New VPN app shutting down on its own on Samsung phone

Larynx

Hi,
I've had the new VPN app, which replaced Freedome, on my Samsung phone with Android 12 for a couple of days now. Three times it has happened now that when I pick my my phone and open the screen lock, the VPN is not active anymore (no key icon visible either in the upper right hand cormer). When I open the app, it starts establishing the connection again. I'm on mobile data when this happens. Haven't tried if same happens when the phone is connected to a wifi. When I installed the app, I gave F-Secure permission to be always active. Data usage is also unlimited and no battery saver is active.

This never happened with Freedome, it was always on until you closed it yourself. Though on Freedome it happened constantly that the mobile data connection died all of a sudden, and I had to disconnect the VPN connection to get data flowing again and then turn the VPN back on. However, this connection loss never happened if I was connected to a wifi instead.

What could be wrong?

Larynx

One fresh observation. My phone is on cellular data with wifi switched off. I go to the app settings and toggle the "Automatic wifi protection" option. This shuts down the vpn connection immediately. If I switch the wifi protection off, the vpn connects back on. If I leave the protection on and leave the settings and start the VPN connection again manually, and then return to the setting, the wifi protection has been switched off.

Should it be working this way? That is, if you use data without having wifi on, you can't switch on the wifi protection without losing the VPN connection?

I'm pretty sure it wasn't like this in Freedome

Firmy

Hello @Larynx

Thank you for your feedback.

We recommend checking the settings of the F-Secure app to ensure that it's configured to remain active and never sleep. This could potentially lead to the app shutting down after a period of inactivity, resulting in a loss of VPN connection. For detailed instructions, please refer to this link.

Regarding the "Automatic WiFi Protection" feature, its purpose is to automatically establish a VPN connection whenever you're connected to an untrusted WiFi network while disconnecting when you switch to mobile data. If you manually activate the VPN while not connected to WiFi, the feature is disabled to avoid conflicts in functionality. Once you turn off the VPN on your mobile data, the feature is turned back on.

Additionally, mobile data is considered a trusted network. Mobile data connections are like personal connections for a few reasons. First, when you use mobile data, your device checks in with your mobile carrier to make sure it's allowed on the network. This is similar to how you sign into your personal accounts. Second, mobile data is often encrypted, meaning your information is kept private while it travels between your device and the network. Third, mobile data plans are usually for individual users, giving you control over your usage and settings. Lastly, unlike public WiFi used by many people, mobile data is typically just for you on your device. So, while both WiFi and mobile data let you get online, mobile data feels more like a personal connection because it's just for you and your device.

If you prefer to keep the VPN always active regardless of your network connection (WiFi or mobile data), we recommend disabling this feature. Doing so will ensure the VPN remains continuously active.

Should you require further assistance or clarification on any aspect, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your attention, and we wish you a pleasant day ahead.