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  3. Google 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.

Google 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.

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  • raisondetredev@mastodon.deR raisondetredev@mastodon.de

    @protonprivacy @mullvadnet Since you are saying that only Google can inspect the issue, can one correctly assume that in projects as @GrapheneOS VPNs are not affected?

    Because on personal anecdote, I cannot recall an issue forcing a reboot in the last months regarding VPN use.

    splinux@mastodon.unoS This user is from outside of this forum
    splinux@mastodon.unoS This user is from outside of this forum
    splinux@mastodon.uno
    wrote last edited by
    #16

    @raisondetredev @protonprivacy @mullvadnet @GrapheneOS happens very frequently. It's a real bug. And both reinstall and reboot are required.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

      The bug corrupts Android's network stack at the system level after a VPN update, causing users to blame their VPN provider.

      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.

      This affects several VPN providers on Android 16, and only Google has the access to diagnose it properly.

      After 7 months of waiting, we're now asking publicly: Google, when are you fixing this?

      tehstu@hachyderm.ioT This user is from outside of this forum
      tehstu@hachyderm.ioT This user is from outside of this forum
      tehstu@hachyderm.io
      wrote last edited by
      #17

      @protonprivacy I've had this happen to me on Mullvad, Proton, and my Wireguard link to my home router. And honestly, from the description, I think the issue may be even older, as I'm almost positive the DDG local tracker blocker used to do this.

      I had no idea it was an known issue in Android itself.

      Thanks for bringing it to light.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

        Google 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.

        We first reported this bug to Google in September 2025.

        Others like @mullvadnet and Wireguard reported it even earlier, in August.

        Google's response? "I don't see anything unusual."

        Here's what's actually happening ⤵️

        apalrd@hachyderm.ioA This user is from outside of this forum
        apalrd@hachyderm.ioA This user is from outside of this forum
        apalrd@hachyderm.io
        wrote last edited by
        #18

        @protonprivacy @mullvadnet

        As someone who's done plenty of Android testing in IPv6-mostly/only environments, this is not even slightly surprising, Android's networking state machine is a huge mess

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

          The bug corrupts Android's network stack at the system level after a VPN update, causing users to blame their VPN provider.

          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.

          This affects several VPN providers on Android 16, and only Google has the access to diagnose it properly.

          After 7 months of waiting, we're now asking publicly: Google, when are you fixing this?

          funnymonkey@freeradical.zoneF This user is from outside of this forum
          funnymonkey@freeradical.zoneF This user is from outside of this forum
          funnymonkey@freeradical.zone
          wrote last edited by
          #19

          @protonprivacy @mullvadnet

          Making sure I'm reading this correctly:

          If you're running Android (or an Android variant) and your VPN app updates, the only way to stop this issue is to:

          1. Reboot your phone after the VPN update

          OR

          2. Keep the phone on, delete the VPN app, and reinstall the app

          Am I correct in reading that one or the other approaches will fix this?

          IE, restarting your phone after an update eliminates the need to delete and reinstall the app?

          (and thank you, and Google wtaf)

          danamcfarland@mastodon.socialD 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

            @semitones https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/21033-second-donation-to-grapheneos-by-the-proton-foundation

            rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
            rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
            rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social
            wrote last edited by
            #20

            @protonprivacy @semitones

            Or we could stop the grift & circle jerk. Release your source code so we can make secure email a real standard. Stop releasing to the play store entirely & teach people to install their own apps safely.

            Start initiatives to teach children about public private keys, identity verification, trust, & best practices.

            Be a man proton.

            Or are the normie dollars making you salivate? With fascism on their doorstep, you do have more customers, better bank on their ignorance…

            itseperkele@expressional.socialI 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • funnymonkey@freeradical.zoneF funnymonkey@freeradical.zone

              @protonprivacy @mullvadnet

              Making sure I'm reading this correctly:

              If you're running Android (or an Android variant) and your VPN app updates, the only way to stop this issue is to:

              1. Reboot your phone after the VPN update

              OR

              2. Keep the phone on, delete the VPN app, and reinstall the app

              Am I correct in reading that one or the other approaches will fix this?

