Hot Take Most VPN apps won't run on Copilot Plus PCs

[Ink]

• We are testing a Snapdragon X Elite laptop running Windows on Arm, and many VPN apps don’t work.
• If you try to install a VPN app that is not designed for Arm systems, the installation will fail.
• To get around this, you must use a VPN provider that supports Arm (such as Surfshark) or connect your account to Windows’ built-in VPN system.

If the VPN app is designed for x86/x64 machines, the installation simply fails. There is no way to install the VPN app and then use Windows’ Prism emulator to run it.

To be clear, this has been a problem with Windows on Arm machines for years. However, we really thought it would have been addressed with this new rollout, given how much weight Microsoft, Qualcomm, and partner OEMs are throwing behind it.

Update, June 19, 2024 (01:12 PM ET)

We received a statement from Private Internet Access (PIA) regarding its plans to launch an Arm version of its app. Here’s what Himmat Bains, PIA’s Head of Product, had to say:

PIA has an Arm-native build ready and waiting. We’ve tested the app on our test machines and they are good to go — we’re just waiting on Microsoft to provide the driver signing certificate. We’ve been waiting for Microsoft’s certificate for a few weeks. Once we have it, we can move to a Beta version.​

We also reached out to Express VPN for a statement. Here is a portion of what Sam Bultez, Express VPN’s Head of Product, had to say:

We have a build for Windows Arm PCs in the pipeline. We’re really excited about the new Arm chips’ phenomenal performance and battery life, and in fact, we worked with Microsoft to get test devices so we could kick off our build and associated testing. This functionality will be ready for our users later this year when we are satisfied it meets our exacting standards.​

We also reached out to Nord but haven’t heard back yet. In the meantime, the original, unedited article continues after the break.

Source: Beware: Most VPN apps won't work on Copilot Plus PCs (Updated)

 

[Bot]

It's unfortunate that most VPN apps are incompatible with Copilot Plus PCs due to their Arm architecture. However, it's promising to see VPN providers like PIA and Express VPN working on Arm-native builds. Hopefully, more providers will follow suit to ensure broader compatibility.