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Proton VPN for Android supports several VPN protocols. The protocol controls how your device establishes and encrypts the VPN tunnel. Each option involves different trade-offs between speed, compatibility, and censorship resistance.
Smart protocol is recommended for most users. It automatically selects the best available protocol for your network without any manual configuration.

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Available protocols

Smart protocol automatically tests and selects the best protocol for your current network conditions. It tries protocols in order of preference — starting with WireGuard UDP — and falls back to alternatives if a protocol is blocked or unavailable.How it works:
  • Probes available ports and protocols at connection time
  • Falls back through WireGuard UDP → WireGuard TCP → WireGuard TLS (Stealth) as needed
  • Re-evaluates on each new connection
Smart protocol is the default and requires no manual intervention. Use it unless you have a specific reason to pin a particular protocol.

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Protocol comparison

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Changing the protocol

You can change the protocol globally in Settings, or override it per connection profile.

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Global setting

1

Open Settings

Tap the Settings icon in the bottom navigation bar.
2

Select Protocol

Tap Protocol under the Connection section.
3

Choose a protocol

Select one of the available options. The change takes effect on your next connection.If you are currently connected, disconnect and reconnect for the new protocol to be used.

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Per-profile override

Profiles can have their own protocol setting that overrides the global default. See Connection profiles for details.