FAQ

Introduction to Hola VPN

What is Hola VPN?

Hola VPN's goal is to make the Internet faster, more open, and cheaper to operate. Hola VPN is a collaborative (P2P) internet -- Hola VPN works by sharing the idle resources of its users for the benefit of all. Hola VPN provides several products based on this resource sharing technology:

What is a community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN?

Hola VPN is the first community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN, where users help other users make the web world-wide again. This means that Hola VPN routes your traffic through other peers (nodes) in the Hola VPN network, as opposed to routing through power-hungry costly servers. This allows Hola VPN to provide you with a superior VPN service with minimal underlying costs. Using real peers to route your traffic rather than proxy servers means that Hola VPN is harder to detect and block. Currently, Hola VPN runs in a hybrid mode - combining traditional VPN architecture and peer-to-peer technology. Chrome browser extension and Opera browser add-on operate as a standard VPN service, and are not part of the Hola VPN peer-to-peer network

Which operating systems, browsers and devices can I use Hola VPN on?

Hola VPN can be installed as a browser extension to Chrome, Firefox, or Opera on Windows and Mac PCs. Hola VPN can also be installed as an app on Android or iOS, and is available as an application (.exe) for Windows. All downloads are accessible directly from our home page (installation and use of Hola VPN is subject to our Terms of service and Privacy policy).

Is Hola VPN free?

Hola VPN is free for private (non-commercial) use on PCs and Macs, and requires a subscription on iOS and Android.
For commercial use of proxies all over the world we recommend Luminati service. The Hola VPN peer-to-peer architecture makes Hola VPN free. However, some users may prefer not to contribute their idle resources to the Hola VPN network, and thus can join the Hola VPN PLUS service, which lets you use Hola VPN without your idle resources being used in return

About Hola VPN PLUS subscription:

How Hola VPN is free?

Your use of Hola Free VPN Proxy is free of charge in exchange for safely using some of your device's resources (WiFi and very limited cellular data), and only when you are not using your device. You may turn this off by joining Hola VPN PLUS service. Please see our TOS for further information.

Why we don't sell ads?

Our vision at Hola VPN is to make the web world wide again, by allowing users to browse the freely -- no censorship, no geographical restrictions, no blocking.
We engineered Hola VPN in a totally new way - as the world's first (and only) peer to peer VPN, where each user in our community shares a small portion of his resources for the benefit of the network, and thus Hola VPN can be free of ads.
Hola VPN makes its revenue by providing corporations the same VPN service we provide to users, but for a fee. This enables us to make Hola VPN free, and keep it free forever!

Is Hola VPN using my bandwidth?

Like any P2P network, Hola VPN is a "value exchange" network - you get the Hola VPN service for free (on PC and Mac), and in exchange you provide a certain amount of network and processing power when your computer is not in use. This is similar to Skype and other P2P services. To provide you its functionality, Hola VPN sometimes needs to route your services through peers (other people's devices) on the Hola VPN network. In return, some of their traffic is also routed through your device. They cannot access your device, they are only routed through it. Hola VPN is free on PC and Mac only for non-commercial users. For commercial use by businesses, Hola VPN provides similar routing functionality through the Hola VPN network for a fee. This is how Hola VPN makes its revenues. The amount of traffic that Hola VPN passes through a peer on its network per day on average is less than a 20 second YouTube clip. PLUS users of the Hola VPN network pay a monthly subscription and in return only use the network and do not contribute to it with their idle resources.

Can I use Hola VPN and not be a peer contributing to the community?

Yes, consumers can pay a fee to only use the Hola VPN, but not contribute their unused resources to the network. This would mean that you will be using Hola VPN as just any other paid-for VPN service. Sign up for Hola VPN PLUS here

How can Hola VPN be free?

VPNs have existed for almost as long as the Internet. VPN companies need to set up and maintain servers in various countries. These servers are then used for routing your traffic in order to change your IP. In addition, these VPN companies need to pay bandwidth bills for their users' traffic. This is very expensive. This built-in cost, coupled with the need of any company to turn a profit, makes a traditional VPN service quite expensive for the end-user (typically around $10 per month).

