- Bug in Android 16 breaks VPN connections after background app updates
- Proton VPN, Mullvad and Windscribe have flagged the issue with Google
- Currently, users are forced to restart their device or reinstall their VPN app.
If you use the best VPN on your Android smartphone and have recently been mysteriously disconnected from the internet, your VPN provider may not be to blame.
According to a new public warning from Proton VPN, a long-standing bug in Android 16 is causing virtual private network apps to permanently lose internet connectivity after receiving a routine app update.
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The problem does not only affect Proton VPN. Other major privacy players, including Mullvad and Windscribe, have also been battling the same Android 16 headache since last summer, leaving developers powerless to implement a permanent fix on their end.
TechRadar has contacted Google, Proton, Windscribe and Mullvad for comment on the current situation.
A Proton spokesperson told Tech Radar that “Google has yet to respond to our post. This is particularly frustrating because our Android app is generally robust and stable. In fact, most of the issues reported by users turn out to stem from this specific issue.”
What is Android VPN error 16?
When a VPN app updates in the background on an Android 16 device, the operating system’s networking stack can become corrupted. Instead of reconnecting without problems, all network calls time out. This means that basic Internet functions, such as DNS lookups or simple socket connections, get stuck completely.
For VPN users, the risk is twofold. Depending on your Android settings, you may be left completely without Internet access if you have a VPN kill switch activated. Or, you could unknowingly surf the web without the protection of your VPN.
1/4Google has known about a bug that breaks VPN apps for 7 months, leaving users exposed with no warning or error, just a VPN app that stopped working in the background. If you are using ANY VPN on Android, you can help us by bringing it to Google’s attention to fix it. Details 👇 🧵March 18, 2026
Mullvad was the first to file a bug report on Google Issue Tracker in August 2025, detailing how the VPN could not reconnect after an app update.
Proton VPN followed up with its own detailed report in September 2025. Despite the developers providing logs and additional information, no definitive patch has materialized.
Because the problem is built into the operating system, VPN developers cannot fix it themselves. In a recent support statement addressing the bug, the Proton team confirmed: “We want to inform you that this issue is primarily related to Android and not Proton VPN. We have reported it to Google for further investigation.”
In a separate update, Proton noted: “Our engineering team is aware of a bug between Proton VPN and Android 16 devices where the app is not connecting after an update,” assuring users that they are pushing for a fix.
What can you do about it?
Until Google rolls out an official fix, solutions are frustratingly manual. If your VPN suddenly drops your connection after an update, standard troubleshooting steps, such as force stopping the app or clearing the cache, won’t work.
Instead, users must completely reset their phone or uninstall and reinstall the VPN app to reconnect.
A Proton spokesperson told Techradar that “the only remedies” for affected users are to restart their phone or uninstall and reinstall the app. “Users can also avoid updating to Android 16 until the issue is resolved, but this carries security risks and is not a recommended solution,” Proton added.
