What should you do if v2rayNG won’t connect? This guide helps you distinguish between the client not routing traffic, browser issues, DNS resolution failures, and node or network route problems. Follow the checks in order, starting with the least disruptive. It’s intended for Android users and requires neither reinstalling the system nor changing server settings. Change one thing at a time, revert it if it doesn’t help, and avoid making a tangle of changes.
1. First, confirm that the proxy is actually running
- Turn off other VPNs, accelerators, and filtering apps that use a local VPN. Android generally can’t run multiple VPN-based apps at the same time.
- In v2rayNG, select the node you want to use and tap the start button. When prompted for the first time, allow Android to establish a VPN connection. Check the notification shade for a VPN icon and a running notification.
- Check your system date, time, and time zone. Automatic settings are recommended. An incorrect time can cause TLS certificate verification to fail.
- Turn off the proxy and confirm that your phone can open familiar websites normally. If your basic internet connection is also unavailable, first check for Wi-Fi sign-in requirements, mobile data issues, or an unpaid balance.
“Connected” only means that the local VPN has started; it doesn’t guarantee that the node is working. Open a webpage or use the connection test in the client to verify it.
2. Rule out browser and per-app proxy issues
First, visit two different websites in a browser’s private window, then compare the results in another browser. If only one browser fails, check its settings first rather than immediately deleting the node.
- In v2rayNG’s per-app proxy settings, make sure the browser isn’t excluded. If you’re using “Proxy selected apps only,” make sure the browser is selected.
- Temporarily turn off the browser’s “Secure DNS” or custom DNS setting, then try again. The setting’s location varies by version; search for DNS in the settings.
- If only a few websites are affected, try clearing the data for those sites. There’s no need to immediately clear all browsing history and passwords.
If switching the client to global proxy routing restores access but the original mode doesn’t work, the issue may be related to routing rules. Use global mode only briefly to diagnose the issue, then restore your original settings. Don’t confuse the proxy routing mode with Android’s VPN operation.
3. Check DNS without changing addresses blindly
DNS translates domain names into addresses. If the logs show messages such as lookup, resolve, or DNS timeout, check the resolution path. These messages don’t necessarily mean the DNS service itself is down; the node may simply be unable to reach it.
- Note your current Android “Private DNS” setting. If you’ve entered a custom hostname, temporarily change it to “Automatic” and test again.
- If you’ve changed the DNS settings in v2rayNG, take a screenshot, then restore the client’s default configuration. Don’t copy DNS addresses from unverified sources.
- Stop and restart the connection, then reopen the browser. If it still fails, test over both Wi-Fi and mobile data, keeping data usage in mind.
Don’t disable certificate verification to fix connection problems. This reduces connection security and won’t fix routing or DNS resolution issues.
4. Check whether the node or network route is down
Update your subscription, select a node again, and confirm that the update succeeded. Links imported individually won’t refresh automatically with the subscription. Test different nodes on the same network, then test the same node on different networks: if only one node fails, the node is more likely to be the problem; if it fails on only one network, network restrictions or a routing issue may be to blame.
Latency test results can help with diagnosis, but they don’t guarantee that websites will work. Free nodes can also go down temporarily, so get updated nodes from a trusted source. Free nodes provided by this site also need to be tested. If you still can’t connect, note the client version, network type, and error keywords before asking for help. Before sharing logs, remove sensitive information such as subscription URLs, UUIDs, and passwords.