Hola VPN built a peer-to-peer overlay network for HTTP, which routes the sites you choose through other Hola VPN users' devices and not through expensive servers. Hola VPN never takes up valuable resources from these users because it only uses a user as a proxy if that user's device is completely idle (by idle we mean that the device is not using battery but is connected to electricity; no mouse or keyboard activity has been detected; and the device is connected to the internet). This makes Hola VPN the first VPN service that has no underlying operational costs.
Users who want to enjoy the Hola VPN network without contributing their idle resources can do so by joining the Hola VPN PLUS service for $11.95 per month (or $83.88 per year).

How can Hola VPN offer products for free and with no ads?

Like any P2P network, Hola VPN is a "value exchange" network - you get the service for free, in exchange for providing a certain amount of network and processing power when your device is idle.
Your device is considered idle when:

The amount of traffic that Hola VPN passes through a peer on its network per day on average is less than a 20 second YouTube clip.

How does Hola VPN make money?

We keep Hola VPN free for PCs by selling the same VPN service that you use to businesses.

Hola VPN works because it is a peer-to-peer network - you use the network and contribute to the network. To provide this service without charge to our community, Hola VPN charges validated corporations for use of the network. For Hola VPN users that do not want to be a peer in this network, we offer the Hola VPN PLUS service, which lets you only use the network, but not be a part of it

Hola VPN keeps your information private and does not pass it on to any third party. Consumers have grown used to having Internet businesses collect some of their personal information and sell that on to third parties (either as advertisements or other). Hola VPN's business model is different -- we don't collect any of your personal information -- we use a small fraction of your computer's resources when they are not in use (so that we never slow you down) for the benefit of the network. We find that to be much less intrusive than the existing business models. You can always opt out by paying the $11.95 monthly subscription (or $83.88 per year).

I love the Hola VPN service. How can I share my love?

We definitely need your help to make the internet better! Here's what you can do:

How can I use Hola VPN for my business?

Hola VPN and Hola VPN PLUS are for private, non-commercial use. If you are looking for a robust business proxy service please check Luminati service and recieve a free trial. Your subscription to Luminati will grant you with:

What are some typical use cases for the Luminati services?

Businesses typically use the Luminati service for:

General troubleshooting

I forgot my password, how can I reset it?

To reset your password go to forgot password

Can I use my account on multiple devices?

The Hola VPN service is provided for each platform individually. Therefore, you need to buy a separate subscription for each platform where Hola VPN is to be used.

Can you change the email address?

We can not change your email address once you registered with it. If you registered with a wrong email, register again with the right email address.

I can not play or recognize torrents anymore, what should I do?

Hola VPN has discontinued its torrent 'Media Player' feature, and now offers the video accelerator product for better video streaming from your favorite sites -- faster video start time, and less buffering.

Hola VPN is on, but I still can't unblock the web page I want to see. What should I do?

Try each of these methods separately:

Hola VPN's icon disappeared from my browser. What should I do?

Try each of these separately:
For Chrome

  1. Close Chrome, and reopen it again
  2. In Chrome, move your mouse to the address bar at the top of the page, just beside the bookmarks star. Try to drag the address bar to the left
  3. Try to click the '>>' (more) icon at the top right of the address bar, and see if Hola VPN's icon is on the list
  4. Open Chrome's extensions settings. Ensure that Hola VPN's extension is installed. If not, download it from Hola VPN's webpage
  5. Disable and re-enable Hola VPN

For Firefox

  1. Close Firefox, and re-open it
  2. Open Firefox's Add-ons settings. Ensure that Hola VPN's extension is installed. If not, download it from Hola VPN's webpage
  3. Move your mouse to Firefox's settings button, click the mouse's right button, and select 'Customize'. Drag the Hola VPN icon back to the bar

I get this message: 'Hola VPN cannot work because another extension is controlling your proxy settings'. What should I do?

Disable all other extensions and then enable them back, one by one, to find the extension that is causing the conflict with Hola VPN.

I get this message: 'There seems to be an error - Reload Hola VPN'. What should I do?

