Horrible user interface after switching from Freedome

oqwgvm

Dear F-Secure,

The switch from Freedome VPN to the new F-Secure app severely degraded the user experience.

You cannot turn the app off anymore. Previously, this was possible by right-clicking on the task bar icon and selecting the exit option.

You can no longer turn the VPN on or off directly from the task bar right-click menu. Instead you have to first open F-Secure, then turn VPN on. The whole right-click menu is useless now with choices like "check for updates" and "view recent events". What events?

The last month of the subscription period you will be constantly reminded that the subscription is ending, and every time you want to turn the VPN on or off you have to acknowledge this. So there is yet another step before the VPN connects. If only there was the option in the RIGHT CLICK MENU.

Also, it will nag about your subscription ending EVERY TIME you turn on your computer…

…because there used to be an option to NOT START F-secure on computer startup. Now it will start EVERY TIME, cannot be turned off, and then EVERY TIME it will nag about the subscription.

Even the VPN toggle button is worse, since Freedome had a really nice UI with a huge toggle button that you cannot miss.

I will not continue my subscription as it seems you will not fix these problems. Time to move on.

And unless you have some plan to fix these things, I will not be coming back.

PawełP

Hello @oqwgvm

Thank you very much for your post describing your experience while using our program.

We greatly appreciate your insights and suggestions on how the program works and what you think should be changed. Each such opinion helps us to better understand the experience of users and their needs. Your description of what features you miss in our program and what elements irritate you is very suggestive and specific. We appreciate your honest opinion.

Although at the moment it is not possible to make changes immediately with the next version of the program, but you can be sure that we take your post seriously.

Our R&D department receives feedback from customers all the time, which is carefully analyzed for the possibility of implementing new solutions or improving current program features. Similar inquiries have already appeared in the “feature request” section, which was mentioned by @JOnes. This section allows us to keep track of the expectations of users of our software.

As of today, we can't promise that we will definitely implement your suggestions into our program, because that would not be entirely honest. Such a decision is the result of many discussions and analysis by many people. However, we can reassure you that in this analysis and decision-making, your comment will be of importance.

Thank you once again.

Best regards

Pawel

TVC15

Hi @oqwgvm

As far as the VPN, I know this is not a solution, but I switched to F-Secure Internet Security and bought a different VPN that has the taskbar icon and settings, as well as its other standalone app settings.

I don't see any mention of VPN changes in the beta, but we can only hope in the future they include some sort of upgrade to the VPN as per your post, and my desires as well.

https://community.f-secure.com/en/discussion/comment/138328#Comment_138328

JOnes

Maybe it would be worthwhile to also add a request to the "feature request" queue about those user interface changes to the Total product

TVC15

https://community.f-secure.com/en/discussion/comment/138347#Comment_138347

Ideally, that would be the way to go about it :) but scattered throughout the English and Finnish forums are posts regarding the lack of VPN functionality, especially after the discontinuation of Freedome into Total. That migration was an eye opener for a lot of people, so I'm pretty sure F-Secure knows about this from the feedback posted? :)

TVC15

https://community.f-secure.com/en/discussion/comment/138389#Comment_138389

@PawełP

Thank you for the honesty in this part of your post (below). I previously was a Mod on the Bitdefender forum, so I know a little bit about the tact and diplomacy that needs to be taken with these kinds of topics, i.e. in this case a major change to the Total app (improved VPN functionality).

As of today, we can't promise that we will definitely implement your suggestions into our program, because that would not be entirely honest. Such a decision is the result of many discussions and analysis by many people. However, we can reassure you that in this analysis and decision-making, your comment will be of importance.

That's why IMO, people may want to consider making a switch to Internet Security when their renewal comes up, for a better VPN alternative, as the requested changes may never happen. But, maybe some don't mind how it's implemented and functions in Total as it is, and we could be pleasantly surprised in a year or two of what F-Secure may come up with? :)

Kind regards :)