How to fix unable to connect issues on Android – Surfshark Customer Support

In this tutorial, you will learn how to troubleshoot connection issues on your Android device.

NOTE: Typically, connection problems can be resolved with a few simple steps. However, due to the varying configurations of home, work, and school networks, some of them may have specific restrictions that could prevent the VPN connection from working.

Change the Installation method

There are two ways to install Surfshark on your Android device. The first one is through the Google Play Store, and the second one is by installing it directly with an .APK installation file, which can be found on the Surfshark VPN for Android download page.

If you installed Surfshark with the .APK file from our website and you experience issues, try the Google Play Store version and vice versa.

Update or reinstall the application

You may have an outdated Surfshark application, which could make it harder to connect. Our team constantly bypasses various network restrictions with each release, so be sure to update your app.

If the application is indeed the newest released version, try to fully reinstall the Surfshark application.

Change the server

If restoring the application did not help, double-check to see if you cannot connect to various locations. For example, if you tried connecting to our United States — Detroit server, try our Germany — Berlin server and others.

You might be unable to connect to one particular server as it could be experiencing some issues. If so, please let our Customer Success team know about the location you are struggling to connect to, and our team will take immediate action.

Change the connection protocol

Different VPN protocols use different network ports to connect. That said, you might have a specific port blocked on your home, work, or any other network. Make sure to test all the available protocols in the Surfshark application, as this has a high chance of resolving the issue.

Open the Surfshark application and go to the Settings tab.
Open the VPN Settings tab.
Click on Protocol, and try connecting with all available protocols.

Set custom DNS

Setting custom DNS on any device can change the overall connection, increase the speed, resolve unstable connection issues, or help you connect to the VPN. Check out how to set custom DNS on Android device.

Disable IPv6

At the moment, Surfshark does not support the IPv6 protocol. Having IPv6 enabled on your network might make it complicated to connect to our servers in some situations. That's why we recommend disabling it for all our customers to improve the overall connectivity experience.

If you are using a mobile network connection, check how to disable IPv6 on Android.

If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, you can disable it through your router or by contacting your Internet Service Provider and asking them to disable this feature.

Disable potentially interfering applications

It's possible for your VPN connection to be blocked by your antivirus program or another VPN application installed on your device. In order to avoid this, it's important to disable your antivirus and remove any other VPN applications. Restart your device afterward.

Our VPN application makes minor modifications to your connection settings, which may be flagged as a security threat by some antivirus software, resulting in a blocked connection attempt. Additionally, different VPN applications may use conflicting connection configurations, leading to connection cancellation.