A serious Android bug is rendering VPN apps “unusable,” leaving users unprotected against online threats.
The issue was first reported to Google back in August 2025 and it is affecting many of the best VPNs. Mullvad and Proton VPN have both alerted Google to the bug, with the latter calling Google out on social media.
1/4Google has known about a bug that breaks VPN apps for 7 months, leaving users exposed with no warning or error, just a VPN app that stopped working in the background.If you’re using ANY VPN on Android, you can help us by getting Google’s attention to fix it.Details 👇 🧵March 18, 2026
Corruption of VPN apps
In its series of tweets, Proton VPN said “the bug corrupts Android’s network stack at the system level after a VPN update, causing users to blame their VPN provider.”
It added that “restarting the app doesn’t help, with the only fix being a full device reboot or VPN app reinstall, something which most users never figure out.”
Proton VPN has said “any VPN on Android” will be affected. Mullvad, Ivanti, Psiphon, and TunnelBear have all confirmed the issue affects their VPN app.
Despite multiple reports, in August 2025 a member of Google’s product and engineering team said they didn’t see “anything unusual.”
Image: Google’s initial response to Mullvad’s report, dated August 28, 2025 (Image credit: Future)
Proton VPN and Mullvad raise reports
Mullvad and Proton VPN both raised reports on Google’s IssueTracker, in August and September 2025 respectively.
Mullvad said that after updating to Android 16, “the VPN app is no longer able to reach the internet.” It said this is “very confusing for users” as the VPN “is stuck in a connecting state” and fails to connect.
It appears as though the issue arises when an “Always-on VPN” feature is enabled. In Proton VPN’s case, this feature is always toggled on.
Its app says “Always-on VPN re-establishes a secure VPN connection swiftly and automatically. For your security, this feature is always on.”
Image: Proton VPN’s “Always-On VPN” setting seen on iOS. (Image credit: Future)
Mullvad said it discovered three ways a user can resolve the issue:
- Restarting the phone
- Switching to another VPN profile (make sure it is established) and then reconnect using the original, previously faulty, VPN.
- Uninstall and install the VPN app
It added that “neither removing the VPN Profile and creating a new one or entering airplane mode may fix a VPN in the faulty state.”
However, in the comments of Mullvad’s report, Proton VPN said “Always-on doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite.” It was able to reproduce the problem without it.
In its own report, Proton VPN said the VPN app remains broken, and “entirely unusable” until:
- Device restart
- Uninstall and reinstall of the app
- VPN tunnel is successfully established by another VPN
Both Mullvad and Proton VPN reported numerous user complaints regarding the bug. Many Android VPN users have commented on both report pages, with the most recent complaints being shared on March 19, 2026.
In October 2025, a Proton VPN developer asked for an update and said “it’s not something we VPN developers are in a position to work around, as the corruption happens at the lower Android level.”
Google has not replied to the reports since August 2025. At the time of writing, no fix has been released.
(Image credit: Kevin Carter / Getty Images)
Why is this a problem?
The problem here is simple. This bug makes your Android VPN unusable and leaves you and your data unprotected. People may inadvertently blame their VPN for the issue, and may not immediately be aware of the actions required to solve the problem.
It’s especially problematic for those in restrictive environments who rely on VPNs to circumvent internet censorship. Leaving themselves without VPN access could have disastrous consequences.
People may not have the ability to switch to another paid VPN app, therefore could turn to free VPNs. Many of these VPNs are potentially unsafe, and often make their money by collecting and selling your data, or injecting ads into their apps.
Only the best free VPNs are safe and secure, but they only offer basic VPN protection. They aren’t a match for their premium counterparts.
It’s imperative that this bug is fixed – and quickly.
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
