Microsoft’s Defender VPN: Short-Lived and Discontinued

Microsoft’s Defender VPN service, which was introduced in Germany as recently as October 2024, is already being shut down. The company has announced that the feature, part of Microsoft Defender for Individuals included in Microsoft 365 Family and Personal plans, will be discontinued by February 28. This means the service barely lasted half a year before being retired.

Microsoft has published a support article confirming the decision. In response to the question of why the privacy protection feature is being removed from the Defender app, the company states: “Our goal is to ensure that you and your family are safer online. We continuously assess the usage and effectiveness of our features. As such, we are removing the privacy protection function and will be investing in new areas that better align with customer needs.”

Reasons for the Shutdown Remain Unclear

Despite this statement, Microsoft has not provided a clear explanation for why the service is being discontinued. It remains uncertain whether the VPN was underutilized, too costly to maintain, or if there were concerns about potential misuse. The company’s official reasoning leaves room for speculation, but no further details have been provided.

Other features within Microsoft Defender are reportedly unaffected. Users will still have access to data and device protection, as well as threat alerts. Additionally, identity theft monitoring remains in place, along with credit monitoring—although the latter is only available in the United States.

For Apple users, Microsoft Defender on iOS uses a VPN entry to provide web protection, particularly against phishing attacks. However, Microsoft clarifies that this is merely an internal loopback VPN and does not function as a traditional VPN service. Meanwhile, Android users who had enabled Microsoft’s VPN are advised to manually remove the “Microsoft Defender” profile from their VPN settings. While the profile does not cause any harm, it may create the false impression that Defender is still actively using the VPN for protection.

With this decision, Microsoft appears to be shifting its focus towards other security tools, leaving users to seek alternative VPN solutions if they require such functionality.