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Connection failures are usually caused by network conditions, protocol selection, or a temporary server issue.Check your internet connection firstDisconnect from VPN and confirm you can reach a website or ping a server. The VPN tunnel requires a working underlying connection.Try a different protocolSome networks block specific protocols. Go to Settings > Protocol and try each option:
  • WireGuard (UDP) — fastest and works on most networks
  • WireGuard TCP — TCP traffic is less commonly blocked than UDP; good for corporate or hotel Wi-Fi
  • Stealth (WireGuard TLS) — disguises VPN traffic as HTTPS; use this on heavily restricted networks
  • Smart — lets the app probe available protocols and ports automatically, then picks the best one
Enable Smart protocolSmart protocol runs port-scanning before connecting (ServerAvailabilityCheck) and selects a combination of protocol and port that is reachable from your network. Enable it under Settings > Protocol > Smart.Disable antivirus or firewall softwareThird-party security apps sometimes block VPN tunnel traffic. Temporarily disable them to check whether they are the cause.
If the connection fails with an “Authentication failed” error, your session credentials may be stale. Log out and log back in to refresh them.
Unexpected disconnections are most often caused by battery optimisation killing the VPN process or by the network switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data.Enable the kill switchThe kill switch blocks all internet traffic the moment the tunnel drops, then keeps it blocked until you reconnect. This prevents accidental data leaks and makes disconnections visible immediately.Go to Settings > Kill switch and enable it.Exempt Proton VPN from battery optimisationAndroid’s battery saver can terminate background processes, including the VPN service. To prevent this:
  1. Open Android Settings > Apps > Proton VPN.
  2. Tap Battery.
  3. Select Unrestricted (the label varies by manufacturer — look for “No restrictions” or “Don’t optimise”).
The exact path differs across device manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc.). Search for “battery optimisation” in your device’s settings app if the steps above don’t match.Check for network switchingIf your device switches between Wi-Fi and a mobile network, the VPN tunnel’s source IP changes and the connection is dropped. Enable Always-on VPN in Android’s built-in VPN settings (Android Settings > Network & internet > VPN) to auto-reconnect after a network change.
Enable Smart protocol. It can reconnect faster after network changes than a fixed protocol because it re-probes available ports.
VPN speed depends on the server load, the distance between you and the server, and the protocol in use.Try a different serverEach server entry in the server list shows a load percentage. Servers above roughly 80% load tend to be slower. Connect to a lightly loaded server in a nearby country to reduce latency.Switch to WireGuard (UDP)WireGuard (UDP) has the smallest overhead and generally delivers the highest throughput. Go to Settings > Protocol and select WireGuard.Turn off SecureCoreSecureCore routes traffic through two hops (a Proton-owned entry server plus the exit server). The extra hop adds latency and reduces throughput. Disable it if speed is more important than the additional routing protection.Check your base connection speedTest your speed without VPN using a speed test app. If the base speed is already low (e.g., a congested mobile network), the VPN cannot improve it.
Free plan users connect via shared free servers. Upgrading to Proton VPN Plus gives access to a larger pool of servers, which typically results in lower load and higher speeds.
By default, VPN routes all traffic — including traffic destined for your local network (LAN) — through the tunnel. This means your phone cannot reach printers, NAS drives, smart home devices, or other devices on the same Wi-Fi network.Enable LAN connectionsGo to Settings > Advanced > Allow LAN connections and toggle it on. This adds a routing exception so that traffic to RFC 1918 address ranges (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16–31.x.x) bypasses the VPN tunnel.
When LAN connections are allowed, devices on your local network can initiate connections to your phone. Only enable this on networks you trust.
Crashes and freezes are usually resolved by clearing cached data or reinstalling the app. If they persist, submitting a bug report with logs helps the team diagnose the problem.Clear the app cache
  1. Open Android Settings > Apps > Proton VPN.
  2. Tap Storage & cache.
  3. Tap Clear cache.
Do not tap “Clear storage” unless instructed — that removes all local data including saved settings.Restart the appForce-stop the app from Android Settings, then reopen it.Reinstall the appUninstall Proton VPN, then download a fresh copy from Google Play or GitHub Releases. Your account and settings are stored server-side and will be restored after you log back in.Submit a bug reportIf the crash is reproducible, submit a bug report with logs attached immediately after it occurs. The logs capture the state of the app at the time of the crash. See Submit a bug report for instructions.
Proton VPN takes individual servers offline periodically for maintenance. When this happens while you are connected, the app detects it automatically.What happens automaticallyThe MaintenanceTracker component polls the status of your connected server at regular intervals. When it detects that the server’s connecting domain has gone offline, it triggers a fallback sequence (VpnConnectionErrorHandler.onServerInMaintenance). The app searches for a compatible alternative server — preferring the same country, city, and tier — and reconnects without requiring any action from you.A notification or in-app dialog informs you of the server switch.Finding another server manuallyIf automatic reconnection does not succeed or if you want to choose the replacement yourself:
  1. Disconnect from the current server.
  2. Open the server list.
  3. Servers that are in maintenance show a wrench icon and cannot be selected.
  4. Pick any other available server in the same country.
Using Fastest or a country-level connection (rather than connecting to a specific server) means the app always routes you to the best available server in that country, so maintenance on a single server has no visible impact.
Each Proton VPN plan includes a limit on the number of simultaneous VPN connections.
PlanSimultaneous connections
Free1
Plus10
When you try to connect and all slots are in use, the app shows a “Maximum sessions reached” error (internally ErrorType.MAX_SESSIONS). A full-screen dialog is shown rather than a simple snack bar.To resolve this
  • Disconnect Proton VPN on another device.
  • Or sign in to account.proton.me and end sessions remotely from Account > VPN > Active sessions.
If you are on the Free plan and want to connect on more devices simultaneously, upgrading to Plus raises the limit to 10 connections.
Some servers enforce connection restrictions. The app tracks two restriction types (defined in VpnConnectionRestriction):
RestrictionWhat it means
P2PPeer-to-peer traffic (e.g. BitTorrent) is not allowed on this server. Use a P2P-enabled server instead — these are labelled in the server list.
StreamingThe server is not optimised for streaming. Streaming-enabled servers (labelled with a streaming icon) are available on the Plus plan.
How to find the right server
  1. Open the server list.
  2. Use the Features filter to show only servers with P2P or Streaming support.
  3. Connect to one of those servers.
Streaming servers are available on Proton VPN Plus only.

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