Best for Android
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
Instagram, Google Play and similar apps see a home IP as an ordinary user. A sticky session holds the same IP for up to 24 hours.
Browsers & operating systems
Android Proxy How to Set It Up on Wi-Fi, Mobile Data and Apps
Android works on
- Android phones
- Android tablets
- Android TV
Key facts
Where the setting is
Settings > Network & internet > Internet > [network] > Edit > Advanced options > Proxy on a Pixel. It takes an HTTP proxy, so filter the Geonode free proxy list by HTTP to test it.
One network at a time
The Wi-Fi proxy is stored per network. Your other saved networks and mobile data stay direct until you add a proxy to each one.
Which apps follow it
Android's own warning says the HTTP proxy is used by the browser but may not be used by other apps. Chrome follows it. Many apps ignore it, games and streaming services included.
Proxy apps and VPNs
Proxy apps that cover every app run as a local VPN. Android allows one active VPN at a time, so you can't run a VPN app and a proxy app together.
Ways to connect Android to a proxy
Android's built-in settings accept a plain HTTP proxy and nothing else, with no login fields. For SOCKS5 or a proxy with a login, you need a proxy app.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi manual proxy | Chrome and apps that read the system proxy, on the one Wi-Fi network you edit | No username or password fields. Chrome asks for them in a sign-in prompt; most other apps just fail | Low: the HTTP proxy connection is unencrypted, so the network can see and block it | Browsing in Chrome on home or office Wi-Fi | Geonode residential, ISP or datacenter proxies (HTTP); Geonode free list |
| Proxy Auto-Config (PAC URL) | The same apps as the manual proxy, on one Wi-Fi network | None in Android settings | Low | Company and school networks that publish a .pac file. Don't use a free public PAC URL: whoever runs it can change where your traffic goes | Your network admin, or a .pac file you host yourself |
| APN proxy (mobile data) | Apps that read the system proxy, while on mobile data through the edited APN | Proxy and Port only. The APN Username and Password fields belong to your carrier, not the proxy | Low: unencrypted HTTP | Using a proxy away from Wi-Fi | Geonode residential, ISP or datacenter proxies (HTTP) |
| Proxy app (local VPN, e.g. Super Proxy) | Every app, on Wi-Fi and mobile data. TCP only, so UDP traffic (voice calls, many games) does not get through. UDP over SOCKS5 is only in the app's beta channel | HTTP (CONNECT) or SOCKS5 with username and password | Medium: the SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT handshakes are unencrypted, and filters can spot them | Apps that skip the system proxy, and any SOCKS5 or login proxy. Works without root | Geonode residential or ISP proxies; Geonode free list |
Which proxy type to use on Android
Android works with any IP type; apps like Instagram and Google Play judge the IP, so pick by app.
Good for one fixed IP
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
One address that never changes, so a phone or an account always shows the same IP.
Browsing only
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
Fine for opening websites in Chrome. Many apps and streaming services flag datacenter ranges.
Testing only
Free public proxies
Free
Shared by strangers and often dead within hours. Use them to test the setting, never for logins.
How to set up a proxy on Android
Have the proxy host (hostname or IP) and port ready. If your proxy needs a login, you'll also need the username and password.
Open Settings and tap Network & internet, then Internet.
Tap the Wi-Fi network (or its gear icon).
Tap the pencil (Edit) icon, then Advanced options.
Under Proxy, open the drop-down and choose Manual.
Enter the host in Proxy hostname and the port in Proxy port.
Optional: in Bypass proxy for, list addresses that should skip the proxy, separated by commas.
Tap Save.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that the proxy works
Open geonode.com/what-is-my-ip in Chrome. You should see the proxy's IP and country, not your own.
If you use a proxy app, also open an app that ignores the Wi-Fi proxy and check that its content matches the proxy's country.
How to turn the proxy off
Wi-Fi: open the same network's Advanced options (View more on Samsung), set Proxy to None and tap Save.
Mobile data: clear Proxy and Port in the APN and save, or switch back to the carrier's original APN.
Proxy app: tap Stop in Super Proxy, or turn off the VPN under Settings.
Common Android proxy problems and fixes
Chrome shows the proxy IP, but other apps show your real IP
- See Which apps follow it: those apps don't read the system proxy
- Turn off the Wi-Fi proxy and use a proxy app, which sends every app through a local VPN.
CauseFixProxy connection error or no internet after saving
- Chrome shows this as ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED. A wrong host or port, a SOCKS5 port typed into the HTTP-only Wi-Fi field, or a free proxy that has gone offline
- Enter the provider's HTTP port, not the SOCKS5 one. Run the proxy through the Geonode proxy checker. If it's a free proxy, pick another from the list.
CauseFixSign-in prompt keeps coming back, or apps return error 407
- The proxy username or password is wrong, or the app can't show a login prompt
- Copy the proxy credentials again from your provider's dashboard (they are not your account login). Outside Chrome, use a proxy app.
CauseFixAPN fields are greyed out or the new APN disappears
- The carrier locks its APN settings
- Tap + and add a new APN with the carrier's values. If the carrier blocks that as well, run a proxy app on mobile data.
CauseFix
More for Android users
Android proxy FAQ
The Geonode free proxy list shows HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 proxies with host, port and country. Filter by HTTP for the Android Wi-Fi or APN settings, or by SOCKS5 if you use a proxy app. Free lists have no proxies with a username and password; paid ones with a login need a proxy app.
Open the network's Advanced options (View more on Samsung) and read Proxy hostname and Proxy port. If Proxy is set to None, the phone uses no proxy on that network.
Yes, in a proxy app like Super Proxy, which has username and password fields and covers every app.
Edit the active APN under Access Point Names in the mobile network settings and fill in Proxy and Port. If the carrier has locked the APN, add a new one with +, or use a proxy app on mobile data.
No. The built-in proxy covers one network and many apps skip it. Use a proxy app that runs as a local VPN.
Android TV and Google TV have a manual proxy option in each Wi-Fi or Ethernet network's settings. It takes a hostname and port, so enter an HTTP proxy. Streaming apps may ignore it.
WhatsApp's own proxy field accepts only a WhatsApp proxy server (github.com/WhatsApp/proxy), not an ordinary HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy. To send WhatsApp through an ordinary proxy, use a proxy app that covers every app.
