VPN connection profiles and pinned items
The quickest and easiest way to connect to our service is using the Quick Connect button available in Proton VPN apps. This automatically connects you to the fastest server for your location, using the fastest VPN protocol available. By default, this is WireGuard®(new window).
You can also customize how you connect to our service, choosing a specific country or server within that country (including a Tor(new window) or P2P(new window) server), changing the VPN protocol(new window), or using our Secure Core VPN(new window) feature.
If you regularly use the same custom connection settings, you can save them as a VPN connection profile or pinned item to make it easy to connect using those settings.
VPN connection profiles are currently available in the following Proton VPN apps:
On Android, we’ve replaced connection profiles with pinned items. These perform a very similar purpose to connection profiles.
In addition to your custom connection, we have predefined a couple of profiles for you to choose from. Unlike the custom profile that you create, these cannot be deleted or edited.
- Fastest — this is the same as using our Quick Connect button. It will connect you to the fastest server for your location.
- Random — this will connect you to a random Proton VPN server, which could be located anywhere in the world we run servers.
Windows
How to create a connection profile
1. Open the app and go to the Profiles tab → Create Profile.
2. Select the type of connection you want (Standard, Secure Core, P2P, or Tor), give it a Name, and choose a Color to help identify it.
You can then select your preferred connection options. For a Standard connection, these are:
- Protocol — Smart (protocol)(new window), OpenVPN (UDP), OpenVPN (TCP), or WireGuard
- Country — Choice of more than 110 countries
- Server — Fastest, Random, or a particular server in the chosen country
For Secure Core, you need to select a (Secure Core) Server and an Exit country. For P2P and Tor, you can specify a country in the dropdown Server list.
Click Save when you’re done. You can create multiple profiles.
How to use connection profiles
Simply go to the Profiles tab and click on a profile you have created. Proton VPN will then connect using the parameters you defined for it.
How to manage connection profiles
To manage your connection profiles, Profiles tab → Manage Profiles.
From here you can launch profiles (power button), edit profiles (🖉), or delete profiles (🗙).
Profiles can no longer be synced across your devices, as we are working on a more user-friendly recent connections feature that offers similar functionality.
Click Close when you’re done.
macOS
How to create a connection profile
1. Open the app and go to the Profiles tab → Create Profile.
2. Give your connection a Name and choose a Color to help identify it. Using the dropdown lists, select your preferred connection options:
Select the type of connection you want (Standard, Secure Core, P2P, or Tor, give it a Name, and choose a Color to help identify it.
- Feature — Standard, Secure Core, P2P, or Tor
- Country — Choice of more than 110 countries.
- Server — Fastest, Random, or a particular server in the chosen country
- Protocol — Smart (protocol)(new window), IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP), OpenVPN (UDP), or WireGuard
For Secure Core, Country selects the location for the exit server, while Server selects the Secure Core server your connection is routed through.
Click Save when you’re done. You can create multiple profiles.
How to use connection profiles
Simply go to the Profiles tab and click on the Connect button next to a profile that you have created. Proton VPN will then connect using the parameters you defined for it.
How to manage connection profiles
To manage your connection profiles, Profiles tab → Manage Profiles.
From here you can Connect, Edit, or Delete profiles you have created. You can also Create Profile from here if you wish.
Simply close the window when you’re done.
Android
How to use pinned items
At the bottom of the home screen, you can see a list of countries you recently connected to. Simply tap on one of these to connect to the same server as you did before (in the example, if you previously used Secure Core to connect to an exit server in Australia via Switzerland, tapping it will set up the same Secure Core connection this time).
To pin an item to the Recents list, swipe right on the location.
The Proton VPN app will now show the pinned item at the top of the Recents list with a “pin” icon next to it. This pinning feature replaces the Connection Profiles in older versions of our Android app.
To see details about the server you’re connected to, tap the active connection on your home screen.
You can view connection details, such as how long you’ve been connected, the IP address of the VPN server, the server load, the VPN protocol used, and more,
iOS and iPadOS
How to create a connection profile
1. Open the app and go to the Profiles tab → +.
2. Give your connection a Name, choose a Color to help identify it, then select your preferred connection options:
- Whether it will be a Secure Core connection
- Country — Choice of more than 110 countries
- Server — Fastest, Random, or a particular server in the chosen country
- Protocol — WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP), OpenVPN (TCP), or IKEv2
If using Secure Core, select the (exit) country and a (Secure Core) server.
Toggle the Make Default Profile switch to use this profile when you tap the Quick Connect button.
How to use and manage connection profiles
Go to the Profiles tab. From here you can:
- Create new profile
- Launch a profile (tap the power button icon next to a profile)
- Edit a profile (tap Edit, and then select the profile you’d like to edit)
To Delete a profile, swipe left.
