How to get started? – Surfshark Customer Support

Hey there! We are happy to have you at Surfshark!

We have a lot to choose from: all those apps, smart DNS, routers, etc. But no worries, we have you covered. Continue reading this guide, and we will help you pick a solution that suits you the best.

Here's what we'll go through:

Surfshark app: a one-stop solution for your phone, tablet, or computer
Browser extension: a lightweight solution to protect your browser
VPN on routers: secure your whole household
Smart DNS: best for Smart TVs

If you haven't purchased a subscription yet, you can quickly do that here: https://order.surfshark.com. You will not be able to use the Surfshark VPN without having a valid subscription.

Surfshark VPN app: a one-stop solution for your phone and computer

The easiest and favorite way to use Surfshark VPN is to install the Surfshark app on all of your devices that you'd like to use with a VPN. If you install the Surfshark VPN app on your phone, computer, or other supported device, there is nothing else you need to install to use Surfshark.

Once you install the Surfshark application, you will be able to connect to a VPN, protect your connection, access streaming content securely, and much more within a single click.

Choose your device below and click on the link - it will lead you to the dedicated tutorial.

Windows

macOS

Linux

Android

iOS

Chromebook

Fi restick

If your device is running an operating system that is not listed here, it's most likely that your device does not support VPNs. That also means the Surfshark app can't be installed, and you should check for alternative solutions.

Surfshark browser extension: a lightweight solution to protect your browser

Surfshark also has browser extensions (a.k.a. browser add-ons) that you can install on your browser. If you have installed the Surfshark app already, then you probably don't need the browser extension. But if you can't or don't want to install any software to your computer or simply want to use a VPN on the browser only, a browser extension might be a great solution.

You can install both - Surfshark desktop app and the browser extension, but do not connect both at the same time. That might cause interruptions in your VPN connection.

You can install the Surfshark browser extension for:

Google Chrome (it will also work fine on Brave and Opera browsers);

Mozilla Firefox (made for Mozilla Firefox, but works on many other Gecko-based browsers).

Microsoft Edge

Surfshark on a router: secure your whole household

An alternative way of using Surfshark is setting up the VPN on your router.

This way, all of your devices connected to this router will be covered by VPN, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, and others that normally do not support VPN. However, this connection method will likely cause a significant drop in speed. Also, most of Surfshark's great features, e.g., KillSwitch, Bypasser, or CleanWeb, will become unavailable if you choose this method instead of installing an app made for your device.

You can find tutorials for the majority of supported routers here. If you can not find instructions for your router, either it does not have a VPN functionality, or we do not have instructions for it. But feel free to contact us via live chat or email for clarification.

Smart DNS: best for Smart TVs

Some devices do not have the in-built VPN functionality, and the VPN app can not be installed. For example, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, or Smart TVs. In this case, you can try configuring the VPN on your router, as suggested above, or try using smart DNS.

Smart DNS will allow you to enjoy many streaming services of the US region, e.g., Disney+, and some others. If you're hoping to get access to streaming services in regions other than the US, you can try sharing a VPN connection from your Windows device to a smart TV. Here's how to do that.

To use smart DNS, you will need to activate it for your account. Then enter DNS servers addresses to your TV or console settings.

You will find our tutorials on how to set up smart DNS on popular devices here.