How to set up a proxy on Android

Configure a Wi-Fi HTTP proxy on Android, check authentication and understand which apps use the setting.

A proxy address is useful only when the client supports its protocol and authentication. Android's saved Wi-Fi proxy setting is different from routing every application through a VPN. Start with the connection you actually need: browser traffic on Wi-Fi, or a specific app with its own proxy options.

01Prepare the connection details#

Get the hostname, port, protocol and authentication method from the provider. An HTTP endpoint and a SOCKS5 endpoint can use different ports. If the provider uses an IP allowlist, confirm the public IP of the Wi-Fi network before connecting. A mobile connection or a different Wi-Fi network can have a different public IP.

02Configure the saved Wi-Fi network#

On Pixel phones, open Settings, then Network & internet, Internet and the connected network. Edit the network and open Advanced options. Under Proxy, choose the configuration type, enter the supplied settings and save. Other manufacturers and Android versions can use different menu names. Google's Pixel network instructions describe this path.

For a manual HTTP proxy, enter the host and port as separate values. Do not paste a full host:port:username:password string into the host field. If authentication is required and the system menu has no credential fields, check whether the browser or app can request them. Do not assume that an authenticated SOCKS5 product fits this Wi-Fi setting.

03Check the browser and the target app separately#

Open an IP lookup in the browser and compare it with the direct connection. Then repeat the actual task in the intended app. A successful browser request proves that request used the proxy; it does not prove that every app, mobile-data connection or background request uses it.

Use the proxy checker to check the endpoint first. Compare available providers in the country catalog. Product geography and the phone's current location are separate settings.

04If the connection fails#

Check the protocol, port, account validity and allowed source IP. A browser authentication prompt is a different problem from an unreachable endpoint. Disable the Wi-Fi proxy temporarily to compare with the direct connection. If only one app fails, inspect that app's documented proxy support instead of repeatedly changing the whole network.

05Remove the setting#

Return to the same Wi-Fi network, choose no proxy and save. Test again on that network. The saved setting belongs to that network; changing another network's options does not remove it.