Unbreakable VPN Connection for Android when Disconnecting by Combining Wi-Fi and 4G / 5G Cellular with Speedify
A VPN keeps disconnecting on Android when the phone goes to sleep because battery saving shuts down background network access in sleep mode, and a VPN holding a single internet connection has nothing left to fall back on.
Speedify is an app that encrypts your traffic like a VPN and spreads it over Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time, and Speedify stays connected while the phone is in standby. If one internet connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the other one on its own, without waiting for you to wake the phone. That needs both Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular turned on; on one connection, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and can be a little slower.
You are not the only one whose VPN is gone when the screen lights up again. Ahead: why Android sleep mode stops most VPN apps, the battery settings that fix it, and how Speedify keeps your phone protected and online.
Why a VPN Disconnects When an Android Phone Goes to Sleep
A VPN disconnects in sleep mode for two reasons. Android’s battery saving limits what apps can do in the background while the screen is off, and most VPN apps run over a single internet connection, so they cannot recover on their own once it closes.
Almost all VPN apps still use the same basic design they have used for over a decade. These VPNs do a good job of keeping your data secure, but the design has real downsides on a phone.
The standard VPN service works by establishing a single connection between you and a secure VPN server. All of the data to and from your device goes through this one encrypted connection.
A single-connection design tends to slow down the speed of your Internet connection: pages load slower, web forms take longer, and videos lag and sometimes become unwatchable.
If there are any issues with your Wi-Fi or 4G/5G cellular connection, even for just a second, you will become disconnected from the VPN server. When your Android device goes into sleep mode, it can end the VPN connection as well. For drops while the phone is awake, see why an Android VPN keeps dropping.
Android Battery Settings That Keep a VPN Connected in Sleep Mode
Android’s battery optimization is the first thing to check, whichever VPN you use. Open Settings > Apps, choose the VPN app, open its battery settings and set it to Unrestricted (the wording varies by phone maker). Turn off Battery Saver or Power saving mode while you need the VPN, and on Samsung phones, make sure the VPN app is not on the Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps lists (Settings > Battery > Background usage limits).
You can also turn on Always-on VPN for the app, so Android restarts the VPN by itself. On Pixel phones it is under Settings > Network & internet > VPN, then the gear icon next to the app.
Use a VPN Designed for Phones That Change Networks
Battery settings stop Android from shutting the VPN down, but they do not fix the other core problem: a VPN that relies on one internet connection still drops whenever that Wi-Fi or cell signal dips. For a VPN connection that is stable and doesn’t slow down your Internet experience, you need a VPN platform designed for mobility.
Speedify runs on Android smartphones and tablets and was built for devices that move between networks, with a focus on a VPN that is fast, reliable and secure.
Speedify uses its own protocol with multiple parallel secure connections to the Speedify server, so a minor disruption won’t cause the entire connection to fail. Speedify also lets your Android device connect to the Internet using both Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular simultaneously, so with both turned on, apps get the bandwidth of both instead of slowing down as they do on a traditional VPN.
How to Keep a VPN Connected in Android Sleep Mode with Speedify
- Download Speedify from Google Play on your Android phone or tablet (Android 9 or later).
- Open Speedify and create a free account (the free tier includes 5 GB per month), or sign in.
- Tap OK when Android asks to set up a VPN connection.
- Keep Wi-Fi and “Mobile data” both turned on. Speedify uses both at once, so when you walk out of Wi-Fi range, traffic keeps flowing over 4G/5G cellular.
- Open Speedify’s battery settings (Settings > Apps > Speedify > Battery on most phones) and choose Unrestricted, so Android does not stop Speedify in the background.
Speedify Keeps Your Android Phone Connected to VPN When in Sleep Mode
Speedify encrypts your data with AES-256-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305 and monitors the quality of your Internet connections in the background. If one connection has a problem, Speedify’s automatic failover moves the traffic to the other, and your public IP address stays the same, so apps and logins do not see a new address.
Speedify takes a few minutes to set up on Android and keeps you connected without hours of troubleshooting.
If you want a mobile VPN app that is fast, stays connected and keeps your data secure, head over to Google Play Store and download Speedify. The free tier gives you 5 GB per month with a free account.
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