How to use vpn on android

XDA Basics: How to Setup and Use a VPN on your Android Smartphone

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and is an essential tool for anyone who wants to keep their internet activity private and secure. A VPN can help you browse the web privately, mask your actual location while browsing the web for added privacy, unblock certain websites that may be blocked in your country, or access geo-restricted websites or content that may be available in a different country but not in yours. For example, Netflix is different in the US than it is in India. So if you’re in the US and want to watch Indian shows and movies, you can use a VPN to change your location to India and enjoy the local content.

There are various great VPN providers across different platforms. You can opt for one of the best VPNs but most of the good and reliable ones are paid (which we recommend). But we also understand that not everyone can afford to pay for a VPN. So we also have a list of the best free VPNs on Android which you can try before investing in a good paid VPN app.

Now you know what a VPN is and what you can use it for, we’ll tell you how to use a VPN on Android and how you can set up a VPN app on Android for the first time.

How to Use a VPN on Android

Setting up and using a VPN on Android is fairly simple, and can be done through a few straightforward steps that we’ll discuss in this guide. Once you have set up a VPN on Android and granted it access to your network, you can use it just like any other app without repeating the setup process each time you launch the app.

• Download and install a VPN app of your choice from our list of the best VPN apps for Android. If none of these appeal to you, you can also search for VPN apps on the Play Store and download the one you like.
• Once you’ve installed the app of your choice, launch it and go through the initial setup. If the app asks you to register with an account or log in, complete the process.
• Next, tap on the icon that says Connect. This will initiate the VPN connection process.

• Now you’ll see a pop-up dialog box on your phone letting you know the app is requesting to set up a VPN connection. Select OK.

• The VPN app will now start the connection process and once you see the Connected message, your phone will display a small icon that looks like a key in the notification panel. This icon indicates your phone is connected to a VPN.

• You can verify this by going to your phone’s Settings > Wi-Fi and Network > VPN and selecting the settings icon next to the VPN app you’ve installed. From here, you can select the VPN to be always-on or you can even forget the VPN if you no longer want to use it.

• Since your Android phone is now connected to a VPN, you can access blocked websites and browse the web securely.

That’s how simple it is to use a VPN on Android. If you’re not satisfied with a VPN app or client, you can try multiple apps before settling on the one you prefer. ProtonVPN is a good free app to start with. Different VPN apps allow you to access different locations so you can try a few apps if the location you’re looking for isn’t present on one of them.

Note that free VPNs only allow you to connect to select locations so if you want to connect to more locations or want a more secure experience, we recommend getting a paid VPN.

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How to Set Up and Use A VPN on Android in 2021 (Easy Steps)

Your phone stores a lot of sensitive information about you. From personal information and family photos, to your physical location and online banking details, hackers and spies can learn a lot about you when you don’t protect your data.

Using trustworthy apps and a good antivirus is a great way to start. But the only way to keep your personal information private is to install a high-quality VPN on your phone.

VPNs encrypt your data, making it completely unreadable to hackers, trackers, and spies. They also mask your IP address to make it look like you’re browsing from a different location. This is useful if you need to bypass censorship or geoblocks.

Most premium VPN providers offer apps for Android, but installing the apps can be a daunting process. That’s why our experts have created an easy, step-by-step guide to installing the best VPNs on your Android.

Why Do I Need a VPN on My Phone?

VPNs encrypt all the data that travels on your network. This prevents hackers and spies from stealing your personal information because they can’t break that encryption to read your data.

It will also stop sneaky websites tracking your browsing activity and creating targeted ads from your history. If you live in a country where internet surveillance and censorship is prevalent, a VPN will also help you access blocked content anonymously.

And, even if your internet isn’t censored, you’ll be able to use your VPN to watch geo-restricted content, like Netflix US and Hulu.

Some workplaces even use VPNs to create a secure way for employees to connect to their network. If you’re using a VPN for business purposes, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. We will also show you how to connect to an existing VPN network on your Android phone below.

Find out more about protecting your cybersecurity with our comprehensive beginners’ guide.

