NordVPN gets its Apple silicon update — now natively supports M1 Macs

NordVPN on Mac (Image credit: NordVPN)

What you need to know

Popular VPN service NordVPN has announced a newly updated app that adds support for Apple silicon.
Native M1 support means improved performance and power management.
NordVPN 6.6.1 can be downloaded now.

Popular VPN service NordVPN has just announced an updated Mac app that includes native support for Apple silicon. That means the app is now able to take advantage of all of the speed improvements Apple's current M1 chips bring to the table.

Announced via press release, the move to an Apple silicon build gives NordVPN the ability to make use of the advanced features offered by M1 chips — namely the blazingly fast speed and improved power management compared to apps that don't run natively.

NordVPN has officially launched version 6.6.1 for macOS. With this release, all NordVPN users with M1-powered Macs will get full-fledged performance and overall experience.The M1 chip is Apple's new and improved proprietary chip in its new computer. Previously powered by Intel chips, this move for Apple will bring about more robust performance in everything, from speed to battery. With Apple making this move towards higher performance, NordVPN felt it appropriate to rise with the occasion and ensure an optimized user experience for their M1 Mac users.

NordVPN was already one of the best VPN services we've come across and this new and improved app will certainly help keep it that way!

Those with NordVPN already installed can update to the new build now, while everyone else can head on over to the NordVPN website to download it.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).

2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.