Split tunneling lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which connect directly. If you searched for how to do this with NordVPN on a Mac, here is the honest answer: the macOS picture is different from Windows and Android — and there is a clean way to get real per-app routing regardless.
Does NordVPN support split tunneling on macOS?
NordVPN offers split tunneling in its Windows and Android apps, where you can pick apps to bypass the VPN. The macOS app has no split tunneling feature — when NordVPN is connected on a Mac, every app's traffic goes through the tunnel. This has been the case for years and is one of the most requested features on Nord's forums.
Features change between releases, so double-check the current version of the NordVPN app — but if per-app control is missing or limited on your Mac, you don't have to switch providers to get it.
Why most VPN apps skip split tunneling on the Mac
This isn't laziness on the provider's part. On Windows, a VPN can filter traffic per process with comparatively little friction. On macOS, deciding routes per app means shipping and maintaining a separate Network Extension that macOS treats as a transparent proxy — a substantial piece of engineering that most VPN vendors reserve for their Windows clients. The result: on the Mac, most VPN apps are all-or-nothing. Read the full explanation in How per-app VPN routing works on macOS.
How to get per-app routing with NordVPN on your Mac
AppLanes adds the missing layer. It is not a VPN and never replaces NordVPN — it sits alongside it and decides, per app, whether traffic goes through the tunnel NordVPN creates, around it (direct), or is blocked entirely.
- Install AppLanes from the Mac App Store (3-day free trial, every feature unlocked, no account) and approve its network extension when macOS asks — see the setup FAQ if the prompt doesn't appear.
- Connect NordVPN as you normally would.
- In AppLanes, set your default route — for example, everything through the VPN.
- Add per-app exceptions: switch any app to Direct to route it around NordVPN, or to Block to cut its network access entirely.
- Changes apply to new connections instantly; apps holding old connections reconnect within seconds (or restart the app).
Tips for running AppLanes with NordVPN
- NordLynx (Nord's WireGuard-based protocol) creates a standard tunnel interface that AppLanes detects automatically — no special configuration needed.
- If NordVPN's own kill switch is set to block all traffic when the VPN drops, your Direct apps may lose connectivity during a drop too. AppLanes has its own per-app leak protection that only holds back VPN-routed apps — many users prefer that granularity.
- Keep just one VPN connected at a time; with two tunnels up, "route through VPN" becomes ambiguous.
Frequently asked questions
Does AppLanes work with NordVPN?
Yes. AppLanes works with any VPN that creates a standard tunnel on macOS, including NordVPN. It routes traffic around or through whatever tunnel is active — no changes to your NordVPN account or configuration are needed.
Do I need to stop using NordVPN to use AppLanes?
No. AppLanes is not a VPN and carries no traffic to any server. You keep using NordVPN exactly as before; AppLanes only decides which apps' connections enter the tunnel.
Why does NordVPN have split tunneling on Windows but not on Mac?
Per-app traffic control on macOS requires a dedicated Network Extension that acts as a transparent proxy — separate engineering from the Windows driver approach. NordVPN has so far shipped app-based split tunneling only on Windows and Android; the macOS app tunnels the whole device.
Get per-app VPN routing on your Mac
Every feature unlocked for 3 days, free — no account, works with any VPN, macOS 13+.