VPN not connecting or not working: what to do — 4 steps for phone and computer

VPN not connecting, connecting and dropping right away, or "connected" while no website opens — nine times out of ten, the cause is one of the ones below. What to do if your VPN will not connect: go through four steps from top to bottom; the first two take half a minute and clear most complaints. This guide is written for the NvoVPN app, but the network and device advice fits any VPN. If you are in Russia, also read the block below.

1. 1

   Reconnect and change the server

   Press the shield to disconnect, wait five seconds and press it again. No luck? Quit the app completely and reopen it. Then choose another server by hand: first another city in the same country, then a neighboring country. From Russia, servers in Belarus and Kazakhstan are often closer by route.

2. 2

   Wait for stealth mode, or turn it on yourself

   If the connection is established but no data flows, that is a carrier's filter (DPI): it recognizes the VPN protocol and cuts the traffic after a few seconds. The app notices this on its own and switches to stealth mode — disguising the connection as an ordinary website. Give it half a minute. Did not switch? Turn on "Maximum reliability" on the home screen; the same setting is under "Application" → "Stealth mode" → "Always on".

3. 3

   Remove a second VPN, antivirus and "private DNS"

   Two VPNs at once do not work: a corporate client, a browser's VPN mode, an antivirus's "secure DNS" — keep a single tunnel. On Windows, add NvoVPN to the antivirus exceptions or turn off protection for a minute: if it works, you have found the cause. On Android, switch "Private DNS" to "Automatic"; on iPhone and Mac, turn off iCloud "Private Relay" — exact paths are in the "Connected, but websites will not open" section.

4. 4

   Contact support

   Still no luck? Message support: real people answer, around the clock. Mention your device and OS version, the app version, the network (Wi-Fi or carrier), the server you chose, the time of the attempt, which step you got stuck on, and what you see: the shield will not turn green, turns green and then goes out, or is green while sites will not load. A screenshot of the app screen helps too.

What else to check

• Is there internet without the VPN. Turn off the VPN and open any website. Nothing loads — the problem is the network, not the tunnel: restart the router, or switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or back. On public Wi-Fi (a café, hotel, airport), open the browser first and get through the network's sign-in page — until that is done, no VPN can connect.
• App version. Old versions do not know about new servers and obfuscation methods. On Android and iPhone, update through the store; on Windows and Mac, download the installer from the apps page and install it over the old one — your sign-in stays.
• Date and time. A wrong clock on the device breaks certificate checks and the handshake. Turn on automatic setting: "Settings" → "Date & time" on a phone, "Synchronize with a time server" on a computer.
• UDP is blocked. Some office and hotel networks block UDP, which AmneziaWG uses. Stealth mode travels over TCP, like an ordinary website — that is why it helps.
• Reinstalling. Nothing helped? Remove the app and install it again from the apps page. On Windows this also reinstalls the network adapter driver, which system updates sometimes break. Your sign-in and subscription stay — they belong to the account, not the device.

Connected, but websites will not open

The shield is green, pages will not load — that is DNS or routing, not blocking. In order:

1. Reconnect and change the server.
2. Android: "Settings" → "Network & internet" → "Private DNS" → "Automatic".
3. iPhone and Mac: turn off iCloud "Private Relay" ("Settings" → your name → "iCloud" → "Private Relay") — it conflicts with any VPN.
4. Windows: open Command Prompt, run ipconfig /flushdns, and reconnect.

Telegram does not work with a VPN

A common complaint: the VPN is connected, sites open, but Telegram hangs on "Connecting…". The causes are the same for any VPN.

• Telegram is holding an old connection. It does not notice right away that the network has changed. Close Telegram completely and reopen it — the new connection will go through the tunnel.
• A built-in proxy is turned on. Telegram has its own proxy: "Settings" → "Data and Storage" → "Proxy". If it is on, Telegram goes through the proxy server instead of the VPN; when that server does not answer, Telegram will not connect even with a working VPN. You do not need the proxy while the VPN is connected — turn it off.
• Still stuck? Change the VPN server and reconnect. If sites open and "What is my IP" shows the server's address, the tunnel is working, and Telegram connects with the proxy off, no extra settings needed.

Notes for phones and Mac

• Android turns off the VPN by itself after a couple of minutes. Battery saving unloads the app. "Settings" → "Apps" → NvoVPN → "Battery" → "Unrestricted"; on Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei also allow autostart and background activity. Details in the Android guide.
• iPhone loses the VPN on mobile data. Turn off "Low Data Mode" in the cellular settings. If the VPN profile got "stuck" after an iOS update, delete it under "Settings" → "General" → "VPN & Device Management" and connect again from the app.
• Mac after a macOS update. Open the app and confirm the system prompt for the VPN configuration once more.

FAQ

What does "handshake did not complete" mean? The device sent the first packet to the server and got no reply back. Most often that is a blocked UDP port on the network, a wrong clock, or a second tunnel — not blocking. Change the network or server, and check the time and a second VPN.

How do I tell blocking from simply having no internet? Sites open without the VPN, and with the VPN the connection is established but no data flows — that is blocking. Nothing opens even without the VPN — a network problem. Only "approved" sites open — a carrier allow list.

Why does everything work on home Wi-Fi, but not on mobile data? That is what blocking by a specific carrier looks like: mobile networks in Russia filter VPNs more aggressively than home providers, and the reverse happens on corporate networks. What helps: stealth mode (step 2), another server (step 1), and on Android, "Private DNS" → "Automatic".

My trial ended — could that be the reason? Yes: without an active plan or trial, the app will not connect and will say so on the home screen. You can extend access in your account, under "Plans".

Related guides: Why VPNs stop working and how stealth mode works · Why your VPN is slow and how to speed it up · Kill Switch: what it is and how to turn it on