Features
Split tunneling: choose what skips the VPN
Split tunneling lets some traffic leave outside the tunnel. On Android you choose apps. On Windows and Linux you choose IP ranges. iPhone, iPad and Mac do not have it.
How it works
- 01
Android: pick apps
In Settings, choose all apps, only the apps you select, or all apps except the ones you select. Search the list and check the apps.
- 02
Windows and Linux: add IP ranges
In Settings, add IPv4 ranges such as 192.168.1.0/24. Traffic to those ranges goes outside the tunnel, for example to reach a printer or a NAS on your own network.
- 03
Everything else
Whatever you did not choose keeps going through the tunnel.
What you get
- Local devices and apps that dislike VPNs keep working normally.
- A list you can change at any time, on each device.
Limits and honest caveats
- Traffic you exclude does not go through ForestVPN: the sites and services it reaches see your normal connection.
- Split tunneling on Windows and Linux is by IP range only in this version. Excluding a single app is not supported yet.
- There is no split tunneling on iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Where it exists
- Android
- Windows
- Linux
Plans
Free and Premium both have it.
Questions
- Can I exclude one app on Windows?
- Not yet. Windows and Linux take IP ranges only in this version.
- Does excluded traffic use my data allowance?
- No. It never reaches the tunnel.
- Which Android mode should I choose?
- Choose the mode where selected apps skip the VPN to keep a few apps on your normal connection. Choose the mode where only selected apps use the VPN when just a few apps need it.