Long-standing Bug in Android Disrupts User-Selected Privacy Tools Without Warning
A persistent software flaw currently affecting multiple users of the latest operating system is causing selected privacy applications to crash or disconnect unexpectedly, with no official resolution available despite Google's awareness for over half a year.
Key Points
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1A long-standing bug in the latest version of Android is causing major security issues by disabling and crashing all installed Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps.
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2Multiple reputable providers, including Proton VPN, have publicly reported that Google has known about this problem for over six months without providing a fix or notification to users.
Developments
Perspectives
A long-standing bug in the latest version of Android is causing various applications to crash.
— [Androidheadlines]Multiple providers are reportedly waiting on Google for a fix that has been available since over half a year ago, with Proton VPN explicitly calling out their lackluster response after seven months.
— [Mar 19, 21:04]"Android bug effecting vpn's" is causing multiple providers to report silent disconnections without warning.
— [Reddit]这渿 Android ，VPN app crash
— [Sapo.pt]A long-standing bug on Android 16 causes VPN apps like Proton and Mullvad to crash by corrupting system-level network stacks without warning. Multiple providers have reported this issue for over seven months since September 2025, but Google has not yet provided a fix despite acknowledging the problem in August with plans to investigate further later that month.