Android 16 VPN Bug: What Every Android User Should Know

A critical and longstanding bug in Android 16 is reportedly affecting several VPN applications, including Proton VPN, potentially compromising user privacy. The bug, first reported to Google in September 2025, corrupts Android's network stack at the system level after a VPN update. This can lead to VPNs randomly disconnecting without warning, leaving users vulnerable online. The issue primarily occurs when VPNs are set to 'always-on' mode and the app is reinstalled or updated. Despite complaints

Android 16 VPN Bug: What Every Android User Should Know

A verified bug in Android 16 is causing VPN applications to disconnect without warning, leaving users exposed without any visible indication that their protection has dropped. The issue has been reported to Google since September 2025, and as of the time of writing, no fix has been released. If you use a VPN on an Android 16 device, here is what you need to understand about the situation.

What the Bug Actually Does

The flaw operates at the system level, corrupting Android's network stack after a VPN app is updated or reinstalled. The result is that the VPN connection can drop silently, meaning your traffic continues to flow, but without the protection the VPN is supposed to provide. There is no alert, no notification, and no obvious sign that anything has gone wrong.

The problem is most likely to surface when a VPN is configured in "always-on" mode, which is actually the recommended setting for users who want continuous protection. The irony is significant: the users who took extra steps to ensure their VPN stayed active are the same ones most exposed to this particular failure.

Why This Bug Is Particularly Concerning

Most VPN-related issues affect configuration or performance. This one is different because it undermines the core promise of a VPN, which is that your connection is either protected or you know it is not. Silent disconnections remove that certainty entirely.

The fact that the bug has been documented and reported to Google by multiple VPN providers since late 2025, yet remains unresolved, compounds the concern. Users running Android 16 with a VPN cannot currently rely on the operating system to maintain a stable VPN tunnel after an app update or reinstall, regardless of which VPN they use.

Kill switch features, which are designed to block internet access if a VPN drops, may offer some protection depending on how the bug manifests. However, because the failure occurs at the network stack level rather than as a typical connection drop, the behavior of kill switches in this specific scenario may vary.

What This Means For You

If you are running Android 16 and rely on a VPN for privacy, there are some practical steps worth taking right now:

Avoid unnecessary updates or reinstalls of your VPN app until Google issues a patch. If an update is not critical, hold off.
Check your VPN connection manually after any app update, especially if you use always-on mode. Do not assume the connection resumed correctly.
Enable your VPN's kill switch if it has one. While it may not catch every scenario created by this bug, it adds a layer of defense against unprotected traffic.
Monitor for Google's response. This is a known, reported issue. A system-level patch from Google is the only complete fix.

It is also worth paying attention to how your VPN provider communicates about this. Providers who are transparent about platform-level issues, update their users proactively, and test across OS versions provide meaningfully better reliability than those who do not.

Staying Informed While the Fix Is Pending

System-level bugs like this one are a reminder that VPN reliability is not just about the VPN software itself. It depends on the operating system behaving predictably, and when it does not, the responsibility falls on providers to identify the problem quickly, communicate clearly, and push workarounds or updates where possible.

At hide.me, we take platform compatibility seriously and monitor issues like this as part of our ongoing testing across Android versions. If you have questions about how your hide.me connection is behaving on Android 16, our support team is available to help you check your setup and walk through any configuration concerns.

For a deeper look at how VPN protocols and encryption work at the connection level, [our guide to VPN encryption](#) is a useful starting point. You may also want to review [how kill switches work and when to use them](#) given the specifics of this bug.

The situation is worth watching closely. Until Google releases a patch, staying cautious about VPN updates on Android 16 and keeping an eye on guidance from your provider is the most practical approach available.