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How to Set Up a VPN Bypasser on Each Device

Set up Surfshark Bypasser on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS, and understand which traffic leaves the VPN tunnel.
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In the Surfshark app, open Settings > VPN settings > Bypasser. Turn on Bypass VPN to send selected apps or websites over your regular connection, or choose Route via VPN where available to send selected traffic through the VPN while other traffic connects directly. Add the app or website, then connect or reconnect to a VPN location. The available options vary by device.

Choose the right Bypasser mode

Bypasser is Surfshark’s name for split tunneling: it lets you choose whether selected traffic uses the VPN tunnel or connects directly to the internet. Other traffic follows the mode’s opposite path.

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  • Bypass VPN: Selected apps or websites use your regular internet connection; other traffic continues through the VPN.
  • Route via VPN: Selected traffic uses the VPN; other traffic connects directly. Surfshark describes this as reverse or inverse split tunneling.

Surfshark documents Route via VPN for apps and websites on Android and for apps on Windows. Controls vary by platform, so use the options shown in your app. See Surfshark’s Bypasser overview.

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Set up Bypasser on Windows

  1. Open the Surfshark app and select Settings in the left panel.
  2. Go to VPN settings > Bypasser and choose the mode you want.
  3. For app selection, choose Select apps and check the relevant app. If it is missing, choose Add apps and locate its .exe file.
  4. Connect or reconnect to a Surfshark location so the selected apps use the configured route.

Surfshark’s Windows guide describes Route via VPN for selected apps. Its overview also describes website and IP bypass options; check the current app controls for what your Windows version offers. See Surfshark’s Windows instructions.

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Set up Bypasser on macOS

  1. Open the Surfshark app and go to Settings > VPN settings > Bypasser.
  2. Add the app or website you want to include in the selected route.
  3. If prompted on first use, allow the Surfshark system extension in macOS System Settings.
  4. After configuring an app, connect or reconnect to a Surfshark location.

See Surfshark’s macOS Bypasser instructions for its current setup details.

Set up Bypasser on Android

Surfshark lists an active subscription and Android 7.0 or later as prerequisites. Its guide notes that users on Android 6.0 or later but below 7.0 need the Surfshark Android APK.

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  1. In the Surfshark app, tap Settings in the bottom bar.
  2. Open VPN Settings > Bypasser.
  3. Choose Bypass VPN or Route via VPN.
  4. Select apps from the supported-app list or add website URLs, then connect to a VPN location.

The guide says the Route via VPN setup mirrors the Bypass VPN process. See Surfshark’s Android instructions.

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Set up Bypasser on iOS

Surfshark’s iOS guide, updated September 11, 2026, says website bypassing is the only Bypasser option currently available in its iOS app; it does not document per-app selection.

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  1. In the Surfshark app, tap Settings in the bottom bar.
  2. Go to VPN Settings > Bypasser > Add website.
  3. Enter the website URL and tap Add. To remove a site later, use Remove.

An active subscription is required. See Surfshark’s iOS instructions.

Use the browser extension’s website list

Surfshark’s feature inventory also lists Bypasser for its browser extension. The extension’s website-list steps are separate from configuring app-level routing: open the extension settings, choose the bypass list, select Add new, and enter the website URL. For details, see Surfshark’s browser-extension instructions.

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Understand what bypassing means for privacy

Traffic excluded from the VPN travels directly over your normal connection and does not receive VPN encryption. A local service that requires your usual IP address, or a site that does not load properly through a VPN, may be a reason to bypass it. Exclude only services you trust, and keep sensitive activity on the VPN route.

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Surfshark cautions that split-tunneled traffic is more exposed because it is not encrypted by the VPN. The VPN’s protection applies only to traffic routed through its tunnel; it does not make a bypassed app or website private from your internet provider or local network. See Surfshark’s explanation of split tunneling.

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If the selected traffic does not follow the setting

  • Check the mode: Bypass VPN and Route via VPN send selected traffic in opposite directions.
  • Reconnect: On Windows, and after configuring an app on macOS, connect or reconnect to a VPN location to apply the route.
  • Check app support: Windows may require you to locate the app’s .exe file. The documented iOS option is website-only.
  • Check macOS permissions: If prompted on first use, allow the Surfshark system extension in System Settings.
  • Confirm the platform requirements: Android 7.0 or later is listed for the standard setup; the guide points users on Android 6.0 or later but below 7.0 to the APK.

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