- Mullvad adds a “Force all apps” feature to iOS to ensure traffic can’t leak during updates
- The update takes advantage of an iOS configuration option called include All networks to act as an airtight kill switch
- Users will now receive a notification to manually disconnect the VPN before installing future app updates
Privacy-focused provider Mullvad is rolling out a major update to its iOS application designed to close any potential traffic leaks during updates.
In an effort to offer absolute security to the most demanding privacy purists, the top VPN contender is introducing a strict new tool called “Force all apps.”
“Soon we will release a new version of the iOS app that will include a feature called Force all apps,” Mullvad confirmed in a latest blog post. “Under the hood sets the activation of this function include All networks config option to true.”
In the Apple ecosystem is include All networks setting essentially acts as a kill switch. When turned on, it tells iOS to route every single byte of your internet traffic through the VPN tunnel. If the tunnel goes down, traffic stops, preventing your true IP address or browser data from leaking to your ISP.
However, Mullvad previously avoided using this configuration due to complications with how iPhones handle automatic software updates from the App Store.
The infinite update loop
Historically, automatic iOS app updates will briefly drop your VPN connection. For the average user, it is completely expected that an app will temporarily disconnect during the transition to a new version. However, because there is no active VPN tunnel at that exact moment, all device traffic is technically leaking.
Mullvad sees this as a critical vulnerability for users who expect 24/7 protection. But enables include All networks creates a unique technical chin.
According to Mullvad, if the setting is active when an automatic update begins, the old VPN connection will shut down, preventing the iOS downloader from fetching the new app version. As a result, the device completely loses connection and the update hangs in a broken loop.
Apple’s network stack prevents the iOS app from being as secure as possible, we’ve now secured our app to mitigate this despite the rough edges around the update procedure.Read more here: https://t.co/sbX72s2O7m
“We’ve decided that we shouldn’t wait any longer, and we want to offer our users the best possible privacy and security, even if it comes with major UX limitations,” the company stated.
To bypass this frustrating update loop, Mullvad’s new version will actively notify you when a new update is available before The iOS App Store triggers an automatic download.
To safely continue without disconnecting your connection, users are instructed to either “Disable VPN while app updates” or “Disable Force all apps while app updates.” Once the update has finished safely, you can manually reactivate your protection.
Although Mullvad admits that “your traffic will leak during the update process”, this proactive notification system ensures that you can explicitly choose a safe time to disconnect, rather than being caught off guard by a silent background update.
Mullvad acknowledges that a minority of users can still accidentally end up with a broken network stack if they miss the manual shutdown step.
“If you have been affected by this, we can only encourage you to capture the anguish and express it as a feedback report to Apple,” the provider added.
Ultimately, Mullvad lives up to its reputation as one of the most private VPN apps on the market. By handing the reins back to the user, the carrier ensures that those who want airtight protection on their iPhone finally have the tools to enforce it.
