How to set up IKEv2 manual connection on iOS?

In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up the IKEv2 VPN connection on your iOS device. This is an alternative way of connecting to Surfshark servers that will come in handy if the Surfshark VPN app can not be installed on your iOS or it does not perform as expected.

You will learn how to:

• Get your credentials
• Find server hostnames
• Download and install the VPN profile
• Connect to the VPN
• Make sure your connection was successful

You will need a device running the iOS operating system and an active Surfshark subscription. If you don’t have the subscription yet, you can get it here.

Get your credentials

You will need Surfshark service credentials to connect to the VPN using a manual IKEv2 connection. Do not confuse these with your regular credentials, namely your email address and your password.

Here is how you can get your Surfshark service credentials:

1. Go to this page. On this page, you will find all the details required for manual connection.
   
   You may need to log in before proceeding to this page. In that case, enter your email address and your password, then click Log in.
   
   
2. Tap on the Credentials tab. You will find Surfshark service credentials there.
   
   It is a good idea to keep this page open for now. You will need these credentials a bit later.
   
   
   

Find server hostnames

Every server has a hostname that you will need to use to connect to the specific VPN location. You can find all the hostnames at surfshark.com.

1. Go to this page. It’s the same page where Surfshark service credentials are stored.
   
   
2. Find the list of servers.
   
   
3. Find the server hostname under the name of each location.
   
   If you wish to connect to Poland, find the hostname for Poland - Warsaw or Poland - Gdansk. If you prefer connecting to Finland, find the hostname for Finland - Helsinki.
   
   
   
   

Download and install the IKEv2 profile

1. Go to this page. Again, it's the same page where Surfshark service credentials and server hostnames are stored.
   
   
2.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find the Other configuration files tab and there you will find the IKEv2 certificate.
   
   Tap on the IKEv2 certificate tab, and the download will start automatically.
   
   Note that we highly recommend downloading them through the Safari browser, as other browsers may not work correctly.
   
   
   
   
3. Once the download is complete, a prompt will pop-up asking if you wish to install the downloaded profile. You can proceed from there or open the Settings app on your device.
   
   You will notice a tab saying Profile Downloaded. Tap on it.
   
   
   
   
4. After opening the profile, click Install.
   
   
   
   
5. Confirm the installation by clicking Install again.
   
   
   
   
6. When the installation is complete, click Done and proceed to the next step.
   
   
   
   
   

Connect to the VPN

You have now installed the IKEv2 VPN profile on your device. This profile will act as a graphical interface that you can use to connect to the VPN.

Here is how you can connect to the VPN:

1. Open the Settings app on your device, go to General and tap on the VPN tab.
   
   
   
   
2.  Select Add VPN Configuration...
   
   
   
   
3. Fill in all the required details:
   
   Type - IKEv2;
   Description - Your preferred name of this connection;
   Server - the hostname of the server. Refer to the Find server hostnames part of this article;
   Remote ID - the same hostname that you entered in the Server field;
   Local ID - leave empty;
   
   User Authentication - Username;
   Username - Your Surfshark service username. Refer to the Get your credentials part of this article;
   Password - Your Surfshark service password. Refer to the Get your credentials part of this article;
   Proxy - Off.
   
   Press Done after entering all the details.
   
   
   
   
4. From now on, you will find the configured VPN profile in the VPN tab that you will always find in Settings -> General.
   
   Move the slider to connect and disconnect from the VPN.
   
   
   

Make sure your connection was successful

It's always recommended to check whether your connection was successful after setting up a VPN for the first time. This can be easily done by doing an IP leak test and a DNS leak test which is available on our website. Click here to find out how to make sure your connection was successful.

Congratulations - you have successfully configured the IKEv2 VPN connection method! As long as you’re connected, your location is private and your sensitive data is secure.

If you have any further questions, our customer success team is here to help you 24/7 over live chat or email.


You may also be interested in:

1. How to make sure if my connection was successful?
2. How to enable 2FA on your Surfshark account?
3. How to connect from countries with network restrictions?