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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

Samsung Max VPN Review 2024: Read Before Buying

Our Score: 4.3/10
Ranked 167th out of 198 VPNs
MJ Marsden Former Cybersecurity Researcher

Samsung Max is a mobile tool designed to provide data optimization and VPN services for Samsung devices. Originally Opera Max (Opera’s mobile browser) the app was bought by Samsung and developed as part of its "Make for India'' program. It’s also preloaded on Samsung phones in several countries where data saving is a big priority for citizens — giving it a surprisingly large user base.

Given its apparent popularity, I wanted to find out how Samsung Max compares to other VPNs on the market. So I tested its speeds, streaming, and security, along with ease of use and customer support. The most obvious downfall is that Samsung Max only works on Samsung. Although it excelled in my speed tests, the VPN is very limited and potentially unsafe to use. Read on to find out if this app’s “Privacy Protection” mode really does anything.

If you're looking for a VPN for your phone, tablet, or computer, I recommend a safer alternative compatible with more device types and operating systems, not just Samsung.

Try Samsung Max Risk-Free >>

Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

Samsung Max Privacy VPN and Data Saver Features — 2024 Update

3.5
💸 Price 0 USD/
📝 Does VPN keep logs? Yes
🖥 Number of servers 8+
💻 Number of devices per license 1
🛡 Kill switch No
🛠 Support Doesn’t exist

Streaming — Unreliable Performance

Samsung Max only managed to work with 3 of the local streaming platforms my colleagues tested while in the US. This was disappointing, as the speeds were more than fast enough for HD and even 4K streaming on its US locations.

Important: My colleagues and I strongly oppose copyright violations. Most VPN providers commit to strict no-logging policies, ensuring that they do not track your online behavior. This means you are responsible for how you utilize a VPN, so it's essential to comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

Works with: US Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video

When connected to a US server, my colleagues could watch Netflix US library in HD buffer-free from New York. They didn’t experience any connection issues while watching Criminal Minds.

Samsung Max also worked with other local platforms like Max and Amazon Prime Video from the US. My colleagues reported that A Place of Safety loaded immediately, and they watched it without interruptions.

Doesn’t Work With: Hulu and Disney+

Samsung Max US servers didn’t work with Hulu when my colleagues tested them for the US. When they tried to watch their favorite shows securely, the streaming service knew they were using a VPN and blocked them at their login attempt.

None of the servers I tried could work with my local Disney+ account either. I tested most of the Netherlands servers, but Disney gave me a blank screen every time. This is what happens when Disney’s technology knows you are using a VPN or other proxy, so it completely blocks you out.

Samsung Max’s ability to work with some of the local streaming platforms was quite impressive, considering it's really meant for data privacy. Although it struggled with a few of the major streaming providers, the VPN performed effectively with Netflix US (when in the country) and also with other well-known streaming sites. However, if you need a good VPN for streaming on any device, check out my top recommended choices.

Speeds — Great Download Speeds, Poor Upload Speeds

Samsung Max's download speeds were fantastic — I had outstanding results in all my tests but one. However, the upload speeds dropped considerably, making my connection unusable in some cases.

During my tests, I looked at:

  • Download speed — this indicates the amount of data transferred from the internet to your device per second. Faster download speeds mean you get less buffering while you stream.
  • Upload speed — shows how much data you can send through your connection at any given time.
  • Ping — how long it takes for your device’s data to reach its destination and come back again. Unlike speed readings, the higher your ping, the more lag you’re likely to experience.

Local Speeds

My tests began with a base reading of 68.4 Mbps, an upload speed of 56.8 Mbps, and ping of 5 ms. A base reading means the speeds I had without a VPN being connected.

I then tested servers in different locations, to see what effect the VPN would have on my base speeds. Pretty much all VPNs will slow you down somewhat, as they work by rerouting your traffic through a new server. But good VPNs are fast enough that you shouldn’t lose more than 10-20% of your speed.

I was pleased to find that my download speed hardly changed at all when I connected to a local server in the Netherlands. It dropped from 68.4 Mbps to 67 Mbps — a fractional decrease that didn’t impact my experience at all.

The UK server was even more surprising. Samsung Max’s UK server actually increased my speeds by 65%. This is very rare and extremely impressive. The bad part is that my upload speed dropped to 19.5 Mbps, which is a 65% decrease. Since I had a fast connection to begin with, this didn’t affect me too much. However, it would make video calling impossible on a standard 20 Mbps connection.

