The VPN filters domain lookups and supports protection reporting. It does not turn Busted into an anonymous-browsing service, and it does not send your browsing history to teammates.
Turning it off in Settings can notify your people
During an active commitment, Busted can report an explicitly detected VPN turn-off in iPhone Settings, a disabled or removed VPN configuration, or another VPN taking over. Your enabled alert channels can then notify your chosen people. Accountability extends beyond the app’s own turn-off button.
If connectivity is unavailable, queued reports may retry later. A dead battery, ordinary connection failure, or missed check-in alone does not trigger an alert. Detection and delivery are not guaranteed to be immediate.
How it works
When you enable VPN protection, Busted installs a VPN configuration with your permission. The current configuration sends selected DNS traffic through an encrypted connection to Busted’s gateway. DNS translates domain names into network addresses; filtering these lookups helps prevent adult sites from loading.
The gateway uses Cloudflare’s family-filtering resolver and applies SafeSearch or restricted-mode responses for supported services. Other browsing traffic normally leaves your phone directly. If the gateway becomes unreachable, the current app can use a family-filtering DNS fallback. Older versions may route traffic differently; use the latest app.
Screen Time and the VPN are separate layers: turning off Screen Time does not itself turn off the VPN. VPN enrollment requires eligible Pro access. Access can end when the subscription expires or the account is deleted.
Information needed to provide the VPN
- Domain names and query details are processed to resolve and filter requests. A shared temporary cache stores DNS answers without recording which user requested a cached name.
- Your device creates its private key locally. The gateway receives the public key, installation and account identifiers, assigned tunnel addresses, network endpoint, and connection information.
- Protection events, timestamps, subscription eligibility, aggregate usage information, and alert delivery records support accountability, reliability, and abuse prevention.
The current gateway does not inspect the content of web pages or build a per-user browsing log. DNS processing still exposes domain lookups to the filtering service and its upstream resolver. VPN hosting uses OVHcloud; upstream DNS uses Cloudflare. The Privacy policy explains providers, retention, and your choices.
What can trigger an alert
A deliberate in-app turn-off action or an explicitly detected VPN stop during an active commitment can be reported for accountability. Queued reports may be retried when connectivity returns. A temporary connection failure, ordinary heartbeat gap, subscription lapse, or uncertain state alone does not trigger a protection-off accusation. Delivery and detection are not guaranteed to be immediate.
What it cannot promise
Domain filtering cannot block every adult item inside an allowed social, video, messaging, or other mixed-content app. It may block a legitimate domain or miss a new one. SafeSearch depends on the supported service and is not a guarantee. The VPN does not hide your location from every website, anonymize all traffic, or make protection impossible to remove. Another VPN, custom network settings, or operating-system restrictions can affect it.
Turning it off or deleting your account
Review the app’s warning before changing active protection: turning it off can notify your selected people. Removing the VPN configuration in iPhone Settings does not guarantee a silent end to accountability. Deleting your account requests removal of gateway credentials and device records, with retries if the gateway is unavailable. See Account & data deletion.
Use the VPN lawfully and do not share credentials, resell access, attack the service, or evade reasonable usage limits. For filtering mistakes or connection trouble, contact support@getbusted.org with the app version and what failed; do not send passwords or browsing history.