Exit nodes (route all traffic)
Exit nodes capture all your network traffic. To configure Tailscale to only route specific subnets (the more common configuration), refer to subnet routers instead.
The exit node feature lets you route all non-Tailscale internet traffic through a specific device on your Tailscale network (known as a tailnet). The device routing your traffic is called an exit node.
By default, Tailscale acts as an overlay network: it only routes traffic between devices running Tailscale, but doesn't touch your public internet traffic, such as when you visit Google or Twitter. The overlay network configuration is ideal for most people who need secure communication between sensitive devices (such as company servers or home computers), but don't need extra layers of encryption or latency for their public internet connection.
However, there might be times when you want Tailscale to route your public internet traffic. For example, you might want to route all your public internet traffic if:
- You're in a cafe with untrusted Wi-Fi.
- You're traveling overseas and need access to an online service (such as banking) only available in your home country.
You can route all your public internet traffic by setting a device on your network as an exit node. When you route all traffic through an exit node, you're effectively using default routes (0.0.0.0/0, ::/0), similar to how you would if you were using a typical VPN.
Configure an exit node
For security purposes, you must opt-in to exit node functionality. For example:
- Every device must explicitly opt-in to using an exit node.
- A device must advertise that it's willing to be an exit node.
- An Owner, Admin, or Network admin must allow a device to be an exit node for the network.
Prerequisites
Before you can configure an exit node, you must:
- Set up a Tailscale network, called a tailnet.
- Ensure both the exit node and devices using the exit node run Tailscale v1.20 or later.
- Ensure the exit node is a Linux, macOS, Windows, or Android device.
- Ensure you allow (intended) users to use the exit node.
If your tailnet is using the default ACL, users of your tailnet already have access to any exit nodes that you configure. If you have modified your ACL, ensure you create an access rule that includes exit node uses in the autogroup:internet. They do not need access to the exit node itself to use the exit node.
The following example configuration to add to your ACL that allows all users access to the internet through an exit node:
// All users can use exit nodes
// If you are using the default ACL, this rule is not needed because the
// default ACL allows all users access to the internet through an exit node
{ "action": "accept", "src": ["autogroup:member"], "dst": ["autogroup:internet:*"] },
Install the Tailscale client
Advertise a device as an exit node
From the Tailscale client installed on the device you plan to use as an exit node, select Run exit node.
If the device is authenticated by a user who can approve exit nodes in autoApprovers, the exit node will automatically be approved.
Allow the exit node from the admin console
This step is not required if using autoApprovers.
You must be an Admin to allow a device to be an exit node.
Open the Machines page of the admin console and locate the exit node device. You can identify the Exit Node badge in the machines list or use the property:exit-node filter to list all devices advertised as exit nodes.
From the 
menu of the exit node, open the Edit route settings panel, and enable Use as exit node.
Use the exit node
Each device must enable the exit node separately. The instructions for enabling an exit node vary depending on the device's operating system.
You can use an exit node from the menu in the top-right of the screen.
From the menu, select Use exit node. Then, choose the exit node to use. If you want to allow direct access to your local network when routing traffic through an exit node, select Allow LAN access. You can also select None to disable using an exit node.
The option to use an exit node only displays if there's an available exit node in your tailnet.
You can verify that your traffic is routed by another device by checking your public IP address using online tools. You should see the exit node's public IP rather than your local device's IP.
You can turn off routing through the exit node by selecting None from the exit node list.
Caveats
Tailscale support for running exit nodes on Android is new and still undergoing optimization. Make sure you plug the device into a power source if you plan to use it as an exit node for an extended time. Android exit nodes are limited to userspace routing.
Running an exit node on an Android device is not performant—it may be too slow for most cases.
Userspace
On Android, the exit node is implemented in userspace, which differs from the default Linux exit node implementation and is not as mature or fully optimized. For details, refer to Kernel vs. netstack subnet routing and exit nodes.