How can I select networks to always have vpn on?
Note: Please do not post Personally Identifiable Information like email address, personal phone number, physical home address, product key etc.
Issue abstract:
Detailed description:
Product & version number:
OS details:
What is the error message you are seeing?
If you have any supporting screenshots, please add them:
1 Like
bjm
July 16, 2026, 3:38pm
2
Hello @DHC11368
Norton treats password-protected Wi-Fi as “secured” for the purposes of its Wi-Fi Auto-Protect feature. That classification is based on the presence of WPA2/WPA3 encryption, not on whether the network is actually private or trustworthy. As a result, public networks that use a generic shared password may not trigger automatic VPN protection, even though many users would still choose to use a VPN on those networks.
Norton isn’t really deciding whether a Wi-Fi network is trustworthy . It’s simply checking whether the wireless connection is encrypted. If the network uses WPA2 or WPA3—even if the password is posted on the wall for every customer—it gets classified as “secured.” That’s a technical classification, not a judgment about how safe the environment is.
A shared public password doesn’t make everyone on the network trustworthy. You’re still on a public network with people you don’t know. If you’re signing into banking, shopping, or email accounts, it’s a good idea to turn on the VPN yourself rather than relying solely on the automatic Wi-Fi protection.
Norton Secure VPN doesn’t let you create a list of specific Wi-Fi networks that should always trigger the VPN. Its Wi-Fi Auto-Protect feature bases its decision primarily on whether the network is classified as secured or unsecured. As a result, public Wi-Fi networks that use a shared WPA2/WPA3 password may not automatically activate the VPN.
If you consider those networks untrusted—as many people do—you’ll need to turn the VPN on manually (or use an Always-On option if your platform and Norton version support it).
===
Avast SecureLine VPN allows users to override the automatic classification by marking networks as Public or Private and maintaining a Trusted Networks list. Norton Secure VPN, by comparison, does not currently appear to offer user-defined trusted/untrusted Wi-Fi networks, so users cannot explicitly designate a public Wi-Fi network with a shared password to always trigger VPN protection.
ExpressVPN — lets you mark Wi-Fi networks as trusted. The VPN automatically connects on networks not in the trusted list.Surfshark — has a Trusted Networks feature on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Networks you designate as trusted won’t trigger the VPN; all others can.Windscribe — arguably goes a step further by allowing per-network behavior. You can specify that a particular SSID should always auto-secure (VPN on) or be allow-listed (VPN off).IVPN — has long supported explicit Trusted , Untrusted , and None states for Wi-Fi networks, with configurable actions for each.
Norton distinguishes open vs. password-protected Wi-Fi
The user wants to distinguish trusted vs. untrusted Wi-Fi
Norton doesn’t provide that level of control.
Norton Secure VPN does not currently let you designate individual Wi-Fi networks that should always use the VPN. Its automatic protection is based on how it classifies the network rather than on a user-defined trusted/untrusted list. So if a public Wi-Fi network uses a shared WPA2/WPA3 password, it may not automatically activate the VPN. If you’d like that level of control, it would make a good feature request.
I’d not considered this scenario before, as I tend to enable and disable the VPN manually. However, it does raise an interesting point for users who rely on Norton Secure VPN’s automatic Wi-Fi protection. A public network with a shared password may be technically “secured,” yet still be one where a user would want the VPN to connect automatically.
I’d not thought about this before, as I generally manage the VPN manually. But it does highlight an interesting limitation for users who rely on the automatic Wi-Fi protection. There doesn’t appear to be a way to tell Norton, “Always use the VPN on this SSID.”
For VPNs with a Trusted Networks feature (such as Avast), the process typically looks like this:
First connection
You join a Wi-Fi network.
The VPN applies its default behavior (for example, based on whether the network is public or private).
User decision
You tell the VPN, “Treat this network as trusted,” or “Always use the VPN on this network.”
Preference stored
The VPN remembers your choice for that network.
Future connections
The next time you join that network, the VPN automatically follows your preference.
So the “automatic” behavior is really user-customized automation .
By contrast, Norton’s current approach appears to be:
Join a Wi-Fi network.
Norton classifies it based on its own criteria (e.g., open vs. password-protected).
Norton decides whether to auto-connect.
The user cannot override that decision on a per-network basis.
That’s why the OP’s request is logical. They’re not asking Norton to magically know whether a coffee shop is trustworthy. They’re asking for a way to say:
“I know this is a public network. Regardless of how Norton classifies it, I always want the VPN enabled here.”
