- Proton VPN Android app now lets users exclude specific cities and countries
- It makes it possible to automatically avoid being connected to certain regions
- “Excluded Locations” is available via the “Connection Preferences” menu.
Using a VPN usually involves a trade-off between convenience and control. We all love hitting that big “Quick Connect” button to get the best speeds right away, but we don’t always love where we end up. For privacy-conscious users, landing on a server in a jurisdiction with invasive data retention laws or simply a country with poor peering can be a deal breaker.
Proton VPN has just solved this headache with a subtle but powerful update to its Android VPN app. Announced by General Manager David Peterson on X, the new “Exclude Locations” feature allows users to blacklist specific cities and countries from the automatic server selection pool. This means you can continue to use the “fastest” or “random” connection modes without fear of being routed through a location you consider unsafe or slow.
The update is currently rolling out to users on Android, giving them unprecedented granularity over their automated connections.
How to use ‘Exclude Locations’ on Proton VPN for Android
This feature is designed for those who want the speed of automation but the security of manual selection. If you’ve ever used “Quick Connect” only to find yourself routed through a server in the UK or US, nations that are part of Five Eyes intelligence alliance, you will immediately see the value here.
To set it up, navigate to the app’s connection settings:
- Open Proton VPN Android app.
- Go to Settings and locate Connection preferences.
- Press on Exclude locations.
From here, you can select specific countries (eg “US”) or drill down to specific cities (eg “Texas” or “London”) to ensure the app never automatically assigns you an IP address from those regions.
This level of control is rare. While many of the best VPN services allow you to “favorite” servers, very few allow you to explicitly “block” them from algorithmic selection. This is especially useful for users in restrictive regimes who might want to avoid servers in neighboring countries with similar censorship laws, or for sports fans trying to avoid local blackouts while still using the fastest connection available.
We know that sometimes when you’re quickly connecting to @ProtonVPN there are some cities and countries you might want to avoid. So Proton VPN for Android now has an “Exclude Locations” option to give you more control over your “fastest country” connections. pic.twitter.com/PuDtA5YZrc9 February 2026
A victory for ‘quality of life’
While headline-grabbing features like the “Stealth Protocol” or new encryption standards often steal the limelight, it’s these quality-of-life updates that keep users loyal.
Users often rely on the “Random” connection feature to hide their traffic patterns, but true randomness poses a risk if it routes traffic through a compromised or hostile network environment. By applying a negative filter and telling the app “Anywhere but here,” users can retain the benefits of randomization while mitigating the geopolitical risks associated with specific territories.
Currently, this appears to be an Android-focused update. As is common with Proton’s development cycle, features often debut on one platform before migrating to iOS or Windows, though no official timeline has been confirmed for other devices.
For now, if you’re an Android user who wants to make sure your “Random” hop never lands you in a jurisdiction you don’t trust, it’s time to check your app for an update.
