Surfshark Release Notes

We’ve updated our web content blocker feature for Windows users. If you’ve been blocking entire website categories to keep harmful content off your network, you now have more control over what gets through.

What is web content blocker?

Web content blocker is a feature that automatically blocks access to website categories you don’t want on your device.

You can block seven categories:

• Pornography and sexually explicit content;
• Websites promoting or selling illegal drugs;
• Vaping, tobacco, and related equipment sites;
• Gambling websites;
• Websites promoting or selling weapons;
• Racist, extremist, or offensive language;
• Websites hosting malicious downloads.

What's new: the allowed websites list

The update adds an allowed websites list for Windows users. This means you can block an entire category — let’s say gambling sites — but still have access to a specific website within that category for work or research. You add that site to your allowed list, and it becomes accessible again while the rest of the category stays blocked.

This means you can keep broad filters in place but make targeted exceptions for websites you trust or need.

Why this matters

Category-based blocking works well for filtering harmful or unwanted content, but it’s not always precise. Legitimate websites sometimes fall into broader categories, and you shouldn’t have to disable an entire filter just to access one trusted site.

The allowed list gives you both protection and flexibility. You decide what stays blocked and what gets through.

How to use the allowed websites list

If you’re using web content blocker on Windows, all you have to do is:

1. Open your Surfshark app.
2. Click the Settings (cogwheel icon) in the left navigation menu.
3. Navigate to Web content blocker.
4. Scroll down and click on Allowed websites.
5. Press Add.
6. Add specific website URLs to the allowed list.

The sites you allow will remain accessible while the rest of the category stays filtered. You can toggle web content blocker on or off at any time.

Block harmful content without losing access to what you need

Web content blocker with an allowed websites list gives you control over what’s accessible on your network. You can protect devices from harmful content while still reaching the sites that matter.

We launched scam text protection

Scam texts are everywhere: fake delivery updates, security alerts, urgent payment requests. They’re designed to catch you off guard. Our new scam text protection solution handles that for you. It checks incoming messages for scam patterns and automatically handles suspicious ones.

Here’s how it works:

On iOS: scam messages go straight to your spam folder. You won’t even get a notification. Your main inbox stays clean, and you can review filtered messages if needed.

On Android: you get a notification when a scam text arrives. Tap it to view the message safely in the Surfshark app and learn what warning signs were flagged. No accidental clicks, no risks.

Scam text protection is now included in Surfshark One and One+ plans. For more details, check out our blog post on scam text protection.

Meet Dausos, our fastest VPN protocol

We built a new VPN protocol from scratch, called Dausos. Most VPNs send all user traffic through one shared tunnel. Dausos gives each user their own dedicated, private tunnel. Your traffic stays separate from everyone else’s for better security and faster speeds.

Here’s what makes it different:

• Up to 30% faster than industry-standard protocols;
• Secure against future quantum-computer attacks;
• Adjusts to your network conditions automatically, whether you’re on home internet or switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Dausos is currently available on macOS. Learn more about the Dausos protocol.

FastTrack expands across more locations

FastTrack, our VPN speed optimization technology, now covers servers across all continents for macOS users. Connect to any location with the FastTrack icon and get up to 70% faster speeds.

Instead of locking you into a single connection path, FastTrack monitors network conditions in real time and reroutes your traffic through the most efficient available paths. When congestion happens or infrastructure changes, FastTrack adapts automatically.

Customize the web content blocker on Windows

Our web content blocker lets you limit access to specific website categories for a safer online environment.

You can block categories like:

• Adult content;
• Vaping, tobacco, and related equipment sites;
• Gambling websites;
• Websites hosting malicious downloads.

Now, you have even more control on Windows.

You can exclude specific websites from blocked categories in the web content blocker. For example, if you’ve blocked gambling sites but need to access a sports statistics page that falls into that category, you can allow it while keeping the rest blocked.

Surfshark is now on Vega OS

You can now download the app for Vega OS Fire TV Stick devices and secure your connection on the big screen. Simply connect the stick to your TV and download Surfshark directly from the app store. Or check out this blog post on how to get it running.

Interface glow-up for the Android TV app

We redesigned the Android TV app to make your experience smoother. You can now use Google login for faster setup, along with clearer error messages and streamlined help center access. We’ve also brought dedicated IP to Android TV and added the ability to create custom shortcuts for the TV apps you use most.

Finding VPN locations got easier on iOS

Noticed anything different? We’ve redesigned the locations tab on our iOS app to make it easier to use. Now everything is split into two clear views:

• Recommended view for your most popular country options, recently used servers, and dedicated IP (if you have one);
• Advanced view offers static IP and Multi Hop options.

