Most VPNs make you create an account first. Popcorn VPN doesn't. Install, tap Connect, allow the system VPN prompt — you're on. No email, no password. Smart Connect picks a reachable server. Kill switch, split tunneling, and in-tunnel adblock are included (some tools are Android-only). Ad-supported on purpose: a short ad funds free servers; rewarded ads earn VIP time; Connect still works if the ad fails. We don't log sites, DNS, or traffic — only the metadata needed to run the service.
Hey hunters — I built Popcorn VPN, a consumer VPN for Android and iOS that never asks for an email or password. You install it, tap Connect, allow the system VPN dialog, and you're on.
I kept hitting the same wall as a user: “free” VPNs that demand an account, hide ads until after install, or both. So the product rule was simple: no signup, one tap, and be honest about how it's funded.
What it is
• No accounts. The same phone is recognized after a reinstall.
• Free servers after one short ad (the first 3 hours on free servers are ad-free). VIP time: watch a rewarded ad for +1 hour, or on Android invite a friend (both sides get +24 hours).
• Smart Connect picks a reachable server. You can also browse by country or by category.
• VIP tools: kill switch, split tunnel, in-tunnel adblock — with an honest platform split below.
The parts that were actually hard
1. Two operating systems, one product promise. Kill switch, always-on, connect-on-startup, and per-app split tunnel are Android-only — iOS simply doesn't give those controls to apps. Country split tunnel works on both. Referral share/redeem is Android-only because of App Store rules. The Tools tab hides what the phone can't do instead of greying it out.
2. VIP time that the phone cannot invent. Remaining time is decided on the server. When VIP hits zero mid-session, you're disconnected and pointed at Rewards.
3. Ads that must not brick Connect. If the ad doesn't show in a few seconds, the connect still goes through. Lying about “no ads” on a free VPN lasts about two days in the reviews.
Privacy, said precisely
I do not log the sites you visit, DNS queries, or traffic content. I do keep connection metadata needed to run the service: which server, when, how long, data volume. No analytics or crash SDK in this version.
What I am not claiming
Not the fastest VPN on earth. Not a Netflix-unlock guarantee. Not a way to break the law. Not open source. There is no paid plan live right now — the product is ad-supported + earnable VIP.
I'd actually like opinions on
1. The UI is movie-theater themed (“Tonight’s seat”, “House pick”). Distinctive, or try-hard?
2. Is “watch an ad for 1 hour of VIP” a fair trade, or does it make the whole app feel cheap even if Connect still works when the ad fails?
3. If you've shipped on both stores: did you also drop iOS referrals, or did you find a store-safe shape I'm missing?
I'll be in the thread all day for product, privacy, and store-review questions. If you install it, the useful bug report is: did Connect actually change your public IP.
Android: https://play.google.com/store/ap...
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/po...
Site / privacy / terms: https://popcornvpn.trustfolks.com