Why does my VPN keep disconnecting? Fixes for Android

A VPN that drops every few minutes is almost worse than one that doesn’t connect at all, because you never know whether you’re protected. Here are the usual causes, from most to least common.

1. Battery optimisation

This is the number one cause on Android. To save power, Android stops apps it thinks you’re not using, and a VPN running in the background looks exactly like that. Some phone makers are especially aggressive.

Fix: open Settings → Apps → [your VPN app] → Battery and choose Unrestricted (on some phones: “Don’t optimise” or “Allow background activity”). On Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Samsung phones, also check the phone’s own battery settings: allow the VPN to auto-start, and make sure it isn’t on a “sleeping apps” list.

2. Notifications are off

A VPN shows a permanent notification while it’s connected. That notification is how Android knows the app is doing something important. On Android 13 and newer, if you denied notifications, the system is more likely to stop the VPN.

Fix: Settings → Apps → [your VPN app] → Notifications, and turn them on.

3. Data saver

Android’s data saver limits background data for apps. It can cut a VPN off when the screen turns off.

Fix: Settings → Network & internet → Data saver, then allow unrestricted data for the VPN app, or turn data saver off.

4. Switching networks

When you walk out of Wi-Fi range and your phone switches to mobile data, the VPN connection has to move to the new network. That can take a few seconds, and on a network that blocks VPNs it may not reconnect at all. Our guide on mobile data vs Wi-Fi explains why the two behave differently.

Fix: if the VPN stalls after a network change, disconnect and connect again so the app searches for a server from the new network.

5. The server went away

Free VPN servers come and go during the day. When a server drops, the connection drops with it.

In Berry: with Premium, Berry quietly moves you to another server in the same country when one drops. On the free plan, tap the berry again and Berry finds a new server.

6. Session limits

Some free VPNs end sessions after a set time. That’s not a bug.

In Berry: free sessions last 30 minutes, and you can reconnect right away, as often as you like. Once per session you can add 30 more minutes by watching a short ad. Premium has no time limit.

7. Two VPN apps fighting

If another VPN, ad blocker or “booster” app is set as always-on, it can take the VPN slot back. Check Settings → Network & internet → VPN and turn off always-on for apps you don’t use.

Still dropping?

Update the app: newer versions handle unstable networks better. If that doesn’t help, write to support@berryvpn.app with your phone model and Android version, and roughly how often the connection drops.