Setup guide · Phones, tablets and Android TV · Version 2.2

Set up PremierVPN on Android

Everything you need to install PremierVPN, connect for the first time, and set it up the way you like. It takes a couple of minutes.

Android 8.0 or newer, on a phone, tablet or Android TV
A PremierVPN account with an active plan, or create one in the app

Two looks, same app

PremierVPN has two styles, Glass and Signal. This guide uses the Glass names. In Signal the tabs are called Status, Servers, Security and Settings, and everything else is in the same place. Switch any time in Settings › Appearance.

01 Install

Install the app

PremierVPN works on Android 8.0 and newer, on phones, tablets and Android TV.

Direct download Available now

Download the app straight from us.

On your phone, open this page and tap Download the app below. Your browser downloads the .apk file.
Open the file. The first time, Android asks you to allow installs from your browser or file manager. Allow it, then go back.
Tap Install, then Open.

Download the app

premiervpn-android-2.2.0.apk · 25.6 MB · version 2.2 SHA-256 14cbebdc2097151bf297c5b5b3b79c178c38f4e30e17e8e2cd1313ed313ca4f0

Google Play Coming within a week

PremierVPN will be back on Google Play within a week. You don't need to wait: install the download now.

Good to know

The direct download is the same app as Google Play. If you install it first, Google Play can still update it later.

02 Sign in

Sign in or create an account

One PremierVPN account works on all your devices.

Already have an account

Open PremierVPN and tap Sign in.
Enter the email and password you use on premiervpn.net, then tap Sign in.
If you've turned on two-factor authentication, enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app and tap Verify. Codes change every 30 seconds, so use the current one. Pasting a code works too.

New to PremierVPN

Tap Get started, then Create account.
Enter your email and choose a password of at least 10 characters.
Choose a plan on premiervpn.net, then come back to the app and sign in. Once PremierVPN is on Google Play, you'll also be able to subscribe in the app.

Already subscribed?

If you've reinstalled the app or changed phone, tap Restore purchases on the plan screen.

Forgot your password?

Tap Forgot password? on the sign-in screen. It opens the reset page on premiervpn.net.

Signed up with Google or Apple on our website?

Set a password first. Log in to the portal, open Settings and set one there.

The sign-in screen: Use your premiervpn.net account, with Email and Password boxes, Forgot password, a Sign in button and Get started for new customers — Sign in

03 First-time setup

Three quick steps

The first time you sign in, three quick steps get the app ready.

Allow a VPN connection. Tap Continue, then OK on Android's Connection request. Android asks this once for every VPN app, and PremierVPN can't connect without it.
Allow notifications. On Android 13 and newer, PremierVPN asks to send notifications. They tell you when the connection drops and reconnects, or when your plan is about to renew. There's no marketing. You can tap Not now.
Pick your look. Choose Glass or Signal. Both have the same features. Tap Get protected to finish.

Skipped a step?

If you said no to the VPN request, Home shows a Finish setup card. Tap it to ask again.

04 Connect

Connect and disconnect

Home shows whether you're protected, where you're connected, and your public IP address.

Connect

Check the location shown under the button. Tap it to choose another; Home also suggests the fastest location for you.
Glass: tap the large round button. Signal: tap Connect.
It says Connecting… while it works, then Protected with the location, protocol and connection time. A key icon appears in Android's status bar.

Disconnect

Glass: tap the button again.
Signal: press and hold Hold to disconnect for about a second, so it can't happen by accident. With TalkBack on, it asks you to confirm instead.

What the states mean

Not protected: The VPN is off. Your real IP address is visible.
Connecting…: Setting up the secure tunnel. Tap Cancel to stop.
Protected: All your traffic goes through the encrypted tunnel.
Reconnecting…: The connection dropped, for example when you changed network. The app reconnects by itself (up to 5 tries).
Couldn't connect: The server didn't answer. Try Try Stealth or Pick another server.
No internet: Your phone has no network. The app waits and connects when one comes back.

Home in the Glass style: Protected, UK - London, connected for 7 seconds, with WireGuard and Zero logs chips, the location card and the Auto, WireGuard and Stealth switch — Home · Glass

05 Locations

Choose a location

Open the Locations tab and tap any location to connect to it.