How to Install a VPN on Android?

Installing a VPN on your phone is the best way to protect your personal information. Most providers offer lightweight apps that don’t use much data to download. In fact, you can even use some VPNs to monitor your usage if you’re on a limited data plan with your cell provider.

In this guide, we show you how to install ExpressVPN on your phone. But you can use the same steps to install almost any VPN app.

We recommend ExpressVPN because it is a high-security provider with fast connections and a global network of servers. It’s easy-to-use, and the lightweight app won’t slow your phone down as it runs in the background.

1. Go to ExpressVPN’s website on your Android, navigate to the.APK download page and click “Download”.

You can sign up for an account before or after you download the app on your Android

2. Open the APK file once it’s finished downloading and click “Install”. ExpressVPN will install automatically — then click “Open” when prompted.

You might get a “Connection request” before installing — just click “OK”.

3. Sign in with your credentials once the app opens and click the big power button to connect to the fastest server depending on your location.

Your Android is now protected!

How to Connect to an Existing VPN Network

If your workplace uses a VPN to login to its network, don’t despair! It’s also easy to connect to a pre-existing VPN network with Android.

All you need to do is ask your network administrator for the VPN network’s name, type, server address, and your login credentials.

1. Open your phone’s settings, and tap Wireless & Networks.

2. Select VPN, and then click Add VPN Profile.

3. Enter the VPN network’s information as given to you by your network administrator, then hit save.

4. On the next screen, tap the name of the VPN profile you just created.

5. Enter your login credentials and hit connect. You’re done!

Summary

A VPN is the easiest way to protect your personal information when you’re using your phone. It will encrypt your data and mask your location to prevent it from falling into the hands of hackers, trackers, and spies.

This will also stop targeted ads and let you bypass censorship and geoblocks.

We recommend ExpressVPN for Android because of its powerful security features and easy-to-use apps. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test it out on your Android risk-free.

Does Android have built-in VPN?

Android does have a built-in VPN client but it may not give you all of the protocol options that you would get with a premium VPN provider. This is especially true of newer protocols like WireGuard.

Do I need a VPN on my Android phone?

Phones are used for so much more than calling and texting nowadays. We keep banking, business, and client information on them. A premium provider like ExpressVPN can help protect your Android device from malware and other third-party data that can put sensitive data at risk.

Are there any free VPNs for Android?

There are several safe, free VPNs for Android. Many premium VPNs also feature money-back guarantees that allow you to test the service for yourself risk-free. Check out our article on the best VPNs for Android for more information.

Further Reading

Want to save some of your hard-earned cash? Our budget-savvy experts have compiled a list of the best VPN deals currently available.

If you’re looking to try out some VPNs before you decide, here’s a list of the best VPNs with free trials.

Have an Apple device you need to protect? Check out the 10 Best VPNs for iOS.

The best VPNs for Android in 2021 are…

Rank	Provider	Our Score	User Rating	Visit Website
1		9.8 /10	Find Out More Get Started >> Visit Site
2		9.8 /10	Find Out More Get Started >> Visit Site
3		9.6 /10	Find Out More Get Started >> Visit Site

Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!

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How to set up OpenVPN on Android

Our Android app allows you to choose between the OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard® protocols. If enabled, Smart Protocol will choose the best option for you. We strongly recommend using our iOS/iPad app on your Android or Chrome OS device.

You can download our Android app from the Google Play Store , or you can download our Android app’s APK from the open-source app repository F-Droid and GitHub (Android only).

How to set up ProtonVPN as an Android VPN

Download your chosen app

Note: To avoid undesired behavior and bugs, we strongly recommend using one of the following applications:

• OpenVPN for Android (free, open-source software): available on the Google Play Store or on the independent app store F-Droid .
• OpenVPN Connect (free, created by authors of OpenVPN protocol): available on the Google Play Store

Download configuration files to your device

Note: Below we describe how to download config files directly onto your device, though you can also send config files to your device via email or USB transfer.