You could be receiving this message either because you are behind a corporate firewall through which Hola VPN cannot pass, or because the Hola VPN system is down. Alternatively, this message can result from some other problem that we are not able to pinpoint. If you are behind a firewall (e.g. at work), try connecting to a different network (different WiFi for example), or outside the company. Otherwise, try the following:

I have a PLUS membership. Why my status is not updated to PLUS?

Your PLUS membership is associated with the account you used for registering to Hola VPN when you started the membership. As long as you are signed in, using that account, you appear as a PLUS user. Sing in to your account

For example, if you registered with your Google account and you are using your Facebook account, Hola VPN will not recognize you as a PLUS user

The email you received from Hola VPN after starting your subscription indicates which account is associated with your membership

If you used PayPal to pay for your membership, it may take few minutes for the membership status to get updated

If you have a PLUS membership but still do not see that in your status, take the following steps:

  1. Go to the My Account page
  2. Use the same account you used when you registered for Hola VPN PLUS. If you are not sure which account to use, refer to the email message you received from Hola VPN when you started your subscription.
  3. Check the 'PLUS Membership' section for your membership status:
    • If it shows beside 'Active Until' a future date, it means your membership is valid through that date
    • If it reads 'You don't have a PLUS subscription. Already a PLUS member?', you might have signed in by using the wrong account. Try logging out and logging with a different email address and check the My Account page again. For example, if you signed in using your Google's account, log out and try to sign in with your Facebook account, or your email address.

    Please note: Hola VPN service is provided for each platform individually. Therefore, you need to purchase a separate membership for each platform where Hola VPN is to be used.

  4. If the problem is not resolved, send us an email along with the invoice

Is it possible to pay for PLUS without automatically recurring payments?

If you'd like to manually buy each subscription period (monthly, yearly) separately, you can do the following:

  1. Go to the PLUS page and start a monthly or annual PLus membership
  2. After completing the payment process, go to your account's page
  3. Follow the instructions to turn off auto-renewal

How do I keep Hola VPN's version updated to the latest version?

We update Hola VPN often with bug fixes and new features. We keep your version of Hola VPN automatically updated.
Android and iOS users: Ensure that you keep automatic updates on

Which information should I provide to Hola VPN when reporting a problem?

If you have gone through the above troubleshooting steps and are still facing problems, send us a bug report, and include as much of the following information as you can:

Note: Many times resetting your computer/cell phone and ensuring that you have internet connectivity will solve your problem.

I have problems with Hola VPN on Firefox: sites are missing, I'm stuck on an old version, I keep getting redirected to install Hola VPN for Firefox, etc.

Some old versions of Hola VPN for Firefox, which were installed from the Mozilla Add-ons store, don't get automatically updated to the newest version of Hola VPN
Uninstall the current Hola VPN you have, and go to Hola VPN's website, click 'Start' to get the latest version of Hola VPN.

I can't install the Hola VPN client (exe)

Try the following:

How do I uninstall Hola VPN?

You can uninstall Hola VPN as follows:

How do I stop Hola VPN from starting automatically when Windows starts?

I received an account verification email, but the link is not working

I have feedback or an idea for Hola VPN

We love to hear your feedback and ideas. Send us an email!

Android troubleshooting

When does my device contribute to the Hola VPN peer network?

You can read here more about community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN

Will my cellular plan be used by the Hola VPN peer network?

We prefer to use WiFi! We may use very limited cellular data and we won't use while roaming

How can I clear my browsing history?

  1. Go to menu (top right of the home screen)
  2. Click 'Settings'
  3. Choose 'WEB' from the top list
  4. Scroll down to 'Advanced Settings'
  5. Click 'Clear history'

Please note: You can also set Hola VPN to clear the browsing history every time you exit Hola VPN by selecting the check box 'Clear history on exit' at the top of the list

How do I use the Hola VPNVPN built-in browser?

