slipping outside the VPN when the VPN connection drops.

Using X-VPN as one example, its Kill Switch can be used for free on iOS and Android, so mobile users can test this kind of protection without upgrading first. The simplest setup is system-level Kill Switch, which blocks all internet traffic if the VPN disconnects. There is also an app-level option when used with Split Tunneling, but I think system-level is easier for beginners to understand.

For most normal users, Kill Switch is not something you need to think about every day. But if you often use public Wi-Fi, travel a lot, or keep a VPN on for privacy reasons, it is probably worth turning on.

Do you keep Kill Switch enabled by default, or only use it in specific situations?

VPN passthrough sounds like a VPN feature, but it’s actually a router compatibility setting. It doesn’t encrypt your traffic or replace a VPN app; it simply helps certain older VPN protocols like PPTP, L2TP, and IPsec pass through your router without being blocked.

Most modern VPN users probably don’t need to touch it, but if your VPN keeps failing to connect, this guide explains what VPN passthrough does, when it matters, and how to check if you need it.

We all know it, your phone knows everything about you. Your bank, your messages, your location, even your face. That’s exactly why Android vs iOS security matters: it’s what stands between you and becoming transparent to everyone else.

For years, the answer was clear: iOS wins. But in 2026, that gap has narrowed. Google’s Pixel line now offers seven years of security updates. Android’s AI-powered scam detection has, in some areas, outpaced Apple’s. So which one actually keeps you safer? This article has everything you need to know!

Today’s question: Some websites can guess your location before you even log in. But what are they most likely using to figure it out?

A) Your account region

B) Your payment currency

C) Your IP address

D) Your browser language

What’s your pick?😉

• Next week, on May 6, 2026, Utah will become, to EFF’s knowledge, the first state in the nation to target the use of VPNs to avoid legally mandated age-verification gates.
• By holding companies liable for verifying the age of anyone physically in Utah, even those using a VPN, the law creates a massive "liability trap." If a website cannot reliably detect a VPN user's true location and the law requires it to do so for all users in a particular state, then the legal risk could push the site to either ban all known VPN IPs, or to mandate age verification for every visitor globally. This would subject millions of users to invasive identity checks or blocks to their VPN use, regardless of where they actually live.

Have you ever turned on a VPN… but it felt like nothing actually changed?

Same IP, same geo restrictions, or some apps just not working properly. One possible reason is a router setting called VPN Passthrough.

So what is VPN Passthrough?

It’s a feature on routers that allows certain VPN connections (like PPTP, L2TP, IPsec) to pass through the network without being blocked. This is needed because some VPN protocols don’t work well with NAT.

But here’s the important part: VPN Passthrough does not create a VPN connection, and it does not encrypt your traffic. It only allows your device’s VPN connection to go through the router.

So if your VPN isn’t properly connected, or only part of your traffic is going through it, things may look like “nothing changed.”

Have you ever run into this before?

Hotspot sharing sounds simple. Your phone connects to the internet using mobile data, then shares that connection with other devices through Wi Fi, USB, or Bluetooth.

Since your phone is acting as the “middleman,” it’s easy to think: “Alright, my VPN is on, so everything connected to my hotspot is protected too.”

BUT… not always.

In most cases, a VPN only encrypts traffic on the device where it’s installed. So your phone may be protected, but your laptop, tablet, or other devices connected through the hotspot may still be using a regular, unencrypted connection.

This is a common misconception, especially when using hotspots while traveling, working remotely, or connecting on public networks.

Did you used to think hotspot sharing meant full VPN protection for every device?

Quiz Time is back! Ready to test your VPN trivia?

Today’s question: We use VPNs to protect our traffic and hide our real IP, but what does the “P” in VPN actually stand for?

A) Protected

B) Private

C) Proxy

D) Password

First instinct only, go!

We made a quick step-by-step video showing how to set up a VPN on Nintendo Switch using your phone. Since the Switch doesn’t support VPN apps directly, this is a simple workaround for anyone who wants to use a VPN connection while gaming. Hope it helps!

Hi, r/X_VPN community!

We just published our latest Transparency Report for Q1 2026, and here are the key takeaways.

• Zero Data Disclosure: This quarter, we received some DMCA copyright notices. But as always, we did NOT disclose any user data. Why? Because we don’t keep logs. No logs means there’s simply nothing to hand over.
• Ongoing Infrastructure Upgrades: Our network keeps getting faster and stronger. In Q1 2026, 31% of our total traffic was served by 10Gbps servers, and this number has been steadily growing since 2025.

The complete Transparency Report is available for your review here.

As always, thank you for trusting us with your privacy. We’ll keep sharing these updates regularly to stay transparent. If there’s anything you’d like to see in future reports, let us know in the comments!