Graphic showing Samsung Max's local server speed test resultsThe VPN’s local servers gave me great download speeds, but the upload dropped too much

Long-Distance Speeds

When I tested the US and Brazil servers, I was blown away to find more speed increases of up to 5%. Since South America is over 9,000km from where I am, an increase in speed was an unexpected surprise. On the US server my upload speed dropped by 90%, however.

The ping reading on the US server I tested reached 170 ms, which is a normal result for a server that’s so far away. However, this ping makes gaming impossible.

screenshot of samsung max vpn's speed test in the us and brazilI am thousands of miles away from the US and Brazil, so the increase in speed is shocking

Samsung Max’s servers in India were slow on both download and upload speeds though. My download speeds dropped to 14.8 Mbps, which is a 78% decrease. Upload decreased to 12 Mbps. This might be down to the fact that the app is partially designed for Indian users, so the servers in India might experience overcrowding.

Here is a rundown of all of my server tests:

Country Download Speed Upload Speed Ping
My location 68.4 Mbps 56.8 Mbps 8 ms
The US 51.9 Mbps (24% decrease) 5.54 Mbps (90% decrease) 170 ms
The UK 113 Mbps (65% increase) 19.5 Mbps (65% decrease) 53 ms
Brazil 71.8 Mbps (5% increase) 4.10 Mbps (92% decrease) 253 ms
India 14.8 Mbps (78% decrease) 12 Mbps (78% decrease) 288 ms

Overall, I can’t recommend Samsung Max for its speed. While I had good results on some local servers, I experienced huge upload speed drops on long-distance ones.

If you just want to stream, the download speeds are great – you can watch all your favorite titles in HD. But other internet activities like torrenting and video calls would be severely affected by these upload speeds. Plus, ping stood over 170 ms on its US, Brazil, and India server, so gaming would be impossible.

If you’re looking for a superfast VPN, I recommend one of these services instead.

Server Network — Extremely Small

Samsung Max has a very small network. If you use the free plan, you only get access to one server in your home country. The paid plan gives you access to 8 locations in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and the US. I was never able to connect to the German server, although the other locations worked okay.

Because I like to have a broad list of countries to choose from, I recommend using a VPN that has more servers around the globe.

Security — Uncertain, But my IP Address Was Hidden

Samsung Max kept my IP address hidden during my tests. However, the VPN is not transparent about its encryption level and security protocols.

Encryption and Protocols

I had no way of finding out what encryption and protocols Samsung Max uses. There is no customer support to contact, and no information online. The app could be using a secure tunneling protocol like OpenVPN, or it could be using an out-of-date and unsafe protocol like PPTP.

The best VPNs also protect your data with AES encryption, at banking-grade standards of either 128 or 256-bit. This means that any information that is intercepted would be impossible to decipher, and would take even the most seasoned hacker over a hundred years to work out. But, because there is no way of finding out which encryption Samsung Max uses, I just can’t confirm that it’s safe.

IP, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 Leaks

Samsung Max passed my DNS and IP leak test. Using an online testing tool, I found there were no leaks on any of the servers I tried.

Graphic showing Samsung Max DNS leak test resultsThis VPN protected my identity when I was using it

This is important as a DNS leak allows your ISP to see your internet activity. Plus, if there was a cyberattack during an IP leak, your personal IP address would be revealed — putting your data and devices at risk.

No Kill Switch, Port Forwarding, or Split Tunneling Features

This VPN is pretty basic, and there are none of the additional security features I’d expect to find in a good VPN.

A kill switch instantly cuts your internet if you lose connection to a VPN, preventing your real location and identity from being exposed. Not having one means you’re lacking a crucial layer of online protection. If the VPN ever fails, your internet connection will revert to your ISP — revealing your online activity to snoops.

Port forwarding allows a direct connection between a server and your device. It’s great if you need a VPN to bypass a NAT router or firewall (like at work or school). Most VPN users employ port forwarding for torrenting and gaming, as it allows you to connect directly to a P2P or gaming server — removing lag and delays. It can also boost your overall speeds.

Split tunneling is another handy feature missing from Samsung Max. It lets you choose which of your traffic is routed through a VPN and which goes through your ISP as normal. This can be useful if you have apps where low ping is important, such as online mobile games (VPNs increase your latency). It’s also useful if you use online banking, as connecting to banking apps with a VPN can trigger safety alerts.

