- Mullvad removes OpenVPN -Support from January 15, 2026
- The move comes as the VPN provider seems to prioritize wireguard
- Mullvad has also announced the arrival of updates in the app for Windows and MAC
Mullvad, the Sweden-based VPN provider, known for its strong privacy focus and pricing of fixed interest rates, will soon remove OpenVPN support in favor of Wireguard.
The change comes into force on January 15, 2026, giving existing Mullvad subscribers time to switch before OpenVPN servers and support are removed.
Already the default protocol for all Mullvad -Apps is wireguard employed by many of Best VPN services on the market.
Reminder for Removing OpenVPN: We remove support for OpenVPN completely on January 15, 2026, in six months. OpenVPN servers are completely removed on this date and support for it in our app disappears.August 18, 2025
“We will remove the support for OpenVPN completely on January 15, 2026, in six months. Opening. OpenVPN servers are completely removed on this date and support to it in our app disappears,” the provider wrote in a message shared on X.
With Mullvad’s Android and iOS apps that already support Wireguard exclusively, the transition only affects desktop users who will receive reminders within Mullvad’s Windows, Mac and Linux apps.
Mullvad has reminded the subscribers to adjust existing OpenVPN configurations to avoid potential interruptions in the service.
Although the news may come as a surprise, Mullvad co -founder Fredrik Strömberg wrote that “Wireguard is the future” as early as 2017.
Why Wireguard?
Wireguard, a newer VPN protocol, first launched in 2016, has been adopted by major VPN providers, including Surfshark, Ipvanish and Proton VPN. Nordlynx, the proprietary protocol for NordVPN, uses a custom implementation of Wireguard.
Mullvad’s decision to drop OpenVPN marks a significant shift as most VPN providers still offer multiple protocols for cross -network and devices. As Jan Jonsson, Mullvad CEO, Techradar’s Chiara Castro told in November 2024, use less than 7% of Mullvad users OpenVPN.
“By moving to a single protocol, we will be able to focus our resources where they can make a difference,” Mullvad said in a blog post in November 2024.
Wireguard has only 4,000 code lines compared to more than 70,000 lines for OpenVPN. Mullvad has praised Wireguard’s simple design, which, apart from making it easier to integrate new features. This also does not come to the price of security, with Mullvad quoting Wireguards “advanced cryptography.”
Such is its belief in Wireguard, Mullvad gave “a significant donation” in 2017 to support the development of the Open Source protocol. To make things easier for subscribers who want to change, Mullvad’s site provides guides on how to use Wireguard.
To follow with Mullvad’s updates is now easier than ever
Mullvad’s decision to retire OpenVPN and focus fully on Wireguard is not its only recent change. The VPN provider also has Advertised updates in the app For desktop.
Instead of having to visit Mullvad’s website to download and install the latest updates, Windows and MacOS users can now view and download them directly within the app, making it faster and easier than ever to keep up to date.
Mullvad says Linux users can also benefit from automatic updates through its Linux app stores and give instructions to make the process more straightforward.
