How to set up and use the ExpressVPN app for Linux

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This tutorial will show you how to set up the ExpressVPN app for Linux.

ExpressVPN is compatible with these Linux operating systems:

• Ubuntu: 20.04 and above
• Debian: 10 and above
• Fedora: 37 and above
• Arch: Latest rolling release
• Raspberry Pi (armhf): Pi OS 10 and above
• Mint: Linux Mint 20 and above

If you prefer to control the ExpressVPN Linux app with a graphical user interface (GUI), you can do so with the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. Install the browser extension after setting up the app.

Prefer manual setup? See the instructions for manual setup for OpenVPN (via the Terminal) and OpenVPN (via Ubuntu Network Manager).

Prefer video? You can follow along with the embedded clip or watch the video on YouTube here.

Download the installer

Go to the ExpressVPN setup page. If prompted, enter your ExpressVPN credentials and click Sign In.

Enter the verification code that is sent to your email.

On the right, select your Linux operating system.

Note: Debian and Mint users should select Ubuntu. You can find which Ubuntu or Fedora operating system you are running. Go to the Terminal, then enter:

uname -m

or

arch

If you see a “64” (for example, “x86_64”), you are using a 64-bit Linux distribution. In this case, you should download the 64-bit installer.

Click Download.

Select Save File. Click OK.

Keep this browser window open. You will need the activation code for the setup later.

Optional: Learn about downloading the PGP key and verifying the signature.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Install and activate the app

Install the app

Note: If you cannot install the app directly with the GUI, you can install it using the command line.

Go to your Downloads folder. Locate and right-click the installer file you downloaded earlier. Click Open with Other Application > Software Install > Select.

Click Install.

Enter your password, then click Authenticate.

The installation will start immediately.

After the installation is complete, go to the Terminal.

In the Terminal window, run this command:

expressvpn

Command line install for the app

In the Terminal window, run this command:

cd ~/Downloads/

Depending on your distribution, run one of the following commands:

Ubuntu / Debian / Mint:

sudo dpkg -i [installer filename]

Fedora:

sudo dnf install [installer filename]

Arch:

sudo pacman -U [installer filename]

Enter your user password to install the file.

For Arch, enter y to proceed with the installation.

Activate the app

Open a new Terminal. Run this command:

expressvpn activate

Paste the activation code you found earlier. Note the code won’t appear on the screen. Press Enter.

You can help improve ExpressVPN by sharing anonymized diagnostic reports. Enter Y to accept or n to decline.

If you want to opt out of sending diagnostics to ExpressVPN in the future, run this command:

expressvpn preferences set send_diagnostics false

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Connect to a VPN server location

In the Terminal window, run this command:

expressvpn connect

If you are connecting for the first time, ExpressVPN will use the Smart Location feature to select a server location, which is recommended to you based on factors such as speed and proximity.

If this is not your first time connecting, ExpressVPN will connect to the server location you were most recently connected to.

Once you are successfully connected, you will see the “Connected to…” message in green.

By default, you will see a notification indicating that ExpressVPN is connected.

Note: With a single ExpressVPN subscription, you can connect to the VPN on up to eight different devices at the same time, regardless of platform. If you try to connect to more than eight devices at once, you will see this screen:

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Disconnect from a VPN server location

To disconnect from a server location, run this command:

expressvpn disconnect

ExpressVPN will disconnect from the server it is connected to.

By default, you will see a message indicating that ExpressVPN is disconnected.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Connect to a different VPN server location

To find a list of recommended locations to connect to, enter the following command in the terminal:

expressvpn list

By default, ExpressVPN will suggest the location that provides the most optimal experience for you, called Smart Location, at the top of the list.

To see a list of all available locations, enter:

expressvpn list all

Connect to a specific VPN server location

To connect to a specific server location, enter:

expressvpn connect [LOCATION]

or

expressvpn connect [ALIAS]

For example, to connect to USA – New York, enter:

expressvpn connect "USA - New York"

or

expressvpn connect usny

Connect to the Smart Location

To connect to the Smart Location:

expressvpn connect smart

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Switch to a different VPN protocol

VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to a VPN server. For the best experience, ExpressVPN recommends using the Automatic protocol option. This is selected by default and automatically picks the protocol most appropriate for your network.

In some cases, switching to a different protocol can give you faster connection speeds.

