On August 18, 2026, Free VPN pushed V3.2 with Windows and Android clients synced. Instead of piling on flashy features, this iteration focused on two of the most-complained-about pain points: "no per-app routing" and "not knowing which node is fastest." Smart split tunneling and node speed test answer both.
Before V3.2, Free VPN was all-or-nothing — every bit of traffic went through the tunnel or none did. That created a broken experience for users who need both domestic and overseas services. Team research collected over 6,000 related feedback items, with "split tunneling" ranked first.
Smart Split Tunneling
V3.2 introduces split tunneling across three dimensions. Users can pick between global mode and rule mode, and in rule mode specify which apps go through the proxy and which stay direct. Rules can also target domains and IP ranges. Rules sync to the cloud and apply automatically across devices.
Under the hood, a local traffic interception layer identifies each packet's app and destination, then matches it against user rules. Matching overhead is kept under 1ms. One cross-border seller reported faster overseas store loading while domestic payments stayed connected.
Node Speed Test
The other highlight is node speed testing. The old client only showed rough latency. V3.2 adds a speed test button next to each node, returning download speed, latency and packet loss within 3 seconds, with color-coded results.
V3.2 also shortened first handshake time by about 30% and fixed occasional disconnects on some Windows 11 devices. Within 48 hours of release, the upgrade rate hit 63%, with smart split tunneling showing the highest same-day activation.
From all-or-nothing to fine-grained control, V3.2 solves a long-ignored daily pain point. The team plans to add visual rule editing next. If you haven't upgraded, get the latest via free VPN download, or open the client for an update prompt.