Hola VPN app comes with a built-in browser which allows you to unblock any website from any country. Click the country flag from the top of the screen to change the Hola VPN browser IP (internet address) to the country you want to virtually browse from. Once you pick a country, enter the website you want to browse to in the address bar. You will be virtually browsing from the country you selected

To see a list of popular sites in your country, click the Hola VPN browser's address bar from the home screen. From that list, you can select the site you want to browse to, and the country you want to browse the site from


Hola VPN helps to make the internet faster, more open, and cheaper to operate. We cannot provide support for a specific domain or service. Moreover, users must always comply with the site's terms of use Using pay sites with Hola VPN.

To check the functionality of the VPN please visit iplocation.net or any other IP locater, and you will be able to see your IP is an IP of the country you selected.

Hola VPN is not working for me

If Hola VPN isn't working on your Android device, it's possible that there is a conflict with another application or system settings.
The following apps can not run at the same time or might cause conflict with Hola VPN:

Proxy settings:

App is set to a 'browsing from' country with Hola VPN but still does not work:

Go to Hola VPN app > settings > turn 'Popular List' off

How can I temporarily disable Hola VPN app?

Go to Hola VPN app > settings > turn off Hola VPN

How do I uninstall Hola VPN?

  1. Open 'Play Store'
  2. Press the 'menu' button, and then under 'Apps & Games' select 'My apps & games'
  3. Look for Hola VPN and uninstall it

Please note: If you have Hola VPN PLUS, this neither stops payments nor ends the subscription! To stop the subscription, visit 'Subscriptions' in 'My Account' settings on the 'Play Store'

How do I use Hola VPN on Android apps that I cannot find on the store?

  1. Open your phone's browser
  2. Search on Google for the application's APK download. For example, if you are looking for the Wikipedia app (which you might not be able to download if blocked by your government), search for 'Wikipedia APK download' (this is the application's installation file)
  3. Once the APK is downloaded, click it to start the installation
  4. If you get a message that you can't install non-Market apps, see How to enable non-Play apps
  5. Once installed, go back to Hola VPN app, and open the desired app

Bug report

To report a problem on Android, follow these steps:

  1. Open Hola VPN > settings > 'Issue Report'
  2. Write a brief description about the problem
  3. Attach screenshots of the problem

iOS troubleshooting

I have a problem with Hola VPN on iOS, what should I do?

For all iOS-related questions, see Hola VPN iOS FAQ

Hola VPN accelerator

What is the Hola VPN accelerator?

The Hola VPN accelerator is an extension that helps you to stream videos better with faster start time, and less buffering

Hola VPN change GPS location

Enable 'Developer options' manually

On some devices the app would not be able to enable the 'Developer options'. As a result the app would not function properly. Please see the following to manually enable the 'Developer options'

  1. Go to your device's 'Settings'
  2. Scroll down to 'About' and enter it
  3. In 'About' keep clicking on the 'Build number' until you see 'You are now a developer'

You have activated the 'Developer options'! You can now enable 'Mock locations' and use the app - See the next section to learn how to enable 'Mock location'

How do I enable the Hola VPN change GPS location app on Android?

To enable Android's 'mock location', click 'SETTINGS' on the pop out in Hola VPN change GPS location app

Please note: You can always change these settings using 'Android developer settings'

Billing FAQ

I have a billing question, what should I do?

For all billing questions, visit the Hola VPN Billing FAQ

Hola VPN

What is the Hola VPN?

Hola VPN is the first community powered (Peer-to-Peer) VPN, where users help each other make the information on the web accessible for everyone again.
Hola VPN is very easy to setup (one click), and is free and ad-free for PC and Mac users. It is useful for seeing how a website looks like from a certain country, for overcoming government censorship (e.g. using Facebook from a country that blocks it), for overcoming your corporation's internet site blocking, for seeing a site in its native language (e.g. seeing the Spanish news site as it appears to Spanish users), and more.

Hola VPN is free on PC and MAC for private use. For a commercial-level VPN, see Luminati service

How do I use Hola VPN?

Go to a website you would like to use, click Hola VPN's extension icon in your browser, and select the country from which you would like to access the site. Hola VPN will switch your IP (your internet address) to the country you selected, so that you are virtually browsing from that country.

