NordVPN IKE: What Happened to It and How to Use IKEv2 (2026)

NordVPN IKE was the Mac App Store version of NordVPN, named after IKEv2, the protocol it ran on. It’s gone: NordVPN removed IKEv2 from that app and from its iPhone app in June 2023, and no NordVPN app offers it today. Use NordLynx instead: it’s the default protocol in NordVPN’s apps. Where the app can’t run, you can still set up IKEv2 by hand with the steps below.

This guide first appeared in December 2022, when NordVPN’s two Mac apps were still built around different protocols. For this update, I rechecked everything against NordVPN’s help center, release notes and server list on 23 October 2026.

Get NordVPN – Up to 78% Off + 3 Months

NordVPN vs NordVPN IKE: What Was the Difference?

NordVPN makes two Mac apps, and until 2023 they were built around different protocols. The one in the Mac App Store was NordVPN IKE, which ran on IKEv2 by default; the one from NordVPN’s website was the OpenVPN version, whose download link still ends in NordVPN-OpenVPN/latest/NordVPN.pkg. In November 2022, NordVPN’s support described the differences in an email to our team:

In short, the IKE app’s kill switch cut the whole Mac off the internet, while the OpenVPN app’s kill switch closed apps instead. The OpenVPN app also listed more specialty servers, such as Double VPN, which the IKE app reached only over OpenVPN.

Why Was There No NordVPN IKE for Windows?

Because the split came from Apple’s rules. NordVPN’s support told us the Mac apps “had different configurations and features in the beginning due to various policies by the Apple App Store.” Windows and Linux each had one NordVPN app.

What Happened to NordVPN IKE?

NordVPN took IKEv2 out of its App Store apps in June 2023. The release note for Mac version 8.5.0 reads: “The IKEv2 protocol is no longer available in our app… For both speed and security, we recommend using the NordLynx protocol.” Version 8.10.1 of the iPhone and iPad app said the same that month.

The IKE name is gone too: search the App Store for “NordVPN IKE” and you get one app, NordVPN: VPN Fast & Secure, for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. NordVPN still makes two Mac versions, from the App Store and from its website, but they differ in features, not protocols (our Mac guide helps you choose):

Get NordVPN for Mac

IKEv2 left the website version too. It was still in that app’s protocol menu in our 2022 screenshot:

Which NordVPN Apps Still Have IKEv2?

None. On 23 October 2026, NordVPN’s Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Linux apps all offered NordLynx, NordWhisper and OpenVPN. IKEv2 survives outside the apps: 5,492 of NordVPN’s 7,193 servers accept it, in all 150 countries, and NordVPN still publishes manual setup guides.

NordVPN IKEv2 vs NordLynx vs OpenVPN vs NordWhisper

In short: NordLynx for almost everything, NordWhisper on networks that block VPNs, OpenVPN when connections keep dropping, and IKEv2 only where the app can’t go.

Server counts: NordVPN’s public server list, 23 October 2026. Our VPN protocols guide explains each one, and NordLynx and the NordWhisper-powered obfuscated servers have their own guides. Routers with a WireGuard client can use NordVPN’s WireGuard config files, which NordVPN’s speed ratings put ahead of IKEv2.

How to Set Up NordVPN IKEv2 Manually

Every manual setup needs three things, none of them your account password:

1. NordVPN’s root certificate: root.der (root.pem on Linux).
2. A server hostname: in Nord Account, click NordVPN, then Set up NordVPN manually under Advanced settings. On the Server recommendation tab, pick a server (ideally one with the Verified badge), click IKEv2/IPSec next to Available protocols and copy the hostname, such as us13129.nordvpn.com.
3. Service credentials: on the Service credentials tab, click Verify email, enter the emailed code and copy the username and password.

On a Mac

1. Open root.der, click Add and choose the Login keychain.
2. In Keychain Access, open NordVPN Root CA → Get Info → Trust, set Extensible Authentication (EAP) and IP Security (IPsec) to Always Trust and leave the rest on “No Value Specified”.
3. Go to System Settings → VPN → Add VPN Configuration → IKEv2 (on macOS 13 or older: Network → + → VPN, type IKEv2).
4. Paste the hostname into Server address and Remote ID, choose Username authentication, enter your service credentials and click Create.

On an iPhone or iPad

1. Download root.der in Safari, then tap Settings → Profile Downloaded → NordVPN Root CA → Install and Trust.
2. Go to Settings → General → VPN (VPN & Device Management on recent iOS) and tap Add VPN Configuration.
3. Choose IKEv2, paste the hostname into Server and Remote ID, leave Local ID empty, set User Authentication to Username, enter your service credentials and tap Done.
4. Switch VPN on in the main Settings screen.

