Why does my VPN keep disconnecting on Android?

The VPN connects, works for a while, and then drops. Sometimes it comes back by itself, sometimes it stays off until you open the app. Your internet keeps working the whole time, just without the VPN. That pattern points to something on the phone or the network ending the VPN session, not to a broken internet connection. Here is how to find out which one, and how to stop it.

Quick diagnosis

1. Stop the battery manager from killing the VPN

Stock Android rarely stops a running VPN: most VPN apps show a permanent notification and run as a foreground service. But many manufacturers add their own, much stricter battery managers on top. They put apps to sleep or close them after a while in the background, VPNs included. The site Don't kill my app tracks this, and lists Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus and Samsung among the worst offenders.

First, on any phone: Settings → Apps → your VPN → App battery usage (or Battery) → choose Unrestricted, or at least not Restricted.

Then the manufacturer settings (names change between versions):

On Xiaomi and OnePlus you can also lock the app in the recent apps screen, so "clear all" doesn't close it. Some of these settings reset after a system update; check again if the problem returns. The Xiaomi, Huawei and OnePlus pages on Don't kill my app have screenshots for more models.

2. Turn on Android's always-on VPN

Always-on VPN tells Android to start your VPN when the phone boots and to restart it if it stops. It is built into Android 7.0 and later, so it works the same way for every VPN app that supports it.

Go to Settings → Network & internet → VPN, tap the gear next to your VPN, and turn on Always-on VPN. If you also turn on Block connections without VPN, no traffic leaves the phone while the VPN is down, so a drop never exposes your connection; in return, nothing loads until the VPN is back. Our always-on VPN guide covers both switches and the paths for Samsung and Xiaomi.

3. Expect a short pause when you switch networks

When your phone moves from Wi-Fi to mobile data, its IP address changes and the old route dies. How a VPN handles that depends on the protocol. WireGuard is built for it: the WireGuard project describes "full IP roaming on both ends", so the tunnel usually carries on after a moment. Protocols over TCP may need a fresh connection.

If drops always happen as you walk out of Wi-Fi range, turn off Switch to mobile data automatically (sometimes called Adaptive Wi-Fi or Smart network switch) in the Wi-Fi settings. It makes the phone flip back and forth on a weak Wi-Fi signal, which interrupts the VPN each time. When travelling abroad, see also using a VPN while roaming.

4. Check whether one Wi-Fi network is the cause

Some hotel, office and campus networks block or throttle UDP, which WireGuard uses, or cut long-lived connections after a few minutes. The VPN connects, then drops, then reconnects, again and again.

If it only happens on one network, switch to a protocol that runs over TCP port 443 and looks like normal HTTPS, such as VLESS with Reality. Why VPNs get blocked on hotel and office Wi-Fi explains how this works. If the VPN works on mobile data but not on that Wi-Fi at all, read VPN works on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi. Respect the rules of networks at work or school.

5. Make sure no other VPN app takes over

Android runs only one VPN at a time. The Android developer documentation puts it plainly: "Starting a new service, automatically stops an existing service." Ad blockers, firewalls, parental-control apps, "data savers" and some antivirus apps all use the VPN slot. When one of them starts, your VPN is switched off without warning.

Open Settings → Network & internet → VPN and check the list. Turn off Always-on VPN for every app except the one you want, and uninstall the ones you don't use. A work profile managed by your employer can also enforce its own VPN; ask your IT team before changing anything there.

6. Lift Data Saver and background data limits

Data Saver stops apps from using mobile data in the background. If it is on and your VPN isn't exempt, the VPN can stall or drop as soon as you leave the app, but only on mobile data.

• Settings → Network & internet → Data Saver: add your VPN to the apps allowed unrestricted data, or turn Data Saver off.
• Settings → Apps → your VPN → Mobile data & Wi-Fi: turn on Background data and Unrestricted data usage.

7. Set Private DNS to Automatic

A custom Private DNS provider can conflict with the VPN's own DNS. Then the VPN looks connected but stops resolving names, and some apps report it as a disconnect. Go to Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS and choose Automatic or Off. If pages don't load at all while connected, see VPN connected but no internet.

8. Weak signal: some drops are unavoidable

In tunnels, lifts, trains and areas with poor coverage, the phone loses its connection entirely for a few seconds. No VPN can keep a tunnel up without a network. A good VPN picks up again once the signal is back. If you see constant reconnects on a long train ride, a nearby VPN location helps, because each reconnect takes fewer round trips.

9. Check the app's own limits

Some VPNs end the session for reasons of their own: a free plan's daily data limit, a device limit when your account is used on another phone, or a session that expired after you changed your password. The app's main screen or notification usually says why. If it does, the fix is in the app, not in Android.

Still disconnecting?

1. Update the VPN app and Android.
2. Restart the phone.
3. Remove the VPN from Settings → Network & internet → VPN, then connect again from the app so it asks for permission afresh.
4. Note the time, the network (Wi-Fi or mobile, which provider) and what you were doing, and send it to the VPN's support. That information makes a fix much faster.

How SimpleV handles disconnects

• Always-on VPN support. SimpleV VPN works with Android's always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN, and reconnects to your last location when Android starts it. The Settings screen has a shortcut to the right Android page.
• A clear message when another VPN takes over. If another app takes the VPN slot, or VPN access is turned off in Android settings, SimpleV says so in the app and, if notifications are on, in a notification, instead of failing silently.
• Automatic protocol choice. Automatic mode connects over WireGuard and switches to VLESS with Reality on TCP 443 when WireGuard doesn't get through, so a network that blocks UDP doesn't leave you in a reconnect loop.
• A 25-second keepalive on WireGuard, so home routers and mobile networks don't silently drop an idle tunnel while the screen is off.
• One tap back on from the Quick Settings tile or a home-screen widget.
• Free: 500 MB a day without an account; when it's used up, the app tells you, and the allowance resets at midnight UTC. Premium: no daily limit, 30+ locations, up to 5 devices.

FAQ

Why does my VPN keep disconnecting and reconnecting?

Usually because something interrupts it in a loop: a Wi-Fi network that blocks the protocol, a phone that keeps switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or a battery manager that stops the app and always-on VPN that restarts it. Steps 1, 3 and 4 above cover these.

Why does my VPN disconnect but my internet still works?

Android sends traffic outside the VPN as soon as the VPN stops, unless Block connections without VPN is on. So the internet keeps working, just unprotected. Turn on always-on VPN and that setting to make sure a drop never goes unnoticed.

Why does my VPN disconnect when the screen is off?

Almost always the phone's battery manager. Set the VPN's battery usage to Unrestricted and, on Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei or OnePlus, exclude it from the manufacturer's sleeping or optimization list.

Can two VPN apps run at the same time on Android?

No. Android allows one active VPN per user profile. Starting a second one stops the first, which is why ad blockers and firewall apps that use the VPN slot can switch off your VPN.

Does always-on VPN drain the battery?

Not noticeably with a modern protocol. It mainly makes Android restart the VPN when needed. See does a VPN drain your battery for numbers.

Is there a free VPN that doesn't need an account?

Yes, several, including SimpleV. Our guide to free VPNs without sign-up on Android explains what to look for.