Alternatively, you can click the Hola VPN extension from any page, and enter a website you would like to unblock, then select the country. Enjoy!


We cannot provide support for a specific domain or service. Moreover, users must always comply with the site's terms of use Using pay sites with Hola VPN.

To check the functionality of the VPN please visit iplocation.net or any other IP locater, and you will be able to see your IP is an IP of the country you selected.

If you purchased a Hola VPN PLUS account and wish to get a refund, please send us the email address with which you signed up to our service.

Why do I get a Hola VPN popup on some websites, asking if I want to unblock this page using Hola VPN?

When Hola VPN identifies a webpage that many people in your country unblock by using Hola VPN, Hola VPN assumes that you may want to unblock this page via Hola VPN as well. You can click 'unlock' to unblock the page via Hola VPN, or click 'x' to continue browsing normally. Based on your decision, Hola VPN will create a rule that you can change afterwards.

Does Hola VPN work on AppleTV or any SmartTV/ PlayStation/ XBMC/ embedded Android devices, etc?

Hola VPN does not support these platforms. For a list of recommended complementary services that support these platforms, go to our recommendation page.

How does Hola VPN ensure the legitimate use of its consumer network?

Hola VPN regularly monitors the consumer network for traces of misuse or security breaches. In addition, architecture modifications allow Hola VPN to see the origin of each request, thus if a cyber criminal were to use the Hola VPN network, the cyber's criminal information may be passed on to the authorities. This makes Hola VPN un-attractive to abusers. Some VPN networks don't see both ends of the connection, and are therefore much more attractive for these uses.

Is Bittorrent supported?

The use of Bittorrent on our network is not allowed, and we are blocking Bittorrent traffic.

Why does Hola VPN need the various permissions for the Chrome extension and the Android app?

To route your traffic through other IPs, Hola VPN must act as a proxy for your data, thus requiring various data permissions
We only ask for the permissions we need for the app to work best
More details about the required Android permissions can be found below.
Device & app history: Hola VPN allows you to launch, from within the Hola VPN app, apps you installed in your device
Identity: Hola VPN also needs to create an ID for your Android device, and the ID is created from the various hardware readings
Photos/Media/Files: We use the external storage of the device for caching and storing data
Device ID & call information: Hola VPN uses peer-to-peer technology as a VPN proxy, so we need to identify when the device is idle and is using the power supply and NOT roaming, so we don't waste your battery, or slowing down your phone.

Does Hola VPN share any of my personal information with the rest of the Hola VPN community?

No. Hola VPN handles your HTTP requests exactly like HTTP web proxies do, according to the HTTP RFC standards, and in a similar way to how ISPs do it in the normal course of your browsing. That also covers 'Cache:' public/private HTTP headers, and their correct handling.

My antivirus software is marking some files related to Hola VPN as unsafe, are they?

This is a false positive report. The file it's catching is part of the Hola VPN smart cache (you can mark it as safe, don't delete). We are working with the top antivirus vendors to get Hola VPN completely whitelisted, so that these types of false positives don't disturb our users.

Could the Hola VPN network be used by criminals to hide their identity?

Like other commercial networks, Hola VPN is a managed and supervised network and thus any illegal activity such as CP would be reported to the authorities with the user's real IP. Criminals will typically not use a commercial service, because their identities are at the hands of that commercial entity.

What are the risks of a community powered commercial VPN?

Non-commercial VPNs such as TOR are completely anonymous, and nobody has access to the source of the requests on that network. That makes these networks ideal for criminal activity, and running a Tor relay/bridge is most likely helping the wrong people, as well as putting the operator in danger. Hola VPN is a commercial network, run by a commercial company that has its customers and its business in mind. Thus, when sensing any dubious activity on our network, we are able to see the source of the request and help law enforcement get to the cyber criminal. We've never yet heard of a case where a Hola VPN user had any such problems, despite having an install base that is a few thousand times bigger than any other comparable network such as Tor. If you are still concerned about these risks, you have the option of not installing or uninstalling Hola VPN.

What is the role of Hola VPN’s Chief Security Officer?

