To use Proton VPN Secure Core, open the app’s country or server list, turn on the Secure Core filter or control, choose the country you want websites to see as your VPN location, and connect. Proton routes traffic through a hardened server in Switzerland, Sweden, or Iceland before sending it through a second VPN server in your chosen exit country. Secure Core is available on paid Proton VPN plans, and the extra routing can slow your connection.
What Secure Core does
A Secure Core connection uses two VPN locations. Traffic first passes through a Proton-operated Secure Core server in Switzerland, Sweden, or Iceland, then exits through a second VPN server in the country you select. The exit country is where websites and online services will generally see your connection coming from.
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Proton describes this design as a way to mitigate some risks if a VPN server is compromised. It is a stated protection model, not a guarantee of complete security; Proton notes that no system can provide 100% security. Proton’s Secure Core overview explains the routing design.
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Decide whether to use Secure Core
Proton’s current support guide says Secure Core is available on all paid Proton VPN plans. It does not establish current plan names or prices, which can change. Check Proton’s support guide for feature availability and instructions.
The extra route is intended for situations where the additional routing layer fits your threat model. It can also reduce speed. Proton’s iOS/iPadOS guide warns that Secure Core will slow a connection “considerably” and says it should only be used if your threat model demands it. That is Proton’s guidance; the cited documentation gives no measured speed figure, and the effect for an individual connection is not quantified. If speed is more important for a particular task, use a regular VPN connection instead.
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Turn on Secure Core by device
App labels and layouts may change. If the controls below do not match your version, use Proton’s live Secure Core instructions.
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Windows
- Open Proton VPN and go to Home → Countries.
- Select the Secure Core filter.
- Choose the country you want to use as your exit location, then connect. Proton can choose an available entry location automatically.
- If you want to choose the entry location yourself, use the country dropdown when that choice is available.
macOS
- Open the app’s Secure Core control and switch Secure Core on.
- Select the desired exit country and connect.
- Use the adjacent dropdown to choose an entry location manually when the app offers one.
Android
- Open Countries and select the Secure Core filter.
- Choose a destination country—the exit location you want websites to see—and connect.
- The app can select an available entry location automatically. To choose one yourself, use the country menu when a manual choice is offered.
iPhone and iPad
- Switch Secure Core on in the app.
- Select the exit country you want to use.
- Choose an available Secure Core route or location, then connect.
For the iOS/iPadOS instructions and Proton’s speed guidance, see Proton’s iOS and iPadOS guide.
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Linux
- Open the server list and find Secure Core servers for supported exit countries.
- Select a server entry and connect. Proton lists the entry and exit locations as two ISO country codes.
For example, Proton says CH-LU#1 means Switzerland entry and Luxembourg exit.
Check the route after connecting
After connection, check the route shown in the app’s Home screen. Confirm that Secure Core is active and that the exit country is the one you intended. The entry location may differ from your exit country; it is the exit location that determines the apparent VPN location for websites.
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If the route you want is unavailable
- Your preferred entry location is missing: Not every exit country supports every entry location. Choose another available entry location or let the app select one automatically.
- The connection feels too slow: Secure Core adds another routing step, and Proton warns that it can slow the connection considerably. Switch to a regular VPN connection when that extra route is not needed for the task.
- You are unsure which country websites will see: Check the active route in the app and verify the exit country, rather than relying on the entry server’s location.
Secure Core or a regular VPN connection?
| Choice | Routing | When it may suit you | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular VPN | One VPN server location | When you need a VPN connection without Secure Core’s additional routing layer | Does not add the Secure Core entry-to-exit route |
| Secure Core | Secure Core entry server, then a VPN exit server in your selected country | When the additional routing layer fits your threat model and an available route meets your location needs | Proton warns it can slow the connection considerably; no measured comparison is provided in its cited guidance |
The sources describe Proton’s protection rationale and app workflow, but do not independently validate security performance or quantify the speed difference between the two connection types.
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