That’s a user preference, not an intelligence problem, and it’s exactly the kind of workflow other VPNs implement with trusted/untrusted network settings.
Product Suggestions
================================
EDIT —
Based on the Android options:
Never
Unsecured Wi-Fi
Any Wi-Fi
Trusted networks
one plausible interpretation is:
Any Wi-Fi = Connect on every Wi-Fi network.Trusted networks = Connect on every Wi-Fi network except those you’ve marked as Trusted.
If that’s how it works, then “Trusted networks” isn’t really an auto-connect trigger—it’s an exception list .
That would actually be a sensible design:
Home Wi-Fi → Add to Trusted Networks → VPN stays off.
Coffee shop Wi-Fi → Not trusted → VPN turns on automatically.
Hotel Wi-Fi → Not trusted → VPN turns on automatically.
If that’s correct, then the OP’s concern about password-protected public Wi-Fi may already be addressed on Android.
I’ve been using Auto Connect → Unsecured Wi-Fi for a long time. In that mode:
Open coffee shop Wi-Fi → Norton prompts or auto-connects.
Open retail Wi-Fi → Norton prompts or auto-connects.
Home WPA2/WPA3 → No action.
Because most of the public Wi-Fi I’ve encountered is open , I’m not recalling the case of a public WPA2/WPA3 network with a shared password.
The OP, however, is likely thinking about places like:
Hotels
Retail stores with guest Wi-Fi
Restaurants
Coffee shops that post the password on a receipt or sign
Those are technically encrypted but still public.
Avast’s documentation describes the user-defined network behavior the OP is requesting. Norton’s current implementation is less clear, and its recent Advanced VPN changes may provide similar functionality depending on platform and version.
Avast documents user-controlled trusted network behavior. Whether Norton now offers the same level of control on Android remains to be verified.
From Avast’s current documentation, it’s not platform-specific . The capability exists across the major platforms, although the implementation differs somewhat.
Windows: You can manually classify the current network as Public or Private using Edit networks . If Avast misclassifies a network, you can override it.Android: Auto Connect supports Unsecured Wi-Fi , Any Wi-Fi , and Any Wi-Fi or cellular , along with a Trusted networks list. You add the currently connected network to the trusted list.iOS: Similar concept. You can configure Auto Connect and maintain a Trusted networks list so your private networks are excluded from automatic VPN connections.macOS: Avast documents trusted networks and Smart Mode in the Avast One/SecureLine documentation alongside Windows.
One thing I found particularly interesting is that Avast’s terminology is internally consistent:
Public / Private = the network classification.Trusted networks = your exception list.Smart Mode = uses those preferences to determine when to connect the VPN automatically.
Comparing that to Norton, I now think the products are philosophically much closer than initially believed. The remaining question is how much user control Norton exposes on Android/iOS versus Windows . Your screenshots suggest Norton has been moving in the same direction with its newer Advanced VPN features, even if the UI and documentation aren’t yet as clear as Avast’s.
For Avast Windows , the user can explicitly classify a network as Public or Private , overriding Avast’s automatic classification if desired. That is very close to what the OP is asking for on mobile.
Conceptually:
OP wants
Avast Windows
“This store Wi-Fi is public. Always use the VPN here.”
Public and let Auto Connect follow that policy.
“My home Wi-Fi is trusted. Don’t use the VPN.”
Private (trusted).
For Norton Android , we’re not quite there yet. We know:
There is a Trusted networks feature.
There are Auto Connect modes such as Any Wi-Fi .
We have not yet verified whether you can designate an arbitrary WPA2/WPA3 public SSID the same way Avast allows.
Summary:
Avast Windows: Clearly provides the type of user-controlled network classification the OP is asking for.Norton Android: Appears to provide a related mechanism (Trusted Networks), but we haven’t yet confirmed whether it offers equivalent flexibility.
Norton doesn’t have this feature?
Avast Android: Achieves the OP’s practical goal through a trusted-network exclusion model .Avast Windows: Gives the user even more explicit control by allowing network classification.Norton Android: Appears to be moving in the same direction, but we still need to verify exactly how Trusted Networks behaves with password-protected public Wi-Fi.
AI sourced content may make mistakes
Lets ask @peterweb to chime in. I’m not VPN centric.
1 Like
bjm
August 10, 2026, 9:51am
3
Hello @DHC11368
As long as there is a password on a retail establishment’s wifi network, that is a secure network. Just because the password may not be the strongest format does not mean the network is not secure. As such, Norton will see a secure network and will not automaticaly turn on the VPN.
1 Like
bjm
August 19, 2026, 2:07am
5
Hello @DHC11368
