Always-on VPN no longer always on?

Probably9857

I use the Mullvad VPN app, set to always on.

After the 2024091900 update, reboot, and unlock, I noticed that my VPN wasn't starting like it usually does. I probably waited about 30s, then started it manually. It was working fine.

Then about 24 hours later, I happened to notice it wasn't running again. Again, I started it manually, and it was working fine.

Just out of curiosity, I went into the VPN settings...lo and behold...the Always-On toggle was turned off!

I don't see any reason why this would happen, but the obvious suspect is the 20240919 update.

I also noticed that the VPN app was auto-updated over night, but this was several hours after the reboot, so the timeline doesn't seem to fit that this could have caused the settings change.

Is it possible that the OS update caused this???

ErnestThornhill

I haven't encountered this with Proton VPN.

Probably9857

OK, I no longer think this was related to the OS update.

I notice that if I disconnect the VPN from settings by pressing the VPN, then pressing Disconnect on the pop-up, then immediatly reconnect it, the always-on toggle gets turned to off. (Edit: if I disconnect from within the VPN app, the toggle is undisturbed.)

I was probably messing around, and did exactly this, and didn't realize the toggle had been flipped. The reboot after the OS update was probably just the first time I noticed.

To me at least, this is surprising behavior, and it seems like a potential risk for someone who really relies on a VPN (unlike myself).

Is this the expected behavior?

fid02

I can reproduce this behaviour in the Settings app.

Probably9857 Is this the expected behavior?

Not from my point of view. The behaviour could easily be deemed undesirable from a privacy standpoint: the dialog in the Settings app presents the text "Disconnect this VPN?", and a button called 'Disconnect', thus users naturally assume that the button will simply end the current VPN connection. But 'disconnect' in this case appears to actually mean "end the current VPN connection and clear the always-on and killswitch toggles for this VPN entry". That's not what I expect the button to do and it doesn't inform me that it will be doing that.

Probably9857

Worse, that sequence of actions also turns off the Block Connections without VPN toggle.

I was thinking if you had that set, at least nothing too bad would happen...but no...

Probably9857

Is this something the GrapheneOS team would consider changing, or at least making more clear? Should an issue be created?

Probably9857

Also, mods, please remove the reference to the 2024091900 release in the title, if you will.