What Is NordVPN’s Double VPN and When Should You Use It?

NordVPN’s Double VPN enhances security by encrypting your data twice, making it nearly impossible for anyone to crack. However, the trade-off for higher security is that your speeds may reduce noticeably. Still, a double VPN is necessary in some scenarios. 

Now, you may ask, what is Double VPN by NordVPN, and when should one use it? Simply put, it's a special feature that encrypts your Web data twice by routing it through two VPN servers. As such, Double VPN is a good option if you need a higher level of security.

In this article, we will answer all your questions about Double VPN, including what it is, how it works, and how to use it. You will also learn the benefits and disadvantages of NordVPN’s Double VPN, when you should use this feature, and how it’s different from Onion over VPN. 

What Is NordVPN's Double VPN?

NordVPN’s double VPN is a special feature that encrypts your data twice by passing it through two secure servers. It is an advanced security feature that enhances the protection of your Web data by chaining VPN servers.

Cracking a single layer of encryption is already very difficult and impractical, and encrypting it two times means that it's close to impossible for anybody to decipher it. 

Furthermore, it also provides additional IP protection. Since the first server changes your IP address, the second has no information about where the traffic originated. This feature is available in NordVPN’s apps on Linux, macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android.

How Does NordVPN’s Double VPN Work?

NordVPN Double VPN works by routing your traffic through a chain of two VPN servers, encrypting your data twice. However, this process may reduce your Internet speed because your data now has to jump through two hoops instead of one. 

First, your Web traffic is encrypted on your device and routed to a remote server. When the traffic reaches this remote server, it is encrypted once again. This traffic then passes through a second VPN server and is decrypted before being sent to the destination securely. 

It’s an extra step that is most beneficial for people who want to avoid government surveillance, especially those advocating for freedom of speech and reporting sensitive news on the Web. 

How to Use NordVPN’s Double VPN Feature

You can use NordVPN’s Double VPN by turning it on in your app’s settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do that. 

1. Get a NordVPN subscription and download its app.
2. Launch your NordVPN app and sign in. 
3. Open the dashboard by clicking on the Home icon in the sidebar.



4. Navigate to More Connection Options > Specialty Servers.



5. Click on the three dots next to Double VPN to open a list of countries.



6. Pick a country, which will be your 2nd country, as NordVPN auto-picks the first one.
7. Hit the ‘Connect’ button to start NordVPN’s Double VPN.

What Are the Benefits of NordVPN’s Double VPN?

The biggest benefits of NordVPN’s Double VPN are enhanced security due to double encryption, stronger IP protection, and better privacy. Let’s discuss each of these in detail. 

• Double Encryption: Data encrypted once with AES 256-bit encryption is already secure enough, as even the fastest computers in the world cannot crack it in a realistic timeframe. Doubling this encryption makes it truly impossible to crack and significantly enhances your security. 
• IP Protection: With double VPN turned on, the first VPN changes your IP address, and when the traffic reaches the second server, there’s zero information about your real IP. Even if an attacker compromises the second server, they can’t possibly know where the traffic originated from. 
• Enhanced Privacy: Since Double VPN redirects your Web traffic through two different geographic locations instead of just one, government agencies and hackers can’t track your whereabouts.

The Disadvantages of NordVPN’s Double VPN?

The biggest disadvantage of a double VPN is that it can cause considerable speed dropoff due to the fact that your Web traffic is passing through an additional server. 

With another layer of encryption, it will take longer for your Web traffic to reach its destination, which is certain to reduce your speeds regardless of how fast your baseline connection is. 

This makes double VPN undesirable during bandwidth-heavy activities like gaming or streaming. However, during regular usage, you may not observe a big difference because NordVPN has very high-speed servers. 

Which NordVPN Servers Support Double VPN?

NordVPN’s Double VPN feature is available in 9 countries, with a total of 82 supported servers. Here is a list of the countries that support Double VPN: 

• Canada
• France
• Hong Kong
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• UK
• US

When Should You Use NordVPN’s Double VPN Feature?

You should use NordVPN’s Double VPN feature if you handle very sensitive information and privacy is of utmost importance to you. Similarly, it’s useful if you live in an authoritarian country and want to bypass government surveillance and safeguard your sources. Let’s discuss all of these use cases in detail. 

• You Deal with Sensitive Information: This feature is suitable if you’re a person with top-secret information, such as a military or government official, politician, journalist, or corporate employee. In situations like these, minor data leaks can have devastating consequences, and NordVPN’s Double VPN minimizes the chances of that happening.
• Bypass Censorship and Avoid Government Surveillance: Authoritarian governments are known to reach extreme lengths to control their citizens and track their activities on the Web. Where there’s a risk of government persecution, you need to employ every last bit of security measure. This is another scenario where a double VPN can protect you.
• Safeguard Your Sources: Government and military officials often want the highest protection when communicating with each other, especially across borders. They need to safeguard their sources and hide where the information is coming from. This is another situation where double VPN comes in handy.

NordVPN’s Double VPN vs. Onion Over VPN: What’s the Difference?

The biggest difference between Double VPN vs Onion over VPN is their intended purpose. NordVPN’s Double VPN is designed to increase your security over the regular Web. Onion over VPN is a feature employed by an Onion VPN to let users access Tor (The Onion Router) safely. 

Perhaps the most glaring difference between the two is that Onion over VPN only encrypts your traffic once, while Double VPN encrypts it twice. However, Double VPN is not designed for protection on the Tor network. As for the speed drop-off, both features can reduce your connection speed noticeably, which makes them undesirable for high bandwidth activities. 

Using a Double VPN with the Tor network would be overkill and may even render the Internet unusable due to massive speed drop-offs. That is because the Tor network itself encrypts your data and further conceals your identity by bouncing the traffic off various relays across the globe.  

Final Thoughts

NordVPN’s Double VPN feature encrypts your Web traffic twice, first before it leaves your device and then again when it reaches the remote server. In this way, it gives you double the security. However, this does not mean the regular VPN is insufficient, as AES 256-bit encryption is already powerful enough. 

Still, in theory, a single encryption can be broken. Hence, for peace of mind and to attain the maximum level of security possible, users working with sensitive information prefer to use NordVPN’s Double VPN. Similarly, people living under authoritarian governments like China and Iran may also find this feature useful.

We hope that now you know what NordVPN’s double VPN is and when you may want to use it. Feel free to share your comments with us below.