              IE, restarting your phone after an update eliminates the need to delete and reinstall the app?

              (and thank you, and Google wtaf)

              danamcfarland@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
              danamcfarland@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
              danamcfarland@mastodon.social
              wrote last edited by
              #21

              @funnymonkey @protonprivacy @mullvadnet can confirm that the second worked for my Samsung phone, and not the first. Yes, wtaf.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

                Issue Tracker Links:

                Google Issue Tracker

                favicon

                (issuetracker.google.com)

                Google Issue Tracker

                favicon

                (issuetracker.google.com)

                hnapel@mastodon.socialH This user is from outside of this forum
                hnapel@mastodon.socialH This user is from outside of this forum
                hnapel@mastodon.social
                wrote last edited by
                #22

                @protonprivacy

                MF J6 on a raft, this is why I see ads where I didn't expect them as VPN (Wireguard) is connected to a router using PiHole DNS.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social

                  @protonprivacy @semitones

                  Or we could stop the grift & circle jerk. Release your source code so we can make secure email a real standard. Stop releasing to the play store entirely & teach people to install their own apps safely.

                  Start initiatives to teach children about public private keys, identity verification, trust, & best practices.

                  Be a man proton.

                  Or are the normie dollars making you salivate? With fascism on their doorstep, you do have more customers, better bank on their ignorance…

                  itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                  itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                  itseperkele@expressional.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #23

                  @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones
                  Proton: "hey google is ignoring this issue, lets make them fix it"

                  You: "you are not 1000% perfect, Proton! Man up! Greedy fucks!"

                  rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR oldoldcojote@climatejustice.socialO 2 Replies Last reply
                  0
                  • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

                    Google 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.

                    We first reported this bug to Google in September 2025.

                    Others like @mullvadnet and Wireguard reported it even earlier, in August.

                    Google's response? "I don't see anything unusual."

                    Here's what's actually happening ⤵️

                    babaq@mastodonczech.czB This user is from outside of this forum
                    babaq@mastodonczech.czB This user is from outside of this forum
                    babaq@mastodonczech.cz
                    wrote last edited by
                    #24

                    @protonprivacy and why didn't you inform your users and paying customers? because I don't recall any email from Proton on this topic...

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • itseperkele@expressional.socialI itseperkele@expressional.social

                      @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones
                      Proton: "hey google is ignoring this issue, lets make them fix it"

                      You: "you are not 1000% perfect, Proton! Man up! Greedy fucks!"

                      rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                      rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                      rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #25

                      @ItsePerkele @protonprivacy @semitones

                      Me: Fuck google

                      Me: Fuck proton too

                      itseperkele@expressional.socialI 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social

                        @ItsePerkele @protonprivacy @semitones

                        Me: Fuck google

                        Me: Fuck proton too

                        itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                        itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                        itseperkele@expressional.social
                        wrote last edited by
                        #26

                        @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones

                        Dont let perfection be the enemy of good.

                        Or something like that.

                        rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • itseperkele@expressional.socialI itseperkele@expressional.social

                          @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones

                          Dont let perfection be the enemy of good.

                          Or something like that.

                          rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                          rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                          rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social
                          wrote last edited by
                          #27

                          @ItsePerkele @protonprivacy @semitones

                          Or, and this is a wild concept... we can hold everyone accountable. Crazy, I know.

                          itseperkele@expressional.socialI 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • georgelenzer@mastodon.socialG This user is from outside of this forum
                            georgelenzer@mastodon.socialG This user is from outside of this forum
                            georgelenzer@mastodon.social
                            wrote last edited by
                            #28

                            @rusty__shackleford ...but they don't and never will. The best options we have are making things very simple to use, and secure by default. No knowledge needed.

                            rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • georgelenzer@mastodon.socialG georgelenzer@mastodon.social

                              @rusty__shackleford ...but they don't and never will. The best options we have are making things very simple to use, and secure by default. No knowledge needed.

                              rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                              rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                              rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social
                              wrote last edited by
                              #29

                              @georgelenzer

                              *spoon feeds people

                              You: I wish people knew how to do more

                              *creates tools to remove friction

                              You: It seems like people don't want to learn

                              *makes algorithms reinforcing bias & ignorance

                              You: People seem so tribalistic in this post truth age

                              *refuses to teach because of "human nature"

                              You: This is a realistic view

                              How's that clown makeup look?