1. Sign in to your ProtonVPN dashboard at account.protonvpn.com/login

2. Select Downloads.

3. Select OpenVPN configuration files section and choose:

• Platform: Android
• Protocol: UDP (recommended) / TCP if you experience slow VPN speeds (this utilizes port 443)
• Select the config files you would like to download. These config files determine the type of ProtonVPN server you can connect to. ( Secure Core , Country , Standard server , or Free server )

Click Download for the specific server you wish to connect to, or scroll to the bottom of the page and select Download all configurations. (If you select Download all configurations , you will need a program to extract the zip file.)

Note: You can also perform the above steps on your PC and send the OVPN config files as attachments to your email address that you can access on your Android device.

Set up OpenVPN on Android

Note: The instructions below are for OpenVPN for Android . If you’re using another application, you will follow similar steps but there will likely be slightly different user interfaces.

In the OpenVPN for Android app, tap the Import button in the top right corner, then select the OVPN files you downloaded previously.

Tap the Save button to finish importing the config file.

To add more connections simply repeat the above steps with different configuration files. Note: Secure Core servers are marked as xx-xx-01.protonvpn.com.xxxxxxx.ovpn.

Connect to ProtonVPN

1. Tap on the newly added profile to connect.

2. Tap OK when you see the below prompt for Connection request.

3. When prompted for the username and password, enter your OpenVPN credentials and hit connect.

4. For more information on your OpenVPN credentials and where to find them, see here.

Note: To use our NetShield DNS filtering feature, append the suffix +f1 to your username to block malware, or +f2 to block malware, ads, and trackers (for example 123456789+f2).

5. A new screen will appear detailing the connection attempt. When you see Initialization Sequence Completed and a key icon appears in the top status bar, you are successfully connected.

Disconnect from ProtonVPN

1. Tap the profile you are currently connected to (Indicated by Connected:SUCCESS […] underneath the profile name).

2. Select Disconnect on the confirmation window.

3. Once you have disconnected, the profile will now show No process running .

Neither OpenVPN Connect nor OpenVPN for Android work in conjunction with ProtonVPN on Samsung Galaxy Note8 (Android 8).

Hello, please contact our customer support team as we need more detailed information about your situation. https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Actually, it works on Galaxy Note8. I had mismatched the ProtonVPN user name with the credentials for the connection. Thanks for your help !

I would like to use Proton VPN on my Android phone, but I live in China, which means that I can’t access the Google Play Store. Is it possible to download the apk file from somewhere else so that I can sideload it onto my phone? (Note: it is no just that the Google Play Store is blocked in China. Almost all phones bought here don’t have the Play Store app, and it can’t be installed even if you can find a copy to download.)

Hello Dizzy, Please contact our customer support team and we will provide with the required tools to try out our services in China. https://protonvpn.com/support-form

I’ve an issue with ProtonVPN for Android, similar to reported by John, connection is not responsive after locking phone while connected to Internet via WiFi. I’ve tried to set connection as “Always-on active” in VPN connections section of phone Settings, it doesn’t seem to change anything. If I use different OpenVPN client (OpenVPN for Android) everything is fine.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Be sure phone is using WiFi network connection (not cellular carrier data connection, there is no issue on cellular connection). I’ve noticed the issue on my home WiFi network. Have not checked on any other WiFi networks, but I guess it doesn’t matter.
2. Connect to server using ProtonVPN app, doesn’t matter which one. I connect to AU servers (both with Secure Core option and without it, I guess it doesn’t matter as well).
3. Lock phone. I press Power button to switch off display and lock phone. But it is fine if you just wait a minute for auto lock. Locked here means that it will require password to unlock phone after waking up. Probably password lock is not really related to the issue, just going to sleep mode matters.
4. Wait some time (I believe waiting for 5 minutes is enough). Unlock phone.
5. Connection is in connected state, key symbol is shown in tray. There is upload activity according to ProtonVPN app but *no download* activity. All messages in ProtonVPN log have old timestamps (e.g. around the time phone was locked).

