Hotspot Shield Free is a program that protects and anonymises your internet connection. Hotspot Shield Free makes a VPN connection with the proxy servers of parent company AnchorFree. This ensures that you can use the internet via an encrypted connection on open Wi-Fi networks (hotspots) on holiday or in public places. With Hotspot Shield Free, your own IP address cannot be traced and you can surf to websites that are blocked (for example, if you want to watch Dutch TV abroad).
Hotspot Shield Free provides extra security and privacy and is especially useful if you use the internet on public Wi-Fi networks or hotspots.
Your internet connection is encrypted with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection by Hotspot Shield, so that on open Wi-Fi networks others cannot capture your passwords or login details. On the often not or hardly secured WiFi networks on vacation, that is a big advantage. Also at public hotspots in the Netherlands it is not advisable to use internet banking or to send confidential data. There, Hotspot Shield (hence the name) can protect your data by encrypting the connect.
Hotspot Shield can be switched on and off via the green icon in the system bar (2). While browsing the internet, a large advertisement is displayed at the top in the free version (1)
Furthermore, with Hotspot Shield Free your own IP address is not visible to third parties because surfing is done via the company's proxy servers. You can also visit blocked websites because it looks like you are from another country. In the Netherlands this does not bring much benefit (except that you could go to the blocked The Pirate Bay), but in many non-democratic countries in the world very ordinary websites are blocked for us by the government. For example, Hotspot Shield was and is widely used in the revolutions in the Arab countries in recent years.
Hotspot Shield Free is therefore a very useful program if you often use open Wi-Fi networks and hotspots - for example on vacation - and still want to protect your passwords and other data. Hotspot Shield Free nestles in the system bar of your laptop and can therefore be switched on and off easily (see image). If the logo is green, protection is on, red is off Hotspot Shield.
Hotspot Shield Free does have two major disadvantages:
1. If you are going to use the internet, a large advertisement is visible at the top of your browser (this is to finance the free version)
2. Internet browsing is also slower because data is sent via a proxy server
Whoever increases these disadvantages on the sale, however, has a very useful and useful program. You do not need Hotspot Shield for your own Wi-Fi connection at home, unless you want to surf anonymously - without revealing your IP address.
Android, iOS and Windows Mobile
Hotspot Shield Free makes a VPN connection with the company's servers to secure your internet session. Also, your IP address cannot be retrieved this way. Hotspot Shield VPN is very simple: you switch on the app and your connection is secured. If you are back on a secure network (at home or the network of your own provider) you can disable Hotspot Shield again.
Hotspot Shield VPN is free for Android, the paid version offers more functions (protection against malware and data reduction). The iPhone and iPad version of Hotspot Shield is free to try for a few days, but after that you have to pay. There is also a version for Windows Mobile.
You can free download Hotspot Shield Free 32, 64 bit and safe install the latest trial or new full version for Windows 10 from the official site.