VPN providers have reported that Android 16 has a bug that’s been breaking VPN apps and could be leaving users exposed. The Android 16 bug affects the OS’s network stack and triggers when the VPN app is updated, which causes the app to stop working properly in the background and doesn’t warn the user at all.
According to Proton VPN, in a series of posts on X, they discovered the bug back in September 2025. Reportedly, other VPN providers have noticed the bug even earlier than September. There are even comments on the Google Issue Tracker indicating that some users have been experiencing this bug.
4/4
This affects several VPN providers on Android 16, and only Google has the access to diagnose it properly.
After 7 months of waiting, we’re now asking publicly: Google, when are you fixing this?
Issue Tracker Links:https://t.co/ZbabZSc4BMhttps://t.co/4WbV9s0iqK
— Proton VPN (@ProtonVPN) March 18, 2026
Android Authority says that this isn’t an atypical occurrence and happens when users receive updates to their VPN apps via Google Play when the VPN is still active; however, restarting the VPN app doesn’t fix the issue. VPN providers have noted that users will have to reboot their handsets or reinstall the VPN, which many people will probably not do, especially without an error message. And the bug is reportedly also inconsistent, and only happens in a small percentage of the time.
Proton says that Google hasn’t acknowledged the issue yet; however, back in September, the issue tracker indicates that the bug was shared with the appropriate teams and will be updated when there’s more information.
If you’re a VPN user, you might want to wait until this changes before updating to Android 16.
Source: Android Authority
