Surfshark Download: Official Apps & Installation Guide

Download, install, connect: three different steps

A Surfshark download puts an installer on your computer or an app on your device. It does not automatically activate a subscription or create a working VPN connection. Keep these stages separate when checking what went wrong:

For example, a new laptop may show a successful installation while the app still asks you to sign in. Buying again solves the wrong problem if you already have an active account. Find the original purchase email first.

What to check before you start

• Your operating system: open the device’s About screen and compare it with the requirements below.
• Your account: identify the email or sign-in method used for the subscription.
• Your internet access: complete a hotel or airport Wi-Fi sign-in before trying to establish the VPN.
• Your permissions: on a work-managed device, follow your organization’s installation and VPN policy.

If you are still deciding whether to subscribe, our best VPN comparison is the better starting point. If you already chose Surfshark, use the platform instructions here.

Surfshark system requirements: current apps versus legacy versions

Use this compatibility snapshot before downloading. We checked the linked platform documentation on September 10, 2026. The current store listing or specific download page should settle a compatibility warning; an old tutorial or a file that still opens is not evidence of ongoing support.

Legacy Windows is a separate download. Surfshark’s Windows page labels Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and x86 as no longer supported, while still offering an older client. Do not treat that client as equivalent to the current app. A compatible VPN also does not extend the security-support lifetime of the operating system beneath it.

For mixed-device households, our VPN compatibility tool helps compare feature coverage. Device support and feature support are different questions: the existence of a Mac and an iPhone app does not mean their settings match.

Surfshark download for Windows: x64 or ARM64?

Open the official Windows download page. In Windows, go to Settings → System → About and read System type. Choose x64 for a matching Intel/AMD system or ARM64 for an ARM-based PC. Do not assume every Surface laptop uses the same processor.

1. Download the matching installer and wait for it to finish.
2. Open the setup file from Downloads. The official guide calls it Surfshark.Setup.
3. Check the source before approving Windows’ permission to install the app.
4. Let installation finish, open Surfshark and sign in.
5. Complete two-factor authentication if enabled, then choose Quick-connect or a location.
6. Wait for the active connection status before doing the checks below.

These steps follow the Windows setup guide. If an installer does not open, check its architecture and whether the download completed before repeating the process. An administrator restriction on a managed computer needs the administrator’s help.

Surfshark download for Mac: DMG or App Store?

Start at the official Mac download page. Surfshark offers a direct website download as well as a Mac App Store version. The important choice is which features you need, not simply which button appears first.

The Mac Antivirus instructions explicitly say Antivirus is unavailable in the App Store build. If you need to switch distributions, follow those instructions, including removing the App Store version first. Buying another subscription will not add that feature to the wrong build.

Complete the first connection

1. Install your chosen distribution and open Surfshark.
2. Sign in to your existing account or complete account setup.
3. Choose a connection and follow the macOS permission prompts initiated by the app.
4. If directed to Login Items & Extensions, complete that permission step and return to Surfshark.
5. Confirm the connected status and check normal browsing.

The current macOS setup guide illustrates the App Store route. If macOS reports an unverified or damaged package, redownload through the official website and investigate the exact message. Do not disable system safeguards to run an unknown copy.

How to download Surfshark on iPhone and iPad

Open the Surfshark iOS download page and follow its App Store link. This avoids confusing a similarly named app with the provider’s own listing.

1. Install Surfshark from the linked listing and open it.
2. Choose the existing-account login if you already subscribed.
3. Sign in using the account associated with the purchase.
4. Start a server connection.
5. Approve the app’s request to add a VPN configuration; authenticate with your device when prompted.
6. Wait for the connected status, then check your connection.

Surfshark’s iPhone and iPad instructions cover this permission flow. Installing an app and authorizing its VPN configuration are separate steps. If you declined the request, troubleshoot the permission before assuming the account is broken.

A useful first test is a normal move from home Wi-Fi to cellular data. Check whether the VPN reconnects as expected. Our VPN for iPhone guide explains iOS privacy limits, Private Relay and the settings worth reviewing.

Surfshark download for Android: Google Play or APK

The official Android page is the starting point for both the store installation and Surfshark’s own APK. Use the store route when it is available and compatible with your device.

Google Play installation

1. Follow the official Google Play link and install Surfshark.
2. Open the app and use your existing login if you have a subscription.
3. Select a server and approve Android’s VPN connection request.
4. Confirm the connected status on the app’s home screen.

The Android setup guide notes that a Google Play installation may briefly return to Google Play for security verification when opened. That documented step alone is not evidence that the app failed.

When you need the official Surfshark APK

If the Play Store route is unavailable, use Download .APK on Surfshark’s Android page. The official APK instructions cover opening the downloaded package, installing it and approving the first connection.

Keep any installation permission limited to the source you deliberately chose. Review or remove that permission afterward if no longer needed. Avoid “premium unlocked” or modified APKs: a familiar logo does not establish who built the file. Keep track of how this copy will receive updates rather than assuming a different store manages it.

Surfshark download for Linux: use the current graphical app

Surfshark has a Linux GUI. Start with its official Linux download page and the current installation guide, which links to Snapcraft and Flathub and documents a manual installation route.

