Guides

Android VPN disconnects in the background: how to keep it on

Why Android and phone makers stop VPN apps in the background, and how battery settings, Always-on VPN and maker options keep Colitu connected all day.

Written by: Colitu Engineering TeamReviewed by: Colitu Network TeamPublished: 5 min read

In the morning the VPN is on. By lunchtime the key icon in the status bar is gone, the Colitu notification has disappeared and apps are using your normal connection. Nothing crashed: Android or your phone's maker decided to save battery by stopping an app that was running in the background. This guide shows how to make Colitu stay connected and how to have Android bring it back on its own.

Why Android stops the VPN

  • Android's own power saving. Since Android 6, Doze and App Standby limit what apps do while the screen is off. A VPN runs as a foreground service with a notification, which normally keeps it alive, but battery restrictions can still interfere.
  • Maker battery managers. Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, realme, vivo and others add their own, often much stricter, layer on top of Android. These managers may close background apps after a few minutes regardless of what Android allows. The independent site dontkillmyapp.com documents this maker by maker.
  • Cleaner and booster apps. "Memory cleaners", game boosters and some antivirus features stop background apps, including VPNs.
  • Another VPN. Only one VPN can run at a time. Starting another VPN app, or a security app with a "secure connection" feature, disconnects Colitu.
  • Updates. When an app updates, Android stops it. Without Always-on VPN nobody starts it again.

Step 1. Remove battery restrictions

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Colitu → Battery (on some phones: App battery usage).
  2. Choose Unrestricted. On older Android versions the option is under Battery optimisation: switch the list to all apps, find Colitu and choose Don't optimise.
  3. If your phone has Data Saver on, allow Colitu unrestricted data as well.

Step 2. Turn on Always-on VPN

Colitu for Android does not start itself when the phone boots. Instead it relies on Android's built-in Always-on VPN, available since Android 7: the system starts the VPN when the phone boots and keeps it running.

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → VPN (on Samsung: Connections → More connection settings → VPN). The Colitu app can also open this screen for you.
  2. Tap the gear next to Colitu.
  3. Switch on Always-on VPN.
  4. Optionally switch on Block connections without VPN. This is Colitu's kill switch on Android: while the VPN is down, no app can use the internet.

Keep in mind that with blocking on, a hotel or café Wi-Fi sign-in page may not appear until you turn the option off for a moment. More in the help centre: kill switch and auto-connect.

In the Colitu app you can also turn on connect when the app starts; on Android it is off by default.

Step 3. Maker-specific settings

Menu names change between versions, so treat these as directions and check dontkillmyapp.com for your exact model.

  • Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO: enable Autostart for Colitu, set the battery saver for Colitu to No restrictions, and lock the app in the recent apps screen.
  • Samsung: set Colitu's battery usage to Unrestricted, make sure it is not listed under Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps, and add it to Never sleeping apps.
  • Huawei, Honor: under Battery → App launch, set Colitu to manage manually and allow auto-launch, secondary launch and running in the background.
  • OnePlus, Oppo, realme, vivo: allow background activity for Colitu in its battery settings and lock it in recent apps.

Step 4. Remove what fights the VPN

  • Exclude Colitu from cleaner, booster and antivirus "optimisation" features, or uninstall such apps.
  • Do not run a second VPN or a "secure connection" feature at the same time.
  • Do not use the maker's "clear all" for background apps if it also stops locked apps on your model.

Step 5. Check that it holds

  1. Connect Colitu, then lock the phone for 30 minutes or more.
  2. Unlock it: the key icon and the Colitu notification should still be there.
  3. Open What is my IP and confirm that sites see the server's country.
  4. Restart the phone: with Always-on VPN the VPN should come back by itself.

For quick manual control, add Colitu's Quick Settings tile: pull down the notification shade, edit the tiles and drag Colitu in.

If it still disconnects

If the VPN stays on but traffic stops after you move between Wi-Fi and mobile data, the cause is the network rather than battery saving: see VPN connected but no internet and VPN works on Wi-Fi but not on mobile data. Otherwise write to support and include your phone model and Android version. The help centre has a full Android guide.

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