Browser extension redesign

We gave the browser extension a cleaner look. The home view now shows how many ads and trackers we’ve blocked on each site, plus quick access to all your protection tools in one place — ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, malicious site warnings, data leak alerts, and email scam checker. We also made it easier to switch between VPN servers.

Can you spot a bot?

We partnered with Malmö University students to see how hard it is to identify fake accounts online. Almost half of the people tested couldn’t tell bots from real humans.

Younger players (up to 20 years old) were best at finding bots — spotting 65% of them. Numbers dropped among people over 40, with bot detection falling to 42%.

The study also found that emotional topics make it harder to spot bots. On neutral topics like data centers, people found 71% of bots. On topics like women’s rights, that number dropped to 49%.

See if you can spot the difference. Try the “Bot or Not?” challenge.

Final note: try our new updates

This quarter brought some new features and improvements. Try scam text protection, test out Dausos if you’re on macOS, and connect to FastTrack-enabled servers for faster speeds. For even more details, check out our latest updates video:

Scam texts have become background noise. They hide as delivery updates, fake security alerts, and urgent payment requests, all designed to catch you when your guard is down. We’re introducing a solution that stops scam texts before they land. Want to know more? Let’s dive in!

What is scam text protection?

Text message protection is a solution designed to safeguard users from SMS-based scams (smishing).

Its primary goal is to detect fraudulent messages before the user interacts with them, thereby reducing the need for constant vigilance. In other words, instead of relying on you to spot red flags in real time, text message protection analyzes incoming messages for known scam patterns and deals with the suspicious ones for you.

It does not retain messages, monitor your phone generally, or use your data to train AI models.

How are scam texts handled?

How scam texts are handled after detection depends on what device you’re using:

iOS:

The message is automatically moved to the Spam folder in your native Messages app. You don’t receive a notification, and the scam never reaches your main inbox. You can review and recover the filtered messages if needed.

Android:

You receive a notification the moment a scam arrives. Tapping it opens the Surfshark app, where you can see the message in a controlled environment — no accidental link taps, no risk of triggering anything by viewing it.

Why this matters

Every incoming message asks for a slice of your attention. Some deserve it. Scam messages don’t.

The problem isn’t just that scams exist. They make you second-guess every text that looks slightly off. Is this delivery update real? Is this bank alert legitimate? That mental burden adds up.

Text message protection removes that friction. It intercepts scam messages before they can mislead you, giving you clarity instead of confusion and keeping your attention where it belongs — on what actually matters.

Why we built this

We built Surfshark to protect more than just your browsing. Scams are evolving, and they’re increasingly targeting the one place people assume is safe: their messages.

We created a feature that doesn’t require you to become a fraud expert. It works quietly and effectively, without adding to your mental load. It’s protection that feels like relief, not paranoia.

How to set up text message protection

Setting up text message protection is pretty straightforward on both devices.

iOS:

1. Open your Surfshark app and go to the Antiscam tab.
2. Select Text message protection and press Turn on.
3. Open your iPhone settings and go to Apps.
4. Select Messages.
5. Click on Screen Unknown Senders.
6. Open Text Message Filter and select Surfshark.

Android:

1. Open your Surfshark app
2. Scroll down to access Text message protection.
3. Click it and follow instructions on the screen.

Catch the scam before it catches you

Text message protection gives you that clarity, so you can focus on the messages that actually deserve your time.

Try text message protection now and let us know what you think.

We built Surfshark Search to give you a private, ad-free way to explore the web — a search tool that respects your privacy as much as our VPN protects your connection.

But over time, it became clear that Search isn’t why you’re here. You use Surfshark to secure your connection, block scams, protect against viruses, and safeguard your identity. That’s what matters to you, and that’s where we should be putting our full attention.

So we’ve decided to phase out Search. Want to know all the details? Read along!

What’s happening

We’re removing Surfshark Search from all platforms.

If you’re on iOS, you’ve probably already noticed that Search is no longer available. Android users will see it removed with our next app update in early August. For those of you on other platforms, Search will be gone by the end of the year.

Why we’re doing this

When we look at how you use Surfshark, the pattern is clear: your VPN, antivirus, scam protection solutions, and identity protection tools are what you reach for day in and day out. Search, while valuable to a small group of users, simply didn’t become the go-to tool.

By removing it, we can focus entirely on strengthening what you actually rely on. It’s about doing fewer things better — and making sure every feature we offer earns its place by keeping you safe.

What this means for you

If you’ve never used Surfshark Search, nothing changes. Your VPN, antivirus, and all the other solutions you rely on are still here — and we’re working to make them stronger.