Hola VPN’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) is responsible for the overall security of the Hola VPN network. Hola VPN’s CSO leads the development, implementation, and management of the organization’s security vision, strategy, and programs. Recent actions include internal and external security audits, security bounty program, securing the consumer and commercial onboarding processes, and changes in the Hola VPN network architecture.

What is the Hola VPN vulnerability bounty program?

To expose Hola VPN’s products and networks to external scrutiny, we occasionally offer a vulnerability bounty program, by which researchers can receive recognition and compensation for reporting security vulnerabilities. This program allows Hola VPN to discover and resolve security issues before the general public, thereby preventing the abuse of the Hola VPN networks.

Hola VPN PLUS

Which platforms does Hola VPN VPN PLUS support?

Can I use my account on multiple devices?

Yes. You can use your Hola VPN PLUS account on up to 10 devices.
To use Hola VPN PLUS on your iPhone or iPad, install Hola VPN for iOS, then login using your username and password.
To use Hola VPN PLUS on Android, install Hola VPN PLUS Android app.
To use Hola VPN PLUS on your Smart TV, gaming consoles and routers, visit Hola VPN PLUS Setup configuration page.

I connected to Hola VPN PLUS but my streaming service (e.g. Netflix, Hulu...) still doesn't work. Why?

In most cases, this is because your browser or app still have some information that identify you as coming from your country.
To fix, disconnect from Hola VPN PLUS, do the following and the reconnect:

Performing these actions makes sure you start with a 'clean' system. Now, reconnect to Hola VPN PLUS, open the browser/app, sign-in and try again.
If you still encounter difficulties, please let us know.

I subscribed to PLUS, but my account is still showing that I am a free user. Why?

Make sure you are signed in with your Hola VPN PLUS account details to allow Hola to correctly identify your account type. You will find a sign-in menu in every Hola VPN PLUS product - on desktop and on mobile.

I think my Hola VPN PLUS conncetion is slow. What can I do?

Here are a few tips to improve your Hola VPN PLUS speed:

When I connect to some sites, they warn me of suspicious activity. Why?

Many websites keep track of their visitor's IP addresses. When you connect to Hola VPN PLUS, your public IP address changes from your regular IP address to a different IP address. Some sites may display a message or send you an email saying that an unusual login was detected.
The reason for these warning usually is the rapid change in IP address that happens when you use a VPN. For example, if your home country is India, you usually connect to the website (without VPN) from an India IP address. If you visit the same site after connecting to a USA VPN server, the site will suddenly see you connecting from the USA and consider it suspicious.

Can I share my account with my family? Will they see my online activity?

You are welcome to share your account with your family so that they can enjoy Hola VPN PLUS as well. Just remember that your accont allows up to 10 devices.
If you need more than 10 devices, simply buy a second Hola VPN PLUS subscription. Your online activity is not recorded, and will not be visible to anyone.

How can I manage my account?

To manage your subscription, go to your account.

How can I cancel my subscription

This depends on which device you used to subscribe to Hola VPN PLUS:

How can I get technical support?

To contact our support team, fill a support form.

Misc.

Can I use Hola VPN together with another VPN service?

Using two VPN services at the same time can cause an unexpected behavior. If you'd like to use two VPN services, simply quit one of them while using the other.

When I'm using Hola VPN, do I still need to register as a user or pay the website I'm watching?

Yes, you still need to register and pay for sites that require registration and payment, even when using Hola VPN. In addition, you must always comply with the site's terms of use.

Can I run Hola VPN on a virtual machine? Can I run it on both the host and guest systems simultaneously?

Yes, Hola VPN works on Windows, even if running under VMWare. Our browser extensions work on all operating systems that support Chrome and Firefox (except mobile). However, you should close the Hola VPN client on the host system before you open the virtual machine, and never try to run Hola VPN on both the host and guest operating systems at once.

Can I use Hola VPN on my SmartTV, my gaming console or my router?

Yes, using Hola VPN PLUS - see Hola VPN PLUS Setup configuration page.

How can I remain updated as to the latest improvements and new product features?

Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook