ProtonVPN 5.20.98.0 for Android

Proton VPN for Android is a free VPN with no data limit, from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail.

It encrypts everything your phone sends, hiding your real IP address from websites and your activity from whoever runs the Wi-Fi.

Version 5.20.98.0 arrived on 22 October 2026, and the free plan has no ads, no speed cap and no time limit.

What Proton VPN Actually Does

A VPN sends your phone's traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a server elsewhere. Websites see the server's address instead of yours, and the cafe, airport or hotel network cannot see what you do.

Proton uses fast modern protocols, including WireGuard and its own Stealth protocol, which hides VPN traffic on networks that try to block it. A kill switch cuts the connection if the tunnel drops, so nothing leaks.

Free or Plus: What You Get

For privacy on public Wi-Fi, the free plan is genuinely enough. Proton VPN Plus is worth it if you stream region-locked libraries or want one subscription for every device at home.

Why People Trust It

Proton is based in Switzerland, publishes its apps as open source, and has its no-logs policy checked by independent auditors. The free plan exists to bring in paying users, not to sell your data, which is how many other free VPNs pay their bills.

Version 5.20.74.0 from mid-October even closed a rare case where diagnostic logs could be sent without the user meaning to, the kind of fix a privacy company should ship quickly.

Installing the APK

The download page has the current APK and the previous 5.19 build. Allow installs from your browser or file manager when Android asks, then sign in or make a free Proton account.

Fake VPN apps are common, so check the file first with our APK Checker, which shows its permissions and signature before you install.

A VPN Is One Layer

A VPN protects the connection, not the browser. Trackers and fingerprinting still follow you unless your browser blocks them, which is where Brave Browser or Tor Browser come in.

Our piece on who is spying and who is protecting you explains how the layers fit together.

Using It With Streaming Apps

Proton runs underneath every app on the phone, including players such as VLC for Android and IPTV apps like TiviMate. If streams buffer through the VPN, connect to a closer server or try the WireGuard protocol.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

If you want a VPN that needs no account or email at all, Mullvad VPN for Android is paid but signs you up with a random number.

On a Windows PC, use Proton VPN for Windows, which shares the same account.

Quick questions

More Android privacy and media apps are in our Android section.

Download Proton VPN 5.20.98.0 APK and connect in seconds, or tell us how it runs on your phone.