How to turn your VPN on and off through Control Center

Toggling your VPN connection should be quick and simple. No one wants to dig through settings menus every time they need to connect or disconnect from their VPN. This guide shows you how to add VPN controls to your device’s Control Center (iOS), making your online privacy just a swipe away.

Why add VPN controls to Control Center/quick settings?


Having your VPN controls easily accessible means you’re more likely to actually use your VPN consistently. Maintaining online privacy becomes second nature when protection is just a quick tap away.

  • Save time by avoiding multiple menu taps to reach VPN settings.
  • Check connection status at a glance without interrupting your activities.
  • Quickly respond to blocked content by enabling your VPN instantly.
  • Toggle your VPN on/off when switching between apps that need different settings.
  • Maintain better security habits through convenience.

How to add VPN controls to iOS Control Center

Method 1: Using iOS shortcuts

iOS Shortcuts provides the most powerful way to add VPN controls to your Control Center:

  1. First, confirm your VPN app supports shortcuts integration (NordVPN and Surfshark have good support)
  2. Download and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad
  3. Tap the “+” button to create a new shortcut
  4. Search for your VPN app in the actions list
  5. Add the “Connect VPN” or equivalent action to your shortcut
  6. Name your shortcut something clear, like “VPN On/Off”
  7. Go to Settings > Control Center
  8. Add the Shortcuts control to your Control Center list

NordVPN offers particularly robust shortcut support, with options to connect to specific servers or toggle between different security protocols directly from your shortcuts. If you don’t see your VPN app in the shortcuts actions list, the app may not support the Shortcuts API. 

Method 2: Creating app-specific automation

One of the most useful Control Center integrations is setting up automatic VPN connections for specific apps:

  1. Open the Shortcuts app and tap “Automation” at the bottom
  2. Tap “Create Personal Automation”
  3. Select “App” as the trigger type
  4. Choose the app you want to trigger a VPN connection (like Instagram, Netflix, etc.)
  5. Select “Is Opened” as the condition
  6. Tap “Next” and add your VPN’s “Connect” action
  7. Turn off “Ask Before Running” if you want it truly automatic
  8. Create a second automation for when the app is closed to disconnect the VPN

This method allows for sophisticated privacy management, applying VPN protection only when using certain apps. Surfshark’s iOS app works particularly well with this automation approach, providing stable connections and quick disconnects.

Method 3: Finding built-in VPN controls

Some VPNs have direct Control Center integration without requiring shortcuts:

  1. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls
  2. Look for “VPN” in the list of available controls
  3. Tap the green “+” icon to add it to your Control Center
  4. Access Control Center to toggle your VPN on/off directly

This method only works with certain VPNs that register themselves properly with iOS, or when using the built-in iOS VPN configuration. 

ExpressVPN has excellent native iOS integration that makes its controls directly available in Control Center without extra steps.

Using shortcuts for advanced VPN control

Creating VPN profiles for different uses

Power users can create multiple shortcuts for different VPN scenarios:

  1. In the Shortcuts app, create a new shortcut
  2. Add the “Connect to VPN” action from your VPN app
  3. Configure it to connect to a specific server location
  4. Name it according to its purpose (e.g., “US Streaming VPN” or “Gaming VPN”)
  5. Repeat for different server locations or configurations
  6. Add all these shortcuts to your Control Center for quick access

This approach allows you to quickly switch between different VPN connections based on your current needs without opening the VPN app.

Setting up disconnect timers

To save battery life, you can create a shortcut that disconnects your VPN after a set period:

  1. Create a new shortcut in the Shortcuts app
  2. Add the “Connect to VPN” action
  3. Add a “Wait” action and set your desired duration
  4. Add the “Disconnect VPN” action
  5. Save and add to Control Center

This is perfect for quickly enabling your VPN for a specific task without worrying about forgetting to turn it off afterwards. Surfshark users particularly benefit from this approach, as their app efficiently handles connection state changes triggered by shortcuts.

Creating toggle shortcuts


If you want to proceed with setting up true toggle functionality. Here’s how:

  1. Create a new shortcut
  2. Add an “If” action that checks if your VPN is connected
  3. If connected, add the “Disconnect VPN” action to the “If” branch
  4. If not connected, add the “Connect VPN” action to the “Otherwise” branch
  5. Save this shortcut and add it to Control Center

This approach works well with NordVPN, though implementation varies by app.

Troubleshooting VPN Control Center issues

VPN tile not appearing

If your VPN toggle doesn’t appear in Control Center or Quick Settings:

  1. Make sure your VPN app is up to date
  2. Check if your device’s operating system is current
  3. Open your VPN app and connect once manually
  4. For iOS, make sure Shortcuts has proper permissions

NordVPN’s excellent customer support can help troubleshoot Control Center integration issues if you encounter persistent problems with their app.

VPN toggle not working

When your Control Center toggle doesn’t actually connect or disconnect your VPN:

  1. Verify your VPN account is active and logged in
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Try forcing the VPN app to close completely
  4. Restart your device
  5. Reinstall the VPN app if necessary

Some VPNs have intermittent issues with shortcut connections, so checking for app updates is essential.

Automation disconnection issues

If automatic disconnection fails when closing apps:

  1. Make sure your automation includes a small delay (2-3 seconds) after the app closes
  2. Check if your VPN app has a “persistent connection” setting that might be overriding your automation
  3. Try a different VPN app with better shortcut support
  4. Use a time-based disconnection rather than an app-based one

According to user experiences, WireGuard-based VPNs like NordLynx (NordVPN’s protocol) tend to handle automation better than OpenVPN-based solutions.


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