Set Up vpn.now on Android

VPN Setup help

Before you start

Register an Android device on the devices page and download its config in the phone's browser. If this is your first time, the overview in what you need to get started explains the whole flow.

Connect with the tunnel app

1. Install the official tunnel app from Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap the blue plus button.
3. Choose "Import from file or archive" and select your downloaded .conf file.
4. Allow Android to add the VPN connection.
5. Tap the toggle to connect. A key icon appears in the status bar.

Complete instructions, an example config, and troubleshooting are in the manual tunnel setup guide.

Useful Android settings

• Always-on VPN: in Android settings under Network, you can mark the VPN app as always-on so it reconnects automatically.
• Block connections without VPN: the same screen offers a kill switch that stops traffic if the VPN drops. The kill switch guide explains when this matters.
• After connecting, confirm it works with verifying your IP changed.

If the connection drops or pages will not load

If Android keeps dropping the tunnel or sites stop loading, the cause is usually battery optimization or a stale route:

• The VPN disconnects in the background: Android may be putting the tunnel app to sleep. In Settings, Apps, find the tunnel app, open Battery, and set it to Unrestricted.
• It reconnects every time you unlock: turn on Always-on VPN so Android keeps the tunnel up across screen locks and reboots.
• Connected but nothing loads: a banking or work app may reject VPN traffic. Use the tunnel app's per-app exclusions to leave just that one app outside the tunnel. Our split tunneling guide shows how.
• Wrong DNS or a leak: confirm everything is routing correctly with our VPN leak test.

For how the Android app handles always-on and per-app rules in more depth, see vpn.now for Android. If it still will not connect, the cannot connect guide and support can help.