Tor VPN is in beta, available through the Google Play Store, or via their Gitlab (.apks not yet under releases, but Package Registry; Obtainium will index them).
It’s based on Arti (meaning Rust), and according to the Privacy Policy, all app connections are made on separate circuits so as not to centralize traffic!
If I disable any youtube third party app from the tor vpn they weirdly can’t connect.
I guess that’s a beta bug.
The different circuits per app seem to work correctly though.
Cool to see the beta is live now! I had seen some early spoilers during summer.
Am I correct in assuming Tor VPN works more like Portmaster at the network layer — letting you route specific apps through Tor regardless of whether they support SOCKS — whereas Orbot is mainly a SOCKS proxy with optional whole-device VPN mode where all apps share a circuit? A bit like the difference between running Tor directly in the backend of a Linux terminal (where you can transparently route processes through it) versus relying on individual apps to be proxy-aware. And just to clarify my understanding: even though Guardian Project is a long-time trusted partner of Tor, Orbot is their project, while Tor VPN is built and maintained directly by the Tor Project itself?
I believe that is all correct.
Awesome I thought that’s what you meant when you mentioned that everything regarding the circuits seem to be working as it should so thank you for that point of clarification and I really appreciate it.
Orbot can work in per-app VPN or whole profile VPN mode. And per-app specified SOCKS works regardless of VPN mode used or not. But in VPN mode all apps will share circuits.
Here is the link to the Gitlab which includes the APK for people who do not want to download this from the Play Store:
Generally useful as the beta on google play seems full now.
What do I need to do to make the link compatible with Obtainium?
Can’t wait for it to be available on computers! If it is even possible and in their agenda.
What do you mean full? I don’t see that anywhere on the play store page
Oh, weird, I don’t see that. Maybe its region specific
If you already have installed it you won’t see it.
It’s wonderful to see the Arti project mentioned here. While the beta release of the Tor VPN is mentioned elsewhere on the Internet, the Rust implementation doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This is a new era for Tor.
Thanks @jordan ! When I open the Google Play version (Aurora), a pop-up takes up the whole screen estate and complains every five seconds or so about how Google Play isn’t available. Will try out via ADB.
https://signal.org/blog/introducing-secure-backups/
Speaking of now in beta, Signal has just rolled out secure backups for Android.
Does it run on GrapheneOS without Play Framework?
Is there an *.apk for download?
Yes
Yes
