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Post-quantum encryption is now live on Norton VPN's Mimic and WireGuard
Rebuilt iOS and Android apps have slashed connect times by more than 50%
Norton has added 12 new countries across Asia and Africa
Competition for the title of best VPN is fiercer than ever, and Norton is making a strong case for the crown. The cybersecurity veteran has just unveiled the final releases from its first-half 2026 roadmap, delivering a robust mix of future-proofed privacy tools, significantly faster mobile applications, and an expanded global footprint.
The standout feature of this latest rollout is the introduction of post-quantum encryption . This comes alongside improved Software Development Kits (SDKs) for its mobile apps and an expanded server network across Asia and Africa.
At first glance, these releases may appear to be separate features. But for the provider, they all address the same need — customers must count on Norton VPN , wherever they are.
As Himmat Bains, Product Lead at Norton VPN , told TechRadar, post-quantum encryption is crucial to protect users' data from future threats. Faster, more reliable mobile connections mean VPN protection is there exactly when they need it. And coverage in 12 new countries means that more people can connect locally.
"Different problems, same answer — we want this to be the VPN you can simply trust and forget about," said Bains.
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Post-quantum ecryption lands on Norton's Mimic and WireGuard
As quantum computing advances, cybersecurity experts have increasingly warned of " harvest now, decrypt later " attacks. This is a tactic where cybercriminals or state actors steal encrypted data today, hoarding it with the intention of cracking it when quantum computers become powerful enough to break traditional encryption standards.
To combat this long-term risk, Norton VPN has upgraded its proprietary Mimic protocol to utilize the ML-KEM-1024 encryption algorithm by default across all platforms.
The company is also rolling out the exact same post-quantum protection to the popular WireGuard protocol on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring that user traffic remains fully secure against tomorrow's technological threats.
Turbocharging mobile performance
(Image credit: Norton)
While future-proofing encryption is crucial for long-term privacy, everyday users will immediately feel the benefits of Norton’s revamped mobile experience. The provider has entirely rebuilt its iOS and Android SDKs, the underlying code architecture that powers its mobile applications, from the ground up.
The performance gains are impressive. According to Norton's release notes, the new mobile architecture reduces connection times by more than 50% and connection errors by over 60%. For mobile users who constantly hop between home Wi-Fi, public hotspots, and cellular networks, this means a much smoother, almost instantaneous protective shield.
Just as importantly, this rebuilt framework will allow Norton to ship bug fixes and new features much faster going forward. The overhaul has already paid immediate dividends, leading directly to a rebuilt mobile widget that patches previous usability issues users had been facing.
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A broader network and a busy 2026
Beyond the apps themselves, Norton is continuing to scale up its physical infrastructure. The provider has added 12 more countries to its network, specifically targeting underserved regions across Asia and Africa.
This expansion brings Norton's total reach to an impressive 102 countries and more than 140 global locations, seamlessly building on the momentum of previous network upgrades earlier this year .
This latest announcement caps off a remarkably busy start to the year for the Norton VPN team.
The provider brought a native Amazon Fire TV app (Fire OS 8 and newer) in March and introduced the industry's first AI-native VPN for Agents in April. It also successfully added Split Tunnelling on Mac in June, joining its Android and Windows counterparts.
Furthermore, WireGuard is now live across Mac, iOS, and tvOS, with a new Pause VPN feature on iOS closing the platform's last functional gap. The company also rolled out 25 Gbps servers across busy cities and added Manual IP Rotation.
"Our goal is simple: deliver a VPN for the masses," Bains told TechRadar, arguing that these releases weren't about shipping a longer list; "it was about closing the gaps customers actually feel."
Looking ahead, Bains confirmed that Norton's second-half roadmap pushes even further, noting that "we'll have third-party audits for the third year launching later in the summer, along with meaningful updates coming to our streaming and performance.
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