Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
The modern digital landscape we constantly use for fun, socialization, and work has grown rapidly. Most internet users have moved away from desktop computers and switched to mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) once they’ve become functional.
More than 55% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, while over 90% of people access the internet using their mobile phones. This mobile growth trend will continue, but using mobile devices online carries certain risks. One of the primary concerns is security since we all share sensitive data online, store important information, and perform crucial tasks.
That’s why the industry and users use various security tools and services that ensure online safety. Today, we’ll talk about mobile proxies and their different variations.Â
Defining proxy servers/web proxies
Proxies, web proxies, or proxy servers are services users can connect to when browsing the web. When you connect to a proxy server, all the web traffic going to your devices goes through the proxy before reaching the destination. When you send out requests to websites, they go through the proxy before reaching the website.
Simply put, proxies are gateways or intermediaries between the internet user and the web. But why should someone add another path between them and the web?
Even though this might disrupt your internet performance in some cases, proxies have various functions for checking web traffic, giving security, and providing anonymity online.
What are mobile proxies?
Every mobile user that goes online has an IP address. However, you can also rent 4G, mobile proxies, and others to hide your genuine IP. A mobile proxy gives you a new genuine IP address using a 4G or 3G connection. These services provide users with IP addresses that can be used for connecting to the internet or forwarding web traffic.
One of the best things about mobile proxies is that users can use real IPs for various tools, including automation apps, SEO tools, marketing tools, and other software. It’s very difficult to tell mobile proxy IPs from the real ones, and this provides benefits like security, privacy, and anonymity.
Types of mobile proxies
There are many different mobile proxies available, and they are typically divided by the type of networks they use:
- 3G mobile proxy: 3G proxy uses IPs from 3G devices and is the slowest option.
- 4G mobile proxy: 4G proxy uses IPs from 4G devices, delivering fast speeds and high reliability.
- 5G mobile proxy: 5G proxy uses IPs from 5G devices and comes with utmost reliability and quickness.Â
- LTE mobile proxy: Long Term Evolution proxies use a specific communications standard for mobile devices. LTE proxies can be 4G or 5G.
Now that we know the different types of mobile proxies, we can take a closer look at 4G proxies.
Common uses for 4G proxies
Even though 3G proxies are still very popular, they can’t deliver performance and functionalities similar to 4G or 5G proxies. Here are some common uses of a 4G proxy for a mobile user and 5G proxies.
Price comparison
eCommerce websites and advertisers show different product prices to visitors depending on their location, how they accessed the site, the device used, etc. Using a 4G proxy allows you to see the real price and check out how the prices change when you visit the site with a different IP address.
Blocking cookies
Cookies are your personal data collected and stored by various websites and online services about your online behaviors, preferences, and interests. Even though cookies can be good, they are often used against individuals and companies.
Cookies can be used for targeting and tracking users online. Mobile proxies allow you to keep cookies private and prevent this liability when performing actions online.
Preventing censorship
The internet should be a free space with accessible information for everyone. Sadly, many websites and services block users from specific geographic locations. You can switch your IP to access this blocked content when browsing the web using a mobile proxy. For example, if you’re in China, you can access websites in the US and vice versa.
Managing multiple online accounts
Many individuals and organizations need multiple accounts on certain platforms. For example, advertise your business on social media and use multiple accounts. A mobile proxy allows you to provide different IP addresses to prevent blocks.
How to choose a mobile proxy provider
There are many mobile proxy providers to choose from, but not all of them are good. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when choosing a mobile proxy:
- Determine your needs and how you plan to use the mobile proxy. It will help you find the right type of mobile proxy.
- Determine your price range and select providers within that range. Don’t go with free mobile proxies or very cheap providers.
- Look at the size of the IP pool offered by the proxy provider. The more countries and cities available for you to rotate your IP, the better.Â
- Rotating IPs is a crucial feature when selecting a mobile proxy. When your IP address is rotating constantly, it will be impossible to get tracked online.
These are just some of the common ways to find the best mobile proxy for you.
Conclusion
We hope this post helps you find the right mobile proxy for your needs. Remember that 4G proxies aren’t that inferior to 5G proxies and that you won’t get a significant advantage in performance for your money.