Each location shows its ping in milliseconds, measured from your phone. Lower is faster.
Search by city, country or server name.
Press and hold a location to add it to your favourites or copy its hostname.
If you're already connected, tapping a new location switches you over.

The tabs

All: Every location, fastest first.
Standard: Normal servers. Right for almost everyone.
Direct: Servers you connect to by IP address, so your phone never needs a DNS lookup. Use one if your network blocks or interferes with DNS, or a standard server won't connect.
VLESS: Stealth servers, grouped by type (see the next section). Shown on 64-bit phones.
Favs: The locations you've favourited.
Own IP: Your dedicated IP, if you have one: an address only you use.

The Locations tab: 62 locations, a Where to? search box, All, Standard, Direct and VLESS tabs, and locations with ping times, including UK - London connected over Stealth with Reality — Locations

06 Protocols

Protocols and Stealth

A protocol is how your phone talks to the server. You can leave it on Auto; change it on Home under the location, or in Settings › Protocol.

Auto Recommended

Uses WireGuard, and switches to Stealth by itself if your network blocks WireGuard. Home shows a short message when that happens.

WireGuard

The fastest option, with modern ChaCha20 encryption. Best for everyday use.

Stealth

Makes your VPN look like ordinary website traffic, so it works on networks that block VPNs: some hotels, offices, schools and countries.

Try the next server automatically

On by default. If a server doesn't answer, the app tries another before showing an error.

Stealth connection types (VLESS tab)

Reality: Looks like a visit to a big HTTPS website. The fastest, so try it first.
xHTTP: Good where long connections keep getting cut off.
CDN: For the strictest networks. A little slower.
Vision: Another option when the others are blocked.

Older phones

Stealth needs a 64-bit phone, which covers almost every phone sold in recent years. On older phones, Stealth and the VLESS tab are hidden and the app uses WireGuard.

The Status tab in the Signal style, connected through a Stealth tunnel: traffic exits in UK - London, protocol VLESS + Reality, encryption Reality with TLS 1.3, and a live throughput graph — Stealth · Signal

07 Security

The Security tab

Checks your phone can verify for itself, so you can see you're protected.

Your IP: hidden when connected, visible when not.
Kill switch: whether Android is set to block traffic when the VPN is off (see Kill switch).
DNS: whether your lookups go through the tunnel.
Encryption: the encryption in use.

Leak test

Tap Run leak test to check that your IP address, IPv6 and DNS lookups all stay inside the tunnel. It runs by itself when you connect.

Speed test

Measures download and upload speed through the tunnel. Try a few locations to find the fastest for you.

The Security tab: a card asking you to turn on the kill switch with an Open VPN settings link, and tiles for Your IP Hidden, Kill switch Off, DNS Tunnel only and Encryption TLS 1.3 — Security

08 Settings

Settings worth knowing

Auto-connect

Settings › Auto-connect › Connect automatically:

Never: you connect yourself.
On Wi-Fi I don't trust: connects on any Wi-Fi not in your Trusted networks list. On your home Wi-Fi, tap Trust current network. Android needs location permission to read the Wi-Fi name, and asks only when you tap.
Always: also connects when your phone starts.

Two more switches: Connect when the app opens and Reconnect after a drop.

Kill switch

The kill switch stops all internet traffic if the VPN drops, so nothing leaks. On Android it's a system setting:

In PremierVPN, tap Settings › Kill switch › Open VPN settings.
Tap the gear next to PremierVPN.
Turn on Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN.

Heads up

With the kill switch on, you have no internet at all while the VPN is off. That's on purpose. To get online without the VPN, turn it off in the same place.

Split tunnelling

Settings › Split tunnelling lets you choose which apps use the VPN. Changes apply the next time you connect.

Bypass the VPN: the apps you pick connect directly; everything else is protected. Useful for banking apps that block VPNs.
Only use the VPN: only the apps you pick go through the VPN.
Allow local network: keeps printers, casting and NAS drives working while you're connected.

