How to Set Up Split Tunneling on Any VPN

Split tunneling is a VPN feature that lets you decide which traffic goes through the encrypted VPN tunnel and which traffic uses your regular internet connection. Instead of routing everything through the VPN, you can pick and choose — maybe you want your banking app protected but your Netflix streaming to run at full speed without the VPN overhead.

It sounds a bit technical, but honestly it's one of the most useful VPN features out there. Once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Why Split Tunneling Actually Matters

Here's the thing — when you run all your traffic through a VPN, you're adding an extra hop to every single connection. That's great for privacy, but it can slow things down and sometimes cause friction with services that don't play nicely with VPNs. Think about your local banking app that keeps flagging logins from foreign IP addresses, or your smart home devices that need to be on the local network to work properly.

Split tunneling solves this problem elegantly. You get the privacy protection where you need it most, and you don't sacrifice speed or functionality for everything else. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, layered privacy approaches — where you apply protection selectively and thoughtfully — tend to be more sustainable than all-or-nothing solutions. That's basically the philosophy behind split tunneling.

There are a few different ways split tunneling can work depending on your VPN. Some VPNs let you exclude specific apps (so everything else goes through the VPN). Others let you include only specific apps (so only those chosen apps use the VPN). And some even let you set rules by URL or IP address, which is the most granular option. Each approach has its place depending on what you're trying to do.

I personally find the app-based exclusion method the most practical for everyday use. You exclude things like your local streaming services, your smart home apps, and maybe your work intranet tools — and everything else stays protected. It's a pretty sensible default for most people.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Split Tunneling

The exact steps vary by VPN app, but the general process is pretty similar across most providers. I'll walk you through the most common setup flow, and then touch on a few specific popular platforms.

Step 1: Open your VPN app and find the settings menu. Most VPN apps have a gear icon or a "Settings" tab somewhere in the main interface. Click or tap that to get into the configuration options.

Step 2: Look for "Split Tunneling" in the settings. It might also be labeled "App Exclusions," "Bypass VPN," or "Selective Routing" depending on the app. If you don't see it immediately, check under sections like "Advanced," "Connection," or "Privacy." Some VPNs bury this feature a little deeper in the menus.

Step 3: Choose your tunneling mode. Most apps give you two options here — either an "include" mode (only selected apps use the VPN) or an "exclude" mode (all apps use the VPN except the ones you pick). For most people, exclude mode is easier to manage because you just flag the apps you want to bypass the VPN.

Step 4: Add apps or URLs to your list. Click the "Add App" button (or equivalent) and browse your installed applications. Select the ones you want to either include or exclude depending on your chosen mode. On desktop, you'll usually browse to the application's executable file. On mobile, you'll see a list of your installed apps to choose from.

Step 5: Save your settings and reconnect. After you've built your list, save the settings. Some VPNs apply changes instantly while others need you to disconnect and reconnect for the new rules to take effect. Give it a quick reconnect just to be safe.

Step 6: Test it. This step is easy to skip but really worth doing. Open a browser and check your IP address at a site like whatismyip.com. Then open one of your excluded apps and check again — you should see different IP addresses, confirming the split tunneling is working correctly.

Now, a quick note on NordVPN specifically since it's what we recommend here at VPNTierLists.com. NordVPN's split tunneling setup is really clean and intuitive. On Windows, you'll find it under Settings → Split Tunneling. You can toggle it on and then add apps to either the VPN-only list or the bypass list. On Android it's similarly easy — it's under Settings → Split Tunneling in the app. Unfortunately, as of 2026, NordVPN doesn't offer split tunneling on iOS or macOS due to platform restrictions from Apple, which is a genuine limitation worth knowing about.

Common Issues and Things to Watch Out For

Split tunneling is genuinely useful, but there are a few gotchas that catch people off guard. The biggest one is what I'd call the "app vs. browser" trap. Say you add your web browser to the bypass list because you want to access local content without the VPN. That's fine, but it means ALL your browsing now bypasses the VPN — including the sensitive stuff. If you're going to exclude your browser, make sure you're intentional about it and understand what you're giving up.

Another thing to watch out for is DNS leaks. Even with split tunneling configured, your DNS requests might still go through your ISP rather than the VPN's DNS servers. This can expose your browsing habits even for traffic that's supposed to be protected. A good VPN with built-in DNS leak protection handles this automatically, but it's worth running a DNS leak test at dnsleaktest.com after setting things up just to confirm everything looks clean.

There's also the question of platform support. As I mentioned, iOS and macOS have restrictions that prevent most VPN apps from offering true split tunneling. This is a known limitation documented in Apple's Network Extension framework — Apple's sandboxing and network architecture just doesn't allow the same level of per-app routing control that Windows and Android do. If you're an Apple user who really needs split tunneling, your best bet is setting it up on your router level instead, which is more complex but doable.

One more thing — split tunneling doesn't play perfectly with every app. Some applications detect when they're not going through a VPN and behave differently, or they might share network resources with other apps in unexpected ways. If you notice something acting weird after setting up split tunneling, try toggling the app in or out of your exclusion list and see if that fixes it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is split tunneling safe to use?

Yes, split tunneling is safe as long as you're thoughtful about which apps you exclude from the VPN. The apps that bypass the VPN will be visible to your ISP and potentially other third parties, so you don't want to exclude anything that handles sensitive data like banking, email, or work communications. Used carefully, split tunneling is a legitimate and useful privacy tool — it just requires a bit of planning.

Does split tunneling slow down my VPN?

Actually, it's the opposite. Split tunneling can make your overall connection faster because you're reducing the amount of traffic being encrypted and routed through the VPN servers. Only the traffic you care about gets the VPN treatment, so the rest of your connection runs at its natural speed. This is one of the main reasons people set it up in the first place.

Can I set up split tunneling by website instead of by app?

Some VPNs support URL-based or IP-based split tunneling, which is more granular than app-based rules. This lets you say something like "route all traffic to my company's internal tools through the VPN, but everything else goes direct." Not every VPN supports this — it's a more advanced feature — but it's worth checking if your VPN app offers it. NordVPN's browser extensions do offer some URL-based controls, which is a handy middle ground.

What's the difference between split tunneling and a kill switch?

These are two different features that serve different purposes. A kill switch blocks all internet traffic if your VPN connection drops unexpectedly, preventing your real IP from being exposed. Split tunneling, on the other hand, deliberately routes some traffic outside the VPN while it's connected. You can — and probably should — use both features together. The kill switch protects your VPN-routed traffic, while split tunneling handles the traffic you've intentionally excluded.

Bottom Line

Split tunneling is one of those features that sounds complicated but is actually pretty easy to set up once you know where to look. The core idea is simple — you're just telling your VPN which apps or connections need protection and which ones can run freely. It gives you the best of both worlds: privacy where it counts and full speed everywhere else.

If you haven't tried it yet, spend five minutes setting it up. Start by excluding your local streaming apps and any services that have been giving you trouble with the VPN active. Then test it, make sure the DNS isn't leaking, and adjust from there. It's one of those small tweaks that makes a noticeable difference in day-to-day VPN use.

And if you're looking for a VPN that makes split tunneling easy to configure, NordVPN is the one we consistently recommend at VPNTierLists.com. The interface is clean, the feature is reliable on Windows and Android, and the overall performance is hard to beat.

Sources: Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org/issues/privacy), Apple Network Extension Developer Documentation (developer.apple.com), DNS Leak Test Tool (dnsleaktest.com)

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