1. Check your distribution, release, architecture and desktop against the requirements above.
2. Choose a supported store package or the official manual route.
3. For manual installation, read the current script before executing it; the guide separates download, inspection and installation.
4. Open the installed app, sign in and connect to a location.

Do not combine instructions for the current GUI with an old guide titled “Linux (Legacy version).” Package names and commands can differ. Likewise, do not paste a Debian installation recipe into an unrelated distribution simply because both systems run Linux.

For a server without a desktop or a custom manual configuration, first confirm that Surfshark documents your intended setup. A desktop app’s support list does not establish support for every headless environment.

Surfshark for TVs, browsers and routers: choose the right scope

Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox and Edge

Choose your browser in the official download hub, then follow the extension-store link. Install the extension, sign in and connect from its own controls. Surfshark’s extension documentation explains that it handles browser traffic; other apps can keep using their ordinary connection.

For example, an extension in Chrome does not automatically route a separate desktop email app through Surfshark. Start with the native VPN app when you want broader device routing, while checking any configured exclusions. Surfshark also cautions that connecting the app and extension simultaneously can interfere with connectivity. Start with one route and add complexity only for a specific need.

Our VPN versus proxy guide explains why the traffic a tool covers matters as much as its name.

Apple TV, Android TV and compatible Fire TV devices

Use the native app where your exact device supports it. The Apple TV guide requires tvOS 17 or later and explains login options, including a code from another signed-in device. For Android TV and Fire TV, check the device’s store and the official TV setup guidance.

A television brand alone does not identify the operating system. Before buying anything, look up the exact model and whether it can install the native app. A compatible streaming device, supported VPN router or documented Windows connection-sharing setup can be an alternative when the TV itself cannot run it.

Routers and consoles

A router needs compatible VPN-client functionality. A normal Windows or Mac installer cannot be installed on a router, and a console does not become compatible with an Android APK. Check Surfshark’s documented method for the exact router model and firmware. Save your existing configuration and identify how to restore it before making network changes.

After installation: verify the VPN before relying on it

The installation is only the beginning. Surfshark’s connection verification guide recommends checking the visible connection information and using IP and DNS checks. The following practical sequence helps distinguish a successful download from a working setup.

Record the selected server, app version and any custom settings when a problem occurs. That small note is more useful for troubleshooting than a screenshot that only says “not working.” For a fuller procedure, use our VPN setup and leak-testing checklist.

Settings to review once the basic connection works

Decide what you want to happen after a dropped connection, restart or network change. Look for the options supported by your app and read their descriptions. Our VPN kill switch guide explains disconnect protection; our VPN protection guide explains why a tunnel does not replace secure websites, updates or account security.

Surfshark download not working? Find the failing stage

Start with what you can observe. A file that will not download, an app that will not install and an account that will not connect are different problems. Change one thing at a time so you know which step helped.

Surfshark’s installation troubleshooting page identifies OS compatibility and installation permissions as common causes. For current minimum versions, use the newer platform-specific guides above. If a security product flags a download, inspect the exact warning and obtain a fresh official copy before making exceptions; do not switch off protection for an unexplained file.

Collect useful details before contacting support

• Device model, OS version, app version and installation source.
• The exact error and whether it occurs before or after login.
• Whether the problem affects all servers, one network or one application.
• Which changes you tried, and whether ordinary internet access works.

Send diagnostics through Surfshark’s official support route when requested. Keep passwords, two-factor recovery codes and payment-card details out of screenshots or public posts. A reinstall can replace damaged app files; it cannot fix an unsupported device or move a purchase to a different account.

Is Surfshark free to download? Subscription and trial explained

The app is free to download; the VPN service is paid unless you have an eligible active trial. A “Get” or “Install” button in an app store describes the download, not a permanently free VPN plan.

At our check, the official download page advertised a seven-day trial on up to three compatible devices, attached to 12- or 24-month plans with specified payment methods. Eligibility and billing terms can change. Read the offer presented to you, including when payment starts, the amount and how to cancel. Do not assume a plan reached through any link necessarily includes that trial.

Before subscribing, write down the full first charge, the term it covers and the renewal amount. A monthly equivalent on a long plan is not necessarily a monthly payment. If you only need a VPN, compare the basic plan before paying for additional security services that your devices may not support.

Need access before subscribing? The Surfshark free trial guide explains web activation, device limits and cancellation.

Updates, reinstallation and cancellation

Keep the app and operating system updated. Use the update mechanism appropriate to the distribution you installed: a store-managed application and a manually downloaded package may follow different processes. When troubleshooting, note the installed version before comparing it with a current support article.

Before reinstalling, confirm you can sign back in and record any settings you want to restore. Use the provider’s platform-specific removal instructions, then reinstall through the official route. Avoid deleting VPN profiles belonging to an employer or another service.

Uninstalling Surfshark does not cancel your subscription. Check who bills you. Surfshark’s subscription-management guide directs direct customers to their account’s subscription and payment settings; Apple and Google Play purchases must be managed with the relevant store. Stopping renewal and requesting a refund are separate actions.

Keep the cancellation confirmation and check the resulting renewal or expiration date. Removing an app icon is not billing confirmation. If your only aim is to move to a new phone, install there and use the existing account rather than canceling unnecessarily.

Frequently asked questions