Pop-Up Ads

Samsung Max VPN is plagued with pop-ups. If you choose the basic plan, you have to watch an ad before you even get started. Pop-up ads can be very harmful to your device, carrying trackers and other malware. If you’re going to pay to use a VPN, I suggest you try one of these VPNs, that I guarantee for safety. They also have no pop-up ads whatsoever!

Because of its unknown protocol and encryption, pop-up ads, and lack of advanced features, I can’t recommend Samsung Max for its security.

Privacy — Logs All Your Data

Samsung Max VPN logs and stores all of your user data. This was surprising considering Samsung Max VPN was launched to offer users “enhanced privacy features.”

So, what does it actually mean by this statement? As far as I can tell, this claim relates to the VPN’s two different modes:

Data Saving Mode — This helps you to use less data and potentially save money in the process. The technology detects when an app is using a lot of data and will compress its images, video, and music files. Be aware that you get no security with the Data Saving Mode; you have to enable the Privacy Protection mode first.

Privacy Protection Mode — With Privacy Protection enabled, if you connect to public access WiFi or any sites that are found to be unreliable, a one-time pad encryption (OTP) will be engaged which gives you a unique password that can only be used once. A DNS masking system will also be triggered which works to replace the domain name of the website you’re accessing with a different URL. If you’re using the free plan, you have to watch a pop-up ad to get 4 hours of protection.

I was quite surprised to learn that the VPN's "privacy protection" feature only kicks in when it identifies a potentially insecure connection. Moreover, this protection is constrained to periods of four hours for those using the free plan. I'm used to having a VPN that provides continuous top-tier encryption to protect my online activities, thereby guaranteeing that my data is always unreadable.

Keeps Logs

The privacy policy of Samsung Max indicates that the firm retains nearly all user data. This is startling for a VPN that has promoted itself as a service prioritizing privacy. A policy of not keeping logs should be a fundamental feature for all VPNs claiming to uphold user privacy.

Graphic showing Samsung Max privacy policyIt’s hard to find something they don’t log

All of this information can be used to identify you and monitor what you do online while connected to the VPN, meaning you have zero online privacy.

Location

Samsung Max is based in South Korea, which is technically outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. However, South Korea is known to collaborate with the 5 Eyes Alliance under pressure from China. This means that, if a government requested information about your internet usage, there is no guarantee that it wouldn’t be handed over (and Samsung Max stores plenty of your data to give away).

Because Samsung Max has no respect for user privacy, stores just about every scrap of data it possibly could, and is based in South Korea, I recommend you use one of my top VPNs that are guaranteed to keep your information private instead.

Torrenting — Allowed, but Unsafe

You are allowed to torrent using Samsung Max’s servers, but I strongly advise against it. Since Samsung stores all of your data, doesn’t have strong security features (such as a kill switch), and has uncertain encryption and protocols, it would be very unsafe to torrent with this VPN.

Because of the risk to your privacy, I’d advise you to use a safe and secure VPN for P2P traffic instead.

Does Samsung Max Work in China? Probably Not

Samsung Max’s server network is very limited, so it is highly unlikely that it would work in China. Since it didn't work with many streaming platforms, it would probably struggle with the Great Firewall too.

I would have liked to have been able to contact a representative to confirm this, but this VPN does not offer any customer support.

Instead, I recommend choosing one of these VPNs that have been proven to work in China.

Simultaneous Device Connections — Only 1

Samsung Max offers just 1 device connection under its paid and free plans. The app comes with your Samsung phone, so you are limited to use it on that one device. My usual VPN (ExpressVPN) allows me to connect up to 8 devices at the same time — so Samsung Max feels very limiting.

Installation & Apps

5.3

Device Compatibility — Available on Samsung Phones only

Samsung Max can only be used on Samsung mobiles and is not compatible with any other device.

Set-Up & Installation — Already Installed

The app comes pre-installed on most Samsung phones in a number of countries across the world. These locations are: India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. You can also download it from the Play Store if you’re not in one of these countries.

The setup process is relatively straightforward. After signing in, you have the option to toggle between two modes: data saving or privacy protection. Alternatively, you can choose to use both modes simultaneously. However, for users on the free plan, it is important to note that the first of many pop-up ads must be watched in order to obtain 4 hours of continuous usage.

Graphic showing Samsung Max pop ups on interfaceIt’s easy to select which mode you wish to use, but you need to watch a ton of adds on its free plans

There is only 1 location available with the free plan and 8 additional locations with the paid plan. These include Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and the US. However, the German server never worked for me.