On Windows

NordVPN suggests this mainly when its app isn’t available, since Windows may use older 3DES-CBC encryption and the root certificate is a man-in-the-middle risk if its key ever leaks.

1. Save root.der, double-click it, click Install certificate → Local Machine and place it in Trusted Root Certification Authorities. In certmgr.msc, open NordVPN Root CA → Properties, choose Enable only for the following purposes and keep only Server Authentication.
2. In Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Set up a new connection or network, choose Connect to a workplace → Use my Internet connection (VPN) and enter the hostname.
3. In Change adapter settings, open the connection’s Properties: on Security, pick IKEv2, Require encryption and EAP-MSCHAP v2; on Networking, untick TCP/IPv6.
4. Click the network icon, then VPN, your connection and Advanced options → Edit, enter your service credentials, save and click Connect.

On Android

1. Download root.der and install the strongSwan VPN Client from Google Play.
2. In strongSwan, open the three-dot menu → CA certificates, then the menu again → Import certificate, and pick root.der.
3. Tap Add VPN profile and enter the hostname as Server plus your service credentials. Under Show advanced settings, set the MTU to 1280 and tick Block IPv6 traffic not destined for the VPN.
4. Tap Save, then the profile, and allow the connection.

On Linux and Routers

NordVPN’s Linux guide uses strongSwan: your service credentials go in /etc/ipsec.secrets, the server in /etc/ipsec.conf, and sudo ipsec up NordVPN connects. On a desktop, the NordVPN Linux app is simpler. For routers, NordVPN documents IKEv2 on MikroTik (RouterOS 6.45 or later) and some DrayTek Vigor firmware; our router guide covers other models.

Why NordLynx Is the Better Choice for Most People

When NordVPN dropped IKEv2, it pointed users to NordLynx “for both speed and security,” and NordLynx wins on nearly every count:

• Speed. NordVPN calls it “much faster than OpenVPN and other VPN protocols,” and rates IKEv2 “high” against WireGuard’s “very high.”
• Post-quantum encryption. NordVPN offers it with NordLynx only.
• The app’s protection. A manual setup lacks “the additional features of the native NordVPN app,” such as its kill switch, Real-time protection and Meshnet. It also needs a profile per server and can’t use a NordVPN dedicated IP.

IKEv2 still earns its place where the app is blocked (NordVPN says its iPhone and Mac apps are “fully blocked in China” and points users to manual IKEv2; see our NordVPN China guide), on iPhones too old for the app (it needs iOS 17), and on routers with an IKEv2 client. Everywhere else, NordLynx is already switched on.

NordVPN IKEv2 Not Connecting? Quick Fixes

• Login rejected: use your service credentials, not your Nord Account login.
• Certificate errors on a Mac: check that NordVPN Root CA is set to Always Trust for EAP and IPsec.
• “Policy mismatch” on Windows: run reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Rasman\Parameters\ /v NegotiateDH2048_AES256 /t REG_DWORD /d 2 as an administrator, then restart.
• Fails on one network only: IKEv2 uses UDP ports 500 and 4500, which VPN-filtering office, campus and hotel networks can block. Use NordWhisper in the app there.
• Still stuck: restart, try another network or server, and turn off other VPNs.

NordVPN’s Black Friday Deal: Up to 78% Off

NordVPN’s Black Friday sale has been live since 21 October 2026. On the 2-year plan, with 3 extra months, US prices on 23 October were:

• Complete: $3.99 a month ($107.73 for 27 months, 78% off), adding NordPass, 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage and next-gen antivirus.
• Basic: $3.49 a month ($94.23 for 27 months, 69% off).

Every plan covers 10 devices, includes NordLynx and manual IKEv2, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. The App Store charges more: $83.99 or $99.99 for 12 months that day.

Get NordVPN – Up to 78% Off + 3 Months

Our NordVPN promo code page compares it with every other NordVPN offer we verified.

FAQ

The Bottom Line

NordVPN IKE was the IKEv2-based Mac App Store app, and IKEv2 left NordVPN’s App Store apps in June 2023. NordVPN’s apps now default to NordLynx, which is faster and has post-quantum encryption; keep IKEv2 for places the app can’t go. New to NordVPN? Start with what NordVPN is and does.

Get NordVPN’s Black Friday deal: up to 78% off with 3 extra months, from $3.49 a month, and 30 days to change your mind.