If you used Search, we understand this might be disappointing. We genuinely appreciate that you gave it a try. The good news is that the core of what makes Surfshark valuable to you — protection, privacy, and peace of mind — remains fully intact.

What’s next

This decision frees us up to put more into the security tools you use every day. We’re committed to making your online protection stronger, smarter, and more reliable — and now we can focus entirely on that.

Surfshark’s FastTrack technology, initially launched in three locations last year, now covers the majority of our server network for macOS users. This real-time VPN route optimization is available across all continents, allowing macOS users to benefit from up to 70% speed improvements when connecting through FastTrack-enabled servers.

What is FastTrack?

FastTrack is Surfshark’s solution for smart VPN routing. Instead of locking you into a single connection path, it continuously monitors network conditions and reroutes your traffic through the most efficient paths in real time. The result? Connection speeds up to 70% faster compared to standard routing.

The technology is built on Surfshark Nexus, our multi-server routing system that connects all our servers into a network. This foundation allows us to test multiple routes simultaneously and choose the one that delivers the best performance at any given moment.

Why it matters to you

Network distance can play a role in performance, especially when traffic needs to cross regions or travel across the world. That’s where this solution may help, and we’re currently evaluating the potential speed benefits it can bring.

Data traveling between two distant points doesn’t have to follow the most obvious route — it can move through less congested pathways, avoid bottlenecks, and arrive faster. By actively managing these routes, we maintain both speed and stability, no matter where you’re connecting from or to.

How FastTrack works behind the scenes

Our system relies on globally distributed probes that measure speed and latency from various points in our network. These probes provide real-time data back to our routing system, which evaluates multiple path combinations and selects the optimal one for your connection.

When network conditions shift — due to congestion, maintenance, or infrastructure changes — FastTrack adapts.

How to use it on macOS

FastTrack is currently available for macOS users. To take advantage of it, simply connect to any FastTrack-enabled location through the Surfshark app. You’ll recognize these servers by the FastTrack icon displayed next to them in the server list.

Once connected, the system works automatically in the background. You don’t need to configure anything or toggle settings — just pick a server with the FastTrack icon, and the optimization happens seamlessly.

Important: If you don’t see the FastTrack icon next to a server at the time of connection, it means the most efficient route for you is a direct connection.

What this expansion means

With FastTrack now available across all continents, more users can experience the speed and stability benefits of real-time route optimization. Whether you’re in North America, Europe, Asia, or beyond, you can connect to a FastTrack-enabled server and enjoy improved VPN performance.

Ready to experience faster VPN speeds? Open the Surfshark app on your Mac, look for the FastTrack icon, and connect.

What changed

Dausos, our proprietary VPN protocol, just received a significant upgrade. If you’ve been connecting from a school, university, or corporate network — this update is for you.

Our latest upgrade is focused on one thing: making sure Dausos connects reliably on restricted networks.

Highly managed networks — the kind you’ll find in academic institutions and corporate environments — use strict firewall configurations that may block or interfere with VPN connections. Previously, some users on these networks ran into connectivity issues with Dausos. This update fixes that.

“We want as many people as possible to experience the power of Dausos, which is why continuous improvement is our priority. Responding directly to user feedback, this update fixes the connectivity issues some experienced in certain network environments,” says Karolis Kaciulis, Leading System Engineer at Surfshark.

Why this matters

Whether you’re a student trying to access content on campus Wi-Fi or an employee on a tightly managed corporate network, this update directly addresses one of the biggest friction points for Dausos users.

Dausos was built for everyday users, and everyday users connect from all kinds of networks — not just open, unrestricted ones. Making sure the protocol holds up across all of them, including the ones that give other VPNs a hard time, is exactly what this update delivers.

A reminder of what Dausos brings to the table

If you haven’t tried Dausos yet, here’s why it’s worth trying:

• Up to 30% faster speeds. Powered by AEGIS-256X2 encryption optimized for modern hardware, delivering better protocol-to-server speed;
• Full post-quantum security. A hybrid ML-KEM×X25519 key exchange and ML-DSA self-signed root certificate system protect your connection against both today’s threats and tomorrow’s;
• Your own dedicated tunnel. Unlike traditional VPN protocols, Dausos isolates each user’s data into its own private digital tunnel — your traffic stays separate from everyone else’s;
• Advanced security by default. Post-compromise security ensures compromised keys can’t leak future session data, and port randomization obscures your connection path.

Dausos keeps improving

Dausos was built for VPN users, and that doesn’t stop with the initial release. Updates like this one are how we make sure it stays that way. If you haven’t tried Dausos yet, now’s a good time.