Settings include your mobile data usage, notifications, and background data alerts, but there are no additional VPN features to explore. With Privacy Protection activated, you can see which apps are considered to be risky, and how many requests were blocked.

Unusually, the VPN comes with 21 games in its Ultra Games section. This adds to the overall impression that Samsung Max is focused more on general phone use than on offering a decent VPN.

Graphic showing Samsung Max request protection logsThis is interesting, but does not alleviate my privacy concerns

It’s an easy interface to navigate, but only because it’s so minimalistic. I like to see more settings when I use a VPN, preferably with advanced controls over protective features like a kill switch, split tunneling, and protocols. Samsung Max lacks any of these measures.

You can’t get a dedicated IP address with this VPN either, so you’re always sharing IPs with potentially thousands of other users. This can cause congestion and additional performance and security risks.

For these reasons, I recommend you use one of these VPNs that are easy to install, but have advanced features too.

Pricing

5.3
Deluxe
$ 1.99 / month per month
Deluxe+
$ 3.99 / month per month

Samsung Max offers 2 free and 2 paid versions. I looked at both the paid and the free versions but found there to be very few differences in the features offered.

Graphic showing Samsung Max pricingApart from access to more locations and no ads, the paid plans don’t offer many benefits

I struggled to find how “access to all features” differed too greatly from the peculiarly titled Premium plan (which is also free).

That said, if you upgrade to one of the paid plans at either $1.99 per month or $3.99 per month, you get all pop-up ads removed and access to more server locations.

There is no money-back guarantee on any of the plans. If you have an issue with the VPN and want your money back, you have to take it up with your phone provider or the Play Store as there is no available customer support team for Samsung Max.

You can get similar prices on far better VPNs with trustworthy money-back guarantees.

Reliability & Support

3.3

Samsung Max's customer support doesn’t exist. There is no way to contact the VPN team in the event you have a technical issue, or if there are any problems with your payments.

I’m used to 24/7 customer support, usually via live chat, so this was incredibly frustrating.

Compare Samsung Max Privacy VPN and Data Saver With The Top Alternative VPNs
Our Score: 9.9
Our Score: 9.7
Our Score: 9.6
Our Score: 9.5
Editor's Note: Transparency and impartiality are important to us when bringing you our best selection of VPNs. Some of the industry-leading products on our list, including Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company. The VPNs we choose are derived from a thorough testing process.

The Bottom Line

Final Verdict

Samsung Max isn’t really a true VPN service. It’s more of a data saving tool, with some VPN features on the side. It had fairly good streaming abilities and speeds, but mixed results in other areas. Its customer support is non-existent and the server network is limited.

Worse, I suspect the service isn’t even safe to use. It isn’t transparent about its safety measures and it has a shocking privacy policy — hidden under the guise of an app that puts your online safety at its forefront.

For the prices of the subscription plans, I don’t see any reason to choose this VPN over other providers. If you want a safe, fast, and reliable service for your Samsung device, choose one of our top recommended Android instead. Each one has a trustworthy no-logs policy and supports a whole range of other platforms and devices.

  • Works with Netflix
  • Compatible with Android on Samsung phones only
  • Allows torrenting
  • Easy to use app

FAQs on Samsung Max

Does Samsung Max work with Netflix?

Yes, Samsung Max worked with the local Netflix library when testing its US servers while in the country. It also let my colleagues securely watch Max and Amazon Prime Video.

Will Samsung Max slow down my speed?

No, Samsung Max actually improved my speeds. It gave me excellent results in my speed tests, increasing my download speed up to 127%. Unfortunately, my upload speeds were not as good.

Is Samsung Max safe?

Probably notSamsung Max is not clear which protocol and encryption it uses. It also has a poor privacy policy, storing pretty much all the data it can get from its users.

Its apps even use pop-ups (which can carry trackers and other malware), and it has no additional security features I’d expect to find in a decent VPN.

Is Samsung Max Free?

You can use Samsung Max for free, but I don’t recommend it. The free plan has constant pop-ups, with only 1 VPN location available.

Money Back Guarantee (Days): 0
Mobile app:
Number of devices per license: 1
We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
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About the Author

MJ Marsden is a former Editor at vpnMentor. Her understanding of cybersecurity issues and keen eye for accurate information means her work consistently focuses on readers’ online safety.

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