Setup
VPN turns off by itself on Xiaomi, Samsung, Honor: what to tap on your brand
In short: if the VPN drops when the screen goes dark, it is usually not the VPN at fault but the battery saving in the phone's software, which puts background apps to sleep. Two things fix it: let the VPN app run in the background without limits, and turn on “Always-on VPN” in Android. Below is where both are on your brand.
Step 1. Always-on VPN, on any Android
- 1Open Settings → Network & internet → VPN. On Samsung, Xiaomi and other skins the path differs; the quickest way to this screen is to search the settings for “VPN”.
- 2Tap the gear next to your VPN app.
- 3Turn on “Always-on VPN”: Android brings the VPN up itself after a restart and restores it if the app closes.
- 4Optionally also turn on “Block connections without VPN”: until the VPN is connected there is no internet at all. No app can then reach the network around the VPN, but the phone also has no connection without it.
Step 2. Allow background work on your brand
| Brand | What to turn on | What else |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Settings → Apps → the VPN app → Battery → Unrestricted | Take the app off “Sleeping apps”: Battery → Background usage limits. On older models this is inside Device care |
| Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO | In the app's settings turn on background autostart, and in the battery section choose “No restrictions”. On MIUI this item was called Activity control | Pin the app in the recent apps list: pull the card down or tap the lock |
| Huawei | “App launch”: turn off “Manage automatically” for the VPN app and turn on “Auto-launch”, “Secondary launch” and “Run in background” | “Battery optimization” → “All apps” → the VPN app → “Don't allow”. Turn off power saving mode |
| Honor | As on Huawei: search the settings for “App launch”, turn off automatic management and allow background work | “Battery optimization” → “Don't allow”. We read Honor's help in English, so the names on a MagicOS build may differ |
| OPPO, realme, OnePlus | Settings → Apps → the VPN app → Battery usage: allow background activity and autostart | Pin it in recent apps. The names come from third-party guides, not from the maker's help |
| vivo | Battery: allow the VPN app high background power use; in Apps → Autostart turn it on | The names come from third-party guides, not from the maker's help |
| Pixel and stock Android | Settings → Apps → the VPN app → the battery section: remove the background restrictions | Usually “Always-on VPN” from step 1 is enough |
You can find the item faster by searching the settings for “battery”, “autostart” or “background”. The popular site dontkillmyapp.com is out of date for HyperOS and HarmonyOS: it describes the older MIUI and EMUI.
Check that it helped
- 1Connect the VPN and turn the screen off for 15–20 minutes.
- 2Turn the screen on: the key icon should be in the status bar and the VPN notification in the shade.
- 3Restart the phone. With Always-on VPN the key icon appears by itself, without opening the app.
If the VPN still turns off
- Third-party “cleaners” and boosters. Apps that clean memory and save battery close the VPN themselves. Uninstall them or add the VPN to their exceptions.
- Power saving mode. On many skins strong battery saving shuts down background work despite the permissions. Check that it is off.
- Swiping from recents. On some skins swiping an app out of the recent list closes it completely. Do not swipe the VPN away, or pin it.
- The connection drops while the icon is there. Then it is not the background but the network; see VPN connected but no internet and VPN keeps disconnecting.
- The battery drains faster. That is usually the radio, not the encryption; see how much battery a VPN uses.
Our app
ProxysVPN runs as a system VPN service with a permanent notification, and the “Open VPN settings” button leads to “Always-on VPN”. Our testers checked the app on Android phones and it works. The Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei and Honor skins still ask for background permission separately: grant it from the table above, or battery saving can switch off any VPN.
- 1Install ProxysVPN from Google Play or from the APK file: both buttons are on our apps page, in the Android card.
- 2Get a sign-in code: in your dashboard, open the device card and press “Code for the app”. The eight-character code is valid for 10 minutes and works once. No account yet? Signing up takes a minute with an email address; Telegram is not needed.
- 3Open the app, choose sign-in by code and type the code. Android asks for permission to set up a VPN connection: tap “OK”.
The app itself is free; what you pay for is the subscription: $1.50 per device per month, taken from your balance, with nothing charged to your card automatically. Top-ups start at $5. An account opened on the Russian site is priced in roubles instead: an account keeps the currency it was opened in, whatever card tops it up.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the VPN turn off when the screen goes dark?
The phone's software saves battery and puts background apps to sleep. Allow the VPN app to run in the background without limits and turn on “Always-on VPN”.
What is “Always-on VPN”?
A system switch in Android: it brings the VPN up itself after a restart and restores it if the app closed. It is at Settings → Network & internet → VPN → the gear next to the app.
Should I turn on “Block connections without VPN”?
Only if it matters that no app reaches the network around the VPN. Until the VPN is connected there is no internet at all. Apps you let go outside the VPN may be left without a connection too.
Why is there no “Always-on VPN” item?
An app appears in the VPN list only after you have allowed it to connect at least once. Connect once and open the VPN settings again. Some apps switch this item off themselves.
The VPN turns off after a system update
A skin update sometimes resets the background permissions. Go through the table again.
Did this help?
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