How to Use Proton VPN While Still Accessing Sites That Block VPNs (Windows Guide)

Summary

Using a VPN like Proton VPN is one of the smartest ways to protect your privacy online. It encrypts your internet traffic, hides your IP address, and helps you avoid tracking and surveillance. But there's a catch: some websites don't like VPNs. They may block you, lock your account, or deny access altogether if they detect you're using one.

This guide shows you how to keep Proton VPN active for most of your browsing, while still allowing certain trusted websites to see your real IP address. The method uses a feature called "split tunneling" and works specifically on Windows.

Who This Guide Is For

This article is for privacy-conscious Windows users who:

• Use Proton VPN regularly to protect their internet activity.
• Get blocked from sites like online banking portals, text messaging services, or government logins.
• Want to allow specific websites to see their real (non-VPN) IP address, without turning off the VPN entirely.

What You'll Learn

• What split tunneling is and why it helps.
• How to configure Proton VPN's split tunneling feature on Windows.
• The best browsers to use for VPN-excluded sites.
• How to confirm it's working.

What is Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling allows you to choose which apps or IP addresses use the VPN and which do not.

Instead of sending all internet traffic through Proton VPN, you can make exceptions for specific applications (like a browser), so they use your normal internet connection with your real IP address. This is especially useful when certain sites block VPN usage or geo-restricted content.

Step 1: Set Up Split Tunneling in Proton VPN for Windows

1. Open Proton VPN

Launch the Proton VPN app on your Windows machine.

2. Open Settings

• Click the gear icon in the top right.
• Select the "Connection" tab.

3. Enable Split Tunneling

• Scroll down to the Split Tunneling section.
• Toggle it On.

4. Exclude a Browser from the VPN

Choose which browser you'd like to use for websites that block VPNs (see recommendations below).

Click "Add Application", and select the browser you want to exclude. For example:

C:\\Program Files\\BraveSoftware\\Brave-Browser\\Application\\brave.exe