- A bug in Android 16 breaks VPN connections after background app updates
- Proton VPN, Mullvad, Windscribe have all flagged the issue with Google
- Users are currently forced to restart their device or reinstall their VPN app
If you’re using the best VPN on your Android smartphone and have recently found yourself mysteriously disconnected from the internet, your VPN provider might not be to blame.
According to a new public warning from Proton VPN, a long-standing bug in Android 16 causes virtual private network applications to permanently lose internet connectivity after receiving a routine app update.
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The bug doesn’t just affect Proton VPN. Other major privacy players, including Mullvad and Windscribe, have also been battling the same Android 16 headache since last summer, leaving developers powerless to implement a permanent fix on their end.
TechRadar has reached out to Google, Proton, Windscribe and Mullvad for comment on the ongoing situation.
A Proton spokesperson told Tech Radar that “Google has yet to respond to our submission. This is particularly frustrating because our Android app is generally robust and stable. In fact, the majority of user-reported issues appear to stem from this specific issue.”
What is the Android 16 VPN bug?
When a VPN app is updated in the background on an Android 16 device, the operating system’s network stack can be corrupted. Instead of seamlessly reconnecting, all network calls time out. This means that basic internet functions, such as DNS lookups or simple socket connections, get completely stuck.
For VPN users, the risk is twofold. Depending on your Android settings, you may be completely without internet access if you have one VPN kill switch on. Or you can unknowingly surf the web without your VPN protection.
1/4Google has known about a bug that breaks VPN apps for 7 months, leaving users with no warning or error, just a VPN app that stopped working in the background. If you use ANY VPN on Android, you can help us by bringing it to Google’s attention to fix it. Details 👇 🧵18 March 2026
Mullvad was the first to file a bug report on Google Issue Tracker back in August 2025, detailing how the VPN would fail to reconnect after an app update.
Proton VPN followed up with its own detailed report in September 2025. Despite developers providing logs and additional information, no final patch has emerged.
Because the problem is built into the operating system, VPN developers cannot patch it themselves. In a recent supporter statement addressing the bug, Proton’s team confirmed: “We would like to inform you that this issue is primarily related to Android rather than Proton VPN. We have reported it to Google for further investigation.”
In a separate update, Proton noted, “Our engineering team is aware of a bug between Proton VPN and Android 16 devices where the app fails to connect after an update,” and assured users that they are pushing for a fix.
What you can do about it
Until Google rolls out an official fix, workarounds are frustratingly manual. If your VPN suddenly drops your connection after an update, standard troubleshooting steps like force forcing the app or clearing your cache won’t work.
Instead, users must either completely restart their phone or uninstall and reinstall the VPN app to get back online.
A Proton spokesperson told Techradar that “the only solutions” for affected users are to restart their phone or uninstall and reinstall the app. “Users can also avoid upgrading to Android 16 until the issue is resolved, but this involves security risks and is not a recommended solution,” Proton added.
