Disconnect Review

Developer: Disconnect
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.1.2
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

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Have you ever wondered how much information is transmitted when you go to a new website? Wanted to know exactly what’s being tracked and where the unsecured connections are? If you can answer yes to any of that, then Disconnect might just be your kind of thing. It goes even further if you’re willing to pay a subscription fee, too.

The free version of Disconnect offers you a way in which to search for various things or go on specific websites, without being tracked. Starting out, you can simply type in a search and find a website that way, or you can opt to go directly to the site. In both cases, everything is done anonymously with your searches hidden away. Once you go onto a site, you can tap on a seeing eye icon and more details are offered.

You can see through an interesting visualization tool exactly what connections are being made elsewhere. For instance, the NFL.com site offers up 21 mobile trackers, and 20 unsecured connections. In each case, you can tap on a name and more details are offered to you, usually describing why such information might be being used.

That’s about as far as Disconnect goes in the free version. You can change search engines as well as default locations, but that’s about it. Disconnect is a curiosity in this form with some simple help via the anonymous searching.

If you choose to pay more via the subscription service, you gain more. You can block 5000+ trackers and pieces of malware through the app, as well as route your traffic through an encrypted tunnel. It’s the kind of thing that I wouldn’t think would be particularly vital for many, but those who are extra security conscious or paranoia might appreciate such options.

While your mileage might vary depending on how you feel about sharing information, Disconnect is at least a well made app that’s easy to use. As to whether it’s worth checking out, it’s just down to you and your security concerns.