Summary
A VPN encrypts your internet connection so your browsing traffic is kept private and obscured from the network provider (e.g. your mobile phone carrier, public or private Wi-Fi network).; Aura’s app does this with one tap, offers 100+ virtual locations, malicious site blocking, kill switch, split tunneling, and supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android (up to 10 devices per adult member). Aura
Privacy boundary: Our VPN is in partnership with Aura, and lives outside your phone service. We do not share telco usage data (no CDRs, tower history, or our subscriber-identity mapping) to deliver Aura features.
Use both, get defense-in-depth: REALLY protects you at the telco layer (no one-stop identity-linked archive, hosts don’t receive identifier mapping); Aura protects your cellular data, Wi-Fi and app traffic when you’re online.
For a technical deep-dive on encrypted calling vs. VPN and our upcoming telco-native VPN, see the dedicated explainers.
The Critic’s Question
“If Aura’s VPN is ‘included,’ does that mean you’re sharing my phone records with Aura, or that I can skip all other privacy protections?”
Short answer: No and no. Your phone service data stays with REALLY; Aura only gets what’s needed for the features you switch on. And a VPN complements, not replaces, REALLY’s network-level privacy choices.
VPN, in Plain English
A Virtual Private Network creates an encrypted tunnel for your device’s internet traffic. That helps hide your IP and make browsing private when you’re online (e.g., coffee shop Wi-Fi) while reducing exposure to local snoops and some forms of tracking. Aura positions this for everyday use: one-tap activation, “military-grade” encryption, fast connections, and 100+ virtual locations—with platform support on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. Aura
What a VPN does not do: it doesn’t anonymize you from every website or app (they can still know who you are if you log in), it doesn’t remove data brokers’ existing profiles, and it doesn’t replace end-to-end encryption in messaging. Use it as one layer of protection, not the only one.
What You Actually Get with Aura’s VPN (Included)
Encrypted browsing, IP masking for private access on public Wi-Fi and at home. Aura
100+ virtual locations (20+ in the U.S.) to reach global sites and apps. Aura
Malicious Site Blocking to help avoid known phishing/scam domains. Aura
Kill Switch to cut traffic if the VPN drops, preventing accidental exposure. (Availability may vary by plan.) Aura
Split Tunneling to choose which sites/apps use the VPN (e.g., banking via VPN, local streaming outside). (Availability may vary by plan.) Aura
Multi-device coverage: protect up to 10 devices per adult member; supports Windows, Mac, iOS, Android. Aura
How Aura’s VPN Fits with REALLY (Two Stacks, One Boundary)
REALLY (telco layer): We run the REALLY PrivateCore™ and network software. We don’t keep a centralized, identity-linked archive, and hosts don’t receive identifier mapping. That design frustrates dragnet surveillance, and we do not send telco usage data to Aura.
Aura (app layer): You get a consumer VPN and security features that operate without your call/tower logs or our subscriber mapping. Aura only receives what’s necessary to run the features you enable (e.g., the email you choose for breach alerts).
Bottom line: the Aura VPN secures your internet traffic; REALLY minimizes what exists about you as a phone subscriber. Use both for defense-in-depth.
Wrap-Up
Aura’s VPN adds on-device, on-network privacy (encrypted browsing, IP masking, site-blocking, kill switch, split tunneling, 100+ locations) across your devices—without sharing your phone-service records. Use it alongside REALLY’s privacy-by-design network to cover both layers: your internet traffic and your phone-service footprint. Aura
Sources
Aura — VPN & Online Privacy product page (features: encryption, 100+ locations, malicious site blocking, kill switch, split tunneling, platforms & device limits). Aura
Honest limits
A VPN can’t hide activity inside an account you’re logged into (e.g., your social media profile still knows it’s you).
If a device is compromised with malware, encrypting traffic won’t fix the root cause, remediation may be required.
Features such as Kill Switch and Split Tunneling may vary by plan and platform—check your plan details. Aura
Proof & verification (in progress)
Policy: Public statement on our site that no telco usage data (CDRs, tower history, subscriber-identity mapping) is shared with Aura.
Architecture: Data-flow diagram illustrating REALLY B/OSS + core ↔ Aura app with a labeled “No Telco Data Shared” boundary.
Audit: Vendor risk review + Aura SOC 2/security attestations; internal review that confirms the app exchange excludes telco metadata.
Tests: Network inspection showing no API calls to Aura carrying telco usage data; feature-activation logs demonstrating indicator-only flow.
Transparency: Feature changelog and plan matrix clarifying availability of Kill Switch, Split Tunneling, and device limits; link to Aura’s VPN page. Aura
Join the only carrier that makes privacy non-negotiable.
