Split tunneling lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which connect directly. If you searched for how to do this with Windscribe 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 Windscribe support split tunneling on macOS?
Windscribe offers split tunneling in its Windows and Android apps (include or exclude mode). The macOS app doesn't have the feature — Windscribe's Mac client routes all traffic through the tunnel while connected.
Features change between releases, so double-check the current version of the Windscribe 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 Windscribe on your Mac
AppLanes adds the missing layer. It is not a VPN and never replaces Windscribe — it sits alongside it and decides, per app, whether traffic goes through the tunnel Windscribe 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 Windscribe 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 Windscribe, 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 Windscribe
- Windscribe's WireGuard and IKEv2 configurations on macOS both present standard tunnel interfaces, so AppLanes detects the connection with no extra setup.
- If Windscribe'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 Windscribe?
Yes. AppLanes works with any VPN that creates a standard tunnel on macOS, including Windscribe. It routes traffic around or through whatever tunnel is active — no changes to your Windscribe account or configuration are needed.
Do I need to stop using Windscribe to use AppLanes?
No. AppLanes is not a VPN and carries no traffic to any server. You keep using Windscribe exactly as before; AppLanes only decides which apps' connections enter the tunnel.
Get per-app VPN routing on your Mac
Every feature unlocked for 3 days, free — no account, works with any VPN, macOS 13+.