Environment:
1. Android 7.1.1
2. Phone: Blackberry KeyOne, BBB100-1, firmware build AAV119
My guess is that there is some network state change on WiFi network that is not handled by ProtonVPN. Hope this will help to nail down the issue. I’ve switched to OpenFPN for Android for now and can live with it.

Hello Alex, thank you for the steps to reproduce the issue. We have delivered the information to the developers and will do our best to see how to solve it. We appreciate your time!

Same issue as Alex, vpn not downloading activity after unlocking the phone, i am running proton vpn app version 1.22. on Samsung S7 with Andoid 7.0 security revision march 2018, i don not change wifi and cellular and the issue is always in the wifi without any lost of signal. Don not receive any message will the phone is locked.

Hello Carlos, please contact our support staff and we will do our best to help you out with the android connection loss issue! https://protonvpn.com/support-form

I really like the android it works very well, the only issue is that after some period of time, the connection becomes very slow/unusable (or goes to sleep) if I simply reconnect to another server all is well – is there any way to avoid this?

Hello John, as much as we tested , we could only reproduce it when we are stepping away from wifi signal until it gets low and barely stays connected. Is this a similar case to you? Please contact our customer support team about it. https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Currently trying ProtonVPN for Android. Everything works great when connected to my home Wi-Fi but as soon as I am on the go and use data from my cellular data provider all apps are telling me I have no internet connection. Am I missing something?

Hello Thierry,
May we ask, do you swtich from wifi to cellular and then loose internet on apps, or can you connect to our vpn servers with cellular and evn then loose internet?
Please contact our support with more detailed information.
https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Hi
Installed and running fine.
One thing did not understand though:
“Use secure core”…?

Hello Pedro,
Secure core is a feature of our applications that provides extra security layer by bouncing your connection through two VPN servers. If you have any further questions or issues that you`d like to be addressed, feel free to write us a message here:
https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Hello, I just found this app a few days ago and it’s great. But it seems to block local traffic (to a LAN server on the same subnet 192.168.x.y). I have to disconnect from the VPN to access my LAN.
Is there a way to automatically start a user defined default config ? (a one click start solution)
On my phone, the setting “Start with Android” fails to connect. Maybe it starts too soon and it sould wait longer for network availability before sending an error message.

Hey Harold, our app uses IKEv2 protocol which does not allow connections on a local network by design. You can try using OpenVPN Connect app instead, OpenVPN protocol usually does allow connections in the local network.

Works great on ChromeOS devices that have Google Play Android support. I’m using it successfully on an Asus Chromebook Flip 2 C302CA-DHM4 w/ the Android ProtonVPN app! Also run ProtonVPN on a variety of platforms without problems including OpenVPN on macOS High Sierra.

when will proton vpn have a app for android tv box would be great and the best

Hey Tomy, optimizing it for Android TVs is quite low on our to-do list, but we will see what we can do about it.

it suddenly stopped on Android .. i’m in UAE, dose this has anything to do with VPN IPs block ? anyone reported that protonvpn servers can’t be reached from UAE ?

Hello Ted, there is a possibility that our hostnames were blocked. However, there are a few things you can try out, please contact us via https://protonvpn.com/support-form and we will provide you with a few methods that might work.

Why isn’t the ProtonVPN apk for android downloadable from f-droid or some place other than the Google play store? Google is one of the biggest enemies of privacy in the world so how can you be sure they don’t tamper with ProtonVPN?

Hello John, we do provide Android app .APK file, just simply write us an e-mail via https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Although it is not (yet?) available on f-droid, you can download it from yalp store which is on f-droid. And it’s running without complaining the missing google play store/services/framework on my phone (using an alternate custom ROM).

Hi. I’ve an extra SIM (Swiss telecommunications company). It’s possible to configure ProtonVPN on a Wifi Broadband like the Huawei E5885, or a Netgear AirCard 810?

Hello Norman, these devices do not support VPN natively, so you will have to connect to VPN on each of your devices individually.

Hi, could you advise on the configuration for Chrome OS? I tried to manually import CA and configure various server IP, nothing is fruitful.

