How to set up Tunnexa and connect for the first time

Setting up Tunnexa means three things: installing it, deciding whether to sign in, and allowing one Android prompt. Here is each step, with the labels you’ll see in the app.

Before you start

You need a phone or tablet with Android 7.0 or later. Tunnexa is only on Google Play, so there’s no APK to sideload, and there are no iPhone or desktop versions.

You don’t need an account, a card or an email address to connect.

1. Install Tunnexa from Google Play

Search for Tunnexa VPN in the Play Store, or use the link on our download page. Tap Install, then Open.

2. Skip, or sign in for free

The first screen invites you to sign in, with an Email field, a Sign In button, and Apple and Google buttons. You can tap Skip in the top right corner instead.

• As a guest you get the free locations, the Recommended, WireGuard and OpenVPN UDP protocols, and DNS leak protection, which is on from the start.
• With a free account you also get OpenVPN TCP, AmneziaWG and Stealth, plus Kill Switch & Always On, Auto Connect, Ad & Tracker Shield and Split Tunneling.

Not sure yet? Skip for now. You can sign in later from Settings, where the top card says “Sign in or create a free account”. Read how signing in works.

3. Tap To Connect

The home screen shows “Not Connected”, the location Tunnexa picked for you, and a big power button labeled Tap To Connect. Tap it.

On Android 13 and later, Android first asks whether Tunnexa may send notifications. The VPN works whichever you choose.

Next comes Android’s VPN connection request. Every VPN app has to ask for it. Tap OK, and you won’t see it again. Here’s what the connection request means.

The status changes to Connecting…, then the ring turns green and a connection timer starts. Android also shows a small key or VPN icon in the status bar while you’re connected.

4. Choose another location, if you like

Tap the server card above the button to open Select Server. Each location shows its ping in milliseconds, and lower usually means closer. Tap one to use it, or tap the star to keep it under Favorites. If you’re already connected, Tunnexa reconnects to the new location by itself.

What to set up next

• Leave the protocol on Recommended unless a network gives you trouble. Choosing a protocol explains when to switch.
• With a free account, turn on the kill switch, so nothing leaves your phone if the tunnel drops.
• If a banking app refuses to open on the VPN, let it skip the tunnel with Split Tunneling.

If it doesn’t connect

Try another location first, then another protocol. The four connection fixes in the Help center cover the rest. If you see “No Internet Connection”, the problem is your phone’s connection, and this article clears it up.