Every smartphone user should have a VPN service. A virtual private network, simply put, is encrypted web traffic through groups of computers and the Internet. It provides an extra layer of security and privacy to the web browsing you do every day. Having a VPN service has more positives than drawbacks, but regardless of the VPN services you have, you will likely run into a few bugs and issues.
This article will detail fixes to common VPN problems on iOS. Nonetheless, most tips will work just as well on Android. I personally use SurfEasy on my iPhone, which is a $3.99-a-month service, but there are quite a few other VPN services available – some free, with a cap on data usage (Ex. TunnelBear). These tips will work on those as well.
Issues When Switching Networks
When walking out of WiFi range and into LTE, or even just switching between one WiFi network to another, the VPN service can seem to get “stuck” in an endless loop of trying to gain a connection. This is by far one of the most common problems you will experience, sometimes happening multiple times a day.
Unfortunately, there is no permanent fix for such an issue as it will persist as long as you, the user, switch networks on your device.
To fix VPN disconnection issues, although momentarily, cancel and retry connection – launch your VPN app, turn off the VPN, and try to reconnect.
If this has no avail, open Settings on your iOS device and slide the VPN slider to Off.
In doing this, I have noticed only certain VPN providers allow for disablement through iOS settings. With SurfEasy, the slider will automatically switch back to On and the status will read “connecting…”
That being said, it may be best to attempt restarting the VPN through the provider’s app.
Change the Connected Region
Within the VPN provider app switch regions. If “optimized” or a similar setting is selected, select a different region and then recheck “optimized.”
You can of course stay on a newly-selected region, but the optimized setting will always provide the quickest connection to the Web.
Turn off and back on LTE data
When traveling from place to place on LTE, hangups will happen. One of the quickest fixes to gain back connection is to reset your LTE connection. On iOS launch Settings, tap Cellular, and switch Cellular Data to off. Wait a few seconds and turn it back on. Your VPN service should now retry connecting.
Slow Connection
Slow connection is never any good, and a great VPN service will always strive to deliver a quick, secure connection. If you open the VPN app to a spinning pre-loader that does not establish connection within a few seconds, close the app and reopen it.
Check WiFi Network Status
Sometimes the VPN isn’t the issue at all. Verify that the WiFi network connection is stable by switching networks or attempting to load a webpage on LTE. If the test page still will not load, it is safe to assume the VPN is at fault.
App Crashing on Launch or When Establishing Connection
The app crashing on launch is the least common of the issues that we’ve covered thus far but is definitely not impossible. Your best bet in this case is to again attempt to turn off the VPN service in your device’s settings or even force restart your device. If the issue still hasn’t resolved, most bug fix updates are likely to solve crashing issues and it is important to check for updates often.
Conclusion
Although general restarts and resets are likely to solve most issues, if it persists, it may be worthwhile to delete the VPN app and try to reinstall. Furthermore, consider deleting the app and trying a new service altogether. If there is one thing I have learned, it’s that there is no shortage of VPN apps available on the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play store.
What VPN service have you had the best luck with, and what other tricks have you used to fix common issues? Let us know in the comments.
Also read:Tor vs. VPN: Is One Better than the Other?
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