About this release
WARP is Cloudflare's take on a consumer VPN, and it starts from their encrypted DNS resolver before extending into a full tunnel for the rest of your traffic. Rather than sitting between you and the internet as a slow middle hop, it hands your connection to Cloudflare's network at the nearest edge, which is often closer to the sites you use than your own provider's routing, so the practical result is frequently steadier latency instead of the drag a traditional VPN adds.
The client itself is deliberately plain. A single switch turns the tunnel on, a mode selector chooses between DNS only protection and the full traffic tunnel, and there is very little else to configure for someone who just wants their browsing encrypted on an untrusted network. It runs quietly in the tray, reconnects on its own when a laptop wakes or changes network, and stays out of the way once it is on.
It is worth being clear about what it is and is not. It encrypts the link between your machine and Cloudflare and hides your traffic from the local network and your provider, which is exactly what you want on public wifi. It is not a tool for choosing an exit country to appear elsewhere, since it optimises for the nearest edge rather than a location you pick. For everyday privacy on the wire it is one of the lightest options going.
What it does
- Encrypted DNS resolver as a baseline layer of protection
- Full traffic tunnel over an optimised modern protocol
- Mode selector between DNS only and full tunnel
- Nearest edge routing that often improves rather than adds latency
- Quiet tray operation with automatic reconnection
- Reconnects cleanly when a laptop wakes or changes network
- Split behaviour so local network devices stay reachable
- Family filtering options at the DNS layer
- Very low overhead compared with a traditional VPN
- No account required for the basic tunnel
Changes in this version
- Updated the underlying tunnel protocol for better throughput
- Improved reconnection speed after a network change
- Reduced battery impact on laptops during idle periods
- Fixed a rare case where the tunnel stalled after sleep
- Refreshed the tray interface and status reporting
What the package contains
- Cloudflare WARP client installer
- Readme with the install order written out step by step
- Notes on choosing between DNS only and full tunnel modes
- Notes on the family filtering options
- Uninstall helper for a clean removal later
Installation notes
Follow these in order. Most reports of a failed install come from skipping a step rather than from the package itself.
- Close any other VPN client before you start, two tunnels will fight.
- Extract the archive to any folder you like.
- Run the installer as administrator and complete the wizard.
- Open the client and choose DNS only or full tunnel mode.
- Flip the switch on to connect.
- Leave it running in the tray, it reconnects on its own.
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
| Processor | Any 1 GHz or faster processor |
| Memory | 1 GB minimum |
| Graphics | No requirement |
| Storage | 150 MB free |
| Display | 1024 by 768 minimum |
Things worth knowing
- This encrypts the link to Cloudflare, it is not a tool for appearing in another country.
- Run only one VPN client at a time, a second tunnel will conflict with this one.
- On public wifi this is the case it is built for, turn it on before you do anything sensitive.
Questions about this title
Can I choose an exit country?
Does it slow my connection?
Do I need an account?
What is DNS only mode?
What people are saying
Turn it on before I touch anything on public wifi. One switch, done, and it does not drag my connection.
Genuinely lowered my ping to a couple of sites rather than raising it. Not what I expected from a VPN.
Sits in the tray, reconnects itself after sleep, never asks me anything. Exactly what I want from this kind of tool.
Listing information
This entry is catalogued under Security & Privacy and carries the tags below. Language coverage is Multilingual, follows the system locale, and the supported platform list is Windows 10, Windows 11. Version 2026.6.905.0 is the current catalogued build, last checked 3 days ago, and the entry has been in the index since it was added 1 year ago.