VPN Not Connecting? Step-by-Step Fixes

When a VPN will not connect, the cause is usually small: a pass that is not ready yet, a login detail with a typo, a network that blocks the connection or a permission that was not granted. This guide gives you one order of checks that works on any device, so you do not have to guess.

Go through the sections from top to bottom and test the connection after each one. Most problems are solved in the first three.

Step 1: Confirm your pass is ready and active

Open My Pass. Look at two things.

• Status. If you see "We're preparing your VPN. We'll email you when it's ready.", your access is not delivered yet. This can happen right after payment. Wait for the email and refresh the page. There is nothing to fix on your device at this stage.
• Expiry time. The expiry time is shown in My Pass in UTC. If it has passed, the pass has ended and the app cannot connect. See the guide on how renewal works.

If you opened My Pass from an email, remember that the sign-in link works once and then expires. If the link no longer works, request a new one from the sign-in page.

Step 2: Check your login details

Wrong credentials are the most common reason for a failed sign-in.

1. Open My Pass and go to the login details. Details are only shown inside My Pass after you sign in; they are never sent by email.
2. Use the show and hide control to read them, and the copy buttons to copy the username and the password.
3. Paste them into the app. Do not retype them. Check there is no space at the start or end.
4. Make sure you are signing in to the VPN client app, not to your email or to the XPASS website.

Passwords are case sensitive, and some characters look alike when typed by hand. Pasting avoids all of that.

Step 3: Check the device network

Test whether your internet works without the VPN first. Open a website with the VPN turned off.

• If normal browsing fails, the problem is your Wi-Fi or mobile data, not the VPN. Restart the router or switch networks.
• If browsing works, switch to a different network to compare: from Wi-Fi to mobile data or the other way round. A hotel, office, school or cafe network can restrict VPN traffic. If the VPN connects on another network, the first network is the cause.
• Check the date and time on your device. A clock that is far off can cause connection errors, so set it to automatic.

For problems that appear only on public networks, see the guide on connecting on public Wi-Fi.

Step 4: Check permissions

The first time you connect, your system asks for permission to add a VPN configuration. If you tapped Cancel or Don't allow, the connection cannot start.

• On iPhone, iPad and Mac, allow the VPN configuration when asked.
• On Android, accept the connection request.
• On Windows, allow the app to make changes if it asks.

If you missed the prompt, close the app, open it again and press connect so the prompt appears again. Device-specific steps are in the guides for Android and iPhone and iPad. A device managed by an employer or school may block VPN installation altogether. In that case only the administrator can change it.

Step 5: Restart cleanly

A clean restart clears many stuck states.

1. Disconnect and close the VPN app completely.
2. Turn the device's Wi-Fi off and on, or switch airplane mode on for ten seconds and off again.
3. Restart the device.
4. Open the app, sign in again if it asks, and connect.

If the app connects and then drops, use the guides on reconnecting when the VPN disconnects and on improving connection stability.

Step 6: Update or reinstall the app

If nothing above worked, use the download button in My Pass to get the VPN client app again. Install it from there rather than searching for a similar name, because other apps with look-alike names are not part of your pass. Remove the old copy first, then sign in with the details from My Pass.

Limits to keep in mind

A VPN depends on your device, your network and the service you reach. Some networks block VPN traffic, and no guide can promise a connection on every network. If a site still looks wrong after you connect, use the checks in the guide on whether your VPN is working.

When to contact support

Write to xpassvpn@gmail.com if your pass is active, your details are pasted correctly, and a restart and a different network did not help. Include the email you used at checkout, your device and operating system, and the exact message the app shows. Never send your password in the message.

Summary

Check the pass status and expiry first, then your login details, then the network, then permissions, then restart. Most failed connections end at one of these steps. Browse the help center for guides for your device.