This Android 16 VPN Bug Has Gone Without a Fix For 7 Months

James Peckham

Updated Thu, March 19, 2026 at 1:20 PM UTC

The Proton VPN app on a smartphone - Credit: Proton

Your mobile VPN may be broken on Android, and multiple providers have been waiting on a fix from Google for over half a year.

Proton VPN noted the problems in a post on the social media network X, pointing to its requests to Google to fix the error found with phones and tablets running Android 16. Proton says it first reported the bug in September 2025, but it had already been reported by two other providers a month earlier.

The bug causes VPN services to stop working in the background, and it's believed to be introduced by app updates coming from the Play Store while the VPN is active on a device. The problem isn't impacting all devices, meaning some users won't be affected.

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

Proton explains that restarting the app won't fix the problem, while reinstalling the app does, but that may be a fix some users never encounter. Proton and other providers affected want Google to fix the bug so users won't need to reinstall the app manually.

Proton points out that Mullvad, Tunnelbear, and Wireguard have all reported related issues to Google, but it's unclear whether this bug affects other VPN providers.

Google hasn't acknowledged the issue since September 2025. In August last year, a Google representative said, "I don't see anything unusual", but a month later, an update said it was looking into the problem further with plans to share more information at a later date.

For now, there's no sign of an incoming fix. Be sure to check how your VPN behaves in the background on your Android phone, and you may want to manually reinstall the service yourself to ensure it's working properly.

Proton is PCMag's top pick for best VPN provider . Our roundup says, "Proton VPN does it all, and that's why it earns a rare five-star rating. While the core paid VPN service price is average, Proton VPN has the best free VPN subscription we've seen."

Mullvad and Tunnelbear also appear in our rankings, taking the awards for best for public Wi-Fi use and best for first-time VPN users, respectively.

PCMag and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.

Check out Yahoo's latest VPN advice, based on hands-on testing.

About our ads

Recommended articles