v2rayN / v2rayNG
Subscription Import and Connection Guide

BEFORE START

Before You Start: Client and Subscription URL

Make sure the client is installed and opens to its main screen. Use v2rayN on desktop and v2rayNG on Android. If you haven't installed a client yet, visit the client download page and choose a package that matches your device architecture. The installation guide covers install locations, system permissions, and first-launch issues. This page starts once the client opens successfully.

You'll also need a valid subscription URL from your service provider. The client reads configuration and routes traffic; it doesn't provide servers you can connect to. A subscription is usually a complete URL, not an account sign-in or purchase page. Copy the entire URL, including any parameters after the question mark. Don't include leading or trailing spaces, line breaks, or punctuation added by a messaging app.

A subscription URL may contain account credentials, so treat it like a password. Don't post it publicly. Before sharing screenshots, asking for help, or sending logs, hide URL parameters, server details, and other sensitive information. Before you begin, stop any other proxy or VPN that's routing system traffic, but keep your current network connected. This prevents multiple apps from changing proxy settings at once and making problems harder to diagnose.

STEP 01 / SUBSCRIPTION

Import a Subscription: Save the URL, Then Update the List

v2rayN: Add a Subscription Group

Open Subscription Group in the main window, go to the group settings, and select Add. Enter a recognizable label for the group, then paste the complete subscription URL into the address field. The label only identifies the configuration source; it doesn't affect the connection. If the window offers filters, automatic updates, or conversion options, leave them at their defaults for your first setup. Avoid adding extra conditions before the original server list is available.

Save your settings and return to the main window, then select Update Subscription from the Subscription Group menu. Some versions offer a regular update and an update through the proxy. If you don't have a working connection yet, use the regular update first. Use the proxy option only after establishing a working proxy, and only if the subscription source requires that connection. Don't click repeatedly; wait for the update to finish, then check the message and logs.

After a successful update, switch to the group you just created. Its servers should appear in the list. If the full list contains entries but the current group is empty, check the group filter and search terms first. A listed server is only an available configuration; it hasn't necessarily been tested. Choose one recommended by your provider for your account, and use that server for the steps that follow so you can compare results consistently.

v2rayNG: Add the URL, Then Update from the Main Screen

Open Subscription Group Settings, or a similarly named option, from the side menu. Tap Add, enter a label and subscription URL, then save. Return to the main screen and select Update Subscription or update the current group from the menu. Saving the URL alone won't fetch servers; you must update the subscription for configurations to appear in the main list. Importing a single share link from the clipboard adds one configuration, not a subscription group to update.

Once servers appear, make sure you're viewing the right group, then select the server you want to use. Some versions mark the selected server with a color, border, or other indicator. That only means the configuration is selected; it hasn't connected yet. If nothing changes in your browser after selecting a server, don't import the subscription again. Next, configure how traffic should enter the client.

STEP 02 / TRAFFIC MODE

Choose a Proxy Mode: Separate Traffic Capture from Routing

Once you have a server, decide which apps should send traffic through the client. These are two separate settings: the system proxy, VPN, or TUN determines whether traffic is captured; routing rules decide whether captured requests use the proxy, connect directly, or are blocked. Choosing global routing doesn't automatically make every app follow the system proxy. Don't assume a similarly named toggle changes which traffic the client captures.

v2rayN: Configure the System Proxy First

On desktop, leave TUN off for now. In the main window or tray menu, open System Proxy and select Set System Proxy. This points the system's supported proxy settings to the client's local listening address. Browsers and other apps that follow system proxy settings should then route traffic through the client. Apps with their own network settings may still connect directly. Automatic configuration doesn't capture traffic in exactly the same way in every desktop environment.

For routing, start with a preset suited to your needs, such as Bypass mainland China. Matching mainland Chinese IP addresses and domains connect directly, while other traffic follows the preset. Presets with similar names can still use different rules, so check the details shown in the client. To check whether routing is the issue, temporarily switch to global proxy routing, then restore your original preset after testing. You don't need custom rules just to get started.

Clear System Proxy removes the system proxy settings. Don't Change System Proxy means the client won't modify existing settings; it doesn't clear any old settings for you. For your first setup, avoid the latter option so leftover settings don't confuse troubleshooting. If your desktop environment can't apply the system proxy automatically, or an app ignores it, see Proxy Modes and TUN in the installation guide.

v2rayNG: Check VPN Mode and App Coverage

On Android, the client typically captures device traffic using VPN mode. If settings let you choose between VPN and proxy-only mode, use VPN mode for a standard phone setup. Proxy-only mode requires each app to be configured separately to use the local proxy, so it isn't the default approach in this guide. Open routing settings, choose a suitable preset, and avoid importing custom routing rules from unknown sources.

Next, check whether per-app proxy is enabled. Depending on the setting, it may capture traffic only from selected apps or exclude the selected apps. Read the on-screen description to confirm how it works. For your first test, turn off per-app filtering so your test browser is clearly covered. Once the connection works, you can narrow the app list. If another VPN is active on the device, check whether it needs to be stopped before connecting.

