The Proton VPN APK is now available to download on GitHub. This makes it easy to download and install Proton VPN on your Android device even in authoritarian countries where our website is blocked.
Download Proton VPN APK on GitHub(new window)
Countries including China, Russia, and Iran often block the Google Play Store and our website. However, they rarely block GitHub, a well-known and trusted open source repository. Going forward, all our Android updates will also be shared on GitHub. Making our app open source(new window) and placing it on GitHub helps ensure you will be able to access Proton VPN no matter where you are.
If the Play Store is available in your country, it remains the easiest way to download the Proton VPN app. You can find links to all our apps on the Proton VPN download page(new window).
What is an APK?
APK stands for Android Package file. As the name suggests, it contains the code of an app that was designed to run on the Android operating system. Most people never come into contact with APKs because they install all their apps via the Google Play Store, which handles the app installation process automatically.
How to install an APK
When you download an APK, your Android will automatically recognize it, which means you should be able to open it simply by tapping on the icon. However, just like running an unknown .EXE file can put your computer at risk, installing an unknown APK file can compromise your Android device. You should only install APK files from verified, trusted sources.
For this reason, most Android devices will not let you install downloaded APKs by default.
Here’s how to bypass this default setting. Note: The titles of these menus and options may vary slightly, depending on your device.
- Go to Settings and tap on Security.
- In the Android Security Settings menu, you will see an option that says Unknown Sources with a checkbox next to it. If it is empty, that means your device will not execute an APK that did not come from the Play Store. Tap the empty box to allow unknown APKs.
- Your device will then show you a disclaimer that you alone are responsible for any damage an APK does to your device. Tap OK.
Once this is done, you are ready to install the Proton VPN APK. Once you download it on your device, you can find the APK file in your Download folder. Once you find the Proton VPN APK, simply tap it to begin the installation process. From here you can easily sign up for a Free plan for Android(new window).
More transparent, more resistant to censorship
Maintaining our apps as open source software is a priority for us. By conducting an independent audit and sharing our code, we are shining a light on how our apps work so that users can verify it for themselves.
Serving people who live under repressive regimes is a crucial aspect of our mission. In the coming year, we plan to add new features that will help users sign in and use our app even if their government is blocking our services. We also plan to add more of our apps to GitHub, as well as to other app repositories (including F-Droid), to make our service even more widely available — and harder to block.
Thank you for supporting our mission.
Best Regards,
The Proton VPN Team
You can follow us on social media to stay up to date on the latest Proton VPN releases:
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To get a free Proton Mail encrypted email account, visit: proton.me/mail(new window)
