Cloudflare has announced that it’s adding a VPN to its 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver app. The 1.1.1.1 service, which first came to mobile back in November, currently attempts to speed up mobile data speeds by using Cloudflare’s network to resolve DNS queries faster than your existing mobile network. What’s new is Warp, a VPN built by Cloudflare that attempts to reroute your traffic to make it even quicker and also encrypts it where possible for added security and privacy.
As well as offering the privacy and security of other mobile VPNs, Cloudflare has designed Warp to be better optimized for mobile. For example, it uses the WireGuard VPN protocol, which Cloudflare claims should reduce battery drain compared to a typical VPN app. Cloudflare also claims Warp should reduce data using by caching and compressing content where possible.
Although VPNs are often used to trick websites and services into thinking you’re accessing them from a different location, this isn’t a feature that Cloudflare’s app will offer. Instead, the VPN works behind the scenes to increase speed and privacy.
Cloudflare says it doesn’t write any user-identifiable data to disk, and it also says it won’t use it to target you with ads. Instead, Warp will rely on a freemium model to make money. You can either use the standard Warp service for free or pay for Warp+, which uses Cloudflare’s Argo technology to further increase speeds and network reliability. The company was unwilling to commit to pricing at the time of publication.
Although you can’t sign up for Warp today, Cloudflare has opened a waiting list where you can claim your place by updating the existing 1.1.1.1 app to the latest version and signing up. You’ll then be notified when the service is available for you to use.
https://blog.cloudflare.com/1111-warp-better-vpn/