STEP 03 / CONNECT

Connect: Select a Server and Check Its Status

You now have a server configuration and have chosen how traffic enters the client. Next, change only the active server and connection status; leave the subscription, DNS, and routing settings alone. Changing one thing at a time makes it easier to tell whether a failure comes from the configuration, client startup, or the way app traffic is routed.

v2rayN: Set an Active Server and Check the Logs

Select the server you want in the list, then right-click and set it as the active server. Some versions also let you double-click; follow the on-screen instructions. Once the active indicator changes, the client usually loads the configuration and starts or reloads the core. Confirm that System Proxy is still set to Set System Proxy and that the routing preset matches your previous selection. If your version has a separate start or restart core option, use it once as needed.

Open the log panel and focus on messages from after you switched servers. A successful startup and subsequent access records can help confirm that the process is running. If you immediately see an error about a port already in use, an invalid configuration, or a failed core startup, fix the local issue before switching servers. The port may be occupied by another running client instance or a different app. Close duplicate instances, restart, and check the logs again.

You don't need to wait for speed test results for every server before browsing. Connection checks, latency tests, and real webpage requests may use different destinations, protocols, and routes. A successful test doesn't replace a real access check, and a failed test needs to be considered alongside the logs. Keep the current server active and move on to verification; this is usually more useful than repeatedly testing the entire list.

v2rayNG: Connect and Approve the System Prompt

Return to the server list, make sure your chosen server is selected, then tap Connect on the main screen. The first time you establish a VPN connection, Android displays a system permission prompt. Check that it's from the current client, then allow it. This permission lets the app create a local VPN interface to capture traffic; it doesn't prove that the remote server is reachable. If you deny permission, the selected server can't route app requests in VPN mode.

After startup, the client button or status should show that it's running, and the system may display a VPN icon. If the button quickly returns to the stopped state, check the client logs for the latest error. If the connection repeatedly drops when you switch to your browser, check battery optimization and background activity restrictions. Don't assume every background shutdown means the subscription is invalid. Permission settings vary by device; see the Help Center for guidance.

STEP 04 / VERIFY

Verify the Connection: Compare Webpages, Apps, and Logs

A connection icon only shows that the client is in some kind of running state. A proper check should cover the apps you actually use and produce repeatable results. Keep your current settings unchanged. First open a regular webpage that normally works to make sure basic network access is intact. Then visit the service you need to access through the proxy. Reload the page or open a new tab so a cached page isn't mistaken for a new network request.

Test a Browser First, Then Your Apps

On desktop, test with a browser that follows system proxy settings. If the browser has its own proxy extension, disable its rules temporarily so they don't override the system settings. On Android, make sure per-app rules aren't excluding the test browser. Once a page loads, try an online action in the app you actually need. If the browser works but the app doesn't, first check whether the app's traffic is entering the client rather than assuming the server is unusable.

To check the route your traffic takes, use an exit IP lookup service you trust and compare the results before and after connecting. A routing preset may send these lookup requests directly, so an unchanged exit IP alone doesn't prove the proxy is broken. Likewise, a changed exit IP only shows that one request took a different route; it doesn't prove that every app, DNS request, and protocol on the device uses the same route.

Return to the log panel and check for requests around the time you tested access. Whether logs show each domain depends on the settings, so a lack of individual domain entries doesn't necessarily mean there's no traffic. Repeated connection timeouts, handshake failures, or name resolution errors can help narrow down the issue. Before sharing logs, check for sensitive details. The error type and steps to reproduce it are enough; don't post your full subscription or configuration.

When Something Fails, Troubleshoot in Order

If neither regular webpages nor the target service load, stop the connection and restore your original network to check whether the underlying connection works. If it doesn't, troubleshoot Wi-Fi or the local network first. If it works normally but fails after connecting, confirm that the active server loaded, the client started without errors, and the system proxy or VPN is active. Don't enable TUN, change DNS, replace the subscription, and import routing rules all at once; you won't know which change affected the result.

If regular webpages work but the target service doesn't, temporarily switch to global proxy routing and test the same page. If global routing works but your original preset doesn't, focus on routing rules and domain resolution. If both fail, try another server you're authorized to use for comparison. Restore the original preset after testing. If errors continue, note the client name, traffic capture mode, exact error, and steps that trigger it, then use the Help Center to troubleshoot by error type. For advanced routing and DNS settings, see the installation guide.

Restore Your Network Settings When You're Done

Before finishing on desktop, select Clear System Proxy in v2rayN, then quit the client. If you enabled TUN, turn it off too and wait for your network to recover. Force-quitting the process may leave the system pointed at a local proxy port that is no longer running, making webpages fail after the client closes. Reopen the client to clear the proxy, or remove any leftover proxy settings in your system's network settings, then test again.

On Android, stop the connection using the v2rayNG button and confirm that the client has stopped. Don't just swipe it out of the recent apps list. A complete setup should now be repeatable: update the subscription to load configurations, select a server and connect, make a real request from the target app, then stop the connection and restore your original network. Next time, just check whether the subscription needs updating, select a server, and connect; you won't need to import it again from scratch.