Hello Vivek, we have not tested our Android app on ChromeOS. However, maybe you will find this thread on our subreddit useful, one of our users has reported that certain versions of ChromeOS are able to run our Android app without issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonVPN/comments/7sju41/how_to_use_protonvpn_with_a_chromebook/

First of all, thanks for your VPN software, overall it works great on WIFI and on 4G.
For me there’s one exception though. When trying to connect when i’m on one certain WiFI-network, connection fails and i get ‘Gateway unreachable’ and ‘Peer not responding’. Opera VPN does connect without any problem. Is there a way to fix this?

Hi,
I have noticed, Google Play Services and Google Play Store are not routed via the ProtonVPN but instead these services try to connect outside theVPN. Is there a reason why?
Thanks.

If you don’t want to use Google PlayStore, we can provide you with Android app .APK file, just simply write us an e-mail via https://protonvpn.com/support-form

Hello,
Does the ProtonVPN app tunnel traffic from all the android apps automatically when we connect or we need to configure something more? Like the allowed apps on the openVPN for android app where we can choose which apps we want to use with the VPN?

All of the services that rely solely on internet connection are tunneled once you are connected to a VPN server. We do not support split tunneling at the moment, so your internet connection is completely tunneled and encrypted.

How can i configure VPN file to use in android. I have a free account but i cant download any country files like the instructions showed on this page https://protonvpn.com/support/android-vpn-setup/

hi bruno, country config files include the basic servers and thus are available to paid subscribers only. If you want to set up on android, download the server config files for US, NL and JP free servers

Does not work on UAE.

Please also consider developing an extension for Chrome OS.

Some features I would like in the Android App:
Android TV Support
Connect to Fastest Server Option
Connect on Android Boot
Auto-connect
Connect only to Secure Core Servers Option

Are you guys planning to implement any of these? 🙂

Hi, yes the Android app will almost include all of these: Fastest server connection, Connect on Boot and connecting to preselected servers such as secure core or similar.

Is there a way to download the country file for Secure Core servers only so that I can connect to the fastest secure core servers only? I want to use your privately own servers only and want to be able to connect to the fastest one on demand.

Hi Kian, with Secure Core, the fastest server will in majority of times be the connection with closest geographic proximity for both entry and exit node. E.g. if you live in Sweden, the SE >> FR connection would most likely always be the fastest.

Is your Android app going to work with Android TV devices as well? Please make this happen, it shouldnt be much more work either.

This service looks really excellent. I’m waiting for an Android app. I hope one is available soon.

Will there be an Android-App in some time?

Yes, this is currently in development.

UK config file for Android not working (could not resolve domain gb.protonvpn.com), had to change the server to uk.protonvpn.com.
Otherwise happy till now 🙂

I’ve tried downloading to my phone each of the configuration files from all the servers in the list and they all fail with an “unrecognized error”. The support docs don’t seem to have an answer for this issue. I did choose the “Android” radio button.

Every profile I try to import into OpenVPN for Android fails to save with a message about bad backslash usage.

Too bad it doesn’t work when you have 2way auth on your account since you only get the option to enter your login info and your initial password, it never prompts for the 6-digit 2-way auth code, nor for the mailbox password (for decrypting)

[us-30.protonvpn.com] Peer Connection Initiated with [AF_INET]209.58.142.159:1194
AUTH: Recieved control message: AUTH_FAILED
SIGTERM[soft,auth-failure] recieved, process exiting

never mind.. sorted, I just didn’t pay attention to the openvpn login info that’s a lil obscurely placed in the middle of the page instead of being emphasised with colour/size ect 🙂

The password you are using is incorrect, you have to use the OpenVPN password. Details here: https://protonvpn.com/support/vpn-login/

I managed to get this working using the guide, thanks!
I have a question though – is it ok to leave OpenVPN connected indefinitely or is it better to disconnect when not in use?

What a shame – was working great on Android for a few days, but now has just stopped connecting and constantly gives auth fail errors.
Changing username and password does not help.
Time to look elsewhere….

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