What you need to know
- Surshark VPN is now fully compatible with M1 Macs.
- The latest update brings compatibility to App Store and direct download versions.
If you've been on the lookout for the best Mac VPN, you've probably come across Surfshark. If you're yet to try it out, its latest update may just convince you to give it a spin.
That's because, in version 3.4.0 for macOS, Surfshark has added full support for Apple's M1 chip. The update is available now both via the App Store and as a direct download from Surfshark's site.
Surshark is one of very few VPN apps offering native M1 support and it offers some tangible benefits for users. Not only will you have a better experience when using the app — with Surfshark stating that the VPN performance in terms of speed and stability will be improved — but you'll also experience a lesser impact on battery life when running it.
Previous versions of the Surfshark app, and other apps that haven't yet been optimized for Apple silicon, still run on M1 Macs but not natively meaning they don't benefit from M1's performance gains. Instead, Apple software called Rosetta2 essentially translates apps made for Intel processors so that they can run on Apple's own ARM-based chips.
Though Rosetta2 is very good at what it does and, apart from a prompt the first time it is needed, runs in the background without any user input, this translation process is not needed with apps written for M1 which allows for speed and energy efficiency benefits.
Version 3.4.0 of Surfshark VPN for macOS also includes performance improvements and data transfer enhancements for Wireguard and OpenVPN protocols.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).
2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