                              If someone is incompetent, they shouldn't use it. It isn't our job to make it accessible for those who are ignorant. Teach & Learn.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social

                                @ItsePerkele @protonprivacy @semitones

                                Or, and this is a wild concept... we can hold everyone accountable. Crazy, I know.

                                itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                                itseperkele@expressional.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                                itseperkele@expressional.social
                                wrote last edited by
                                #30

                                @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones

                                Sure. But cant do everything at once.

                                rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

                                  Google 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.

                                  We first reported this bug to Google in September 2025.

                                  Others like @mullvadnet and Wireguard reported it even earlier, in August.

                                  Google's response? "I don't see anything unusual."

                                  Here's what's actually happening ⤵️

                                  wpeckham@social.linux.pizzaW This user is from outside of this forum
                                  wpeckham@social.linux.pizzaW This user is from outside of this forum
                                  wpeckham@social.linux.pizza
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #31

                                  @protonprivacy @mullvadnet I had decided long ago not to use VPNs on Android because it didn't actually help. Connecting to the onion network and using Tor tools does kind of help but only solves half of the problem. far better to work from Linux instead of Android where you have the option but in my case that means not using the cell phone for that particular traffic or anything that requires real security.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • itseperkele@expressional.socialI itseperkele@expressional.social

                                    @rusty__shackleford @protonprivacy @semitones

                                    Sure. But cant do everything at once.

                                    rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                                    rusty__shackleford@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                                    rusty__shackleford@mastodon.social
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #32

                                    @ItsePerkele @protonprivacy @semitones

                                    Skill issue
                                    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

                                    itseperkele@expressional.socialI 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • semitones@tiny.tilde.websiteS semitones@tiny.tilde.website

                                      @protonprivacy Will Proton ever create / sponsor a cell phone OS to be a true google replacement?

                                      wpeckham@social.linux.pizzaW This user is from outside of this forum
                                      wpeckham@social.linux.pizzaW This user is from outside of this forum
                                      wpeckham@social.linux.pizza
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #33

                                      @semitones @protonprivacy To be a true Google replacement, all of the vendors would have to write their drivers so that they could be incorporated into either Android or this new probably Linux-based phone operating system. We already have solutions that work for one or two or twelve different models or vendors, but all of the rest of the cell phone ecosystem is currently out of reach. I propose an alternative, a version of Android that belongs to the community, but will use the vendor's drivers and can replace Google Android with the community android. Google will, of course, attempt to make that technically impossible and illegal if they can, because that's what monopolies do.

                                      semitones@tiny.tilde.websiteS 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • protonprivacy@mastodon.socialP protonprivacy@mastodon.social

                                        Google 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.

                                        We first reported this bug to Google in September 2025.

                                        Others like @mullvadnet and Wireguard reported it even earlier, in August.

                                        Google's response? "I don't see anything unusual."

                                        Here's what's actually happening ⤵️

                                        oldoldcojote@climatejustice.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                                        oldoldcojote@climatejustice.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                                        oldoldcojote@climatejustice.social
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #34

                                        @protonprivacy @mullvadnet

                                        We need an android alternative we the people own.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • wpeckham@social.linux.pizzaW wpeckham@social.linux.pizza

                                          @semitones @protonprivacy To be a true Google replacement, all of the vendors would have to write their drivers so that they could be incorporated into either Android or this new probably Linux-based phone operating system. We already have solutions that work for one or two or twelve different models or vendors, but all of the rest of the cell phone ecosystem is currently out of reach. I propose an alternative, a version of Android that belongs to the community, but will use the vendor's drivers and can replace Google Android with the community android. Google will, of course, attempt to make that technically impossible and illegal if they can, because that's what monopolies do.

                                          semitones@tiny.tilde.websiteS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          semitones@tiny.tilde.websiteS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          semitones@tiny.tilde.website
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #35

                                          @wpeckham @protonprivacy that would have to be a fork of android AOSP, right? To keep google from making breaking changes?

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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