Android's developer documentation says VPN apps can use “either an allowed list, or, a disallowed list, but not both.” That single rule explains most of what a split tunneling menu offers.
Two ways the app list can work
With an allowed list, only the listed apps use the VPN and everything else uses the normal connection. With a disallowed list, the listed apps skip the VPN and everything else goes through it. If neither list exists, Android sends all traffic through the VPN.
The VPN app has to set the list before it connects. Changing it means establishing a new connection, so expect a brief reconnect after each edit. If Android's “Block connections without VPN” setting is turned on, excluded apps can lose their internet connection, so test them after setting up the list.
Apps that may need to skip the VPN
Skipped apps use your regular connection, so websites and services see your provider's public IP address and the approximate location tied to it instead of the VPN server's. Exclude an app only when it actually misbehaves with the VPN on.
· Banking and payment apps that block or question logins from the VPN server's location.
· Streaming and video-call apps that fail to load or stutter through the VPN.
· Apps tied to your region, such as local delivery, transit or carrier apps, that show the wrong area.
Apps that should stay inside the tunnel
Browsers, email, messaging and anything you use on public Wi-Fi are better left protected. HTTPS and an app's own encryption still protect passwords and message contents without a VPN, but the local network, such as a cafe hotspot, can see which servers a skipped app contacts.
A disallowed list is usually the safer default, because a new app you install later is protected unless you exclude it. An allowed list works the other way: a new app stays outside the VPN until you add it.
Not every Android VPN app offers either list, and some only offer one of the two. Reading reviews of individual VPN services helps when comparing providers, but the app’s own documentation is the place to confirm which list type it supports and how it treats excluded apps. Android also requires an app to be installed before it is added to a list, so install it first and then set up the list.
