VPN Super hits the living room, and your smart TV's data habits are the target

VPN Super has released beta apps for Apple TV and Android TV

The apps protect your streaming traffic

They also rethink how your TV handles your data

Streaming has become one of the main reasons people reach for a VPN, and providers have noticed.

The latest example is VPN Super, which has just rolled out beta apps for Apple TV and Android TV, extending the service from phones and laptops onto the screen we watch the most.

The move follows a clear industry trend. Over the past couple of years, many of the best VPN services have shipped native apps for tvOS and Android TV, chasing viewers who want to unblock content, cut down on buffering, and keep their traffic private without wrestling with router settings.

What VPN Super is bringing to the big screen

The headline feature is straightforward: native apps that let you open the software on your TV, pick a server, and get back to watching.

According to VPN Super, the Apple TV app offers streaming-optimized servers built for smoother 4K playback, more than 50 server locations, and coverage for up to 10 devices on a single Premium subscription.

The company also promotes a no-activity-logs policy and an ad-free interface, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The apps are aimed at Premium subscribers, and the Apple TV version runs on tvOS 17 or newer.

There is a sports hook, too. VPN Super points to easier access to international soccer tournaments and major tennis events.

That's a pitch that other providers have leaned into, too, with X-VPN recently launching dedicated servers for the FIFA World Cup.

Why a VPN on your TV matters right now

The privacy argument is arguably the more compelling half of the launch. Modern smart TVs are far from passive screens.

Many use a technology called Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, which samples what appears on your display and reports it back to manufacturers or their partners. Some sets do this hundreds of times per second, and the practice has been alarming enough that the FBI has urged consumers to weigh the privacy tradeoffs of smart TVs.

A smart TV VPN does not switch ACR off by itself, and you should still dig into your TV's privacy settings to disable it. What a VPN does add is an encrypted layer over the traffic leaving the device, which makes your activity harder to read on the network.

How to set up VPN Super on your TV

Getting started is designed to take only a few minutes: download the app, sign in with your Premium account, choose the location you want, and connect.

Both Apple and Android apps are currently in beta, with sign-up links available through VPN Super's site and its announcement.

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Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.

GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.

She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, SlashGear, WePC, and Tom’s Hardware.