NetShield is a DNS-based filtering feature built into Proton VPN. When you connect to a VPN server, all DNS queries from your device pass through Proton’s servers. NetShield intercepts those queries and blocks requests to domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware — before they ever reach your device. No extra software or browser extensions are required. NetShield works system-wide, covering all apps and browsers.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ProtonVPN/android-app/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
NetShield is available on Proton VPN Plus and higher plans. Free plan users can see the NetShield setting but must upgrade to enable it.
Modes
NetShield has three modes. You can switch between them at any time from the settings panel — changes take effect immediately without reconnecting.- Off
- Block malware only
- Block ads, trackers & malware
DNS filtering is disabled. All DNS queries pass through without modification.Use this mode if you want full unfiltered browsing, or if you are troubleshooting a website that may be incorrectly blocked.
NetShield stats
When NetShield is active in the Block ads, trackers & malware mode, the VPN home screen shows a live stats panel for the current session:| Stat | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Ads blocked | Domains serving advertisements that were blocked |
| Trackers blocked | Domains used to track your behaviour across sites |
| Data saved | Estimated bandwidth saved by not loading blocked content |
How to enable NetShield
Tap NetShield
Find NetShield in the settings list and tap it to open the NetShield sub-setting screen.
Limitations
NetShield filters DNS queries only. It does not inspect the full content of network requests, so it cannot:- Block ads delivered from the same domain as the content you are loading (first-party ads)
- Block tracking embedded directly in page HTML or JavaScript that does not make a separate DNS call
- Decrypt or inspect HTTPS traffic