Surfshark is one of the youngest VPNs on the market, but that doesn’t stop it from innovating at a rapid pace. During the last two years, this VPN has been bringing new features on a regular basis, making its offer more valuable over time. With that said, if you're interested in subscribing or if you already use this VPN, you'll want to know what's new in Surfshark VPN.Â
FEBRUARY 2022 - Surfshark Launches Innovative 'Nexus' Technology
Surfshark has launched a VPN innovation based on SDN technology that unifies its server network. Instead of creating a single tunnel between your device and your chosen server, 'Nexus' now takes your traffic through Surfshark's entire network. As a result, the VPN will change your IP address periodically, which adds another layer to your privacy protection.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, 'Nexus' is planned to expand and cover new features. As per Surfshark's explanation, your IP address will soon be able to change every time you connect to a new website (without disconnecting you from the VPN, of course). And also, you'll get to specify a string of servers, helping you route your data in a very precise way.
For more information, head over to our news piece that explains Surfshark's Nexus technology.
FEBRUARY 2022 - Surfshark Merges with Nord Security (NordVPN's Parent Company)
In a somewhat surprising move, Surfshark has announced that it's become part of Nord Security through a merger that started in mid-2021. That means Surfshark and NordVPN now have the same parent company - but they will remain separate and independent brands, following their individual development paths.
Surfshark explains that by merging with Nord Security, it gains access to new tools and mechanisms helping the VPN to enhance its services in the future. With that said, it's important to highlight that Surfshark will remain a no-logs VPN service without any changes to its Terms of Service or Privacy Policy.
OCTOBER 2021 - Surfshark Introduces a Cookie Pop-Up Blocker for Chrome
Internet users across the European Union countries are bombarded with cookie pop-ups and banners, asking for their consent to collect Web browsing information. This GDPR requirement aims to inform you about how your private data is used, but seeing cookie pop-ups on every single page you try to visit can become annoying very fast.
So, if you wish to remove those cookies, Surfshark offers a solution. Thanks to its Web browser extension (works on Chrome and soon on Firefox), Surfshark's extension employs CSS rules and network request blocking to hide pop-up elements.
Keep in mind that Surfshark's cookie pop-up blocker isn't a privacy-focused feature. It doesn't prevent your data from being logged, as doing that would make it impossible to browse the Web. Instead, it simply gets rid of pop-up elements.
AUGUST 2021 – Surfshark's Antivirus Becomes Part of the 'Surfshark One' Bundle
Surfshark has recently expanded its offer to include tools that go beyond what any typical VPN can do. More precisely, we’re talking about a subscription add-on called 'Surfshark One,' which now comes with an antivirus, is available on Windows, Android, and is soon to arrive on macOS.Â
Surfshark’s Antivirus works in real-time, protecting you against malware, viruses, and privacy-intrusive apps. Aside from that, the 'Surfshark One' bundle includes a tool for monitoring your personal data for online breaches (Surfshark Alert) and a privacy-friendly search engine (Surfshark Search). This add-on comes priced at $1.49/month.
APRIL 2021 – Surfshark VPN Becomes Fully Compatible with Apple's M1 Chip
In case you own an M1-powered Mac, know that Surfshark now brings a fully compatible app that makes connecting to VPN servers faster than ever before. It’s interesting to note that Surfshark is one of the first VPNs to become fully compatible with Apple’s ARM chips, which is a good indication of Surfshark’s commitment to refining its offer.Â
Also, know that no matter if you have an Intel or M1 Mac, Surfshark's installation file brings the required binaries for both of those types of processors. That means you don't have to worry about downloading a specific version of the VPN, as everything you need is already available via Mac's App Store or Surfshark's website.Â
OCTOBER 2020 - WireGuard Becomes Available to All Surfshark Subscribers
Following VPNs such as TorGuard, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, and IVPN (among others), Surfshark is the latest VPN service to implement WireGuard, a brand-new and highly promising VPN protocol.
Compared to OpenVPN, the VPN's industry-standard, WireGuard is more lightweight, performs faster, and gives you high-end privacy for your data. It certainly shows a lot of promise, and we're happy to see Surfshark taking this leap.
JULY 2020 - Now Powered by 100% RAM-Only Servers
As a way to preserve the privacy of its subscribers, Surfshark has decided to eliminate the use of hard drives from its data centers. That means Surfshark’s servers now run on RAM, pushing this VPN one step ahead of its competition (we’d like to mention that ExpressVPN offers this same feature as well).Â
This transition means that no information can be physically taken from Surfshark’s servers. On top of that, removing any traces of any kind of information is now done easily.Â
MARCH 2020 - Surfshark Introduces a Free DNS Changer App (Trust DNS) for Android & iOS
If you want to unblock websites in a country where the Internet might be heavily regulated, Surfshark offers a solution. There’s now a new app made by this VPN (called 'DNS Changer - Trust DNS'), available free of charge for iOS users, as well as for Android devices.
This app lets you change your DNS server, making sure your data requests are private. You get to block ads along the way in addition to protecting yourself from malware. However, keep in mind that 'DNS Changer' isn’t a replacement for a VPN.Â
DECEMBER 2019 - GPS Spoofing Now Available (Android)
For the most part, VPNs help you unblock just about any digital service. However, certain digital platforms are close to impossible to unblock, as they rely on checking your GPS data (which is typically very hard to hide).
In December 2019, Surfshark came up with an ingenious feature that lets you override your GPS coordinates and prevent apps from tracking you in the background. However, keep in mind that this feature is available on Android only and requires you to perform deep system-level changes. Therefore, it’s designed for more advanced users.Â
What’s your opinion about Surfshark? What do you think about its latest features? Make sure to let us know via the comments section below. And lastly, thank you for reading!