Why your VPN isn't working today: find the cause in five minutes
The VPN worked yesterday and today it won't connect. How to tell a blocked protocol from a server outage, carrier restrictions and phone settings.
Quick fix. No time to dig? Get Surok in Telegram — 3 days free, no card. It has several entry routes and switches when one is cut.
Step 1. Is traffic flowing? Turn the VPN on and open our IP page. A foreign address means the VPN works and the problem is one site or app. A Russian address or no page at all means the tunnel is dead.
Step 2. Switch networks. Works at home but not on mobile data — the carrier has allow-lists; you need a CDN-based profile. See VPN on mobile data.
Step 3. Change server and protocol. Refresh the subscription, pick another country, choose VLESS (Reality, XHTTP). For OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 "not working today" usually means "won't work again".
Step 4. Is the service down? Check its channel or support. Free VPNs go first: their addresses are well known.
Step 5. VPN works, one app doesn't. Fully restart the app, turn off a second VPN or proxy, check the device clock, try another country.