To switch to Lightway – TCP, run the following command:

expressvpn protocol lightway_tcp

To switch to Lightway – UDP, run the following command:

expressvpn protocol lightway_udp

To switch to OpenVPN – TCP, run the following command:

expressvpn protocol tcp

To switch to OpenVPN – UDP, run the following command:

expressvpn protocol udp

To use the Automatic option, run this command:

expressvpn protocol auto

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Block ads, trackers, and harmful sites

Customize your online experience and take back control over what companies know about you. You can block ads, trackers, malicious sites, and adult content from within the ExpressVPN app.

A lot of the apps and websites you visit keep a record of and share your activity with third-party companies, including trackers, scammers, and malware sites. This information is used to serve you more targeted ads and content, usually without your knowledge or permission.

These advanced protection features prevent all apps and websites you visit on your device from communicating with the third-party companies in our open-source blocklists.

Advanced protection features are disabled by default. To enable all advanced protection features at the same time:

1. Open the Terminal window.
2. Make sure to connect to the VPN and use the Automatic or Lightway protocol.
3. To enable all advanced protection features, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_all true
To disable all advanced protection features, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_all off
4. Press Enter to confirm.

You can also enable and disable each advanced protection feature individually:

Block trackers

1. Open the Terminal window.
2. Make sure to connect to the VPN and use the Automatic or Lightway protocol.
3. To block trackers, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_trackers true
   To disable, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_trackers off
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Block malicious sites

1. Open the Terminal window.
2. Make sure to connect to the VPN and use the Automatic or Lightway protocol.
3. To block malicious sites, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_malicious true
To disable, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_malicious off
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Block ads

1. Open the Terminal window.
2. Make sure to connect to the VPN and use the Automatic or Lightway protocol.
3. To enable the ad blocker, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_ads true
To disable, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_ads off
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Block adult sites

1. Open the Terminal window.
2. Make sure to connect to the VPN and use the Automatic or Lightway protocol.
3. To block adult sites, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_adult true
To disable, enter the command:
   expressvpn preferences set block_adult off
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s advanced protection features.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Open the app manual

To view a full list of the app’s functions, run this command:

man expressvpn

Different commands will be listed there.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Use the autocomplete feature

After you type a command, hit the tab key twice to see a list of all available options.

For example, typing

expressvpn protocol

and hitting the tab key twice will list all the available protocols.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Use the auto-connect feature

You can set the ExpressVPN app to automatically connect to your last connected location on start-up by entering:

expressvpn autoconnect true

You will see the Auto-connect is enabled message.

If this is your first time connecting, ExpressVPN will connect using Smart Location.

To disable this function, run this command:

expressvpn autoconnect false

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Use the ExpressVPN browser extension

If you prefer to control the ExpressVPN Linux app with a graphical user interface (GUI), you can do so with the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.

Note: To use the browser extension, make sure to download and activate the ExpressVPN Linux app (Version 2.0 or newer).

To get the ExpressVPN browser extension, run one of the following commands:

expressvpn install-firefox-extension

expressvpn install-chrome-extension

This will open the page for downloading the ExpressVPN browser extension. Click Get Extension.

Learn more about the ExpressVPN browser extension here.

For users who installed their browser from the Ubuntu Software Center

If you installed your web browser from the Ubuntu Software Center, you may find that the ExpressVPN browser extension is unable to communicate with the ExpressVPN Linux app. To resolve this issue:

1. Back up your browser settings and bookmarks.
2. Go to the Ubuntu Software Center and uninstall your browser.
3. Open the Terminal.
4. Enter $ sudo apt update
5. Depending on your browser, enter $ sudo apt install chromium-browser or $ sudo apt install firefox
6. Open your browser by entering $ chromium-browser or $ firefox
7. Get the ExpressVPN browser extension by entering expressvpn install-firefox-extension or expressvpn install-chrome-extension

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Uninstall the app

To uninstall the ExpressVPN app, run this command:

Ubuntu / Debian / Mint:

sudo dpkg -r expressvpn

Fedora:

sudo dnf remove expressvpn

Arch:

pacman -R expressvpn

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Troubleshoot your connection

If you are experiencing issues with your app, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Download the latest version of the ExpressVPN app for Linux.
2. Connect to a different VPN server location.
3. Change your VPN protocol.
4. Reboot your computer and relaunch the ExpressVPN app for Linux.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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