DNS

Ad and tracker blocker: blocks ads and trackers for every app.
Custom DNS: use your own DNS servers. Enter one or two IP addresses and tap Use.
DNS leak protection: on by default. Keeps lookups inside the tunnel.

Appearance

Switch between Glass and Signal and pick an accent colour. The change applies straight away.

Connection settings: Kill switch managed by Android, Protocol, Auto-connect, Split tunnelling and DNS, each showing its current value — Settings · Connection

09 Shortcuts

Widgets, shortcuts and Quick Settings

Connect without opening the app.

App shortcuts

Press and hold the PremierVPN icon for Connect, Disconnect and your first two favourite locations.

Status widget

Shows whether you're protected and lets you disconnect. To add it, press and hold your home screen, tap Widgets and find PremierVPN.

Favourites widget

The larger widget adds your two favourite locations: tap one to connect there.

Quick Settings tile

Swipe down twice, tap the pencil to edit tiles, and drag the PremierVPN tile in. Tap it to connect or disconnect.

Why the app opens

Android only lets an app start a VPN from the screen, so Connect shortcuts briefly open PremierVPN. Disconnect works straight from the widget.

10 Android TV

Android TV

PremierVPN runs on Android TV and Google TV and is built for the remote. Until it's back on Google Play, install it with a sideloading app such as Downloader: enter the address portal.premiervpn.net/downloads/premiervpn-android-2.2.0.apk, then choose Install. Then sign in with the remote.

Sign in with your email and password. If you use two-factor authentication, enter your code next.
Select the round button and press OK to connect, or pick a location under Quick connect.
Press Play/Pause on the remote to connect or disconnect from anywhere in the app.

Locations lists every server; Settings has the kill switch and Sign out.
Back from a tab returns to Home.
New accounts and plans are set up on your phone, then you sign in on the TV.

Using a Fire TV? It has its own app: see the Fire TV setup guide.

11 Account

Your account

Open Settings › Account & plan.

Plan: your plan and when it renews or ends.
Manage subscription: change or cancel a Google Play subscription.
Two-factor authentication: shows whether it's on. Set it up on premiervpn.net.
Sign out: disconnects the VPN on this phone. Your settings and favourites stay.

Delete your account

Tap Delete account, type DELETE to confirm, and finish on premiervpn.net with your password. Your account, devices and settings are deleted, and any dedicated IP is released. This can't be undone.

Cancel first

Deleting your account doesn't cancel a Google Play subscription. Cancel it in Manage subscription first.

12 · Troubleshooting

Common problems and fixes

It won't connect

Tap Try Stealth on the error screen, or pick another location. On a network that blocks VPNs, set Settings › Protocol to Auto or Stealth.

It says Protected, but websites don't load

Disconnect and connect again, or try another location. If you set a Custom DNS, switch back to the default in Settings › DNS. On networks that interfere with DNS, try a server in the Direct tab.

No internet at all when the VPN is off

That's the kill switch. Turn off Block connections without VPN in Android's VPN settings, or connect the VPN.

It keeps disconnecting in the background

Some phones close apps to save battery. Go to Android Settings › Apps › PremierVPN › Battery and choose Unrestricted. Turning on Always-on VPN also keeps it running.

A banking or streaming app won't work

Add it to Settings › Split tunnelling with Bypass the VPN, so that app connects directly.

Slow speeds

Pick a location closer to you (lower ping), and use WireGuard rather than Stealth when your network allows it. Run the speed test in the Security tab to compare.

I can't see Stealth or the VLESS tab

Your phone is 32-bit, and Stealth needs a 64-bit phone. Everything else works as normal.

Android says "App not installed"

If an older PremierVPN app is already on the phone from somewhere else, uninstall it first (Settings › Apps › PremierVPN › Uninstall), then install again.
Make sure the phone runs Android 8.0 or newer and has free space.
If the download was interrupted, delete the file and download it again.

Still stuck?

Open Settings › Diagnostics › Logs & tests and tap Export logs, then contact our UK-based support team, who answer 24/7: open a ticket and attach the file, or email [email protected]. The Help Centre has more guides.

Ready to get protected?

Install PremierVPN on your Android phone, tablet or TV and connect in one tap.

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