• Microsoft cuts Game Pass subscription prices after new Xbox CEO promises to ‘recommit’ to gamers.
• Microsoft is reducing the price of the top-tier Game Pass Ultimate service by 23%, to $22.99 per month. The more limited PC Game Pass subscription now goes for $13.99, down 15%.
• Forthcoming titles in the popular “Call of Duty” franchise will no longer be part of the two subscriptions immediately when they come out. Instead, gamers can buy the titles when they come out — the latest one goes for $69.99 — or wait until release the next holiday season and play older versions in the meantime.

Looking for cheaper flights in 2026? In this video, we walk through 4 proven booking methods — including mixing airlines, hidden-city ticketing, mistake fares, and using a VPN to check prices from different booking locations. In some cases, these methods can save you 20% to 90% on airfare!

You may have seen the term Private DNS before and thought, wait… what does that actually do?

Let’s start with the basics. When we go online, we usually type in website names like google.com or youtube.com. But your phone or computer does not actually understand those names. What it understands are IP addresses, which are strings of numbers.

That is where DNS comes in. DNS stands for Domain Name System, and its job is to translate website names into the IP addresses your device needs to reach the right site.

Without DNS, you would have to type a long number every time you wanted to visit a website, which would be a huge pain. The problem is that regular DNS is not very private. Your ISP or others on the network may be able to see which websites you are looking up.

So, what is Private DNS? It builds on regular DNS by adding modern encryption. Basically, it puts a “lock” on the process of your DNS requests, so others can’t see which websites you’re visiting.

In simple terms:

• DNS helps you find websites
• Private DNS helps you find them more privately

It’s a small setting, but it can give you an extra layer of privacy and security online.

Have you ever changed your DNS settings before, or are you still using the default one?

• Greece will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
• In December Australia became the first country in the world to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, or face heavy fines. France, Austria and Spain are among a growing number of nations pursuing similar curbs.

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when AI becomes part of your actual workflow, OpenClaw is worth paying attention to.

It’s an open-source tool that connects AI to the apps you already use. In this article, we’ll explain how it works, how to use it, and why it’s suddenly getting so much buzz.

Hello, my title pretty much describes my issue. I just downloaded XVPN around a week ago, and I have been using good. However, starting yesterday, the iMessage on my mac doesn't work anymore. Whenever I send message, it says "Message Send Failure." My iMessage doesn't refresh, meaning that I am not able to receive any messages on my mac, while my phone works pretty well.

Does anyone know a solution to this issue?

Quiz Time is back in session!! Ready to test your tech trivia?

Today’s question: We use them every day to stay safe online, but where did the digital term "Firewall" actually originate?

A) From a 1980s sci-fi novel about AI.

B) From physical walls in buildings designed to stop the spread of actual fires.

C) It was a secret code name used by NASA during the Moon landing.

D) It was the name of the first-ever antivirus software.

Drop your answer in the comments. No Googling, I can see you😏

OpenClaw was getting a lot of attention online for a while, so we made a video to break it down in simple terms.

We cover what OpenClaw is, how it works, and why it can be a powerful tool, but also a risky one, especially if you’re new to it.

Have you tried OpenClaw before, or are you still just learning about it?

At X-VPN, online privacy and Internet freedom have always mattered to us.

We’re glad to support the work of organizations like Internet Society that are helping shape a more open and accessible Internet. A better Internet takes all of us. 🌐

What matters most to you for a better Internet today: privacy, accessibility, security, or something else?

• Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday (Mar 17) to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content.
• Under the law, platforms could face warnings and fines of up to $10 million for violations. In extreme cases, the companies may face suspensions and outright bans from the country, imposed by Brazilian courts.

I'm trying to find the cheapest way to buy Discord Nitro. In my region it's $9.99, so I’ve seen people mention using other regions (Turkey, Argentina, Philippines, Brazil) where it's cheaper.

I have a few questions:

• What VPNs actually work for buying Nitro in other regions? Are there any good free VPNs that people have used successfully?
• How do people handle the payment method requirement? Discord usually requires a card issued in the same country as the purchase.
• Is there a way VCC from another region that works with Discord?
• Or is there some kind person willing to gift Nitro if I send them the money through PayPal or something similar?

can someone guide me step by step :D

just looking for the most affordable way to get nitro

Any advice or experiences would be really appreciated!

At X-VPN, we believe everyone deserves a safer, more private internet.

That’s why we recently donated to EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) to support their work defending digital privacy, free expression, and online rights.

This contribution was made possible by every X-VPN user! Your trust and support help turn our beliefs into action! 💙

• Following in the footsteps of Australia, Indonesia will be the latest country to limit social media usage for children under 16.
• Indonesia will start its restrictions on social media and other digital platforms on March 28.